Biography

Sven Sundberg specializes in creating melodic instrumental pop gems; from soft adult contemporary to pop to remixes with modern beats, Sven's melodies are simple without being flashy or overdone. Sometimes as somber as a quiet winter storm and sometimes as stimulating and straight-forward as a summer pool party, Sven uses the perfect blend of piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and keyboard to craft timeless music for all generations.
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Unsigned Indie contemporary instrumentalist (Sven Sundberg) self-produces album and sells 2,500 copies (2014 - "Crystal Clear") without touring. This is my story.
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New release "Intimacy: A Collection" (Professionally produced, mixed, mastered and packaged) has already sold more than 1,800 copies since October 6!
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GENRES:
Contemporary Instrumental
Instrumental Pop
Adult Contemporary
Soft Rock
Ambient Pop
International Pop
New Age
Meditation/Relaxation
Nu-Jazz
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Start by telling me who you are and what you do.
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My name is Sven Roland Sundberg, and I go by the name Sven Sundberg as a musician. I currently work for the State of Illinois as a Fiscal Officer. Prior to this, I worked in Seattle as Director of Finance and Operations for a nonprofit that helped intellectually and developmentally disabled people. I hold degrees and certifications in Accounting and Computer Science.
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How did you get started in music?
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When I was young, about 6 and living in Phoenix, I was given a green organ for Christmas. I loved that organ! I loved making sounds on it that were pleasing to hear. After an unfortunate accident, the organ was destroyed. A year or two later, my parents rented an upright piano for me, and hired John Steinway (of Steinway Pianos) to give me lessons. As a child, I didn’t realize the significance of this man, but his teaching is a source of pride for me now. He taught me chords, scales, and melodies, everything that goes into a song. After a year or two of lessons, my family moved to the Midwest and we no longer had the piano. But from the age of 14 or so, I had always attempted to write songs and lyrics, imagining what they would sound like if I had a piano, and I kept them in a notebook. A couple decades later, I bought my first keyboard and tried playing a few of the songs I had written. They all sucked! So I went back to my teaching from Mr. Steinway and tried to create simple melodies, not flashy or overdone, that would be emotive, serene and very memorable. After writing over 100 songs, I believe I have accomplished that, and that is where my musical core lies. I keep trying to improve my sound and create memorable, lasting music.
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Describe your journey so far, as a professional musician. How did you get from where you started to where you are now?
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For each new song that I composed and recorded, I tried to improve on previous songs by listening to music that I love to hear and using that for inspiration. You can sometimes hear when I have used parts of old songs and changed them to make them more melodic. Certain writing formulas cropped up and I used those as guides in composing new music, finding the verses, choruses, bridges and finishing touches for songs. At first, my CDs were homemade and not too good in sound quality. After a few CDs like that with no sales, I bought new top-of-the-line instruments and studio equipment and began improving my sound quality to studio levels. This has only recently begun to have results, as my sales and fan base have increased significantly over my last few CDs. My CDs now sell in the thousands, and people are beginning to like my music and seek it out.
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What is unique about the music you make?
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I’ve developed a solid belief that simplicity is the hallmark of a great melody, and that memorable melodies are created from the music that inspires you to write from the heart. My best songs can bring about all sorts of emotions, as well as calm the soul. My genre is Contemporary Instrumental, and I am seeking to instill simple and emotive melodies into the genre and to have such music be recognized at the forefront of the genre.
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What are some of your biggest accomplishments as a musician?
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I was named Winner of Best Instrumental Song of 2015 in The Akademia Music Awards with my song "Let Me Go." Also, I’ve been lucky to have licensed a few of my songs for inclusion in indie movies and on ESPN. One of my songs, “Invisible Hands,” made it into the Airplay Top 40 in the Philippines in 2012. And I also collaborated with a musician named Mark LaFountain to create a new mix of one of his songs called “The Valley of Voe.” And now my CDs are growing in sales with each new release, which is exciting to be a part of. I have seen my fan base increase from about 1,000 to almost 10,000. And I am receiving feedback from fans now when a certain song has affected them in some way. Most surprisingly, my music is now being heard and people are responding to it!
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What have been some of the career lows or hardships?
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In the beginning, I couldn’t get anyone to listen to my music. I couldn’t even give away my CDs. Although those early CDs contained some of my best work, the quality was low and sales were zero. That was hard to take. I had to re-record and remix some of these songs from scratch before people would listen to them. I released these re-recordings in my Remasters CDs. Also, I have spent a lot of time and money trying to license my music for certain media projects, and I have had a thousand Nos for every Yes. Some of the feedback from music professionals was brutal, but I used that feedback to improve. And I have experienced some intense bouts of writer’s block.
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When you think back on your life as a musician, what experience first pops into your head?
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When I have written a few bars of certain songs, and I play it back and it blows me away and inspires the rest of the song as if it were writing itself. That feeling in the moment that happens, that’s what I live for, a sudden flood of inspiration coming from something small I have composed. That, and hearing my song “It’s Time” being used in a sports collage on ESPN.
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What impact are you hoping your music leaves on the world and/or your fans?
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Since I hope to write memorable melodies, I hope that my music turns out to be timeless and inspires others with emotion and peace. My wish is that my music will be thought of as worth listening to long after I’m gone.
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