We interviewed Martin Sternhufvud (MaMas Barn), who just released an album “Från ingenting till någonting” (you can listen to it at the bottom of this article and buy it here) and talked with him about his music and many other things.
RXB/ Judith: Hi Martin, we would like to begin with the origins. How and when did you get into music? What instruments do you play?
Well, the impulse to express myself through music came very early in my life, when I was like 9 years old I did my first songs and recorded them on my mother’s cassette-player. But it was in the secondary school when I was 16 years old that I met other friends and we started a band. I remember when I met up with MP at that time and asked him if he wanted to play the drums in our first band. He said: Yes!
RXB/J: Who are your favourite artists and inspiration?
My current absolute favorite artist right now is a Swedish guy who calls himself “The tallest man on earth”. Check it out on Spotify or/and youtube. I enjoy all artists who move from the inner space in some sense – I think that is what touches me as a listener. I want to feel the soul of the other…
So genuine artists as Springsteen, Dylan, Lars Winnerbäck, Bon Iver, Fink, Ebba Forsberg among others may help me to awake to a more genuine reality. I think that’s what art is about.
RXB/J: Could you tell us about the 70ies, how did you get to know Per and Marie and start the band with her (Strul, MaMas Barn)?
Per and I went in the same school and he was kind of eccentric, walked around in suites and a hat (guess he found his inspiration from David Bowie…) which was kind of odd at that kind of post hippie-era! Per was a good friend of a friend of mine so we that was how we first met. Further on we shared the same facilities where our different bands rehearsed.
I remember how Per introduced me to Tom Petty in our chill-out room. I was very impressed by Tom Petty – Per was a great fan to him (and still is I guess).
Marie was the girlfriend of our drummer (not MP – now we are in the late 70’s…). So I asked him if he could bring Marie to the band as the rumor said that she sang very nice…And she did! She blew us all away with her voice…!