Superhot is here!

Tommy Silfvenius (a.k.a) Robin Vagh and Björn Ledelius found the TwiceUsGood Project in the summer of 2021. Björn is a lyricist. Tommy(Robin Vagh) is a songwriter and producer. The TwiceUsGood project is available on all streaming platforms. Listen to the project and let us know your thoughts.

How did you start in the music business?
I started as a guitarist and singer in a garage band around 1980. I was touring the county in small clubs for about 5-6 years. After military service, I started a family and stopped playing for a while. When computers and the Internet appeared, in the early 90s, I began to take an interest in writing songs and that's the way it is. I was discovered on the blissfully asleep website mp3.com. Ever since then I have been hooked on programming, editing in composing.

How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Very varied, in the past, it was mostly hard rock and Heavy metal, but in the last ten years, there has been a lot of pop/club/Edm/RnB. 
I have lost feeling in my fingers and can´t play guitar anymore so there will probably not be so much more metal in the future, the more TUG than hopefully.

What is the current project about?
TUG is simply a project with collected songs that haven´t fit into the previous harder projects. The more danceable material. We just want to delight people with danceable, happy music. It´s needed, especially in these times of pandemic and war.

How do you feel it will inspire others?
I really hope that people can enjoy our music and be inspired by some videos here and there. Maybe forget about their misery for a while.

What is your creative process like?
I have an embryo, an idea, a chorus most of the time. Then I work around it, with instrumentation, arrangement, and finishing everything with nonsense lyrics. Then Björn or Anna comes in and writes the sharp lyrics. Anna also sends reference vocals, but if Björn writes the lyrics, I will have to try to whisper in some reference vocals. 
Then the backtrack is sent to a singer for final vocals. After mixing and mastering, it's time to send out the song for a video, and when that´s returned it is finalized for release.

Who would you most like to collaborate with?  
I don't really have a dream name, but it would have been special to be able to work with Avicii. Otherwise, as a newcomer to EDM, I would learn a lot from David Guetta or Swedish House Maffia. And obviously, it would have been great to work with some of my metal heroes like DIO, Def Leppard, and Blackmore among others.
But I enjoy working together with a lot of different people on this project. I really think there are things to be learned from one another during the process.

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
I don't really have such a dream. If I had been younger, it would have been fun to open for Swedish metal act DYNAZTY, but not as TUG

What is one message you would give to your fans?
We just want them to have fun and enjoy our music. Perhaps feel that a simple video enhances the experience. Otherwise, of course, there are universal things like being empathetic and true to each other.

What is the most useless talent you have?
I am extremely stubborn, often an asset but sometimes a curse. I have also accumulated a lot of useless knowledge throughout life. 
I'm good at pruning trees, but I don't have a garden anymore. So that´s pretty useless. 
And of course, the unnecessary in knowing how to play the guitar but no longer feel your fingers, which in itself makes guitar playing impossible...

Do you sing in the shower? What songs? What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?  
 No, I don´t. My health doesn´t allow it. I haven’t got any strength left in my voice but sometimes I do hum, mostly rock and hard rock classics. 
If it wasn´t for my music, I probably wouldn't be alive today. My health has taken both my family and my job away from me and the music is the therapy making me wanna get up every day. I finalize about 40-50 songs a year and when I sit by the computer, the thoughts of the pain and trouble disappear.

Where have you performed? What are your favorite and least favorite venues?
We are just a studio project. We have not been on stage together in any context.

Do you have any upcoming shows?
No, sorry!

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
Mixed. For me, it has been rewarding with the possibility of running all these studio projects, and it does connect music lovers all over the world, but I miss going to a concert of course... I saw Dio and the Scorpions in the mid-80s and it was pure energy.
Obviously not going to concerts is not really Internet's fault, it´s more up to my health.

What is your favorite song to perform?
We don´t perform but my favorite song with TUG is SMILE. It was my first co-write with Anna Hansson and it turned out so well. Superhot is coming a close second.

Which famous musicians do you admire?
There are too many people to mention, but I admire people who are passionate about their music. And creative, curious crossover songwriters

What is the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
That's probably when my heart stopped because of a break on the AV leader. 
or when a doctor told me he was going to amputate my broken left foot. But a pacemaker and a couple of surgery sessions saved me... 
Today is the list of health problems: heart failure, kidney failure, diabetes, gastroparesis, Charcot foot, anemia, nausea, fatigue... 
I only have about 15 percent kidney function left and am often tired and noxious.
As a young touring musician I was in a quite wild bunch but we did never get busted for drinking and disorder or some minor thefts. But it's time-barred now, isn't it?
Don´t try that at home!

What is the best advice you’ve been given?
Speak the truth, even when It hurts a bit sometimes. Above all; Don't lie to you yourself.

If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Of course, I would like the songwriters to earn more money. Specially independents with no contracts. I don’t earn ONE dollar net on my music…There´s always a need for new hardware, new software, and costs for releasing stuff, videos, etc.

What’s next?
We´re looking forward to releasing our next song DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY first half of June. It will be released right in time for school graduations. This year it's finally time for Swedish students to get on trucks to celebrate their exams again, after the pandemic restrictions.
Probably it will be released Friday, June 10, but we will have to wait a bit for the announcement.

What should the world know?
Deep down there, I think everyone already knows that love is the only right way forward, not war and division. But it may be worth reminding. In addition, I hope people can continue to cooperate against the pandemic and other diseases. Collaboration is da shit!
Thanks for featuring TUG!