Johan Jonasson

Johan Jonasson, Blankaholm

”A simple ticket Stockholm – Blankaholm, please.” That was what Johan Jonasson, or J.J. as he is also called, asked for at the ticket counter at Central Station at the beginning of August this year. Or okay, maybe it didn't quite happen that way, but however it was, the start and end destination is correct. Johan has, after 15 years in the capital, packed his bags and guitar cases and moved to Blankaholm.

When I meet Johan in his new townhouse in Blankaholm, he has officially been a Blankaholm resident for almost exactly a month. All the moving boxes are unpacked, and he has slowly started to settle in. In the living room, the guitars are neatly lined up against a wall decorated with records and gig posters, and in a corner, the computer is buzzing with a music editing program open on the screen. Johan is, in fact, a musician, composer, and guitarist in the heavy metal band Starblind. He describes himself as a real music nerd, who constantly digs deeper and deeper into various musical rabbit holes. For example, he runs a YouTube channel where he uploads covers in classical composition of famous metal songs like ”To Tame a Land” by Iron Maiden and ”Holy Wars” by Megadeth. Other projects include film music for independent films and instrument repairs. One might think that all this is a full-time job, but Johan explains that although music has been his great passion and hobby since his early teens, it is a side gig career-wise. ”Who knows what will happen in the future,” he says with a sly smile.

So how come Johan left Stockholm for a life in the countryside? ”I got tired of the stress and wanted peace and quiet,” he explains. ”I simply had enough of the life I lived there and wished for a different, slightly calmer, lifestyle.”.

That it became Blankaholm is not a pure coincidence. Johan explains that when he was a child, his family had a house in the neighboring village of Solstadström, and he therefore spent a lot of time in the area during summer vacations. His mother and stepfather also moved permanently to Solstadström during the pandemic. ”When I had made the decision to leave Stockholm, it felt natural that I wanted to move here. After all those summers here, I knew the place and felt that I liked it. That my parents had already moved down was an additional motivation. It's always nice to have family close,” Johan explains.

I ask Johan to describe what makes Blankaholm so special. He replies that it is the surroundings with proximity to both forest and sea, the calm and tranquility. ”Just in the month that I have lived here, I can really feel how the stress has eased,” he shares. Johan also mentions that one advantage of living in Blankaholm is the location. It is only 3 km to the E22 and you are approximately equidistant to the three larger towns Oskarshamn, Västervik, and Vimmerby. It is easy to commute to work and most of what you need is either available in Blankaholm or within reasonable travel distance. Johan himself will commute to his new job in Oskarshamn. He explains that even though he has a longer distance to work now than he did in Stockholm, it still takes less time to get to and from work. Here he avoids wasting time in traffic jams or on overcrowded subway stations.

Finally, I wonder if Johan has any tips for those who are considering moving out of the big city and creating a new life in the countryside – just like he has done.

”Tips and tips,” he says. ”Just dare to take the step!”.

Johan's YouTube channel: Den officiella J.J Kanal

Text and image: Jenny Svendsby