Would you ever imagine that one of your fellow SCAD students would be a huge popstar in Sweden? Well, one is. Peg Parnevik, who recently turned 21 years old, is the daughter of swedish professional golfer, Jesper Parnevik and swedish mother, Mia Parnevik. With that being said, most of their family members still reside in Sweden and last year, Peg and her family decided to star in their own tv show, “Parneviks” that aired in Sweden for 2 seasons. Peg realized that her and her family were gaining an audience, so she decided to take advantage of this opportunity and go for her music career (which turned out to be quite a success, if you ask me). Since the beginning of this year, she’s released three singles; Aint No Saint, We Are (Ziggy & Carola), and her most recent single that was released last week (Sept. 23, 2016), Sthlm Nights. If you want to find out how Peg got her start, how SCAD helped her achieve her goals, and the advice she has for any creative trying to make their dreams come true, just keep on reading!
(Image courtesy: Peg Instagram)
HC: How old are you?
PEG: Just turned 21 in September.
HC: What year are you at SCAD?
PEG: I’m technically in between years so I’m a sophomore/junior. But I just recently decided to pause my studies to focus completely on music.
HC: How long have you been singing & when did you know you wanted to get into the music industry?
PEG: I’ve been singing since I was a young girl but only ever as a hobby: talent shows, singing in the car, etc. I never thought it could become a career. After we did the first season of our tv show and gained such a huge following I decided it was now or never; I had to take the risk and put myself out there or I might never get the chance again.
HC:Tell me about your music, how would you categorize it genre wise?
PEG: I’d say it’s definitely in the pop genre but has some funky r&b undertones. I’m finally starting to write the kind of music that inspires me, and it’s more in the world of acoustic/indie/alternative music, so I’m excited to start releasing those songs. They definitely have more of a depth to them than the first ones I released.
(Image courtesy: Peg Instagram)
HC: Where did you get inspiration for your songs?
PEG: Mostly people and mostly heartbreak. For me, writing songs is my biggest emotional outlet. If someone hurts me, I get to write it all out: how I’m feeling, why it hurts, what they did…I think almost every song is about love, whether it’s the love you have for someone else, a love that’s taken from you, or the love you have for yourself.
HC: You went on tour over the summer for your music, can you tell me how that was & why it was important for you to tour in Sweden?
PEG: It was absolutely amazing! But I learned how much work you have to put into it. It’s not as glamorous as you’d think. This tour was basically for me to establish myself and prove that I can perform and sing live. Now that I’ve proved I can do it, I’ll have more of a say in which shows I play next tour. Plus I have to “make it” in Sweden before I can set out for the US market.
(Image courtesy: Peg Instagram)
HC: Are you thinking of putting out any swedish music?
PEG: I don’t think so! I’m aiming to transition over into the American music world and I think putting out Swedish music would be a step in the wrong direction. Some of the best music is coming out of Sweden, but for me, personally, singing in English gives my music a better chance of making it in the US.
HC: How would you say SCAD helped you build your success in the music industry and as a creative person in general?
PEG: I definitely learned to be more confident in my work. SCAD taught me that it’s ok to take pride in what you do and it’s ok to want to share your work with the world, but at the same time, you have to put in the work to get the result you want. You’ll never be successful if you take your successes for granted.
HC: Lastly, what advice would you give to anyone trying to build a successful career within the creative industry?
PEG: My biggest advice would be “take the risk.” It’s never going to be a straight path to success and it’s going to hurt like hell, but it’s ok to stumble and crawl and cry and call your mom on the way there. Before the tour, I was terrified to sabotage my career before it had even started. I finally realized that you’re going to have to be a rookie at some point, and do something for the first time, even if you suck at it. But the biggest mistake a creative can make is being too scared to fail. Take the jump and don’t be scared to get some scrapes and bruises on the way down.
(Image courtesy: Peg Instagram)
So like Peg said, go pursue what you love, be a rookie, call your mom whenever you please, and “take the risk.”