Norwegian music success: Alexander Pavelich and his billion-dollar streaming record show that it is possible to break through internationally as a songwriter, just by combining talent with hard work and a little luck. Photo: Audun Fegran Kopperud
How he gets electricity in the billions
Alexander "Pav" Pavelich is behind songs that top the charts around the world. Read about his journey from the opera in Nordfjordeid, through band life on a European tour to unparalleled songwriting success.
/ 09/12/2025 / Audun Fegran KopperudThe article is taken from TONO's campaign page for background music. musicamplifier.no
– It's important that the idea comes from a real place. Even though my focus is to create mainstream pop songs with the greatest possible success, they have to come from the heart and be genuine, says Alexander Pavelich.
The songwriter from Nordfjordeid, better known as Pav and the artist alias Lovespeake, is behind songs that have almost been streamed 4,5 billion times. Names like Jason Derulo, David Guetta, Ava Max and Alan Walker are just some of the artists with Pavelich songs in their catalog.
With the whole world as his workplace, we are lucky to have time to chat with Alexander while he is at home in Norway. Family comes first. Alexander and Stine Marie live in Drøbak with their sons Sebastian and Oliver, and from their home studio he hammers out song after song. Today, however, he has made the trip to the capital to work with his friends Halvor Folstad and Dag Holtan-Hartwig – better known as Skinny Days. They also deliver billion-dollar streaming music.
– At most, I'm out and about for eight weeks a year. As long as I have a buffer zone between each trip, I'm fine. I try to be home during holidays and vacations, and luckily I'm above average at buying travel gifts, says Alexander, laughing.
He shares his interest in anime and gaming with his sons, and knows which gifts will be appreciated.
They are not musicians yet, and Alexander doesn't want to push them in that direction. Nevertheless, he asks both his wife and children for input on the songs he creates.
– Family is a great test of whether music works. If they ask me to play the same song three times in a row, I know it can be a hit. And if it doesn't work, they are brutally honest, he says.
Alexander got his musical talent from his mother's milk. His mother is still the director of the opera in Nordfjordeid and plays the violin. His father recently retired as artistic director and conductor, and has also been both a singing and guitar teacher. With that in mind, it goes without saying that the notes were loose in his childhood home.
From a young age he became part of the opera community as a singer in the choir, extra, stagehand, dancer, actor and percussionist in the orchestra. Over time, Alexander learned to play several instruments, and today he plays guitar, bass, drums and piano. His singing voice is also not to be missed.
In high school, he played in bands and started writing songs. Then a light went on.
– Seeing people's reactions to my music was an aha experience. I started exploring more and more music online and became fascinated by the fact that a band or artist can touch people in any country. The idea of being the soundtrack to other people's lives motivated me.
Alexander applied to the prestigious songwriting school LIPA, also known as the Paul McCartney school, and got in. He scrapped his plan to attend folk high school in Norway and went to Liverpool instead.
“With an incredibly weak pound, we lived like kings on our Norwegian student loans. It was all about playing in as many bands as possible and booking studio time. All the best times were always taken, so we were often playing in the middle of the night,” he recalls.
The hitmaker found his time at Liverpool refreshing because he got to work with like-minded people from all over the world. There was a big Norwegian clique at school, but they had left the law of the land at home.
In 2010, Alexander graduated from LIPA and moved to London with his friend Andrew Murray from Sandvika to focus on the indie band Eye Emma Jedi. For many years, they toured in the UK, Norway and Germany after much success on Norwegian radio and mentions on international music blogs.
– In 2015 we changed our name to Lovespeake and tried again. Then bad luck came. We had an agreement with a large PR agency in the US, but we didn't get much because Prince and David Bowie died around the time of both the single and album releases. Large booking agencies wanted to see us at industry festivals, but they still didn't come. Then the project just fell apart, says Alexander.
Andrew and Alexander went their separate ways, but our man kept the Lovespeake name. Today he uses it when he is a featured artist on songs with other artists.
For many years, Alexander lived in an indie band bubble. Then his then-manager Martin Schilde insisted that he join the songwriting camp by:Songs in Oslo. There, Norwegian and international songwriters and producers work together in rotating groups. TONO has also been involved, both as a sponsor and professional partner.
It was here that the dream of becoming a full-time songwriter was truly brought to life.
Alexander eventually attended songwriting camps in Norway and abroad, trying his best to nurture the network he had acquired through LIPA and the band tours.
Slowly but surely, his song rankings began to climb. At the same time, his reputation and network grew. Eventually, he also became the curator of by:Songs and is responsible for numerous international placements that have come out of the camp.
However, his big turning point came during the corona pandemic.
– For me, it was a “blessing in disguise”. I love connecting people and I am self-driven, with a “hustler” mentality when working with music. That, combined with the fact that I have a decent ability to produce myself, made it a perfect situation.
From his Star Wars-decorated home studio in Drøbak, he sat alone and produced song after song, had digital meetings with people from all over the world, and worked incredibly hard.
Since then, the arrows have only pointed upwards. Now he releases 20 to 40 songs a year, and the streaming figures are sky-high. In 2021, "Dopamine" with Purple Disco Machine topped the radio charts throughout Europe and in 2024 he had three songs on Jason Derulo's latest album. In 2025, he topped the German charts for several weeks with the song "Home" for Glockenbach and Tom Walker.
But what is the formula for success? How are the monster hits written?
– The songs have to be about something people can relate to. Every songwriting session starts like a therapy session: We talk about our lives and share stories we've heard. Then everyone is involved, and we can build something real together when we make the song, says Alexander.
Although most of the songs are not about his own life, he reveals that some have personal significance. Tungevaag's "I Knew It Was You," for example, is about knowing early on that Stine Marie was the one he wanted to marry.
Every time someone plays one of his songs on a streaming service or performs them on stage, TONO, or a sister society abroad, pays out revenue to songwriters like Alexander. For that, he is eternally grateful.
– Without TONO behind me, it would not have been possible to make a living from songwriting, he says.
Alexander also believes that TONO's involvement with by:Songs was important. Not only as a sponsor and supporter, but he liked that TONO was there and met songwriters with a desire to break through.
– I like the breadth of TONO. It is important that they support those who invest internationally, because the export revenues they generate open doors for those who are not as wealthy, and who may need the TONO money even more, says Alexander.
He is up to date on Norwegian music, both what is exported and what is played here at home. It is impressive when he lists artists and bands he predicts will have a great future, right after he has said that he also enjoys listening to audiobooks and podcasts when he has time off.
– That feeling of just enjoying music I haven't been good at for many years. This year I was at Tons of Rock, and next year Limp Bizkit is coming there – the first CD I ever owned. It's going to be big.
Perhaps there will be more time to enjoy music in the future. Alexander hopes to scale back his workload and become more selective in which projects he takes on.
The plan is simple. As long as the economy is good and the songs are played around the world, he will spend more time with his family. Plus, he can do a lot of the work from home.
– You shouldn't shy away from having your own man cave with Star Wars Lego. In 2025, hits can be made anywhere, as long as you have the right network and energy, says Alexander.