Each one of us has a story to tell and everyone we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing
about. This section “The Q & A
Interview with inspiring people” is dedicated to exceptional
personalities, who either have something to educate us or to inspire us.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind, when
you think about Sweden or Swedish music? What prejudices do you have towards
the Swedish weather? Well brands like IKEA
and H&M rule the world. And
music wise ABBA and Roxette are the first names that I
immediately think of. And of course worldwide known songs by Britney Spears, N’Sync and the Backstreet
boys written and produced by talented Swedish songwriters.
And when it comes to the weather, I picture a dark, cloudy
and unpleasant winter where some of the places even only have just a few hours of
daylight. But trust me this is not all what Sweden has to offer. If you think
you know everything about good Swedish music, well you don’t! If you think
Sweden means dark and unpleasant, you haven’t met my inspirational interview
personality yet!
Today I want you to meet
the talented Swedish
Singer, songwriter and actor Carl Lindquist.
He’s a sunshine that lights up any darkness with his smile, charisma and
undeniable talent immediately. Remember his name, because I have no doubt that Carl
Lindquist is about to become a Worldwide-Swedish export as well.

You can find out more about his successful sport career as a Swedish
National Basketball Team player before he got into music by watching the
documentary “Living the dream” at the end of this interview.
Carl takes us on a journey and shares his story as a sportsman. It might sound selfish, but as hard as it must have been for him to give up Sport, for us who now enjoy his voice as a performer it is a blessing.
Carl takes us on a journey and shares his story as a sportsman. It might sound selfish, but as hard as it must have been for him to give up Sport, for us who now enjoy his voice as a performer it is a blessing.
“My biggest dream was unexpectedly taken away from me but Music became
my savior.”
Carl Lindquist
Carl being
devoted to Sport is completely another story than being devoted to music and
entertainment. The way you are being physically and mentally challenged in
Sport is different than being challenged in Entertainment. You also work
with totally different kind of people. How did you manage to adjust to the new
world? And if you could turn back the time would you have done anything
different? Or are you happy (from the bottom of your heart) with your current
life as a stage performer?
A "living music dictionary"? I see, your father sound like a potential inspirational interview partner for my blog series! :-) Now back to you: After visiting the leading school of Performing Arts in Scandinavia Kulturama (with focus on Vocal: Jazz/Rock/Soul) you decided to visit the American Musical Theatre Academy in London. Why London and not New York? What was the most challenging lesson during your educational-journey?
Wow, that's a tough question! It would be a real honor to perform in front of all of them of course, and if I could make it all work; I would have wished to be booked for all three of them. But if I had to choose just one, I would pick the White House in Washington D.C. I mean to perform in front of the President of the United States that would just be really cool and surreal at the same time. It would truly be a great honor. President Obama seems to be a lovely man as well!
He surely is. Me and Obama we have our birthday on
the same day. :-) Carl if I was an Angel and would
ask you right now and right here, what is your biggest professional or personal
dream, desire, goal or wish. What would it be? For example is there any
desirable role in a musical production that you would like to play? I could see
you in my favourite Musical “The Phantom of the Opera” as the Phantom
himself.
I know that everything is relative, but this was
really hard for me since basketball was my biggest passion, and it was the only
thing I wanted to do at the time. My biggest dream was unexpectedly taken away
from me because of the injury. After spending countless of hours in the gym since
the age of nine, working hard on becoming the best player I could be my dream
just disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was really tough to adjust at
first, but thanks to my music I was able to move on. Music became my savior.
Looking back at it now, I do still miss the game but I’m very happy with my
current life and what I’m doing now. But I’m quite sure if I hadn’t been
injured I would have continued to play basketball. I love the game.
Well it seems as destiny had other plans with you. Carl as a live performer on stage
every night you can’t just make it with a good voice. You need to have the
discipline, ambition, personality and likeability to be successful. You are
blessed with all. What other gifts and talents have you got? What would have
become of you, if you had not decided to work with your powerful strong voice
professionally and share your talent with the world?
First of all, thank you for your kind words! Well I would
have loved to work as a chef, because I love to cook when I have some free time.
I do think being a police officer is really cool too!
You were born and raised in
Stockholm in a musical environment: your family. So where did you get your gen?
From mom or from dad? What do they think about your incredible successful
journey so far?
Both my parents are musical, so they have both
inspired me. My mum used to sing, and she plays some guitar as well. My dad is
like a “living music dictionary”! He knows so much about music history and we
can sit for hours and just talk about different artists and bands. I know that
they are proud, and they have always supported me in whatever I do. It means
the world to me. I love them very much.
A "living music dictionary"? I see, your father sound like a potential inspirational interview partner for my blog series! :-) Now back to you: After visiting the leading school of Performing Arts in Scandinavia Kulturama (with focus on Vocal: Jazz/Rock/Soul) you decided to visit the American Musical Theatre Academy in London. Why London and not New York? What was the most challenging lesson during your educational-journey?
I do love New York and I would love to live there one
day, but I’ve always wanted to live in London as well. I wanted to pursue my
dream in musical theatre, and therefore the decision of moving from Stockholm
to London was quite easy, but I knew that it would be a big challenge for me. Though
I was very excited about it all, and I’m very happy now that I took that step.
I would probably say that the most challenging lessons for me were the dance
lessons we had at the American Musical Theatre Academy (AMTA), because I’m not
a dancer at all.
At the one-year Academic program in
London you focused on subjects like audition techniques, character analysis, dance,
casting workshops, speech/dialects/accents and of course acting and voice
training etc. What was your favorite subject of all and why?
My favorite subject was the acting lessons, and we had
quite a few every week. I loved that! I’m singer first and foremost, but I’ve
always loved to act. There is something really special about musical theatre,
since you get to sing, but you also need to act. It’s storytelling, and I’ve
always found that very interesting. It’s also great fun to play different
characters.
As a singer, actor, player of
guitar and piano and songwriter you work on various projects around the world. What
has been so far the most exciting and memorable project of all and why?
That’s a tough question! All the projects I’ve been
involved with have been real fun, but if I have to pick one then I have to say
my collaboration with VRA! from Brazil. Together we recorded a cover of the
Dream Theater song, “As I Am” and it had a lot of success on YouTube. We were
even mentioned on National Brazilian TV. It was very exciting! The video has now
over 600 000+ views! If you want to check it out, click on this link:
How can you stay focused, committed
and passionate while being involved in so many different projects? Tell me
where do you get your energy? Do you ever sleep? Are you human or from another
galaxy? :-)
I’m very passionate in everything I do, and I love to
do a lot of different things. It always keeps me inspired as well. I love to
work! I’m a human for sure… Though a few more hours of sleep every night would
be nice!
I wonder if you ever get nervous.
How do you manage to stand out at auditions and not be forgettable? And once
you have the “dream” role where do you get your confidence to perform live in
front of an audience? Do you ever doubt
yourself?
I’m still always a bit nervous before I go into the
audition room or on stage, but once I start to sing and perform it all goes
away. I don’t really doubt myself. I know what I can do, and what I can’t do,
and therefore feel quite confident. So whenever I go on stage I usually feel relaxed
and I can then enjoy my time on stage so much more.
“In regards to recent events and a dream that we should all share and
strive towards, we need to love more, hate less and work towards a brighter and
lighter future.”
Carl Lindquist
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Jesus Christ Superstar (The Musical) |
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Jesus Christ Superstar (The Musical) |
You have been on UK and European
tours with musicals such as “Jesus Christ Superstar” by the master of Musical Mister
Andrew Lloyd Webber. How exciting was it for you get a role in an Andrew Lloyd
Webber production? Did you have the chance to meet him personally?
I was thrilled! Jesus Christ Superstar has always been
one of my favorite shows, so to finally be a part of it was really cool, and to
also be a part of the official production makes it all even more special. I
love the show, the songs, and the cast I worked with was amazing! Lovely and
super-talented people! Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to meet Mr. Lloyd Webber,
but I hope I will one day.
When you are touring in Europe do
you feel a difference between the audience in different cities and cultures? If
so which audience was your favorite so far and why?
Yes I do sometimes feel a difference, but I have to
say that most of the audiences I’ve performed for have been great and very
supportive, no matter if I’m in Sweden, United Kingdom, and Germany or even in
France. The most important thing for me is that the audiences get moved in some
way or another. I hope that the action on stage triggers them, whether it’s
positive or negative, and make them think and reflect about what they’ve just
seen and heard on stage.
When you are touring with a group
of other talented artists like yourself can you actually have a private Life?
Can you ever relax and have a moment for yourself and your soul? If so what is
your guilty pleasure? What makes Carl happy?
I do have a private life! Even though I’m working all
the time, I try to take some time off every now and then. Like I said before, I
love to cook so if I have some free time I always do that. I love to play guitar,
play video games, watch movies and TV-series as well. It really helps me to
relax. I love spending time with my family and friends, and I’m happy as long
as they are happy. That’s the most important thing for me.
Having a job like yours, means
basically you have to function 24/7, 365 days in year. You can’t allow yourself
to get sick, because many people rely on you: your team and the audience. How
do you take care of yourself, your voice and your health?
The key for me is to eat well, exercise when I can, drink
a lot of water, eat a lot vitamins, and to sleep a lot. I always do a warm-up
for my voice every morning, and I start drinking water as soon as I wake up.
You want to stay hydrated all day long, especially if you have a show in the
evening.
Sounds good Carl! Many people would think that
being you is a dream come true. You live a desirable Life. You get to meet so
many interesting people and visit exciting new places. Would you say that is
true or that not everything that shines is actually gold?
I love my life and I’m very grateful that I’m able to
do the things I love for a living. But it’s a lot of hard work, because as you
mentioned, it’s a real 24/7 job, and it includes a lot of travelling, late
working hours etc. It’s demanding, but very exciting at the same time. I love
it, and I wouldn’t change it for anything else.
![]() |
Carl happy in his second home: London |
You were born and raised in
Stockholm. Now you live in London. But most of the time you live off the
suitcase. Isn’t it extremely hard to spend every week in another city, in
another hotel? Don’t you ever miss home and normality? Most importantly where
is your home? Stockholm or London?
Stockholm will always be my home. That’s where I’m
born and raised, but London has become like my 2nd home now. I spend
most of my time here because of my work. When I’m on the road, I always miss my
family and friends of course, but I really love being on tour. I love to visit
new places, meet new people and to explore new territories.
As a solo artist you have
released your first rock/pop solo EP entitled, “End of Our Road” in May 2012.
In 2013, you signed a publishing deal with SESAC, one of three biggest
performing rights organizations in the US. Joining the team of artists like Bob
Dylan, Neil Diamond, Rush, Mariah Carey and many others. Now you are working on
your second album where you also write your own song lyrics about nature,
mankind, various feelings and issues. Your songs are always deep and
meaningful. What can we expect from your upcoming album? Ballads or Up-tempo? What
style of music? Pop or Rock? Do you know the title of your album? Will you dedicate
it to someone special?
My debut solo album will be a singer-songwriter/acoustic
album with a lot of rock/pop elements, and I think there will be something for
every one on this record. There will be ballads, up-tempo songs, catchy
choruses and melodies. The title of the album is not yet decided, but it will
be very soon, and I may dedicate the album to someone special, we’ll see. I’m
very excited about it all, and I can’t wait to share the album with the world!
As if that’s not enough you also
have released the album “Flow” and as the Vocalist of the French/Swedish metal
band Coexistence. Now you are working on the second album "Everlasting
Scars" which will also be released this year. What can we expect from the
new Album? Will you be touring with the band?
Yes, “Everlasting Scars” is already finished and it
will go into pressing this summer, with a release in Sep/Oct. Our debut album
“Flow” received great reviews and feedback all around the world, so we are
excited to see what the fans thinks about “Everlasting Scars”. The album has a
great story line to it, and all the songs can be connected to the album title. Tony
Lindgren at the famous Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden brilliantly
mastered it. This will be our most anticipated album so far. Once the record is
released we will start booking new shows to promote the album, and we hope to
hit the road very soon!
![]() |
Carl in Theater 11 Zurich in 2016 |
![]() |
Carl by the Zurich Lake in 2016 |
I know that you have been in
Switzerland with “Jesus Christ Superstar”. People outside of Europe always mix
up Swiss and Sweden. Now that you have spent time in Zurich what would you say
is the biggest difference between the two countries? And what do the cities
have in common?
Yes, I know! But after spending some time in Zürich I
have to say that I can see some similarities. The city itself reminds me of Old
Street (Gamla Stan) in Stockholm. Zürich is surrounded by water, as is
Stockholm. People are lovely, and Swedes are usually very social and outgoing.
I really like Zürich; it’s a beautiful city! I would say that the biggest
difference (of course) is that we don’t speak the same language!
I have never been in Sweden and
unfortunately I don’t know much about your country. All I know is that the
Swedish people are beautiful and friendly. So if you were my city Tour guide
what would you show me from your hometown?
A must see when you go to Stockholm is Old Street, or
Gamla Stan as we say in Sweden. It’s a beautiful area with interesting
architecture and many great restaurants and shops. Djurgården is a small island
in the heart of the city, and another lovely place you have to visit. There you
will find Skansen, an open-air museum and zoo, Gröna Lund, Stockholm’s biggest
amusement park, and Rosendals Garden, a gorgeous little place where you also can
have some Swedish “Fika” (coffee and cinnamon bun, or something else!) That’s
just a few things I would recommend visiting, but there is so much else to see
as well!
Imagine you had to do a private
performance next week at the same date. For which one of these clients would
you liked to be booked and why?
A private performance at the
White House in Washington D.C?
A private performance at the
Swedish Royal Family’s palace?
A private performance at
Buckingham Palace in front the British Royal family including the Queen?
Wow, that's a tough question! It would be a real honor to perform in front of all of them of course, and if I could make it all work; I would have wished to be booked for all three of them. But if I had to choose just one, I would pick the White House in Washington D.C. I mean to perform in front of the President of the United States that would just be really cool and surreal at the same time. It would truly be a great honor. President Obama seems to be a lovely man as well!
I’ve always had a lot of dreams, and new dreams keep
coming up. And yes, I would love to play “Phantom” one day, since “The Phantom
of the Opera” is one of my favorite shows, and it was this show that really
inspired me to pursue a dream in musical theatre, after seeing the show on
Broadway many years ago. But there are many roles I would love to play, and
other shows I would love be a part of.
Another dream of mine is to do a big tour all around the world with my debut solo album. I really hope people will enjoy my album, as much as I enjoyed making it. In regards to recent events and a dream that we should all share and strive towards, we need to love more, hate less and work towards a brighter and lighter future.
Another dream of mine is to do a big tour all around the world with my debut solo album. I really hope people will enjoy my album, as much as I enjoyed making it. In regards to recent events and a dream that we should all share and strive towards, we need to love more, hate less and work towards a brighter and lighter future.
Carl your wish is my command! :-) No seriously, I really would love to see you perform as the Phantom. I can imagine that you make many
women fall in love with you just by listening to your voice. :-) I’m also
pretty sure that you have broken many hearts. :-) I ask all my inspirational
interview partners these two last questions. What is your definition of Love in
three words? What is your definition of Love in one sentence?
Friendship / Passion / Respect
Love is Love
If you want to find out more about Carl Lindquist follow him on:
www.carl-lindquist.com
www.facebook.com/OfficialCarlLindquist
www.twitter.com/Carl_Lindquist
www.instagram.com/Carl_Lindquist
www.youtube.com/OfficialCLindquist
www.soundcloud.com/Carl-Lindquist
www.coexistence-project.com/
www.facebook.com/OfficialCoexistence
Source Pictures: Many thanks at Carl Lindquist
Love is Love
Carl thank
you very much for taking the time to answer all my questions. I wish you the
best of luck with your upcoming album and of course with your acting and
musical career. I look forward to see you perform live on stage, hopefully very
soon. God bless you and your loved ones, Lily Amis
If you want to find out more about Carl Lindquist follow him on:
www.carl-lindquist.com
www.facebook.com/OfficialCarlLindquist
www.twitter.com/Carl_Lindquist
www.instagram.com/Carl_Lindquist
www.youtube.com/OfficialCLindquist
www.soundcloud.com/Carl-Lindquist
www.coexistence-project.com/
www.facebook.com/OfficialCoexistence
Source Pictures: Many thanks at Carl Lindquist
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