We'll start the week with a write-up of an artist who is truly independent in his approach, and not afraid to write songs with a diverse range of influences. Jon Magnusson is a Swedish based singer songwriter who is not only a music writer but a music blogger too, and he's released a steady stream of singles and EPs over the last couple of years, the latest being his 'Always a Rebel' EP, but actually his 'Psalms for Sinners' EP released at the end of last year is a pretty good place to start if you're new to his music - Ode to a Friend' is just such a good track.
'Always a Rebel' opens with 'Rely on Me', and although his influences are varied, it's probably best to describe his music as folk rock, but the success of the EP is built around a simple concept that is pretty important irrespective of the music genre, and that's darn good melodies. 'I'm Not the Only One' is a good example, with a big chorus and a track that's carried along the pace, whilst 'Set Me on Fire' has an even bigger anthemic sing-a-long theme, with ambitious vocal harmonies to go with it. But my favourite track is title track 'Always a Rebel', I think the guitar picking suits his singer songwriter style, and probably the folk rock genre too, it works really well.
I like Jon Magnusson's music for the very simple reason that he's a traditional singer songwriter, sometimes a storyteller too, and always with melodies at the heart of his music. Of course with the production of the songs being independent this is not an EP without some flaws, but I often prefer to listen to this style of music performance, it just feels more genuine than some of the overly produced offerings we're sent. If there's one track of his that I'd have on any playlist it would still be 'Ode to a Friend' from his last EP, but please take some time to explore all his music, and his excellent website, which is a great read for those wanting to survive as an independent musician.