The second Semi-Final of Sweden’s Melodifestivalen takes place tomorrow night! Another seven acts will take to the stage in hope of a place in the final on March 10th. Amongst the hopeful acts is Stiko Per Larsson. We chatted to him about all things Melfest and his other walks of life!

Thanks very much for taking the time to chat to us, Stiko!
First off – how would you describe yourself and your music?

I come from solid live performing background. I released my first album 10 years ago, and this spring I release album no 6. Over the last years I think I have done somewhere round 100 concerts every year.
My music is acoustic pop / rock with Swedish lyrics.

Is this the first time that you’ve tried to enter Melodifestivalen? What
was it that made you want to take part this year?

Yes it is! I kind of stumbled into the Melodifestival through a nation
wide music contest called P4 Nästa.The final in late august 2017 had two
prizes, first a really good radio spin during a long period of time for my
single *Kumpaner.* A jury then picked a winner from the finalist that
would get a ticket into Melodifestivalen. I won that too, and it was a
totally amazing night. I was so happy. Still am!

What did you first think when you found out your song was selected for
Melodifestivalen, and how did you manage to keep it all a secret?

I took a different path into Melodifestivalen than the other artists by
being announced during the P4Nästa contest. So it was never a secret.

If you could describe your song in only three words, what would they be?

Never give up!!

What can we expect from your performance/staging? Or is it all a big
secret so far?

Well, I’ll try to do a colourful and memorable performance. The song Is up
tempo and kinda happy , I will try to stay in the mood of the song and give my very best on stage.

In your photos we can see that you have a very unique looking guitar. Did you design this yourself, and does it have a special meaning to you?

Yes, it is really beautiful. I was designed by an artist close to my hometown. He is amazing and it really makes the guitar unique. The design rhymes with who I am and with the song. It fits perfectly in the performance in the contest.

If anyone is looking at learning to play the guitar or another instrument,
what advice would you give them?

Just do it! I started playing guitar in my 20s. I wrote my first song when
I was 24 years old. Never give up, it is never too late to start playing
music.

Who inspires you most musically? And if you could cover any of their
songs, which would it be?

Oh, I find lots of artists really good but it is a long time since I
looked for inspiration in other artists. I try to find inspiration to my
music in the every day life instead. But I always love to sing great songs, so it happens that I do covers of different artists and put on my Facebook page or YouTube.

Aside from your music, what other activities do you get up to in your
spare time?

I have a family that I love and try to spend as much time with them as
possible. My son was in 2015 and my wife have two children from before. So my closest family is my wife and these three amazing kids. When I don’t do that I try to stay in shape by playing hockey or something
like that.

If you had a time machine, and could change anything in the past – what would it be?

I would love to correct a lot of errors, stop a few wars and murders but I
can’t do that. By changing the past you also change the future. I think it
is called the Butterfly Effect. So even if I wanted to change something it would be a really bad idea. You never know what your actions leads to.
That was a really boring answer, hahaha!
I guess I could get away with something small…

If a movie was made about your life – which actor would you like to see
starring as you? And who would be the co-stars to play your friends/family?

Well, a few times people have said that I look a lot like Jason Statham. I
cannot see that myself, that but he is cool so he is more than welcome to
do it!

What’s your biggest achievement, and what are you most proud of?

My family. In my career it must be that I have touring through Sweden by
foot for eleven years, doing concerts for the benefit of children in need.
I have raised more than 1 and a half million swedish crowns the last six
years. That is a lot of money, and I am so glad that my feet and my music
really can make a difference for people in need.

What is your favourite thing about Sweden, and do you have any fun Swedish phrases that you can teach us?

I love the nature and how the weather and seasons affects us. The Swedes may appear cool or stiff, but we have a burning heart underneath.
Well, you can always say: Nu fikar vi! 🙂

How can our readers find out more about you and your music?

All my songs are on Spotify and other streaming services. If you
understand Swedish a little bit, make sure you follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

Would you like to give a message to the readers of ESCBubble?

I just want to say thank for your time! I hope you will enjoy my performance at the Melodifestival and I hope we met again, somewhere down the road.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions, Stiko! Best of luck at Melodifestivalen!

Stiko Per Larsson will perform “Titta vi flyger” (Look, we’re flying) in the 2nd Melodifestivalen Semi-final on Saturday 10th February in Gothenburg.