EMQs With Johan Steensland
EMQs With Johan Steensland
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with Swedish Progressive Musician, Johan Steensland. Huge thanks to him for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
Johan Steensland. I play the drums, guitar, bass, keyboards/piano, and I sing. I don’t really have a band, as I am a solo artist. But I started in Garage bands in the 70s. Yes, I am that old I have released two prog albums, “Crossfade” in 2024, and “Duality” in 2025, both Rock-operas. In the past I have released some other kinds of music.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I’m from the prog-rich city of Uppsala in Sweden. Uppsala has bred acts like The Flower Kings, HFMC and Kaipa. And me. We are all about the same age (i.e. realy old), and grew up close to each other.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
My album Duality.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Genesis, Rush, King Crimson, and UK.
What first got you into music?
As a child I noticed I could sing and “feel” music in a way most other kids could not. Through the years, this made me feel a number of ways, making me behave in a number of ways. To say the least, it colored my life.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
Guthrie Govan.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
I don’t play live much.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I don’t know whether it counts as a “gift”, but as a teenage Rock musician, I was once after a gig asked to write my autograph on a certain soft, round body-part on the upper body of a beautiful girl…
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Have another listen – see what you discover this time!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
John Lennon.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
Making music, singing, playing my grand piano. I hate the frustration of being a small artist in an obscure field.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Making music valuable again.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Danger Money”, by UK.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
None of the above – I like watching the artists’ videos on Youtube!
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
I don’t remember.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Teaching maths.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
My closest friends.
What’s next for the band?
Promoting “Duality”. And I have already started working on my next album.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsaYDG05hDfa-qlQsHy04ew
https://www.facebook.com/JohanSteenslandMusic
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
I’m from Sweden, haha!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
I also have another career. I’m a Ph.D in computational science. I have worked many years as a researcher. Now, I work as a maths teacher.
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