In the spring of 2025, Sven Ross went to London for two months and returned with a debut album. Without having planned it in advance, he wrote the songs for ‘The Man I Was Before’ whilst there, which is due for release on 1 March 2027. Whilst writing, he looked back on past versions of himself, broke out of patterns and explored what remains when you try to simplify life a little.
Ross divides his time between Amsterdam and London and creates contemporary folk with a warm voice, fingerstyle guitar playing and candid lyrics. In his songs, he writes about love and change, but also about social issues and the sometimes arduous journey of self-discovery. His music is reminiscent of artists such as Ben Howard, Noah Kahan and John Mayer, without directly emulating their sound.
Before choosing a career in music, Ross was on track to become a primary school teacher. He has since released a trilogy of EPs and has supported acts including Axel Flóvent, Benedict Cork and Starsailor. With ‘The Man I Was Before’, he is embarking on a new chapter. He says of it: “Writing ‘The Man I Was Before’ has made me a better person, and that is the greatest gift music could have given me.”
