Interview met Midsummer Ex
Op 16 mei bracht Midsummer Ex zijn debuutalbum ¨Fake It Till You Make It¨ vol met prachtige synth-pop. In dit interview praten we over dit album, de cover van een Linkin Park nummer en nog veel meer.
On May 16, Midsummer Ex released his debut album ¨Fake It Till You Make It¨ full of beautiful synth-pop. In this interview we talk about the album, the cover of a Linkin Park song and much more.
Johan, thank you for having this interview. Can you please introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Johan aka Midsummer Ex. I’m obsessed with nostalgia and melancholy.
Congratulations with your new album ¨Fake It Till You Make It¨, how was it to work on this album?
Even though many of the tracks were released as singles over the past few years, the album pulls them together into a full, cohesive experience. One track is mastered differently for a fresh sound, and another, originally released under a different name, now fits perfectly in the mix. It feels less like a collection of songs and more like the complete picture I always had in mind.
Which tracks are you most proud of?
Missing You means a lot since it was my first attempt at synthwave and the birth of Midsummer Ex, Always 1985 hits that nostalgic feeling and Hollywood Star shows my development in a fairly short time. My latest track Will Byers (BMX) I was finally brave to trust the music itself and not make a lyric and vocal to it. I have had a few ideas doing a new version with a vocal to it, time will tell if I can resist.
You did a cover of One More Light from Linkin Park. A very emotional song I would say. Why did you choose this song?
I chose to cover One More Light because it’s a song that has always hit me deeply. The message about loss, empathy, and holding space for people who are struggling really resonates — not just personally, but in a broader sense too. It’s such a vulnerable piece of music and I wanted to honor that emotion while giving it my own voice. Sometimes a song just finds you at the right time and this one did.
For the electronic music producers reading this interview, can you give us a look in your studio?
For this album I used no external synths and all in the box. I use mac and logic pro and most sounds made out of what comes with logic but I fiddle around with them and layer instruments and change effects.
I love my Novation Launchkey 37 midi keyboard and use Røde NT1 for my demo vocals. My studio monitors are Presonus Eris. I live in a small flat so often do mixing in my headphones (Sennheiser HD 380 Pro), my soundcard is a Audient ID4, but have a wonderful mixer/master guy in Luis M Deltell to help polish the final product in the end. Visually my little bedroom studio has neon lights, ´80s toys and a poster of Ryan Gosling from the movie ‘Drive’. I don’t like to use loops to much. I do all my vocals in a studio in Stockholm owned by STIM (Swedish Performing Rights Society).
Being an independent producer, how do you promote your music and try to reach new listeners?
I use social media and contact the radio shows I know of in hope they will like the music and play it and help me promote it. The synthwave scene has so many lovely artists who also are very good at supporting eachother. It’s very hard as an independent artist so I’ve been lucky to have had a few collaborations and a few more will happen in the future. Also been lucky to have got a few of my songs on some big collections with other great artists and cool record labels.
Can you share some of your other plans for this year with us?
I will concentrate on working on new songs for the next few months, fingers crossed I will have a couple of songs out with another artist shortly after the summer (I have done the melody and the lyric and vocal to excellent mixed and produced tracks by a brilliant artist). My hope us to perform in the future but more likely that can happen 2026 the earliest.
What are your dreams for the future?
My dream is to keep growing as an artist and connect with people through music that feels honest. I want to keep creating, experimenting, and telling stories that matter — whether they’re big or quiet. Long-term, I hope to build something lasting, both creatively and personally — something that keeps evolving but stays true to who I am.
What do you like most about the ´80s?
What I love most about the ´80s is the sound — lush synths, reverb-heavy drums and melodies that just hit you emotionally. It was a time when pop, rock and electronic music all collided in really creative ways and I draw a lot of inspiration from that energy.
Also I was a kid and had a great childhood and was fairly blessed, had more sad things happening in my life during the ´90s so the ´80s vibe gives me comfort and is my happy place.
And finally, any last words?
At the end of the day, I just want the music to connect. If something I’ve made makes someone feel seen, understood, or even just lets them escape for a few minutes — that means everything to me.
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