Clawfinger interview
I've just did an interview with Zak Tell from the Swedish rap-metal band, Clawfinger a few days ago. The hungarian, translated version can be read at Underground Magazin's website but the original interview is under the cut!
CLAWFINGER INTERVIEW
Your new album, "Life will kill you" is out in a few days. When did you start writing the new songs?
We started the songs some time in late September 2006. As always we started out with a bunch of vague ideas and along the way we put the bits and pieces together and came to a point where we decided to just run wild with all the ideas we had and not exclude anything even if it sounded weird or different!
Tell me more about the writing and recording process!
Well like I just said it’s all about throwing the bits and pieces into the melting pot and just taking it from there! In the beginning songwriting is a bit tough as it takes a while to reset from tourmode to songwriting mode but after a month or so things usually start making sense and a lot of the pieces fall in place!
Some bands say they like writing new songs for the next album on tour, too. how does it work with Clawfinger?
No we can’t do that, we’ve tried it on a few occasions but there are too many distractions and not enough „quality time” to really get down to it! On tour you’re always waiting for something, the show, the showers, the afterparty, the bus leaving, the next gas station, the next venue, the dressingroom, the hotel check-in etc..so you never really get the peace and quiet desired in order to really sit down and concentrate on the creative side of things! Every now and then a riff or a lyrical idea will happen on tour and if they do then we save them for when it’s time to hit the studio and be creative!
The new lyrics seem to represent a negative, bitter and aggressive point of view on the world around us. Do you write about things that happened to you, what you experienced, too, or writing these lyrics is just a way to tell your opinion?
Well I can be a bitter pessimist at times, it’s nothing unique for me. We all have our issues to deal with and problems to solve, I just think the band is a good opportunity to air some thoughts, get some opinions across, try and say things that feel important!
Your album covers always look simpler and less photoshopped than several other covers. Who designs them?
Well the latest one is designed and put together by me, I was so tired of all the photoshopped, airbrushed fantasy covers that alot of metal bands have so I decided to do things the opposite way! I just like the idea of keeping it simple and white as a lot of album covers are so full of shit and dark that nothing sticks out anywhere! Also it will make a very nice t-shirt print and fits with the idea of the booklet that you will see when the real album is released!
I think every band feels a little excitement before releasing a new album. How do you feel and think people will react to the new songs?
After all these years I’m still very excited when a new album of ours is released, it’s just that these days I’m slightly more realistic and I don’t expect wonderful positive reviews even if I hope for them! The simple truth is: we are no longer the new kids on the block, the flavour of the month or the darlings of the press so I know that we receive everything from fabulous reviews to brutal butcherings, such is life! All the same we have so far gotten some very posotive feedback from the fans who are happy that we have more moody stuff, more keyboards, more melodies again, but hey, each fan has a diferent side of Clawfinger they like soI don’t think we’ll ever make everyone happy!
You have a strong fan base that have been supporting the band since the very first album. what can they expect from this new album?
Well nothing in particular, we’re the same guys writing music simply because we love what we do and depending on where we happen to be musically and privately our music will sound thereafter, there is no simple answer to the question. There is no one thing to expect, it’s a mixture of everything we’ve ever liked and enjoyed about music!
And what about those people who, despite loving a similar music genre, haven't been into your music before? Do you think the new material will make them change their opinion now?
Well we surely hope so but we’re not here to gain mass appeal or catch new fans, it’s not the reason why we make music, those who like what they hear will listen to is and those who don’t will find other things. We can’t control what choice they make even if we obviously hope that they will find our stuff amazing!
I think the majority of your fans are excited to know: When are you planning to go on tour with this new album?
The tour is being planned as I write this, at the moment we’re doing festivals all around Europe. That is our focus right now but in October and November we will do club gigs in all the countries where we can get decent clubs to give us decent offers that will pay our touring expenses, hopefully you will be included!
You played in Hungary in 2006 January. do you think you will return to play these new songs for the Hungarian fans, too?
Well I hope so but like I said it depends on economics and boring thigs like that, we would love to so if we can include Hungary without losing money then we will be there, be so sure!
Thank you so much for your time and answers! We wish you the best with the new album and tour!
Thanx for having me, hopefully we’ll see you soon & hopefully the new album will sell triple playinum and we will be the biggest band in the universe, until then have patience and feel free to support us in every possible way, music is the best!
CLAWFINGER INTERVIEW
Your new album, "Life will kill you" is out in a few days. When did you start writing the new songs?
We started the songs some time in late September 2006. As always we started out with a bunch of vague ideas and along the way we put the bits and pieces together and came to a point where we decided to just run wild with all the ideas we had and not exclude anything even if it sounded weird or different!
Tell me more about the writing and recording process!
Well like I just said it’s all about throwing the bits and pieces into the melting pot and just taking it from there! In the beginning songwriting is a bit tough as it takes a while to reset from tourmode to songwriting mode but after a month or so things usually start making sense and a lot of the pieces fall in place!
Some bands say they like writing new songs for the next album on tour, too. how does it work with Clawfinger?
No we can’t do that, we’ve tried it on a few occasions but there are too many distractions and not enough „quality time” to really get down to it! On tour you’re always waiting for something, the show, the showers, the afterparty, the bus leaving, the next gas station, the next venue, the dressingroom, the hotel check-in etc..so you never really get the peace and quiet desired in order to really sit down and concentrate on the creative side of things! Every now and then a riff or a lyrical idea will happen on tour and if they do then we save them for when it’s time to hit the studio and be creative!
The new lyrics seem to represent a negative, bitter and aggressive point of view on the world around us. Do you write about things that happened to you, what you experienced, too, or writing these lyrics is just a way to tell your opinion?
Well I can be a bitter pessimist at times, it’s nothing unique for me. We all have our issues to deal with and problems to solve, I just think the band is a good opportunity to air some thoughts, get some opinions across, try and say things that feel important!
Your album covers always look simpler and less photoshopped than several other covers. Who designs them?
Well the latest one is designed and put together by me, I was so tired of all the photoshopped, airbrushed fantasy covers that alot of metal bands have so I decided to do things the opposite way! I just like the idea of keeping it simple and white as a lot of album covers are so full of shit and dark that nothing sticks out anywhere! Also it will make a very nice t-shirt print and fits with the idea of the booklet that you will see when the real album is released!
I think every band feels a little excitement before releasing a new album. How do you feel and think people will react to the new songs?
After all these years I’m still very excited when a new album of ours is released, it’s just that these days I’m slightly more realistic and I don’t expect wonderful positive reviews even if I hope for them! The simple truth is: we are no longer the new kids on the block, the flavour of the month or the darlings of the press so I know that we receive everything from fabulous reviews to brutal butcherings, such is life! All the same we have so far gotten some very posotive feedback from the fans who are happy that we have more moody stuff, more keyboards, more melodies again, but hey, each fan has a diferent side of Clawfinger they like soI don’t think we’ll ever make everyone happy!
You have a strong fan base that have been supporting the band since the very first album. what can they expect from this new album?
Well nothing in particular, we’re the same guys writing music simply because we love what we do and depending on where we happen to be musically and privately our music will sound thereafter, there is no simple answer to the question. There is no one thing to expect, it’s a mixture of everything we’ve ever liked and enjoyed about music!
And what about those people who, despite loving a similar music genre, haven't been into your music before? Do you think the new material will make them change their opinion now?
Well we surely hope so but we’re not here to gain mass appeal or catch new fans, it’s not the reason why we make music, those who like what they hear will listen to is and those who don’t will find other things. We can’t control what choice they make even if we obviously hope that they will find our stuff amazing!
I think the majority of your fans are excited to know: When are you planning to go on tour with this new album?
The tour is being planned as I write this, at the moment we’re doing festivals all around Europe. That is our focus right now but in October and November we will do club gigs in all the countries where we can get decent clubs to give us decent offers that will pay our touring expenses, hopefully you will be included!
You played in Hungary in 2006 January. do you think you will return to play these new songs for the Hungarian fans, too?
Well I hope so but like I said it depends on economics and boring thigs like that, we would love to so if we can include Hungary without losing money then we will be there, be so sure!
Thank you so much for your time and answers! We wish you the best with the new album and tour!
Thanx for having me, hopefully we’ll see you soon & hopefully the new album will sell triple playinum and we will be the biggest band in the universe, until then have patience and feel free to support us in every possible way, music is the best!