Exclusive Interview with Lexi Berg

Lexi Berg is an exciting Swedish-American singer-songwriter in London music scene. Instantly recognisable by her raspy powerful voice, Lexi has been compared to Stevie Nicks. Her 70s inspired music seamlessly fuses classic Swedish melodies with the soulful tones of American country and folk. Lexi’s music combines raw acoustic sounds with electronic elements, creating a warm and modern soundscape. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

Lexi Berg: The first song I ever wrote was when I was 7 or 8 years old and I was trying to distract my sister from crying. We wrote a little lullaby together and I actually used the first line as the beginning of my song,* Empire of One. * Songs became ways of creating light and love in different moments.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

Lexi Berg: I was always writing melodies, for as long as I can remember, but when I was 5 my parents found this fantastic piano school next to the laundry room in the basement of our building. It was run by this wonderful Romanian piano teacher. She never really taught me how to sightread, but rather how to play from the heart.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound?

Lexi Berg: My mother played the most beautiful classical piano, my dad listened to jazz and the beatles, the radio in Sweden always played Abba and Swedish pop, whilst the radio in the US played country. A funny melting pot of music that I definitely think influenced my sound.

4. What’s the story behind choosing the name ‘Lexi Berg’?

Lexi Berg: Hahah, Lexi Berg is just a shortening of my name Alexandra Berglof, but is quite controversial amongst my old friends! For many years I’ve been just “Berg” or before that “Alex”, but I’ve been Lexi since 2021 so I think they have to accept it!

7. Music often transcends entertainment. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work?

Lexi Berg: I think music is one of the most powerful and perhaps unused tools in any of these areas. It is a universal and ancient language that translates emotion into sound. I would love to explore the power of music further, for now I try to spread the message of unity and acceptance. Everyone is welcome in my world!

5. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

Lexi Berg: I think my voice is what sets my songs apart, I try to really create many different tones and moments within each song. My songs are cinematic and emotional—anchored in storytelling, but elevated by atmosphere. I want people to feel like the song knows them, like it’s putting their feelings into words they cant find on their own. A musical release of sorts.

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style?

Lexi Berg: I love to see musicans perform, because I feel that is where I most nervous, eventhough I love it! When I see artists owning the stage, especially my friends, I’m like “I wanna do that too!”

8. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

Lexi Berg: The industry often measures success in stats and views. But for me, the real reward is when someone messages me saying a song helped them through something. That’s the kind of success I chase now—connection, not numbers.

9. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

Lexi Berg: I collect song titles and fragments like little treasures. Then I bring them into a session and we follow the emotion. I love collaborating—someone else’s perspective often unlocks a part of the song I wouldn’t have found on my own.

10. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

Lexi Berg: Learning to trust my own voice. Not just sonically, but emotionally. Once I stopped chasing what I thought I should be, and just told the truth, everything changed.

11. What moment or achievement in your career so far has made you feel the proudest, and why?

Lexi Berg: Singing at the O2 to 20,000 people—even through the nerves and the boos—showed me I could do anything. And releasing Lonely Satellite independently was a huge leap. Seeing people still streaming it means the world.

12. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general?

Lexi Berg: I used to be terrified of social media, but now I see it as a remarkable entity, a world of its own. I try to focus on community building around positivity. I send love to my haters and those who troll me and I invite them in to join my community, called the lonely satellites. Once or twice they have been converted. Otherwise I just ignore them!

13. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

Lexi Berg: I love both, but live shows are sacred to me. When a crowd sings something back to you that you wrote alone in a quiet room—it’s the best feeling in the world. Magic that you cant explain.

14. Do you think it is important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or should everyone interpret them personally?

Lexi Berg: The beauty of music is that it becomes yours once you hear it. I know what the song meant to me—but I love hearing what it means to someone else.

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Photo credits: Pearl Murphy