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That Slow Knowing Smile is the Swedish songstress’s first album in English in nine years, and it’s a slow, simple winner. She tells Hamish McKenzie how she turns her tiny voice into a powerful force

It’s your first English album in nine years – why now?
For some years now I have been making albums in Swedish language, and up until now I have only written the music in Swedish, so this is the first time that I’ve actually written an album in English language. I think the reason was that I spent a lot of time in New York City, and I was living there for a while. I started to think more in English and I started to dream in English. And then continuously, when I sat around with my guitars in the morning, I started to come up with ideas in the English language, so I think it was mostly just that I was surrounded with the language.

This album is a little different to your last two English albums – those ones were identifiably jazz; this one seems a little more folky, with more simple pop songs. Was there a conscious move in that direction?
No. Initially I just sat around with my guitar and I wrote very, very simple songs. It was not until I’d written maybe four or five songs that I started to think in terms of how I would treat those if I was to record them. And then I wasn’t quite sure myself what the genre was – and maybe I’m still not quite sure, actually – but I think it’s like you’re saying, maybe some folk or pop. It was maybe something that happened over time – that I noticed I was making an album [laughs].

In the past, some people have said your singing voice is unsuitable for jazz. I know this isn’t a jazz album, but has that had any effect on your feelings about the music you’re singing?
I’m aware that I have a tiny voice, and I try to do the best with what I have. So I accept my voice and try not to make it bigger than what it is, because, for me personally, I love when someone naturally has a big beautiful voice, but I don’t think it’s so interesting when someone with a not very big voice tries to make it sound big. Another thing is that when I record, I’m aware that my voice is tiny, so I want to make a lot of space around my voice, so for me it’s very important to work with musicians who naturally leave a lot of space.

What do we need to do to convince you to come and play for us in Hong Kong?
It’s new for me this whole Hong Kong thing, and that the album is being released there, but I really want to come. If people are interested in hearing me, I would love to come and play.

Who are you listening to these days?
I like very much Keren Ann, who is appearing on my album – she plays the string arrangement on the last song on the album. She’s a beautiful, fantastic artist and also a good person to work with.

What is it about this album that you’re most proud of?
I wanted to do something very simple, and at the same time I wanted different things to happen in the album. I tried to see that it was so simple that when you listened to it for the first time you could comprehend without a second hearing, but then if you listened to it several times, you would hear different things, new things. And also, I’m very happy with the mood of the album, because we had a good time on the recording. I live on two floors, so downstairs I have a recording studio, so that way you can sort of eat with your friends, and relax, and then you do a session. Spending time together, it’s a very relaxed way of recording. This is the first time that I worked like this, and I loved it.

That Slow Knowing Smile is out now.