Artistic innovator and musical creator Felix Sandman has just shared his transformative, genre-defying and highly anticipated new album. Called Yue, the musical collection is a cathartic and fresh mix of hip hop, R&B, pop and alternative for a one-of-a-kind listen. The album's title means moon in Cantonese and it is filled with references to the otherworldly power as well as themes of inner growth, healing, darkness, and more. Highlights include "Babymoma", a song that features smooth rhythms, stacked beats and emotive keys. Then there is "Luna's Interlude", a R&B drenched track filled with dreamy guitars and slow-burning soundscapes. "Terminal" features Haley Bridge and it seduces with layered vocals over a brooding atmosphere. Yue balances mainstream appeal with an emotional depth that makes the album so captivating. It’s an album that feels like a statement of reinvention and transformation.
We chat with Felix Sandman all about his new album, overcoming burnout, time in Sweden, life in a popular boy band at 14 and more.
Congrats Felix on your new album Yue. Can you tell our readers more about the themes found on the album?
Thank you! I would say Yue has its roots in the mental state that I was in, and had been in for a long time before I started writing it. Because of past experiences and how I lived my life in a very bad way at the time, it became one half of the inspiration and what I wanted to write about. The other half of inspiration for the themes of Yue comes from my interests, my relationships and the moon. Throughout the album, the moon remains a constant reference, symbolizing the search for a guiding light in times of darkness. Yue chronicles my anxiety and reflects on the expectations both I and other people have of me. Thoughts about what a person is without a purpose, while trying to find myself in the noise of the surrounding world. The introspective essence of the ”Sandy Karlo” part of the album puts forth a more subdued side of me. While the other part picks up the pace a little bit and the isolating anxiety transforms into a more reactive quest for my new self, for love, and finally landing on self acceptance. Even if the melancholy is still present, the aura gets a bit more playful and the sound is based on live recorded instruments. Especially on the focus track "Nylon".
You mentioned that with Yue, the music doesn't feel like a comeback and you feel as if you are a whole new artist with this new album. Why is this? How has your songwriting and music changed?
After being forced to stay away from music because of my mental state and the fact that I didn’t want to do it anymore, I could only focus on recovery. Doing that made me eventually realize that the time off was life saving and so necessary. It made me see things differently and made me realize the changes I had to make in my life. It also gave spark to the idea of making music again, but in a completely new way. Without compromise, with respect to the creative process, with full focus on exploring my potential within the genres I’ve always identified with and the passion of creating a full body of work. Basically that I was going to do stuff that I actually like, that will get me somewhere, rather than the soul draining- fake ”good exposure” bullshit. That was the only way I could do it again, so that’s what I did. And now I feel like a new artist who has just made his career’s first masterpiece.
You collaborated with David Husberg on the new album who co-produced it. Take our readers inside the studio with you two. What was a typical recording day like and how did the creative partnership evolve?
Me and David have spent years in the studio together, making a lot of music before we got to the point of creating Yue. Our process has allowed us to take the time we want to explore our potential, take the necessary steps to unlock it and always be able to challenge what we think we can create. We’ve gone through many of the ups and downs in our lives together. So each day in the studio can be very different but typically there's some kind of therapy conversation and a lot of snus involved. Some days we just chill and watch stuff on youtube, slvsh cup or some shit like that. Some days we listen to music all day, explore different sounds or vocal chains and then work all night. When we’re excited with an idea we work nonstop for like 13 hours. When we need a break from all that we go out and play golf.
I hear Yue came from a period of recovering from burnout. How did you help heal your mind, body and soul during this time and how did that contribute to the new music?
The process of making Yue was the help. Being able to express myself freely through the music was, and is, a godsend gift. Writing about how I felt eventually gave me perspective and helped evolve me as a person and my music. That, some time off and some actual therapy helped.
Do you have a favorite song on the album and if so which one and why?
That’s a hard question, it comes and goes, I have a unique connection with every song on the album. But right now I guess I would say that ”Nylon” is my favorite, because I feel like it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever made. It has a lot of live recorded instruments, characters, bars and strings that we recorded with a live orchestra! That was sick.
What do you hope listeners take away from Yue?
I feel like Yue has a song for every person and every emotion or mood. If you’re a casual listener, you will enjoy some new, good fucking music. If you want to dig deeper, you can dive into a world that tells stories both sonically and lyrically. There are more things to discover underneath the surface, more connections to make. So I mean, I would love it if listeners get pulled into that, you know, absorb the emotions of the lyrics, of the sounds and maybe find something that they relate to and like to hear someone else’s perspective on.
You grew up in the spotlight and were part of the popular boy band FO&O. How has that time with the band shaped you as an artist and why did you choose to embark on a solo career?
It gave me a lot of experience from a young age. Working in the music industry, going on tours, releasing music, making videos, making shows, meeting a lot of people and having a lot of fans. I was 14 when we started out, so growing up doing all that made me the person I am today I guess, made me eventually find what I actually wanted to do with music. What I’m doing today.
You spend time in Sweden and America. What do you find as a major difference between the two countries and how do the two music scenes differ?
Big question! I mean there are many similarities but so many differences. I would say one major thing is the difference in size. Sweden is super small. Like the size of Texas or something. The US is so big, and has so many different people with different cultures. Sweden is a bit more limited. I feel like the music scenes are kind of connected, Sweden has always been big in pop music export and we have many big Swedish songwriters and producers that are working with the biggest artists in America and the world. Right now it feels like pop songs in Swedish are the only thing people listen to in Sweden though… I don’t.
I like the shit we make in English. So when it comes to the type of music that I make, I feel like there is a bigger audience for it in the US. More artists around the genre.
What's next for Felix Sandman?
Yue is just the start. Yue is my confidence. Yue is my gateway to endless possibilities. There will be videos, there will be events, there will be live shows. First show is in Stockholm March 14th. There will be more music, even though I feel like Yue is one of the best albums to come out of Sweden in a long time, there will be even better music to come. I’m working on a new series and a movie as well. I’m optimistic about the future.
Connect with Felix Sandman: INSTAGRAM
