Culture Clash: sir Was

sir Was is an artist on a journey.

Growing up in a tiny Swedish town, he absorbed any music he came across – whether that’s electronic, indie, hip-hop or otherwise.

Real name Joel Wästberg, his moniker became a catch-all for these experiments, until it began to coalesce into something potent and singular.

New album ‘Let The Morning Come’ is out now, a project Clash praised for its quiet optimism.

Available now through City Slang, Clash spoke to sir Was about the cultural pursuits that frame his work…

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Book…

Beloved by Toni Morrison. To travel through this time and place, the verge of the ending of slavery was very intense. The pain and suffering in a sometimes dreamy and very abstract storytelling was a powerful experience. To think about how recent this actually took place is scary. Deeply moving book.

Music…

A couple of great songs: ‘I Love You’ by Willie Griffin; ‘Wichita Linemen’ by Glen Campbell; ‘At Last I Am Free’ by Robert Wyatt; ’24’ by Kanye West.

TV Show…

Last TV show I remember made a big impact on me was I Know This Much Is True on HBO. To follow a family’s struggles and traumas being passed on through generation to generation was fascinating. The photography and music was amazing too. We Are Who We Are was another series I really liked too… and of course Sopranos!

Film…

No Mad Land. Very beautiful, sad and hopeful at the same time. Another perspective on USA and on capitalism over all I guess. Hard to say anything about this film. It’s all in there. Go see it.

Gadget…

Headlamp! It has saved me over a dozen times on different occasions such as photo shoots and filming stuff. It’s on your head! Amazing.

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