| 22/07/2003
related: live reportage IN FLAMES - CHIMAIRA - SOILWORK - The Quest 7.07.2003 - USA |
SOILWORK:
Interview with Bjorn Strid
|
| by Matthew Haumschild |
| 07/07/2003 - at THE
QUEST Minneapolis - USA
|
| 600
CD's
|
| MH: SO...how
is tour life treating you? BS: I'm men, we like touring, it's not glamorus at all but.. MH: Do you get to actually ge tto do anythign outside the tourbus? BS:Sometimes, I try to wake up pretty early in the morning, and we're in New York, we got to play Manhatten and we all got to see "Ground Zero" last week and, we like to site see because it can get boring on the tour bus. MH: It has been mentioned that you all have day jobs at home, what exactly do you all do outside Soilwork? BS: Actually, I quit my daily job about four months ago in order to manage all the touring with Soilwork, and it seems like, most of the guys can stop work, and ya'know concentrate on Soilwork %100 because it is very hard to combine, the music and the daily job, it's so hard, there's not very many employer's that understand this. MH: Which kind of leads me to my next question, is this one of the reasons why Henry Ranta left? Did you have a clue this was going to happen? BS: He pretty much hated touring, sometimes it is hard to tour but he was pretty fed up with it. Then he met a girl in Chicago and they are planning on getting married as well so, it kinda of...<trails off> MH: So this wasn't such a shock to you. BS: No, it wasn't. MH: How many drummers did you audition before you choose Richard Evensand? BS: He was the only one actually. We knew he was good, and we tried him out and he's worked out ever since. MH: Throughout your carrer, I've noticed that the band's music, especially the lyrics, are getting more complex dealing with issues from a different point of view from other bands, from the time you recorded Steel Bath Suicide to Figure # 5. Do you think two or three albums from now you will be writing about the same things as you do now? Or doing think you'll venture out to other topics like Politics? BS: It's hard to say I mean, I write pretty social and realistic lyrics and pretty much what exactly is happening out there, and I like to keep it realistic, I'll think it's be like that in the future as well, for me it is real easy to relate to this topic. MH: Where would you like to play where you havn't yet? BS: We would love to play South America that's the only place we havn't been yet, we are going to Australia next in the Fall. MH: Realizing you put out an Album every year, do you prefer recording in Alalog or Digital? BS: I guess we prefer recording to Digital, becauser it is easier to record that way MH: Is it alot faster? BS: Yeah it's alot faster, as we are not Korn or Linkin Park, we don't have like 2 years in the studio and our recording budget isn't as large. MH: Do you think there is a difference between North American and European fans? BS: well I think the American fans are a bit more spontaneous sometimes, alot more moshing going on, there is moshing in Europe as well, but it is different here, the fans are more into the music. MH: <laughs> I wasn't expecting that answer. On the website, it says you use "a Cheap Microphone" But do you have a microphone of choice to use on stage? BS: No, I have one microphone for the re-hearsal room and that's it. MH: So basically, you use whatever microphones on stage? BS: Yeah MH: Ya know I almost bought you a microphone to usue specfically on stage BS: It's harder to get an endorsment for a microphone than it is for a guitar. MH: Is that because their arnt any magazines or anything like that just for singers? BS: That's mostly the case. MH: Here's a question a bit more personal, how do you listen to music at home? DO you have a big stereo, do you use a car stereo? or do you usually listen to MP3's? BS: I have a pretty huge stereo and I like to listen to music very loud well sometimes, I keep it in the backround. But mostly I'm crankin it out. MH: Do you have a large CD collection? BS: It's pretty big I have around, it's not that big I have around, 600 CD's. MH: only?!?!? I thought I had a big one at 400...do you think that has an impact on how you percieve music? BS: um...I'm not sure I never really thought about that. I mean, when I listen to music I really listen to music there are people out there who just keep it in the backround, but I also like to drink with the music very loud. MH: How did it come about showing in Inflames' Trigger Video? BS: Well, we are kinda making fun of the whole fact that we are always getting compared in reviews. SO you have to see the video's to know that they are both similar in a Battle of the Bands aspect. MH: Are any of the band members "schooled" musicians? BS: RIchard has been to the LA drum something or other school...I can't remember but he is the only one in the band who is a schooled musician. MH: DO you think that when you are creating or composing music that you need to know the technical aspects of it to be more effective? BS: Well, I mean I don't think so really, but ya know peter and ola, they are very ya know....they know everything about studio equipment and so on so, that's good I mean, but you don't have to have the knowledge about the studio and equipment, I don't think so I think. MH: Do you or anyone from the band have a stance on religion in terms of relating to music or personal direction. BS: We really don't have any religious type people in the band, or in the lyrics, we like to keep religion and everything else in our lives separate from the music. MH: Disregard all the bullshit, is touring life what you thought it would be? Sex...drugs...and rock and roll? And how much of that is actually true? BS: Sometimes it's really like that, but I'm not really a big fan of, ya know...I am a big of rock and roll as you know, but sometimes you do get fed up with all the groupies and stuff, you get fed up with it, for me touring is to hang out with friends, drink and listen to rock and roll I mean, I don't think it's a myth because it's really like that sometimes. MH: This is my final question, and it is a typical Gryphonmetal question that is asked of everyone that we first interview, we call it "The Game of the Tower", lets say for all tends and purposes there's this tall tower, and you want to get on top of this tower by any means necessary, however, at the top it can fit only two bands, but miraculously there's three bands on top when you get there, Arch Enemy, Opeth and Dark Tranquillity. AS I had mentioned before, you want to get on top by any means necessary, which two bands would you kick off? BS: <laughs> I have to knock down two? It's arch enemy? MH: Opeth and Dark Tranquillity BS: Okay I choose, Arch Enemy and Dark Tranquillity. MH: well thank you Mr. Strid for your time and everything I hope the rest of the tour goes well. BS: Thanks man. |
| our live reportage IN FLAMES - CHIMAIRA - SOILWORK - The Quest 7.07.2003 - USA |
|
 |
Niederrohrdorf
- Switzerland