Photos: Thomas Larsson (@t.o.t.o.s)
Swedish singer-songwriter Emil Dorian Löfström has enjoyed a prolific career with stage persona O!Dorian releasing Europop anthems “Dancing Brokenhearted,” “Punch My Heartbreak Away,” and “High On Love.” The rising pop sensation sits down with us to give us an insight into his influences and an exciting new musical project.
O!Dorian’s dream of crafting his own Army of Lovers inspired musical troupe comes to fruition with new project O!Dorian and The LaVettes where the star has been joined for Lola and Lince. They release their first track When the Night is Cold – a cover of the 1988 Army of Lovers track.
Emil, it is a real pleasure to find out more about your music as O!Dorian and your upcoming project with The LaVettes. You’ve carved out a great niche so far in the world of contemporary europop and schlager; why does now feel like the right time to expand as O!Dorian and The LaVettes?
It all started when my record company wanted to make a tribute to Tim Norell, a huge Swedish songwriter who sadly passed away last year. I was asked to cover Army of Lovers’ very first song, “When the Night is Cold,” which was written by Tim Norell among others. In order to do it justice, I felt I needed to find my own “Army of Lovers” for that project.
How did you meet Lola and Lince?
I met Lince after one of my gigs through a common acquaintance, a photographer we both worked with. I found her extremely cool and asked if we could do some modeling together for future projects. When this project came along, I thought of her and asked if she could sing and wanted to be part of it. Her hilarious response, “I am really good at miming,” made me feel she was perfect for this project (I mean, Army of Lovers had three female non-singers, not counting Jean-Pierre Barda). We needed a third, so we advertised on Facebook with an image of Lince and me. This actually yielded some gig requests, and we received several demos from different composers. After a few weeks, Lince realized she already knew the perfect girl, called me, and told me about Lola. I saw her face, listened to her voice, and almost turned straight then and there. Lola was on board, and we were complete. When the cover of “When the Night is Cold” was finished, we realized this was too good to be a one-song project. A new record label and management wanted to sign us.
Can you share a little bit about the vibe, style, and influences that inspire this collaboration?
We all grew up in the 90s, and we all share a love for Eurodance, Army of Lovers, and everything else that’s over the top. Plus, we’re all a bit crazy in the same way. But to be completely honest, I simply want to live out my inner Jean-Pierre Barda/Pete Burns with two stunning, fierce girls with huge cleavages in haute couture and outrageous outfits.
Without spoiling too much, can you give us a rundown of some exciting things to come musically with O!Dorian and The LaVettes?
We have several more songs recorded and planned. Think Hans Zimmer, 90s techno/rave, big operatic choirs, bubblegum melodies, and outright lunacy with a flirt toward Eastern Europe.
You’ve released some incredible singles as O!Dorian, such as “Dancing Brokenhearted,” “Punch My Heartbreak Away,” and “High On Love.” Will you continue to release music solo alongside The LaVettes projects?
Thank you so much for those kind words! I hope to do both. It all depends on each respective song, but I am leaving my old record label, so it also depends on if my new one wants to release solo songs with me. I can assure you that you haven’t heard the last of me, whether you like it or not.
You often tackle themes of beauty, grandeur, luxury, and opulence. What is it about these glamorous concepts that inspires you?
Don’t we all want to live in a perfect world? Without wars, poverty, oppression, boredom, bad people, and other things we’re better off without? I live by the motto “more is more” simply because I’m happier that way. Some gilded Victorian interior gives me so much more joy than a generic IKEA home.
What are the main differences between the man Emil Löfström and the artist O!Dorian?
O!Dorian is simply Emil Löfström cranked up to eleven, with all barriers removed. Emil can make a joke about having megalomania, while O!Dorian undoubtedly has it.
I would love to find out more about your journey into the world of europop. What first led to you falling in love with this type of music?
I fell in love with Baby Doll, who represented Yugoslavia in 1991 in the Eurovision Song Contest. From there, my interest in music started, as far as I remember. It grew to include all happy music with strong melodies, bombastic arrangements, oriental flairs, high energy, and topped off with a key change or two. With that said, I still cannot fully accept that Björn and Benny from ABBA are straight.
A huge inspiration to you is, of course, Army of Lovers. What are your essential Army of Lovers tracks?
Some real gems are “Israelism,” “King Midas,” “Supernatural,” “Love is Blue,” and “Sexual Revolution.”
You worked with the legendary Jean-Pierre Barda on your single “Army of Lovers.” Are there other band members or European pop legends on your dream collaboration list?
I would love to collaborate with the whole of Army of Lovers (Dominika has the sexiest voice in the world, even though she can’t sing), Dana International because she has a prolific sound and I love Israel, Baccara because I adore violins together with panting ladies, or bring back to life Freddie Mercury, the most talented vocalist in the world ever.
I know you’ve submitted a couple of singles to Melodifestivalen in the past. Do you still have ambitions to compete in the contest?
Absolutely, and I think that O!Dorian and The LaVettes would be perfect for the show. The type of music we make isn’t represented in the contest enough.
What tracks would be on your top schlager and europop songs playlist?
“Electric” by Leila K, “Encore” by Vanilla Ninja, “You’re the Only One” by Sergey Lazarev, “Show Me Heaven” by Lili & Susie, and “Lay Your Love on Me” by BWO.
Thanks for taking the time to chat. Is there anything else you’d like to shout out (social channels, upcoming projects, etc.)?
Please follow me and the girls on Spotify and every social media where you can find us. You never know what we’ll get up to, and neither do we, but I’m sure it’s going to be grand! Thank you so much, Andrew, for this interview and support; that means everything. xxx
- Instagram (O!Dorian)
- Instagram (The LaVettes)
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