STOCKHOLM - It’s a sunny day here as we arrive in Sweden’s perhaps most beautiful city, and we go directly to Doktor Glas’ gallery to check out Marie Fredriksson’s art exhibit. It’s at the very beginning of the lunch hour, and the place is empty. But the girls behind the counter explain that there’ve been lots of visitors. Among them all, two German girls and a Spanish guy. They also share that a critic came in and praised the drawings without knowing who had done them.

  More drawings arrive as The Daily Roxette is there. All drawings in the exhibition have been sold, and the catalog book is selling very well. Marie Dimberg, Fredriksson’s manager, tells TDR that the book will be sold via musicshop.se and maybe a few other sites. The price will be the same, plus postage. Possibly they will print more copies.

  TDR, along with such other newspapers as Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborg’s Posten had been invited this afternoon to the “inner sanctum” of d&d in Stockholm to conduct exclusive interviews with Marie Fredriksson. When this reporter walks through the office door, we’re greeted by manager Marie Dimberg (suffering from a bad back) and a radiant Marie Fredriksson.

  Dimberg asks us if we want anything to drink so Marie asks for some tea and I get a glass of water. Marie is dressed in black with a nice leopard shirt. She looks just like the popstar we all know. Dimberg serves Fredriksson a lovely cup of green tea flavored with vanilla. “Yummy,” Fredriksson smiles.

  I start by telling Marie that the first time we met was after a Gyllene Tider concert in Avesta (1984) where we discussed her being very nervous about releasing “Ännu doftar kärlek.”

Don’t you think this is a bit the same?

  Marie laughs, “Gosh, that’s a long time ago. But you’re right, that’s very clever!” Marie continues “I’m so excited about all this. Very proud about my first exhibit.”

How did this exhibit come about?

  A few years back I started drawing in charcoal, and I felt this was special, this was it, so to speak. And I felt I just had to let go. I drew tons of pictures!”

  Marie continues by telling TDR that charcoal is a great material to draw with. “It’s so… raw and black… and yet… soft, you know?” We talk a little about her drawing “Trött” (“Tired”), and Marie laughs and says “Yes this one is a man, and he’s so damned tired with his wife, because she nags and nags and nags. He’s so tired!”

No plans to start dabbling in water colors?

  “Yikes no!” she laughs.

  All through the interview Marie laughs now and then. You can tell that this is truly a happy person right now.

So, is your new title “artist” or “popstar”?

  “Both,” she smiles slyly, and adds “maybe a popartist?”

Like Warhol?

  “Hmmm, no that doesn’t work… of course.”

Why did you start drawing?

  “One day I felt the urge to go out and shop for pencils and large pieces of paper. Large! But now when I see the drawings [points to a corner of the office] I think ’Huh? I thought they were bigger?’ I wish I’d made them even bigger!” she laughs. “I just love that big format!”

• Purchase “After The Change” (The book incl. postage to Europe costs 54 Euro)

We’re crossing over to her music now.

How goes it with your writing?

  “It goes splendidly. I’m writing in Swedish this time, and I feel so much happiness in writing and recording demos again. It feels wonderful!”

  Marie says it’s fantastic to be able to switch between the drawing… and writing music and lyrics. “I feel it’s important to get the Swedish writing going again.” As she said to Aftonbladet as well, she has no deadline what-so-ever. And when she says that, she again looks abundently happy, like she does whatever she pleases. “It’s great to just go on instinct, feeling you know…”

Next year you of course know that Roxette turns 20…

  “No!! Is that true?!? Next year?!? It totally slipped my mind!,” Marie says, more than a bit surprised.

So do you think something will happen then?

  “It would be fun, but I have no idea. We’ll see.”

OK, so you’re back in public again, how does that feel? Are you anxious or tired or…?

  “Oh no, on the contrary. It feels wonderful. So fun! I had to go to Café Opera to meet my good old friends again!” She explains to us that this period of her life is over and done with. She won’t look back.

  We mention the “concert” in Marbella, and ask if that whet her appetite. “Yes of course. But I’ll have to take it bit-by-bit for now.”

How has being a mother been during this ordeal? I mean with the kids’ homework and such.

  “It’s been good actually, Micke has been absolutely wonderful and the kids have been amazing, we are so grateful that we’ve come through this alive. Grandma has been excellent as well. Plus we’ve had help of course.”

  “Like I said, it’s all in the past now…”

Any unfulfilled dreams?

  “Lots! Maybe travel more…?”

Any regrets in your life?

  Again that laughter “Ha ha, nothing!”

What’s the best thing you’ve ever done?”

  After a moment’s thought; “Getting well again!”

And your favorite song?

  “’Tro’ I think.”

  Finally, before Marie rushes off to another meeting, TDR asks if Marie thinks Roxette will do something next year. Marie replies “Probably not, as I’m working with my new Swedish project. I think it’s too soon. But on the other hand, time moves so fast, so we’ll see!”


  Marie calls a cab and then she’s off, still happy. She sends this message: “I miss my fans so much! Please send my love to them all!”