Lars-Erik Hindberg: When I do things on my own I try for a personal angle. Sometimes though I get ideas from a newspaper article or radio show. My latest song for example is about Gaugin. I heard about when he emigrated to an Island. Well it didn't work out so he wrote a fake diary. That gave me the idea for a song I call Dream Diary.

RR: Describe your composing process.

Lars-Erik Hindberg: When it comes to composing I usually record small fragments that I feel sound good, things that just pop up. All of that becomes a kind of bank with ideas. Later when I have an idea I can often use old ideas from the bank.

RR: How long does it take you to compose a song?

Lars-Erik Hindberg: Often I don't compose to the end. To compose text and music often takes a day or so. But I leave a lot for the studio. There I often add things or rearrange or change parts. So all in all maybe a couple of days. I have to work in tempo when I am alone at home and I have learnt to be more effective with how I compose.

RR: Why do you compose?

Lars-Erik Hindberg: It is a way to express myself. There is kind of release of tension. Makes me feel good. I guess it's the same for most people whether they express themselves by cooking, drawing carpenting or anything. I think expressing feelings is important to everybody.

How many songs have you composed?

Lars-Erik Hindberg: I just looked at it the other day. I guess it's almost 120 songs I have composed through the last ten years. But I composed before that too.

Do you ever get inspiration from other pieces of music?

Lars-Erik Hindberg: Always. I spend a very large portion of my time listening to music. I admire people who can work solitary but I need the idea of a sound, a bar, a setting to trigger my ideas.