Joakim Berg

Introduction

Joakim "Jocke" Berg (full name: Herbert Joakim Berg) was the lead singer and songwriter of the Swedish band Kent. Joakim Berg wrote all of the lyrics for Kent and wrote or co-wrote all of the music. Joakim Berg has also written songs for Titiyo, Lisa Miskovsky, Freddie Wadling and many others. Along with Peter Svensson from The Cardigans, Joakim Berg had a side project named Paus. Joakim Berg went on to release a solo album in 2022 after Kent broke up in 2016.

Joakim Berg Biography

Joakim Berg was born in Eskilstuna on 16 March 1970. When Joakim Berg was a child he enjoyed reading books instead of going out and playing football. Joakim Berg taught himself to play guitar at the age of 18.

The first band Joakim was in was called Coca Cola Kids, along with friend and guitar player Sami Sirviö. The reason for the name Coca Cola Kids was that the band members drunk a lot of Coke and so Coke bottles littered their studio floor.

In 1990, while at school in Eskilstuna, Joakim Berg met bass player Martin Sköld. The two decided they wanted to make a band and together formed Jones & Giftet (Jones and the Poison). Sami soon followed, as well as drummer Markus Mustonen who had worked at a retirement home with Joakim Berg while the two were at university.

In 1992, Jones & Giftet was renamed to Havsänglar which means Sea Angels. However, a year later the members settled on the name Kent after the band had moved to Stockholm in 1993. Joakim Berg and the other band members signed a record deal with BMG in 1994.

Since that time, Kent released twelve studio albums and became the biggest band in Sweden, as well as one of the most awarded, with Joakim Berg becoming one of Sweden's most acclaimed songwriters. After the break up of Kent on 17 December 2016, Joakim Berg went on to release the solo album Jag Fortsätter Glömma (I Continue To Forget) on 27 May 2022. The album went to number one on the Swedish albums chart and received positive reviews.

Joakim Berg Influences

Bands and artists that Joakim Berg likes are The Beatles, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Radiohead and David Bowie. You can find references to David Bowie in several Kent songs.

There are also signs of influences from movies in Joakim Berg's songs and lyrics, for example the movie Blade Runner which there are several references to in Kent songs.

Joakim Berg Trivia

Joakim Berg has a younger brother named Adam Berg who has directed many videos for Kent and other bands such as The Motorhomes. It was Adam Berg who suggested the name Kent.

Joakim Berg's nickname is Nelson, named after a baby rhinoceros at a zoo in Sweden.

Joakim Berg would often communicate with fans by posting on the forum at the former official Kent website.

Joakim Berg Pictures

Links

For more information about Joakim Berg and Kent visit kentfans.com.

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