Guitarist/bass player

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: I recorded and co-wrote all the guitars for like...10 songs in 2 days for an album a couple of years ago. Great musicians! I never thought we would pull it of in just one weekend, but everything "clicked". We had such a good time and the record turned out to be really good. It's not everyday you get to work with such good, easy going musicians who also happen to have the same mindset as you...and who also is just really good people :)

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Some own ideas I've been writing by myself, and I just finished recording some bass and guitar parts for my brothers new record wich is going to be released in a couple of months.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Yes, my talented brother and singer/songwriter Johan Ruborg and a fellow musician, producer, songwriter and friend Patrik Ahlm.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I used to be all analog, but since I discovered plugins, IR's, different guitar processors (Kemper, Helix) and so on, I'm going for digital (maybe sad, but true). You can be so much more versatile, the gears ain't that heavy and it usually doesn't need as much space. As a cover musican, digital is a godsend. But...yeah, the feeling might not be the same as when a 4x12 is pushing air onto you legs, but the whole digital technology has gotten pretty far.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: Even though playing, writing, editing and listening to music is fun, it is also a profession. I guess that people sometimes forget...until you can show them that you really earned some money on it. Who says work can't be fun? Nowadays folks take culture and music for granted, wich is a shame.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: They don't have to pay if they are not satsfied (duh!?). I'm 100% commited to what I do, no matter what kind of song it is. If I can't "pull it of", if I feel that I'm not the right guy for the job, then i'll tell that to the client.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to be creative. I get to play(!) and I'm thankful that I can do that and share my burning interest with others alike.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My acoustic Ibanez (cuz' its louder that an unplugged electric guitar, right?), 3 picks and a glass tube. Hopefully i could get some fire going with the help of the glass tube and the light from the sun.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been playing the guitar since I don't know when, but it wasn't until I moved down south of Sweden and started university ('bout 10 years ago) to become a music teacher that things "started spinning". You meet that guy, join that band, get to know those guys who happen to be in that band and they knew that girl, etc. Since then I've been playing with a lot of different musicians, doing countless of gigs and recorded a lot of different music, both home and in different studios. Since the big "flue" ... ehm, things are not as they used to be. All the gigs are pretty much gone, it's harder to meet in person, collaborations in sweaty rehearsal studios is on hold, and so on. I think we can all relate, no matter what profession. For better or for worse, the times are changin'. Musicians can still record, write, collaborate and share their work/thoughts! One of the big differences is that it's easier now than ever to do all of this online and via remote recording. That's one of the reasons I joined this platform amongst all of you mighty fine musicians!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: As i mentioned before it's kinda' hard to say...but I guess my style is a mix of rock/blues/jazz-fusion. It really depends on the song and mood.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Hmm...there are so many! But it sure would be nice to be a part of the "E Street Band" and work alongside Springsteen. They always have such a great energy and chemistry on stage, and there's always room for some great guitar work in the songs :)

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Listen and listen and listen(!) to all the great musicians/bands/producers out there. Don't just listen to that band in that specific genre, "open up" and listen to all kinds of music/genres. You can learn so much from one single song: For example some interesting harmonic changes, maybe some cool FX's on the vocals or maybe some groovy samples/loops, etc. Then, of course, it's never ever wrong to know your music theory. See it as a language. The more letters and words you know, the more (and easier) you can communicate and make yourself heard in that foreign language. Words become whole and interesting meanings, it opens up your whole musical vocabulary.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: pop/rock/blues/hard-rock/americana/metal

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Versatility, technique and a good ear for the different genres and sounds. But I have to say that my strongest skill can sometimes be my weakest point. I love to shred and I love to slide (for example), but I would not call myself neither a hardcore slide guitar player (like Cooder) nor a "shredder" like Malmsteen. Even do I love 'em both :)

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try to bring what the client want :) Sometimes it may not be what I think is best for the song, but that's really not up to me as ha hired gun. It really depends on what the client wants and how much "creative space" they give me. Sometimes they want you to take more of a producers role and, well, sometimes not.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I usually wan't to listen to the song at first, just as it is. What is the feel/mood of the song? What might be the sound you are looking for (even if it's not finished), etc. Then I simply talk with the client. What does he/she/they want? Because I've listened to it beforehand I might come up with some early ideas, inputs and/or suggestions, before I start to "dig in" and start to write and record the parts that I'm "hired" for. I often record some small section of the song at first, just so the client can get a feel for where I'm going and if we are on the "right track".