Helienne Lindvall is an award-winning professional songwriter, musician and music and media writer for publications including the Guardian. She’s also Head of Business & Songwriter relations for the song data management platform Auddly, backed by hitmakers Max Martin and Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus.

Hailing from Sweden, she worked as a session singer, recording artist and performer in Stockholm and NYC before settling in London, where she signed a publishing deal with BMG Scandinavia. Since then she’s been working with recording artists on both sides of the Atlantic, including Roger Sanchez and Big Daddy Wilson, collaborating with award-winning writers such as Jörgen Elofsson (Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears), Patrik Berger (Icona Pop, Robyn) and Steve McEwan (Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood). In 2016, her song A Better Man, co-written by Andrew Fromm (Backstreet Boys, Mark Anthony) and Peter Kvint (A-ha, Andreas Johnson) made the UK Eurovision finals.

In 2007, Helienne also started writing about music for the Guardian. Her weekly column Behind The Music, which ran until August 2012, covered and analysed all areas of the music business, from the creative process to issues surrounding copyright. In September 2012 her next column, Plugged In, launched on MediaGuardian.