Femina 2025-07-07
By: LOU MIKKO
She is one of Sweden’s leading singers, but prefers silence around her and rarely listens to music in private.
For Femina, Helen Sjöholm – currently on a summer tour with Tommy Körberg – tells us about her first summer job and what her signature dish is.
Do you listen to music when you’re not working?
– Extremely rarely, which is strange. I go to concerts and enjoy the live experience of music. But I’m more of a quiet person, I think it’s nice to have silence around me. It happens very rarely, so maybe I’ll seek it out more.
Do you have an unexpected favorite artist?
– I was listening to Billie Eilish with my daughter and then fell in love with Tom Odell, a British singer & songwriter who played backing vocals. He was incredibly good live – I listen to him quite a bit now.
How did you earn your first money?
– I mimed to Lasse Berghagen’s BH-samlaren Knut (Bra collector Knut) at a housewives’ association in Sundsvall in 1981. It was my grandmother who had hired me and I got 20 bucks for it.
What do you like to do in your free time?
– I love having time to read, but I rarely have it. I enjoy good conversations, watching movies, cooking. I don’t have green fingers but I can like raking and weeding flower beds. It clears my head.. I like hiking in the mountains!
Do you have a signature dish?
– I’m an everyday dish type. Baked sausage with apples and good cheese, preferably a pork stew with root vegetables. I think that’s delicious.
What is the most common misconception about you?
– I don’t feel that people have that many preconceptions or misconceptions about me.
What trait do you dislike most in others?
– The inability to see others. Egoism and lack of empathy. I find that dangerous and unattractive.
What trait do you like?
– Access to joy, being able to quickly see laughter and humor. And then on the contrary, being able to see others, being interested in other people. Empathy.
Which movie have you seen more than three times?
– I saw Grease maybe 40 times when I was twelve, thirteen, haha… I have seen a British series Cold Feet twice. And you can watch some episodes of Seinfeld as many times as you want!
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Where do you prefer to spend your free time during the summer?
– At Hartungviken on Alnö outside Sundsvall and in Österlen. These are two places that we always reconnect with in the summer.
What is the key to a successful relationship?
– It changes all the time. Patience and curiosity about each other. Continuing to give each other space. There are no universal answers unfortunately, otherwise it would have been a little easier to live together.
What is the best thing about being a mother?
– The best thing is that you have three fascinating, completely different people that you live closely with and learn a lot from. It’s tough, but educational. It’s also loving. There is both worry and love in the equation of having children.
(The entire interview is not reproduced for copyright reasons)