Swedish~ Stereo~

We continue our mini-series of recent interviews coming true with the help of our friend Tatiana Merzlikina and company Starmax with another Swedish pop legend visiting Russia recently - Jessica Folcker! The voice you absolutely couldn't miss before. Jessica has started her career as a backing vocalist of international 90s heroes from Sweden like E-Type and Dr. Alban. Lately she has started solo-career with not less than Cheiron company (Max Martin, Denniz PoP, Jörgen Elofsson, Andreas Carlsson, etc.) who helped Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and many other teen idols of decade to be born. After two Cheiron albums Jessica has entered schlager-world giving two great hits "Om Natten" and "When Love's Coming Back Again" to it and releasing acoustic album "På svenska" with Moh Dennebi. It wasn't the last Jessica's turn of direction and she has presented electropop album "Skin Close" in 2007. Then she has got a big pause and has come back this year in melodifestivalen interval-act. So let's check what we should expect from this comeback!

STARMAX: Jessica, please, tell is it your first visit to Russia?
JESSICA: It is my first visit.

STARMAX: Do you enjoy being here?
JESSICA: I wanted to visit your country for a long time and now I am here. Next time when I visit Russia I’m going to see the country. Because this time we don't have enough time. I am very curious about Russian traditions. I’m going to eat your food, real Russian food, because I love to eat. I want to see Russia and Moscow. What I will do the next time when I am here.

STARMAX: Europe firstly heard Jessica Folcker in the 90s as a vocalist in E-Type's and Dr. Alban's hits. Do you still keep in touch with these guys?
JESSICA: Dr. Alban is my close friend. He is more like my father. I started to work when I was 16 years old. I worked in his clothing shop. And it was him who brought me to the studio for the first time. We still have contact. As for Martin E-Type we don’t see each other very often. I also did backing vocals for Ace of Base long time ago. Then I had my own solo career. And now I have my family, four kids, so that takes a lot of time but now when they're getting a little bit older I really want to try out my career again because singing is my life so that's what I wanna do.

STARMAX: Your first two albums became internationally successful cooperation with Cheiron team and particularly Max Martin. How come you met Max?
JESSICA: It’s a long story. Dr. Alban took me to the studio where I've met Denniz Pop. Cheiron guys always called me when they needed a backing vocalist for different projects because I was around and we all were friends. Then Martin and Denniz helped me with the record deals. So it began that way.

STARMAX: Last year you've become a mother for the fourth time. Is there any space and time in Jessica Folcker's life for making music and for touring?
JESSICA: Yes, absolutely. There is a difference now because I have my family but it’s all about planning. So if there is a good planning I can work. But I can’t get on the road and never be home, like I did, when I was younger. I am not interested in that because it’s not healthy. We need breaks sometimes. I want to work. When I am on stage I am really enjoying my time. But when I promoted my first and second albums and travelled a lot, that was really tough and hard work and I didn’t really enjoy my time. Now years after it’s totally different. So it’s just positive thing. Everything gets better.

STARMAX: What about new material from Jessica Folcker? Do you plan to release a new album?
JESSICA: Yes, definitely. I am in the studio now. I am trying out different songs, different stuff. So I am in the making process.

STARMAX: That’s really good news! We will be waiting for your new album! You worked in different genres: from Cheiron pop of the late 90s to schlager-music, acoustic pop in Swedish electronic music. Is there anything special you would like to try next?
JESSICA: I love music and I listen to everything. Where my heart is it’s pop-music. And it can be more electronical or it can be more organic, live. The most important thing is the rhythm. Good tracks and the rhythm are really important. So you never know what will be good, perfect in the process of making music.

STARMAX: You had two amazing entries at Melodifestivalen in the past and this year you came back in the interval of the contest. Do you plan to participate in Melodifestivalen again?
JESSICA: No. I did it in 2005 and 2006, because people really haunted me for this. This year when I joined Melodifestivalen, that was fantastic. That was really nice! I am very happy with that. I really enjoyed my time but I don’t plan to join next year or the year after. But you never know... I want to do different stuff. It’s much more fun to go to Russia and play here (laughing).

STARMAX: Thank you very much, Jessica!
JESSICA: Thank you!