Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Today, we’d like to ask you a few questions to get to know your story better.

Before we begin, so the audience can understand the context, here’s a biography: Who is Johan J.J Jonasson? Born on may 22, 1978., Johan J.J Jonasson is a swedish musician/composer/producer. He discovered music early when he started playing the drums at the age of 9. At age 14 he switched to guitar and formed his first band with some friends that rehearsed in his fathers garage.

In 1996 he co-founded metalband Dethronement that made a handful of releases. The band lasted until early 2003 before the members parted ways. J.J and fellow guitarist Rob Paris went on and formed Danger, a band that took the rock n roll lifestyle a bit too far. In february 2008 J.J quit Danger in the midst of a european tour and instead took up his classical music studies again while playing in smaller club bands in the Stockholm area. Moving on to april 2013, J.J was asked to join a new band from scratch, this would quickly become Starblind and he remains in the band to this day. Besides metal and guitaplaying - he is a classical trained orchestrator and has composed music for several independent films snd commercials. He has also studied jazz/swing and big band to further expand his musical knowledge.

What inspired you to start making music? I was a shy kid that didn’t fit in anywhere. Music was a way to communicate.

What has been your favorite project so far? - Oh, it’s hard to pick just one. But I really enjoyed the most recent Starblind album. It was a big win for me because I was in a very bad shape emotionally from stuff in my personal life. Being able to perform despite all that was a big help for me.

What message do you want to convey through your songs?  Creativity without limits. I never hold back, I just go with my gut feeling sometimes it works, sometimes it’s a disaster. But at least I wont have any regrets when I’m 99 years old.

What is one of your dreams as an artist? To be able to do this still at an old age, and not be scared to try new things. Success and fame is secondary.

What can we expect from you next? I am not allowed to disclose any Starblind news as of yet. But I am involved in many things this fall. I’m composing for an indy movie, one of my former bands are reissuing all our releases. I was recently asked to do orchestrations for a DJ/Producer. I have no idea how that will turn out. I also recorded guitar solos for a band in northern Sweden for their upcoming release. So there are many things brewing at the moment.

Who have been your biggest musical or artistic influences?  British heavy metal, early 90’s death metal, Genesis from the 70’s, Gustav Holst and many more…

What is your creative process like when writing or producing music? Good ideas always come at the worst moment. For example in the shower, while driving or when I’m trying to fall asleep. I try to write everything down. I’m one of those people who uses pen and paper instead of using voice mome to store ideas. But when it comes to cretarive process. I mess around with different chords and melodies. Trying to put it together until it sounds decent. But it usually ends up that I’m working on 4-5 songs at the same time.

What challenges have you faced in your music career and how did you overcome them?  - Everything! Lack of funds, excessive partying, bad management, mental issues. How I deal with them? I don’t know. Sometimes I crashed really hard, but somehow I bounced back again. And as of now, I’m in a very good place careerwise. And I’ll just keep moving forward with an open mind.

What advice would you give to other artists who are just starting out?  Find your own path, belive in it