Avicii Talks Finding His Own Musical Path & How Dance Music Has Changed

Avicii is just around the corner from finally releasing his highly anticipated album, True. Debuting his new sound earlier this year, he had fans buzzing about the music that is now a part of his long-awaited album. With talented musicians like Nile Rogers, Incubus' Mike Einziger, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda and more, the album is truly a must-have. "Wake Me Up" has already become a hit , reaching no. 1 in in 22 countries.

We got to hang out with Avicii backstage at Electric Zoo in New York City, and he talked about his True (which is out September 17th), finding his musical path, and what it was like revealing his new music to fans. Read on below.

Congratulations on your new album True. You worked with so many different well-known, talented musicians. What made you want to go that direction with it?

"I think to me it was just more interesting. I never really had the time to sit down and then finish that many songs, enough songs for an album before. So now when I did, and I was trying to put together who I wanted to approach to work with and stuff, straight away, I just kind of went for those names that I’ve been listening to a lot myself. And, ideas that I got from people that sounded like fun. You know like, this is not, 'It's okay that’s going to be a big song' more than 'Oh, that’s going to be a fun experience and a good track.' That was the main thing that I was after for each collaboration."

How do you think your fans are enjoying your new music?

"I think from what I’ve seen, they are loving it. It took a while. After the initial shock wore down from it just being so new, I think, people really responded to it. Because it’s just new and no one else is really doing that right now. And I mean, everything has been done obviously, I am not saying that I’m the first one to do it, that’s not what I'm saying. But I am saying no one really, right now, is doing the same thing, and that’s what I think is important with kind of what every artist is trying to find, is just their own path. And that’s the hardest part too. And I think I finally found my path a little bit with this album, and for the future too."

Were you nervous to put it out there?

"I always thought it was good and my manager who I work really close with, we were both really confident in the music. So we were never really nervous about … after Ultra, when we initially got a lot of people saying, 'What the f**k? What’s happening?' You know, 'country music doesn’t go with house,' and those initial reactions. We kind of knew that once people just get over the fact that it’s country or jazz or blues influence, when they listen to it like music, they are going to realize that it’s not as bad as they think."

True definitely seems like a refreshing change in dance music.

"I think it’s losing its emotion a little bit, dance music; it’s all becoming about a really fat drop, and just about as much energy as possible. And, you can only go so far. Like when I started, everything was about melody and groove, and it just is not really like that anymore, the same way, I think."

Why did you decide the name your albumTrue? Is this your true self?

"Yeah! No, it is my true self. It might sound a little bit corny, but it just made sense because this is the music that, like if I can make any music, this is the music I’d want to make with these type of influences and people I work with. And if I was able to sing, this is how I would sing. I’ve been involved with every node and every vocal. I’ve been really picky with exactly how it’s going to sound, and I have been like that from the start. So, this really feels as true to myself as I can get. This is what I really enjoy doing."

If you could spread one truth in the world, what would it be?

"In general, hard work pays off."

Photo: Rachel Kaplan