Exploring the Melodic Journey of Salme Dahlstrom: From Bedroom Studio to Music Licensing Royalty

Introduction

Salme Dahlstrom, a dynamic figure in the contemporary music scene, has earned the title of 'music licensing queen' from The Wall Street Journal. Her journey from a passionate musician to a prominent figure in music licensing is a story of resilience, innovation, and artistic evolution. This article delves into Dahlstrom's career, her musical influences, her creative process, and the impact of her work in the music industry.

Career Journey and Influences

Dahlstrom's musical journey echoes the experiences of many artists, beginning with songwriting, band formation, and live performances. The collapse of the major label system in the early 2000s became a turning point in her career. It led her to explore music licensing, culminating in the creation of “The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade.” This album's eclectic mix of sounds and styles caught the attention of music licensing agents and catapulted her into success, with her tracks being featured in advertisements for major brands. Dahlstrom’s style, influenced by Swedish pop, 80s metal, and icons like Cher, combines diverse genres into a unique electronic pop sound.

Creative Process

Dahlstrom’s creative mantra revolves around the power of hooks. Her process involves creating multi-layered hooks with a blend of funkiness and unpredictability. As a self-sufficient artist, she handles most production aspects, from programming to mixing, which, while time-consuming, allows her full creative control over her work. This approach has led to the creation of catchy, commercially appealing tracks.

Success Stories

The success of Dahlstrom's track 'C’mon Y’All' is a testament to her ability to connect with a wide audience. Her music's inclusion in major ad campaigns and on the Billboard Dance Chart highlights the commercial and artistic appeal of her work. Dahlstrom’s experience in custom music production for clients presents unique challenges but also opportunities for creative interpretation and innovation.

Collaborations and Projects

Dahlstrom values collaboration, especially with vocalists, as it brings new dimensions to her music. Her project 'The Hit House Featuring Salme Dahlstrom' showcases this, featuring a diverse range of vocal talents. She acknowledges the unique challenges and rewards of working with children and animals, indicating a versatile approach to music production.

Personal Insights and Inspirations

Outside of music, Dahlstrom draws inspiration from her love for Cher and the New York Rangers hockey team. These passions influence her music and public persona, contributing to a fun, outgoing, and resilient image. Her belief in the fun-loving nature of blondes is reflected in her music's energetic and uplifting spirit.

Future Plans

With new music slated for 2024, Dahlstrom plans to continue evolving her style, integrating new sounds like the sitar into dance tracks. Her commitment to staying ahead of the curve in the constantly evolving music industry involves exploring new genres and technologies.

Latest Album "Fabulous"

Dahlstrom's latest album, 'Fabulous', has been well-received, marking her foray into electro swing with a dance floor vibe. This album reflects her artistic vision, blending swing-era sounds with modern electronic music. The album's standout track, 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be', resonates with listeners due to its catchy swing loop and fun melody, influenced by 80s pop icons.

Impact and Reception

The positive reception of 'Fabulous' and 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be' has influenced Dahlstrom's perspective on her music and career. She intends to delve deeper into electro-swing, capitalizing on its growing popularity. While no immediate plans for music videos exist, she is open to the idea and exploring touring options to promote her album.

Reflections and Future Directions

Reflecting on her journey, Dahlstrom emphasizes her commitment to trying new things and not being confined to a specific genre. Her future in music is open-ended, with plans to explore diverse styles and themes, driven by curiosity and a passion for innovation.

Conclusion

Salme Dahlstrom's journey in the music industry highlights the importance of adaptability, creativity, and resilience. From navigating the challenges of a changing industry to embracing the world of music licensing, her story is an inspiring example of artistic evolution and success.

Career Journey and Influences:

You've been dubbed the 'music licensing queen' by The Wall Street Journal. Could you share more about your journey in the music industry and how you developed your unique approach to music licensing?

I started out like lots of musicians do; I wrote songs, put together bands and played live, signed management and publishing deals, got shopped around to the record labels, signed a few record deals, recorded and toured. Then when the entire major label system collapsed in the early 2000s, I was left a little lost; I had put together a small studio in my apartment in The East Village in New York City and Indecided at that time to record some music just for me, letting go of trying to fit into a certain genre or format but instead doing whatever sounded good. I borrowed and stole ideas and sounds from all over the musical spectrum. The result was “The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade”. I posted some songs on the internet; I think the sites that were popular at the time were mp3.com and Garageband and one day I got a call from a music licensing agent. He said my sound was a perfect fit for tv ads and movies etc. and there was money to be made here. At that time the only thing I knew about music licensing was big artists like Madonna doing Pepsi ads but I thought “What do I have to lose?” and so we started working together and shortly thereafter he had placed one of my songs in a tv show. And that was just the beginning. Soon enough ad agencies discovered my album and my songs landed in tv commercials for brands such as Suave, CoverGirl and Suzuki. Every song off of “The Acid Cowgirl…” got licensed and The Wall Street Journal took notice and crowned me Licensing Queen.
It was not how I thought my music career would develop but here I am 15+ years later still an artist making albums and licensing music and producing custom music for ad agencies and music libraries and making a good living at it. It’s a good life.

Who were your major musical influences growing up, and how have they shaped your style as the 'electronic pop goddess' you're known for today?

I grew up on Swedish pop, 80s metal, and Cher. Sweden is known for their strong pop sense and growing up there I was surrounded by great pop songs and songwriters.
Combine that with the stadium-sized sound and bombastic nature of 80s metal and you pretty much have my sound. The electronic aspect came later when I got into programming, playing with samples and beats. The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim were big electronic music influences for me. And then there’s Cher – I saw her on TV and thought she was coolness and star power personified. When I started developing my artist persona she was a strong influence along with Paul Stanley of KISS and Prince.

Creative Process:

Your music is known for being funky, hooky, and fun. Can you walk us through your creative process for composing a track that's both catchy and commercially appealing?"

You can never have too many hooks in a song, that’s my motto. It comes naturally to me going back to growing up in Sweden where you’d find hooky melodies in every song regardless of genre. When I produce a song I am thinking hooks all the way, all the instruments working together with the vocals to create multiple hooks throughout the song. In addition, I like music that is funky, a little unpredictable and fun to listen to. So that’s what I aim for with every song that I make. Sometimes I make a track first and then write the melody and lyrics, other times I’ll have written the hook or some piece of the song and I build a track around that. It all depends. I always set out to write not just a song but a hit. It takes the same amount of time so why not aim for the big one every time.

You mentioned loving the control that comes from being self-contained in your music production. How does playing multiple roles (producer, instrumentalist, singer, etc.) impact your creative process?

It makes it a very slow process – Doing most everything myself - I program, play most of the instruments, sing, write, produce and mix my tracks – it is time-consuming but I love when it all comes together and I am sitting with the final mix. It’s very fulfilling to know “I made that!”.

Success Stories:

Your track 'C’mon Y’All' not only climbed the Billboard Dance Chart but also featured in major ad campaigns. What was it like seeing your music gain such widespread recognition?

It was a wild ride, it’s a high you want to achieve over and over again. It gave me confirmation that the music I was dreaming up in my bedroom studio in NYC was good and that people could relate and connect to it. It’s an absolutely awesome feeling to know that a kid in Ohio or Tokyo or London is listening to my song and feeling it. And the “C’mon Y’All” ride is far from over, just the other day I got another request to license it for an ad campaign.

Can you share a memorable story from working on a particularly successful or challenging music licensing deal?

The most challenging jobs are doing custom work. My job then is to create something very specific that the client (usually ad agencies) wants and not necessarily what I think works best or what I like. They hired me because they like my sound and style but there’s plenty of room for different likes and opinions and that can at times get challenging. How do you interpret “We’d like it more lemony” .

A fun project I worked on was the remake of the famous (or for some people infamous) “Wanta Fanta” song. A few years ago Fanta was launching a mango-flavored Fanta and wanted me to re-imagine the original track with modified lyrics to feature the new product. I worked with my friend and pop singer extraordinaire Amber Skyes on the project. Emersing ourselves completely in “The Fantanas” wild girls image we killed it. The ad ran for a few years and “The Fantanas” were once again alive and kicking ass.

Collaborations and Projects:

Your release, 'The Hit House Featuring Salme Dahlstrom,' involves collaborations with several vocalists. How do you choose collaborators, and what do you look for in a collaborative partner?

I love it whenever I get the chance to collaborate with other musicians especially vocalists. The vocals are such an important part of any production and every voice is unique. So having the opportunity to work with vocalists who sound vastly different from me adds a dimension to my music I couldn’t otherwise create. Anyone who can bring something to the table that I can’t do myself I love collaborating with. They have to be great at it of course, that goes without saying. In regards to The Hit House release that was something me and the label discussed and agreed upon early in the process, we both wanted a lot of different voices on the album. That album features gospel, r’n b, pop and rap vocals as well as kids.

You've worked with children and animals for your recent project. What unique challenges and rewards came from these experiences?

Let's just say I am not gunning to do it again anytime soon

Personal Insights and Inspirations:

You've mentioned your love for #cher and #nyrangers hockey. How do these passions outside of music influence your work?

I use Cher as a reminder that I can do whatever I want at whatever age. Hockey and specifically watching The Rangers play brings me enormous joy. It’s a magic pill to keep me centered and happy. The fighting and sight if blood is just a bonus.

As someone who believes 'blondes have more fun,' how do you incorporate your personal ethos into your music and public persona?

Part of me is very fun and outgoing and loves socializing so it comes naturally to me to incorporate that into my music and by extension my public persona. The bands that I grew up listening to (i.e. KISS) had that positive vibe to their songs. Their music was an escape from the day to day, a fantasy world where you had fun, you were a winner and your persona was larger than life.

Future Plans:

With new music coming in 2024, what can your fans expect in terms of evolution in your music style or any new ventures you're exploring?

I say “always stay curious”; listen to new music, explore new audio plugins, new genres or really just music you haven’t listened to before. The other day I came a cross an artist on the internet who played sitar to dance tracks and I loved the combo. Now I’m exploring incorporating that sound into a few tracks on the new album. The new album is a little heavier at times than my previous ones, musically heavier. Lyric wise it’s more personal. So far I am very happy with what I’ve written.

About the Latest Album "Fabulous":

Your latest album 'Fabulous' has been making waves. What inspired the title, and how does this album reflect your current artistic vision?

I have always loved electro-swing, the mix of the swing era sounds with modern electronic just has it all in my book – it’s sexy, tongue in cheek, and uplifting with a great pop feel on top of a driving dance beat. “Fabulous” is the title of one of the songs on the album. Honestly, the title was the record label’s idea. I wanted to call it ”Saints and Swingers”, maybe next time…

In creating 'Fabulous,' were there any new musical styles or techniques you experimented with that differed from your previous work?

Producing “Fabulous” was the first time I did electro-swing with that straight forward dance floor vibe. My earlier electro-swing productions had more of a funky break beat feel to them. So this was something new for me. I played a lot with the FX plugin in Logic X to get that DJ filter efx as well as the chopped up/repeater vocal efx to compliment the dance club production.

The success of 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be':

Your song 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be' has become the most listened-to track from your repertoire. What do you think resonates most with listeners in this song?

Could you discuss the creative process and inspiration behind 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be'?

Given the success of 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be,' how do you feel it represents you as an artist and your evolution in the music industry?

I’m gonna bundle these questions into one answer as “Guilty As A Girl Can Be” is my favorite song off of “Fabulous”. First off I think the track came out really solid – it’s got that catchy swing loop and when you add the fun melody on top of it it just pops. I had been listening to Bananarama and 80s Madonna right before I started working on “Guilty…” and you can hear some of those influences throughout the track and the writing. The ”wow” scream is me emulating the “wow” in “Venus” and the lyrics and delivery has the carefree, fun swagger of 80’s pop. I got the idea for the piano solo from Madonna’s live shows from the 80’, her live version of “Get Into The Groove” has an added funky piano solo and I always thought that was spectacular.
I am thrilled that “Guilty…” has gotten the amount of airplay and streams it has, it has made radio playlists all over the world and I wouldn’t be surprised if we heard it in some tv ads in the near future. I am super proud of that song and I think it represents my image very well with its positive, catchy fun attitude while showing diversity sound wise.

Impact and Reception:

Are there any surprising reactions or feedback from fans regarding the album or the song that stood out to you?

The feedback to the “Fabulous” album has been overwhelmingly positive from both critics and fans. I think fans can appreciate that it’s something new but still sounds like me, just with a twist. I found that electro swing has a huge following and those fans are truly passionate about the genre. I definitely want to produce more electro swing. I have a concept already lined up.

Future Performances and Promotions:

Do you have any plans for touring or live performances to promote 'Fabulous'?

I’d definitely love to and I am looking into it. Maybe do a tour of those old-time theaters or burlesque theaters to take that Swing era vibe all the way. Hopefully we can make it happen, I’ll keep you posted.

With the acclaim of 'Guilty As A Girl Can Be,' can fans expect any music videos or special performances of this track?

No video plans as of right now but you never know. It’s a great idea…

Reflections and Future Directions:

Looking back at your journey up to 'Fabulous,' how do you feel your music has evolved over the years?

I have always tried to try new things with each album and to avoid getting stuck in my genre, whatever that is. Some hits and some misses but it’s a way to keep it interesting for me as well as my audience to not expect the same album over and over again. I am working on a new album right now and I have dug into some really diverse stuff, from 90’s drum and bass to sitar music and more.

What direction do you see your music taking in the future, and are there any new themes or styles you're eager to explore?

I am going to stay curious and open-minded and let the music take me wherever it decides to go. Thanks to everybody who’s been listening and buying my music all these years. Let’s keep the party going!