Erik HassleWhen the phrase “pop music” is put in the same sentence as “Sweden,” not much comes to mind other than the 70’s phenomenon foursome ABBA.

Erik Hassle is out to change that.

While the 21-year-old pop singer has already had success in Sweden and is quickly gaining momentum in the United Kingdom, he has bigger dreams: North America. And considering his first single, “Hurtful,” was featured on MTV’s reality show The Hills, the young musician is well on his way.

“It’s always fun to play for the people from your own country but right now the focus is outside of Sweden,” Hassle told andPOP. “I’m quite young still and I’m enjoying being in the world – the big world!”

With wild-yet-styled curly red hair that has quickly become the staple of his image, Hassle making an impression.

His debut album, Pieces, was released in Sweden in August. It has a worldwide release date of Feb. 23, 2010 from Universal Republic Records.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “We have a lot of stuff to do before that, but I’ve had a good crowd of people now who have come to gigs and are on my fan base, and it’s always nice to give them the stuff so that they don’t have to ask for it.”

Hassle spent most of his childhood in a small city just south of Stockholm; a city that he called “one of the most boring cities in Sweden.” Still, Hassle said that he, his parents, and his siblings had a lot of fun.

A large chunk of this fun was due to the fact that his parents turned their property’s extra house into an entertainment venue where comedians and musicians would come to perform. Thanks to this venue, Hassle was introduced to music at an early age. He often sang at the events.

“I started to sing at those shows quite early,” he said. “We had crazy nights there!”

Hassle discovered his first music album in his friend’s dad’s rehearsal studio. It was Wilson Pickett, he remembers.

“After that, soul kept on escalating around me,” he said.

Deeply bit by the music bug, Hassle decided at age 15 that he wanted to go to music school. So he packed up and moved to Stockholm. And while his parents were “terrified,” as he said, to let him go, they were very supportive.

At age 17, Hassle was approached after one of his performances by a prospective manager. He went down to their office in Stockholm and a deal was made. It was then that Hassle was introduced to his future calling – pop music.

“I was listening to a lot of soul for a long time in my life,” he said. “But then when I hooked up with the songwriters they introduced a new area – pop music – which fascinated me just as much as the soul music always did.”

And even though Hassle works with songwriters, he also writes a lot of his own music.

His first hit single, “Hurtful,” was self-written. It’s a catchy tune about feeling disconnected from his friends back home while being away recording music.

Still, he’s refreshingly honest when it comes to song writing – a feat, he said, that does not come easily.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been something natural,” Hassle said. “It’s not something that you all of a sudden realize that you’re good at. I think it’s about a lot of practise and making a lot of mistakes.

“The guys I’ve been working with have been my mentors,” he continued. “I wouldn’t have been able to write songs without them.”

While it’s easy to pinpoint Hassle as just another pre-packaged kid with a wicked production team to make him sound flawless, one view of his acoustic YouTube videos will have you thinking otherwise.

Among singles from his album, Hassle has posted acoustic covers of songs such as ABBA’s “S.O.S.” and La Roux’s “In for the Kill.” Each one shows Hassle singing with the raw talent and soul that inspired him so many years ago.

He spent part of 2009 opening for another musical inspiration: Little Boots. Hassle joined the pop singer on her UK tour, where he got the chance to perform for packed houses and show the United Kingdom what he had to offer.

“It was incredible,” he said. “We got a really good reaction throughout the whole tour.”

Next, Hassle is heading back to Sweden to headline his own tour – a job that offers both pressure and release.

“You get to feel really comfortable on stage,” Hassle said of being a headliner. “But then you have all the pressure. As a support act you can just go nuts!”

Whether supporting or being supported, Hassle has a passion for music that runs deep.

“The first time I sang in a microphone I just felt power coming out of me,” Hassle said. “I felt like a better version of myself.”

“I feel whole when I’m working with music,” he continued. “Just the power of getting swept away by emotions and feelings and thoughts – that’s what music does to me.”






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