Markus Krunegård Wants You To Write the Lyrics For His Latest Song

Markus Krunegård

is a Swedish singer-songwriter who's been around forever. Most Swedes have probably heard his name, many have listened to his music and more than a few have some kind of relationship with his lyrics. However, on his upcoming album, Markus struggled with writing the lyrics to the title track "Rastlöst Blod". That means that he basically will release a record titled

Rastlöst Blod

without the song "Rastlöst Blod". So to complete the album, Markus has turned to his fans and in contemporary manor created the hashtag #rastlöstblod (which literally means Restless Blood). I wanted to find out whether this is a move by a slacker or if he's genuinely interested in what his fans can come up with, so I gave him a call.

Noisey: Hey Markus, what's up?

Markus Krunegård:

Yeah damnit, it's good. The weather is incredibly nice and I'm a bit hangover. But I have a suit on so I look good.

Have you been playing a lot recently? Last time I saw you was at the closing of Debaser Slussen.

That was last autumn. I've been making the record so it will all start again now.

What's up with this record?

It's called

Rastlöst Blod

, which was a title of a track from the beginning. But the song didn't turn out that well. So I want to write a song that's called "Rastlöst Blod". But I'm pretty tired of writing lyrics myself to be honest, so I thought of this idea that more people than me are restless. So if anyone has an idea about this then why not? I want to involve other people and see if they can help me out. So I guess it's about making a collective piece of art – however it turns out.

So you'll release this as a single?

It depends on how it all turns out. But it won't be featured on the album. It will probably be either a b-side or a single. I don't know really. I thought this could be a nice thing and I'm pretty fed up with writing lyrics myself so it'd be good with some help.

I get it. So how will the process be like exactly?

I've made a garage song. People can write another melody – or first and foremost lyrics that they post on Instagram with a hashtag. Then we'll collect them all and try to sort out a wall of all the fragments and sort something out. If it works.

OK. #rastlöstblod? What do you want people to post?

Just hashtag whatever you want with #rastlöstblod.

Alright. But you were writing this song from the beginning, right? What happened?

It turned into one of those bad Finnish tango songs about me and my mum. And I've already written loads of stuff about me and my mum, and it wasn't that great. So I thought that other people probably feel restless or have something on the theme. Usually when I write a song I have a topic and then write lyrics. It doesn't really have to be that specific. This time there's a theme so if anyone feels inspired by it, I'd be really grateful. In the best case scenario about thousand people write the song,

That's like Sweden's biggest band.

Definitely. Sweden's biggest band without a doubt. Or Sweden's biggest co-write.

Will you look up people who post suggestions? What if someone you don't like write something?

Yeah, if Jimmie Åkesson [Sweden Democrats' party leader] posts something

[laughs]

. No but I will censor some stuff and take the right to make something I think works out in the end.

You guys contacted us and asked if we could write a first line. How should we do this?

It'd be great if you did. It doesn't have to be the entire lyrics, maybe just a line or a rhyme or whatever. Good words. I think that can be pretty awesome.

I've seen when bands use social media for music videos and stuff, but this feels like a pretty new thing.
Yeah I've probably started a new global trend [laughs]. What if it turns out massive and everybody turn to Instagram and hashtags for lyrics. Is that something you can hold up?
Yeah, "Krunegård writing". Like the Stockholm syndrome. The Krunegård syndrome.
Exactly. That's the secret evil goal. Right. So who do you think will participate in this?
I have no idea. I hope that both Ulla, 65 and Kalle, 12 are onboard. Maybe it's too weird and broad, but "Rastlöst Blod" – what does it mean to people? I did a pretty failed attempt, but I still think it's a great title and the album is named after that so it'd be cool if we managed to sort it out. Who would be the dream participant?
That's a good question. Arja Saijonmaa would be fun, you know the Finnish singer. I grew up with her records. I don't know if she writes anything by herself, but she feels like a pretty restless individual. Or this guy Eddie the Eagle who was this ski-jumper guy turned living cannonball. Or actually, I'll go back to Finland. Matti Nykänen gotta be the world's most ADHD/restless human being. He used to be both a ski-jumper, a pornstar, rockstar, stripper and he's been in prison. I think he could beat them all. I bet. Thanks Markus and good luck!