The Pistola Press

Before Peter, Bjorn and John went on tour with Depeche Mode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Peter and John after their performance in Philadelphia this past summer. They’re lively stage presence carried over into our conversation as they were very friendly and had a great sense of humor. The band just finished their tour with Depeche Mode and will head out on the road again in November. Maybe when they get done the upcoming tour, they’ll explore a new genre….trash metal.

Colin: Your most recent album is much more dance oriented, was that intentional? Was it like organic in the studio?

Peter: We had like a constant progression for more beat oriented stuff, already with Writer’s Block and then the instrumental record we made. So it’s like a constant progression but maybe we took it even further on this record. Next time will be something different again.

Colin: On your instrumental and most recent album, did you record them at the time same time? Or were they different periods of time?

Peter: We did it a little earlier. That was when we were still touring Writer’s Block, we went into the studio and did Seaside Rock, as it’s called. Which was just great rehabilitation after all the touring. Just to go back into the studio and have fun. So you know, I think that’s a great record.

Colin: How did you get the song titles if they don’t have any lyrics?

Peter: Uhh..that’s a good question actually. (Laughs) It was easy for some of them cause some of them have dialogues. There are three tracks that have dialogues from our local villages where we come from. So they are actually telling a story so those three it was easy. The other ones were a bit more weird, I guess, but …
John: It was from the last track, “At The Seaside”. We have like our alter-ego band name. We found it on like an old poster or something. It was bright, like a cartoon drawing of a beach. Then we played a gig…
Peter: In Brooklyn like really early on when were started to tour in the US before our proper shows we played a secret gig at Union Hall, a small place, under the name “At The Seaside”. So we’re still planning on making a record under that name. (laughs)
John: But the fun thing of that gig when we were “At The Seaside”, it started off we did some kind of stand-up comedy because it was a stand up comedy club. They asked us, “Can you do like something stand-upish?” and we were like, “Um, yes…of course.” (all laughs) After a couples of beers later…ahh so bad. We did like a fake soundcheck, that was suppose to be funny.

Colin: Was it funny?

Both: No(laughs)

Colin: (laughs) Where’s you favorite place to play music, whether it’s in public or private?

Peter: Hmmm…that’s a tough one.
John: What’s the name of the place in Chicago?
Peter: Yeah, that was good. The Metro..
John: 9:30(Club) in Washington
Peter: Yeah, that’s great too.  We’re going to do that tomorrow.  That’s a great club.

Colin: That’s a great venue. When you spend your time practicing and rehearsing, where are you guys? Are you in a low key setting, are you in someone’s house? Where do you guys feel most comfortable?

Peter: It’s kind of different, it’s very different for us. We have a small rehearsal space, a really crappy one, a cheap one in Stockholm.  It’s situated under a bar which is convenient. (laughs) But we try not to go there that often but when we need to do the rock out, you know, play heavy, we have to go there.
John: We call this guy Lelle, who has this space that’s not ours but his. And when we’re a bit drunk sometimes we call him in the middle of the night and just say, “Have you seen the guitar stand somewhere? “ (All laugh)
Peter: Cause you know the time change and everything, Sweden to America. He’s been phoning us a couple of times like when I was in LA once. He phoned me in the middle of the night  and it was his lunch break or something. And he never stopped talking, I was like, “I’m sleeping”. He’s like, “Oh, ok so you’re in LA? That’s great. I’ve been to LA, you know? I’ve spent sometime there. Also doing shows? Oh, that’s great!” And he never stops.(laughs) So now we’re not calling him anymore.
John: You can have his phone number..

(Everyone Laugh)

Peter: Then we a little, well not we. You(talking to John) and Bjorn have a space so we do some rehearsals in there sometimes when it’s softer.
John: We don’t rehearse that much actually.
Peter: No(laughs) we play shows.
John: It’s going to be our new thing.
Peter: We’re going to start to rehearse now (laughs).
John: Our next record is going to be trash metal.

(Everyone laughs)

Colin: I’ll keep an eye for that. So this summer you guys are touring with Depeche Mode. You have been around for 10 years or so and they’ve been around for almost 30 years, I guess. Are you intimidated at all? What are your thoughts going into the tour?

Peter: It’s really big venues and it’s not our audience so it might be a bit nerve-racking, but at the same time I think it’s going to be really fun. We’re going to bring along out girlfriends and it’s kind of early shows so a bit relaxed. It’s great. And hopefully there’s a lot of older people who still buy records. So they kind of get into us and buy the record. That’s the goal.  And also, the new record is kind of influenced by 80’s synth-pop.

Colin: Right, I can definitely hear that influnence. I noticed with the tour dates they’re kind of spread out so it looks like you guys have more time to just relax.

Peter: Yeah, we’re going to do some gigs in between them(laughs).

Colin: So what city are most excited for?

Peter: On that tour? Actually, I’m most excited to go to New Orleans cause I’ve never been there. And we’re not going  to play there,  we’re just going to stay there for two days. I’ve never been there so I look forward to that.

(Bjorn walked in and sat on the couch)

Peter: That’s our bass player.

Colin: Hey man…. so I always ask artists a random questions. Would you guys rather get eaten by a grizzly bear or a great white shark?

John: I’ve had this question before.

Colin: Really?

Peter: Not really…similar.
Bjorn: Get eaten by…

Colin: Either way you’re going down, there’s no chance.

Peter: I want to be ripped to pieces so I say the grizzly bear.
Bjorn: Yeah, shark cause then you’re drowning. That’s boring(laughs).

Colin: Yeah, that’s the easy way out.

Peter: Yeah, I want to have some flesh taken off me for a while and then die gradually.

Colin: What did you guys think of Kanye’s remix or sampling of “Young Folks”?

John: Dope.
Peter: Shit’s dope. Drums are crazy

Colin: (laughs) Were you in contact with him?

Peter: No, he just does what he feels like. He’s the king of the world, right? (laughs)

Colin: What world? His own?

Peter: America(laughs)

Colin: Have you guys seen any good films lately?

John: Yeah, Involuntary. Its Swedish. It’s one of the best Swedish films,kind of a mix between documentary and Roy Andersson type with a dark undertone humor.

Colin: After you get done touring, what are your plans?

Peter: We’re gonna make another record pretty quick. We want to do that.

Colin: Trash metal?

Peter: Yes, trash metal (laughs),