Tony Bengtsson is a Swedish singer-songwriter from Svenljunga Municipality, born in 1990. He starts making music at 17, first playing drums while studying for A levels, and spends several years performing with cover bands and original groups while also studying the instrument at college.

Songwriting and subject matter

He begins writing songs after a relationship breakdown, and his writing is strongly based on personal experience. His songs often read like diary entries, and he says that the direct, honest approach helps listeners relate to them and also works as a form of therapy.

Albums and recording

His album As cold as the fire is written from experiences covering the two years leading up to the end of 2009. It is put together at the end of that year while he is still able to use violin parts from his fiancée. The album receives positive reviews, including 4.5 out of 5 stars from Maverick.

Afterwards, he is described as one of the stronger songwriter-performers in the north east of England, despite being from South Shields in the account of his career. He later meets singer-songwriter Paul Jackson at an open mic night, and Jackson records an album of Bengtsson’s original songs in his own Sunderland studio. That release is a full-band production, unlike Bengtsson’s earlier stripped-back recordings, and he plays drums, bass, guitars and keyboards on it.

Style and approach

Although he performs and records multiple instruments, he regards himself primarily as a songwriter rather than a musician. His music is compared with artists such as Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams and The Counting Crows.

Later releases

The album Snake in the Woodpile is listed as one of his later releases.