The Sounds INTERVIEW!

This collective of Scandinavian dance-makers can’t decide which they like the sound of more: “Happy birthday to you…” or “Give me crack, anal sex.” The Sounds have mastered melody, don’t collect underwear or drive cars, have an affinity for remixed Rod Stewart and have turned one set of lyrics into a ballad, happy break up song, and a reggae jam. They are as diverse and free as Rock N Roll itself.

Maja Ivarsson: Vocals
Jesper Anderberg: Keys
Johan Bengtsson: Bass
Fredrik Nilsson: Percussion
Felix Rodriguez: Guitar

When did you realize you wanted to make music?

JESPER: I started playing the piano at around six years old. We formed The Sounds in 1999, and then made Living In America a couple years later.

You guys took off pretty quick?

JOHAN: We got very lucky. Our first single went platinum in Sweden, then our album came out and went multi-platinum.

You have a huge following in the skate and snowboarding worlds. How do you think you caught on so quickly?

JESPER: Our music is very upbeat. Skaters and snowboarders look for that music that gets your blood pumping. Stuff to get them pumped. Our music has pretty high energy, and you need pretty high energy to do that stuff.

What did you think of being used in [Mack Dawg’s From _____, With Love?

JESPER: It’s cool. Pretty flattering.

You mentioned your music being high energy. Do you usually set out to make people dance?

JESPER: Well, regardless of where you go, if you end up dancing, it’s always a great night. We love making that happen.

On Dying to Say This To You, there is a fast-danceable, and a slow-danceable version of “Night After Night.” How come you put both versions on there?

MAJA: We always wanted to make a ballad, but we always have so much energy in our song writing process that it never made sense. The fast version of the song was actually the first track we recorded for the album. It came very easily.

JESPER: I sat down and started playing it at the piano, and it fit perfectly with Maja’s vocals.

FREDRIK: I didn’t lay the drum tracks until the very end.

JOHAN: We made the song completely backwards. Instead of starting with drums, we finished with them.

MAJA: A good song is a good song regardless if it’s a ballad, a dance song … whatever. If you have written a great song, it will sound great however you play it. My favorite version of “Night After Night” is the reggae version! (EDITOR’S NOTE: It is a great song, but rare. Hunt the internet!)

Do you picture your next album being another fast, upbeat one, or do you see yourselves experimenting a bit more with ballads or other variations?

JESPER: We’re already looking forward to making our third album. We love making music. Dance. Rock N Roll. Country. There are no limits for us. No restrictions. We could use a banjo or steel guitar on our next one. We’re very liberal…

Liberal like Socialists or Democrats?

JESPER: (Laughter) Democrats.

What’s your favorite song on the latest album?

JESPER: “Tony The Beat.” It’s got so much to it. There are so many melodies…

That’s one thing you guys have down, your ability to build melody…

MAJA: Good melody is where we come from. We can all do it.

JESPER: It is easy for us to just get together and write solid melodies. We almost have too many. We may try in our next album for fewer melodies. We’ll probably have more that way then…

If you could do anything besides music what would it be?

JESPER: Oooh, a restaurant. A diner called, “Egg-cellent.”

What are the differences between playing shows in the States, and back home in Sweden? What are the fans like back there?

MAJA: Our fans in Sweden are great, but they’re much more relaxed. It’s because of the culture, it’s just very reserved over there. I feel like it would be weird for me to Jump around back home and be all “yo yo yo…” (EDITOR’S NOTE: Maja, when on stage is a rock n roll star. Shows zero reservations. Absolutely amazing) Swedes would much rather pre party than go see a live show (laughter).

Snakes On A Plane. How did that come about?

MAJA: Gabe Saporta of Midtown remembered us from a show way back at CBGBs. He was putting together his supergroup, Cobra Starship and knew he wanted a female singer. Plus New Line Cinema, New Line records… Our label wanted to build a hype up around the film and single. We recorded the whole song back and forth on the internet. The first time we all met was at the premiere of the film.

Have any of you been nerds? Or are you now?

MAJA: Johan really likes his computer.

JOHAN: I’m no good with heat. When we were on the Warped Tour it was so hot. I stayed in the bus a lot with my internet.

How was that tour, besides hot?

JESPER: It was great. So many cool bands. Every tour we go on, like the one before it with Morningwood and Action Action, we meet great people. We live a pretty great life. Even if it may seem really glamorous, the repetition wears on us. Show, bus, show, bus. The greatest part, the part that saves us is the amazing scenery and the friends we have met along the way.

JOHAN: We have two sets of friends. Our friends here in the States, and those back home.

Would they all get along?

JOHAN: The people are very different, they know completely different sides of us, but I think they would. Our lives on the road are totally separate from our lives at home.

What about your significant others?

JOHAN: Maja and I each have our others out here in LA this week. But other than this, I don’t really see my girlfriend that much when I tour.

Do you guys get lots of prepositions and temptations?

JOHAN: Felix is single!

FELIX: I got hit with a quarter. That sucks. People should ball up money if they want to give you a tip or a compliment. That metal stuff hurts. It’s kind of an insult.

JESPER: I get a lot of stuff thrown on my keyboard. I got a bra one time.

Maja, do you keep what is thrown up on stage for you?

MAJA: I try not to collect men’s underwear (laughter).

Do you ever see yourselves moving to the States?

JESPER: I love New York. It’s one of my favorite places to go. I don’t think I could write a lot of music there though. There’s way too much going on for me to concentrate. Always something to pull my attention away. I don’t think I could do it, and I don’t know if anyone else in the band could either, I’m the only one with a driver’s license.

How does that work out?

JESPER: You don’t really need a license in Sweden. There are busses and stuff. Plus we’re from a city with only a hundred thousand people.

Which shows have stood out above others?

MAJA: That’s hard. Well tonight (LA, 8/19, the Wiltern) is going to be great. It’s pretty special.

JESPER: So many of our fans wrote us letters begging us to come back before the tour was done, and thankfully we were able to.

FREDRIK: It’s the longest set list we will have ever played.

JOHAN: We’re going to have a lot of cool stuff. Confetti cannons, disco balls, and an animation too. We’ve never done a show like this before.

Some quick questions before departing: Guilty Pleasure?

JESPER: “If You Think I’m Sexy,” by Rod Stewart. The new techno remix.

Song you wish you had written?

JOHAN: “Jingle Bells.” Who the fuck wrote “Jingle Bells” anyways? Can you imagine everyone coming to you when they wanted permission to play that song? Or Happy Birthday…

Favorite Lyrics of yours?

MAJA: Ego. “I’ve been dying to say this to you, and I don’t know what else to do, I’ve seen your fucking attitude. Oh I’ve been doing someone that you know, it’s not a secret to me anymore, ‘cause I’ve seen you blowing around my fame.”

Lyrics of someone else?

JESPER: “The Future,” by Leonard Cohen. “Give me crack, anal sex, take the only tree that’s left stuff it up the hole in your culture.”

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