Having began her songwriting career a few years ago as a means of exploring her own world, Alice Borman has come a long way. She says writing music is such an emotional release, and as it turned out the emotional relationship with her songwriting was something she shared with a whole host of other people, as evidenced by the reaction across the blogosphere and media to her work. A small collection of songs recorded for her own pleasure in the comfort of her home has become the springboard to musical success.

Why have you chosen to write in English and not in Swedish?

I love Swedish music and have always been fascinated by how people can express themselves in Swedish, because I find it to be really difficult. It’s too direct and feels too close to me. Writing in English, there’s some kind of distance to it. There’s an emotional connection I have with English and the writing and singing just come naturally.

Your first EP Skisser (Sketches) was recorded at home. Do you feel like it’s a bit more personal in that sense – leaving you a lot more exposed?

I think so. I didn’t even really mean to release it. It was mostly for myself, to remember the songs. It’s a lot more personal because I didn’t think about how others would perceive it when doing them. There were no outside influences. I was just simply singing for myself.

Now, people know that it’s recorded in my home so I feel like it brings a personal connection to people who listen to my music because I unknowingly exposed myself.

What do you believe you capture in your music by being in more natural settings, as for instance a log cabin in the woods where you recorded this time?

Something really special happens when I isolate myself. There are no distractions and you can only think about the music. Everything is molded around that. It becomes less forced because you don’t have the pressures of the studio – there’s no time constraints or people constantly critiquing. It seems more pure and it’s really a magical thing. I don’t know. I like it when it’s not so much. For writing it’s very inspiring because it allows the music to be absolutely everything.

Many people describe your music as melancholy and ghostly, and I have seen references to someone like Lana Del Ray even though she seems way more mainstream. How do you feel about that comparison and description of your music?

I have trouble describing music. I don’t know what my music sounds like and I find it really hard to describe other artists. If someone thinks it sounds like that then that’s right for them.

But I guess you could say it is ghostly in a way.

Who do you think is your biggest musical influence?

Bob Dylan. I’m in awe of how many songs he’s written and how good each one is. The quality in his songwriting has never wavered. It’s so fascinating and inspiring.

The piano and voice combination is how we know you. How do you view the role of instruments in your music?

I think the piano is kind of central to it. It would be interesting to try to do something without it as well, but I love the piano. You can do so much with it. Right now, I’m really missing it. I have my electronic keyboard and it’s just not the same. And I’ve written some songs on a guitar – because you can write a melody in different ways with different instruments. I want to learn how to explore that.

Will your sound remain this soft?

I don’t think I’ll ever do a dance or happy song but I’m always up for adding more dynamics to my music.

Your new EP come out in the beginning of June. Can you tell us more about it?

It has six songs on it. Two are like Sketches, from my home recordings, and the rest are recorded in this cabin in the countryside.

The four new songs are a lot more developed, instrument-wise. It’s the next small step. It’s a bit more conscious because I know I’m releasing the music to the world to judge.

It’s exciting but also a bit scary. I’m definitely more vulnerable this time because this was the first time I consciously knew that I’d be putting it out. But I really didn’t want to over-think it. I still wanted it to be simple. I think and hope it sounds natural.

You’ll be performing at Parklife at Södermalm in mid-June. What can people expect from your live performance?

Quite simple – it will be me on vocals, and an electric keyboard. I think I’ll bring some drums. But that’s it.

I love having just an instrument or two that is played really loudly. Simple but loud. I will definitely accentuate the instruments I have there.

Alice Boman is playing at Parklife, Hornstull on 14 June.