Release

Per Gessle interview about PG Roxette on Göteborgs-Posten

by

Per Gessle had an interview day in Halmstad and replied to Johan Lindqvist’s (Göteborgs-Posten) questions in a video call. Roxette is back with a new single, an upcoming album and certainly also a tour. There are the initials PG in front of the band name to indicate that this is something different than it was before.

For Per Gessle, it’s an obvious choice to continue. He sees it as managing Roxette’s legacy and mentions the Bohemian Rhapsody movie about Queen, Fleetwood Mac’s sudden TikTok hit with old Dreams and ABBA’s project with Mamma Mia! and the new avatar show in London as inspiring ways to keep old bands and songs relevant.

Per says:

75% of everyone who listens to Roxette on Spotify is under 45, which is absolutely fantastic. I’m proud of what we have created and of course want the music to live on.

He continues:

Roxette is thirty years of my life, so it would be strange if I didn’t want to continue. What is important to point out is that it’s definitely not about trying to replace Marie. It’s not possible.

PG says that British journalists asked if, for example, Belinda Carlisle was relevant for the job as a Roxette singer. She wasn’t. It’s Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg who share vocals together with Per. There are also other well-known Roxette musicians in the band: Jonas Isacsson, Clarence Öfwerman, Magnus Börjeson, Christoffer Lundquist.

Who is missing is drummer Pelle Alsing who passed away in December 2020. It’s drum machines that do the work on the upcoming album, Pop-Up Dynamo! which will be released in September. It will be PG Roxette’s debut album, but it’s clearly inspired by Roxette’s biggest records from the past.

I wanted to write a positive uptempo record but it’s the most difficult thing there is as a songwriter at my age. When you’ve been doing this for so long, you simply know too much and have already used all the tricks in the book.

Per continues:

A really good pop song should come by itself, it’s not possible to sit down and write a “Dressed For Success” or a “Joyride”.

After all, Per Gessle picked up the pace and flow and when the first songs were written, they continued with trying to produce the music so that the new record would sound like a sibling to Look Sharp! and Joyride. Clarence Öfwerman and Magnus Börjeson were able to bring out suitable sounds from the latter’s collection of synths from the ’80s and ’90s.

Per, who is excited about how it turned out, says:

It may sound like 1991, but there must be a modern touch. It should be heard that it has been done now.

He doesn’t count on commercial success:

It’s my kind of pop music, take it or leave it. I really don’t expect a new US No. 1.

The fact that Roxette, or rather PG Roxette, is no longer at a level where football stadiums are sold out also gives Per Gessle artistic freedom.

As it seems right now, he is leaning towards taking down Roxette’s joyride for a quieter ride, a continuation of the acoustic tour that started out as a test at Hotel Tylösand last summer and then grew into a sold-out concert hall tour across Sweden.

Per says:

It’s one of the funniest things I’ve been through. I didn’t really feel comfortable at all playing acoustically and talking so much to the audience, but I dared and it turned out great. I am so proud.

He continues:

I’ve learned that I can trust what I have done all my life. It may sound strange considering that I was playing at Ullevi, but you are really walking the plank when you do acoustic gigs.

Per Gessle says that during the concerts he discovered things in his own old songs he hadn’t thought of before. Not least how the Gyllene Tider lyrics he wrote as a 20-year-old got different meaning when the arrangement of the music was changed and they were sung by the 63-year-old man.

So instead of playing in half-size ice hockey rinks, it’s appealing to do the upcoming PG Roxette tour in an intimate format.

We will decide before midsummer, but it would be completely magical to play songs like “Queen Of Rain”, “The Sweet Hello, The Sad Goodbye” and “Things Will Never Be The Same” with lap steel and double bass.

Aftonbladet interview with Per Gessle about PG Roxette

by

As Per Magnusson from Aftonbladet informs, Per Gessle had just been in Halmstad City to leave a picture for framing before the interview. He had just got back from London where he saw the Abbatars (ABBA Voyage – and thought the first twenty minutes were absolutely fantastic) and met his British record company (which is very enthusiastic about his new music). He also discussed the upcoming Roxette musical with author Jane Fallon (who is Ricky Gervais’ partner).

But above all, Per is in full swing to start a new chapter in Roxette’s life. Before he has come to a decision, he had spent lots of months staggering back and forth about what he would do next.

I’ve been thinking for a long time about what I should do with Roxette. It’s not an easy question and there is no obvious answer, because Roxette is so much the bond between Marie and me. But I’ve been writing these songs my whole life. Leaving them behind and not using the legacy feels very strange. But replacing Marie with another girl and starting a new duo has never been on the agenda.

Per Gessle began writing songs that eventually ended up with Clarence Öfwerman, Roxette’s producer and Magnus Börjeson, bass player in Roxette. The music became like a sibling to the records “Look Sharp!” and “Joyride”. The rest of Roxette’s live band came in: Jonas Isacsson, Christoffer Lundquist, Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg. The result is PG Roxette, a development of Roxette based on the frontman. The first taster was released on 3rd June. In the 3:01-long single, “The Loneliest Girl In The World”, it feels like Per Gessle has released all the wounds and sad memories. Just another classic pop song, one last time.

When such a chorus is born, you become so happy. The most difficult thing that exists nowadays is to write uptempo songs. It’s probably because you have used all the tricks already and it’s hard to surprise yourself. It’s easier to write a sophisticated ballad, it’s more where you are in life. But writing a clever three-chord song is tricky if you’re not 22. I already thought so when I was 35.

Per Magnusson is wondering if one can even make such happy and uncomplicated pop music in 2022. At the same time there is a bittersweet undertone that goes all the way back to “Flickan i en Cole Porter-sång”.

It’s fun that you say that, because there are many who have said the same thing. The production is very ’89-’91. But the presentation feels modern, I think. What is retro is my style of writing songs. Almost no one writes pop music that way anymore. The album is übercatchy, but doesn’t sound like anything on Spotify’s top 50 – and I think that’s good.

Aftonbladet asks if Per can tell anything more about “Pop-Up Dynamo!” coming in September.

I won’t reveal too much, but there are more singers on the album that fit into the context. In the end there will be eleven songs. It’s same as the single. Classic Roxette, just like we worked on “The Look”. There is an acoustic song, but otherwise it’s full blast. I’m very happy with this record.

Aftonbladet is curious if it was a difficult decision to make the album without Marie.

Yes, it was difficult to make the decision to take the step. But I hope to be able to play Roxette songs around the world more times. Of course, I can play twenty-five Roxette songs and call myself Per Gessle, but the brand is still Roxette. It feels strange not to use something that I’ve been involved in and built since 1986. But of course, there is nothing I want more than that Marie was involved and sang on this record. On the other hand, I know how difficult it was for her to work with “Good Karma”, the last Roxette record. It is as it is. What can you do? But sure, it’s hard.

Per Magnusson tells Per Gessle is extremely productive as a songwriter and artist. The projects have taken turns throughout his career. He is curious what PG’s driving force is.

I actually don’t know, it’s an interesting question. I just like playing pop music. I just got home from these thirty-one gigs we did acoustically. It was great to sit down and feel the power of, e.g., “Juni, juli, augusti”. Many of these songs mean so much to me that I just have to do it. That’s me. There is no direct driving force, I just can’t help it.

Aftonbladet wants to know if it’s more about the creative process than a fifth Billboard No.1 nowadays.

I want everything to be as big as possible, but it must be based on it being fun. The way Roxette succeeded is completely incomprehensible. But I have no idea how it happened. Therefore, I can’t try to do it again. If you want to do music for a long time, you have to do different things and stop staring blindly at old successes.

Per Magnusson is curious what the dream scenario looks like with this project.

I hope to be able to gather the whole band and play live someday. Now, unfortunately, Pelle Alsing, our old drummer, also passed away. Huge loss for all of us. But it would be fun to tour for real. These songs still have their power. It would be great fun to do a world tour of course. Damn, I’m young!

In the article Per also tells he has no special plans for the summer. He will probably spend most of his time in Halmstad.

Album image “Pop-Up Dynamo!” PG Roxette. Photo by Fredrik Etoall.

Per Gessle wants to “keep Roxette’s legacy alive” – SpotOn News

by

SpotOn News did an interview with Per Gessle about PG Roxette. Here you can find the original text in German.

The first single is here! Per Gessle takes off with his new band, PG Roxette. After Marie Fredriksson’s death in 2019, it was not easy for him to decide on the new project, as he explains in an interview.

Per Gessle (63) is back with his new band, PG Roxette. After the tragic death of singer Marie Fredriksson (1958-2019), the cult duo, Roxette was also history, but Gessle is now reviving their legacy with his new project. The single “The Loneliest Girl In The World” is released on June 3rd. It is the first taster of the upcoming September album “Pop-Up Dynamo!”. In an interview with the news agency SpotOn News, Per Gessle reveals how difficult it was for him to decide on the new band. With PG Roxette he wants to “keep the legacy of Roxette alive”.

SpotOn News: Title of the first single is “The Loneliest Girl In The World”. What is the song about?

Per Gessle: Well, that’s really up to you to decide. I never explain my lyrics. That’s the magic of songs, the lyrics mean something different to everyone. I don’t want to destroy that. Sometimes I hear a song that feels like it’s written about me and only me, a song that goes straight to my heart. I keep hearing the same thing from people listening to songs I’ve written. It’s amazing. That’s the power of music. So you have to interpret all my songs yourself, including “The Loneliest Girl In The World”. Maybe it’s about you?

SON: What role does Marie Fredriksson’s legacy play in PG Roxette?

PG: Well she was half of Roxette so she will always be there in spirit and in my heart. She was one of my best and oldest friends. After Marie passed away, I had two options for Roxette. One was to close the door and stop, the other was to keep going. I decided to keep going. I wrote almost every song Roxette ever recorded and it would have felt strange to turn my back on more than 30 years of my life. My goal for the future is to write more music and lyrics, make new recordings, play live and keep the Roxette legacy alive.

SON: Are you still in touch with Marie Fredriksson’s family? Did they support your decision on PG Roxette?

PG: Yes, I know them very well and of course they support what I do. Why shouldn’t they?

SON: What can fans expect from the new album?

PG: I wanted to make an uptempo album based on the sound that’s in my blood and DNA. That’s the sound of the late 80’s and early 90’s. But I wanted to give it a modern twist. I didn’t mean to sound too retro or nostalgic, but you can definitely hear the classic Roxette elements in it. I have a specific writing style that shines through. It’s always like that, no matter how hard I try to develop it.

Musically, I used the “classic” Roxette musicians: Jonas Isacsson on lead guitar, Clarence Öfwerman on keyboards, Magnus Börjeson on bass and Christoffer Lundquist on guitar. They still sound great. I love working with these guys. I’m sure you can hear that. We had so much fun making Pop-Up Dynamo! The production was in the hands of Clarence (who has produced all the Roxette albums since 1986!), Magnus and myself.

SON: How difficult was it for you to decide to continue with PG Roxette after Marie Fredriksson’s death?

PG: It’s been a tough few years in the Roxette camp. Not only has Marie passed away, we’ve also lost our original drummer, Pelle Alsing. That came out of the blue. It was a difficult decision because it’s impossible to replace Marie. And that was never my intention. But I still wanted to play my Roxette songs and keep the legacy alive. Of course, if Marie were here, she would have been a big part of all of this. But that’s not the case. It’s really sad, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I have to carry the Roxette torch myself.

SON: With PG Roxette you have two singers, Helena Josefsson and Dea Norberg on board. What do you appreciate about the two and how is your cooperation with them?

PG: PG Roxette is not based on the voices of Dea and Helena. I also have other female singers on the new PG Roxette album. And I do most of the singing myself. You’ll find out.

Helena and Dea are both fantastic. Both as people and as musicians. If you compare their voices, they sound very different. They have completely different styles. I like that. When mixed together, they almost sound like a “third” person. It was the same with Agnetha and Frida in ABBA. When you combined their voices, the result was very different vs. how they sounded individually.

Helena and Dea have toured a lot with Roxette, so we’ve all known each other for a long time. I’ve been working with Helena for more than twenty years now. Time flies when you’re having fun. I’m glad to have her around.

SON: Roxette’s last concert was in 2016. How do you feel now ahead of a tour with PG Roxette?

PG: Excited. Curious. Happy. Blessed.

SON: How happy are you to be back on stage with Roxette songs, among other things?

PG: If it happens, I’ll be a happy man. I look forward to meeting all the fans around the world. Roxette has some of the best fans out there. So many of them come to Sweden and follow and support my Swedish band and solo projects year after year. I can’t thank them enough.

SON: The pandemic has paralyzed the music and events industry. How did you survive the long lockdowns in the corona pandemic?

PG: Of course it was a psychological nightmare. Everyone has suffered. Last summer, after a year of isolation, I finally started to think positively and decided to play some small acoustic shows at Hotel Tylösand on the Swedish west coast. The restrictions allowed us a maximum of 500 seated guests (with plenty of space in between) and I was supposed to do two one-hour evenings. Before I knew it I had made ten! And that 60 minutes turned into a two-hour show. It was incredible to be back on stage.

So I expanded the whole thing into an acoustic tour in theatres and concert halls. Then new Covid restrictions came along and we had to postpone them. Finally we started again and in May this year it was over after 31 shows.

And of course I’ve spent much of the last two years writing and recording the PG Roxette album. I think I wrote about twenty songs before I chose the eleven that are on the album. I’ve been lucky.

Per Gessle breathes new life into Roxette

by

Per Gessle gave a Zoom interview to TT News Agency in Sweden. You’ll find it in several Swedish newspapers now, e.g. in Borås Tidning.

After almost 30 years with Roxette, it’s time for a new chapter in the band’s history.

It actually results in two questions, says Per Gessle on a Zoom meeting. It’s possible to think about how and when or in what way and to find out if there is interest out there.

But if you go back to square one, the real question is: should I quit Roxette or should I continue?

For his part, he has come to the decision that feels right. With Marie Fredriksson’s blessing, Per Gessle continues to play Roxette’s songs and also releases new material.

The first single “The Loneliest Girl In The World” is released on Friday, 3rd June along with a new video. The song is the first taster from the upcoming album “Pop-Up Dynamo!”, which follows in September.

Big challenge

The idea was to write poppy uptempo songs, with an ’80s and ’90s feel, which turned out to be a big challenge.

It’s very difficult to write three chord songs at my age. When you have worked with music for several decades, you become too sophisticated in your writing. You know all the tricks and have found your style.

Per continues:

But when the chorus to “The Loneliest Girl In The World” was born, I felt “shit, this is a good chorus”. I was so happy when I wrote it.

Per Gessle emphasizes that the decision to start Roxette again was not something that “came about yesterday”.

I’ve tried to do it in a way that feels relevant. That’s why it felt important not to hire Belinda Carlisle or Annie Lennox or someone to replace Marie. It should be different, but still the same and that puzzle should be solved.

“30 years of my life”

TT: But why not just continue under the “Per Gessle” flag?

Because in the long run I want to tour and play my old Roxette songs. If I tour like Per Gessle, then I play my Per Gessle songs. It’s still almost 30 years of my life that I have given to Roxette and the songs are my little babies. This is a Roxette project, but to mark that it’s not the old Roxette, I have added PG.

And the craving for more Roxette seems to exist. Per Gessle points out that Roxette still means a lot to tons of people, which can be seen not least in the streaming statistics.

It would be stupid to turn your back on it. In my industry, you have to activate music all the time. You have to have people working towards Netflix and Hollywood. Look at Kate Bush who got a US No. 1 now with her song after “Stranger Things”. You have to be active and the one who can be most active when it comes to Roxette is me.

“The world’s biggest band”

TT: But why does it feel so important?

It’s my whole life. It started with Gyllene Tider and then Roxette. And Roxette was one of the world’s biggest bands for a couple of years. Everything I do today is based on Roxette’s success. Not continuing would feel like giving up and it would be such a defeat for me personally not to be able to complete my journey.

Hopefully, there will be a tour as well.

We are looking at getting a European tour together, but it’s tricky to find venues. I hope to know more about it soon.

PG Roxette – “The Loneliest Girl In The World” single is out!

by

The long-awaited first PG Roxette single is finally out! It contains two songs, The Loneliest Girl In The World and Sunflower.

Video – directed by Fredrik Etoall – recorded for TLGITW is set to premiere at 3 pm CET on 3rd June on Roxette’s YouTube channel. You’ll be able to watch it HERE. Don’t miss it!

The Loneliest Girl In The World is the first taste from the upcoming album Pop-Up Dynamo!, which follows this September. TLGITW feels like a natural next step for Per Gessle. With exuberant energy, the sweetest of melodies and their trademark don’t-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus addictiveness, it’s a song that would fit comfortably into any era of Roxette’s hefty back catalogue. Whether you consider it to be the poppiest rock around or pop with a little rock edge, it’s unmistakably Roxette.

Mr. G tells:

I had so much fun making these recordings. I really tried to go back to the writing style I had in the early days of Roxette and it was a blast. Some of the songs are the best I’ve ever done. And to work with all my Roxette-friends once again was amazing. We stick together like glue.

Read the complete press release related to the PG Roxette project HERE!

Per says about Sunflower:

I wrote the song “Sunflower” a long time ago but finished it just in time for the PG Roxette project. And no, it will NOT be included on the new album. Only on this single.

So, as you see your only chance to have the song on a physical release is to get the limited edition 7″ vinyl single. You can order it at Bengans or Ginza. For the digital version click Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, YouTube (TLGITW, Sunflower) or other digital platforms!

Additional info from PG regarding Sunflower:

It was actually written in January 2002 (!) but I made a new demo in August 2020 which is the foundation of the recording that’s now being released. And, of course, the lyrics are new. The original version from 2002 only had the lyrics in the chorus.

The Loneliest Girl In The World

I once was the chosen lucky one
Born under the sun and the powers he’s got

I once was a weirdo on a bus
Thinking about us
About me, about you, he-hey

It feels like I’ve been climbing over mountains
Like I’ve been riding jumping diving
Just to find out where you might be hiding
The loneliest girl in the world, uh huh

I recall (call call) shadows being tall
Kissing by the wall oh I felt so secure

I recall wishing we could be
The breeze across the trees
Just for fun, being like one

It feels like I’ve been climbing over mountains
Like I’ve been riding jumping diving
Just to find out where you might be hiding
The loneliest girl in the world

It feels like I’ve been flying over treetops
Like I’ve been scanning all my teardrops
Just to find out where you might be full stop
The loneliest girl in the world

It feels like I’ve been climbing over mountains
Like I’ve been driving all the highways
Just to find out where on earth you might stay
The loneliest girl in the world

It feels like I’ve been rushing through the moonlight
Like I’ve been searching every website
Just to find out where you might be tonight
The loneliest girl in the world, oh yea

The loneliest girl in the world aaaaahh
Feels like I’ve been running jumping diving
Just to find out where you might be hiding
Why is there no song playing
For the loneliest girl in the world?

Words + Music by Per Gessle
© Jimmy Fun Music

Produced by Magnus Börjeson + Clarence Öfwerman + Per Gessle. Co-produced by Christoffer Lundquist.
Recorded at Farozon, Malmö + Aerosol Grey Machine, Vallarum + Tits & Ass, Halmstad
Engineers: Magnus Börjeson + Christoffer Lundquist + MP Persson
Mixed by Ronny Lahti at Denebi Studios, Stockholm
Played by Magnus Börjeson: Programming + synthesizers + bass guitar
Clarence Öfwerman: Programming + synthesizers
Christoffer Lundquist: Electric guitars + synthesizers
Per Gessle: Lead vocals
Helena Josefsson: Vocals

Sunflower

Been living on my own with just a fork and spoon
Keeping my mind tidy in my tidy room

All I
All I ever really wanted
All I ever really needed
Was a minute to find my space in the show oh oh
Then I suddenly got to know
I heard a voice singing high and low
And it sounded like a love song to me

I’m a sunflower rising to the sky
Sunflower
Yellow, big and bright
A sunflower growing very high
Would you like to touch me, baby?

I felt so out of place like a man stuck on the moon
But everything has changed this crazy afternoon

All I
All I ever really wanted
All I ever really needed
Was a minute to find my spot in the show oh oh
Then I suddenly got to know
I heard a voice singing to and fro
And it sounded like a love song to me

I’m a sunflower rising to the sky
Sunflower
Yellow, big and bright
A sunflower growing very high
Would you like to touch me, baby?
Would you like to touch me, baby?

Words + music: Per Gessle
© Jimmy Fun Music

Produced by Per Gessle
Recorded at Tits & Ass, Halmstad
Engineer: MP Persson
Mixed by MP Persson + Per Gessle at Tits & Ass, Halmstad
Played by Per Gessle: Guitars + bass + synthesizers + piano + dobro + lead vocals
MP Persson: Programming
Helena Josefsson: Lead vocals


Vinyl sleeve design by Pär Wickholm, Wickholm Formavd., Stockholm. Photo by Fredrik Etoall.