{"id":14694,"date":"2025-01-04T09:48:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T07:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/?page_id=14694"},"modified":"2025-07-23T16:07:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:07:18","slug":"helen-sjoholm-on-the-future-of-benny-andersson-band","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/helensjoholm.nu\/_eng\/press-clips\/interviews-2024\/helen-sjoholm-on-the-future-of-benny-andersson-band\/","title":{"rendered":"Helen Sj\u00f6holm on the future of Benny Andersson Band"},"content":{"rendered":"

N\u00f6jeslivet 2024-10-18<\/strong><\/p>\n

By: ANTON LINDQVIST<\/p>\n

Benny Andersson Band is back.<\/strong>
\nNow Helen Sj\u00f6holm \u2013 who is currently on a new Christmas tour with Anna Stadling this winter \u2013 gives her view on the band’s future.<\/strong>
\n\u2013 It’s fantastic that it’s possible to continue that project, she tells N\u00f6jeslivet.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two singers Helen Sj\u00f6holm and Anna Stadling have been friends since childhood. The duo was well-received by critics both at Christmas 2022 and 2023 on the Snow and marshals<\/em> tour. That performance was also broadcast on Swedish Television.<\/p>\n

Now it’s clear that the two stars will continue their collaboration this winter. The 2024 Christmas show is titled Songs in Christmas time<\/em> and will premiere on November 28 at Maria Church in Helsingborg.<\/p>\n

The tour will then make many stops in Sweden (…) before the final evening on December 19 at Oskar Fredrik Church in Gothenburg.<\/p>\n

The duo has three musicians on stage: Jesper Nordenstr\u00f6m on keyboard, Johan Lindstr\u00f6m on guitar and Dan Berglund on bass.<\/p>\n

\u2013 What arises between us in the band is what happens when we start. But before that, there are a lot of lyrics that Anna and I think about. These thoughts about the season, life in the big picture and the world we live in, Helen Sj\u00f6holm says to N\u00f6jeslivet.<\/p>\n

Compared to a “regular” gig, there is a special challenge for the artists to take on on stage.<\/p>\n

\u2013 I think the challenge is to find your angle and make it clear in some way. I think you can do Christmas concerts in all sorts of ways. We have everything from big to a little smaller. Helen and I want to and are working very hard to get the whole thing in somehow this time. The winter, the darkness, the songs \u2013 both the traditional and the newer ones. To get an arc between all this, the traditional part that we come from with choral music. To get the link between the new and the old, says Anna Stadling to N\u00f6jeslivet.<\/p>\n

The duo is also up to date with the newly recorded single V\u00e5r v\u00e4nskap best\u00e5r<\/em>, which is a Bj\u00f6rn Ulvaeus-written Swedish translation of ABBA’s The way old friends do<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In addition, Sj\u00f6holm has recently collaborated with another ABBA star \u2013 namely Benny Andersson. In the fall, the highly anticipated album Alla kan dansa<\/em> by Benny Andersson’s orchestra, BAO, was released.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Yes, that group that barely exists. Yes, but it’s true, it’s here now. It’s been a long collaboration. It’s also one of those things that goes way back. Not as far as I have with Anna (Stadling), but it’s almost 22 years, isn’t it? As we in the band have existed, a little bit at times. Now Benny has written more music and it’s fantastic that we can continue that project, says Helen Sj\u00f6holm to N\u00f6jeslivet.<\/p>\n

How did it go when you went back into the studio? Who took the initiative?<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u2013 It’s always bandleader Benny Andersson. It’s his project. It’s his songs, and Bj\u00f6rn’s lyrics most of the time, says Sj\u00f6holm and continues:<\/p>\n

\u2013 So he shouts when he wants to, and he wanted to now. It was fun to see everyone again. Great.<\/p>\n

What does the future look like for BAO, will there be any concerts?<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u2013 No idea. Early this summer, in June, we did a concert at Cirkus. It was great fun, but whether there will be any more concerts, I don’t know. It’s hard to say actually, says Sj\u00f6holm.<\/p>\n

The Cirkus gig was filmed and is expected to be broadcast on SVT this fall, as N\u00f6jeslivet previously reported. For Sj\u00f6holm, it is always a moment of celebration when BAO reunites \u2013 and she takes nothing for granted when it comes to the orchestra’s future.<\/p>\n

\u2013 This group is quite divided and also a bit old. But every time there is an opportunity to record or play, it is very special, because you never know when or if it will come back, says Sj\u00f6holm.<\/p>\n

Anna Stadling has also been a member of another acclaimed orchestra \u2013 namely Lars Winnerb\u00e4ck’s backing band Hovet. The group was handpicked by Winnerb\u00e4ck, and was featured on both several studio albums (including S\u00f6ndermarken<\/em>) and many live gigs.<\/p>\n

Does that band have a future?<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u2013 You know, it’s these bandleaders who often put a little color and time into it. Lars Winnerb\u00e4ck put together Hovet, and it’s not an existing band today. But we probably have each other in our hearts, I think. No, I don’t think Hovet and Lars Winnerb\u00e4ck, for example, will be no more. It was a fantastic time, and we had a lot of fun (…) We were there during Lasse’s early years, and it was of course very special and has left its mark on many. I understand that. You hear from people who sometimes miss us and it’s great fun. But it probably has a place in their hearts, as I said, says Anna Stadling.<\/p>\n

Are you in contact with any of the band members today?<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u2013 Yes, Johan Persson (guitar) and I did a duet that was actually released this summer. He writes some of his own music under the name The Swedish sin<\/em> and he invited me to a duet. We have contact, occasionally. I have played with \u201cNorpan\u201d (Magnus Eriksson, drummer) a bit. So there are glimpses sometimes. There have been a few small attempts, but not as many as BAO, haha. But if we are going to meet, it is a project. Many agendas that need to be synchronized. Oh oh oh, it usually takes a long time before you can find a date to meet, says Stadling.<\/p>\n

In fact, Winnerb\u00e4ck has collaborated with Stadling and Sj\u00f6holm. Together they recorded a song that was included on the duo\u2019s Christmas album two years ago.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Lasse has been on our Christmas album. Snow and marshals<\/em> was a song that came a little later and is only available in a live recording. It was a suggestion from Helen that was so fun to do. Lasse came by the studio when we were recording. We said: \u201cWe\u2019re working today, and if you\u2019re in town, come by!\u201d And he did. When we were sitting there we said: \u201cBut why don\u2019t you sing with us for a bit?\u201d He went on Snow and marshals<\/em> and it was a really nice thing to invite him. We were really happy about that, says Stadling.<\/p>\n

\u2013 Yes. It was fantastic! says Sj\u00f6holm.<\/p>\n

\u2013 I have a really long friendship with him. I think of both BAO and Hovet, that there\u2019s a warmth like when you come up a bit and look back\u2026 That warmth that spreads at the thought is really nice. Then when you see each other again, it\u2019s something out of the ordinary, says Anna Stadling (…)<\/p>\n

(The entire interview is not reproduced for copyright reasons)<\/em><\/p>\n

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N\u00f6jeslivet 2024-10-18 By: ANTON LINDQVIST Benny Andersson Band is back. Now Helen Sj\u00f6holm \u2013 who is currently on a new Christmas tour with Anna Stadling Read More …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":14265,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-14694","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t