Dick Lundberg has been a person I looked forward
to, and when he made a version of my dead
daughter Sanna's song I was excited. Here is an
interview that took a while to complete, but now
in June 2018 it is ready.
What are you doing right now, what do you work
with musically?
-Much theater music, I'm currently playing the
musical of a theater man, Peter Pan, and it's
terribly exciting to write directly to a scene.
When I write my own songs, I write to listen at
home (one of the reasons I play live so rarely),
but now I have to think of another way that
choreography and dance can be done, etc. I can
Do not stop making music, even in the years 2003
to 2009, when I had officially "laid off" I
recorded a lot but not so much under my own
name.
Any new release right now?
-Yes, really much but I know how I can be that
things can last almost a while before I release
it. First and foremost, it's "Fy för den lede!
Vol. 2" who took two years but just got out,
then I'm doing an album with my good friend
Michael Nystås to be released during the year;
In addition, it's all recordings of theater
music that I thought could become discs after a
while. Translated a whole lot of songs when we
did "The Wizard of Oz", the Broadway Musical
from 1903, amazing music by Paul Tietjens. That
work should be given out in some way. In 2016 we
played "Alice, the Mirror & Wonderland", based
on Carroll Lewis books, then I wrote my own
music, mostly instrumental, but it was also very
successful. Then there are about 15 songs I made
for Oliver Twist, also musical. Yes, I could
continue ...
You did Session 2016 but it was released only
digitally, why only digital? Is it too expensive
to make discs and is nobody wanting it (I want
it myself)?
-It's at least too expensive for my current
economy, and the interest in physical discs is
not very big. I get a handful of CD requests for
each release, which means that I would get a
cost of maybe 10-15 thousand and get back a five
hundred and get the basement even more full of
discs nobody is interested in. For bigger
artists than me it can be good, there is a point
to make a small edition some years more, but the
CD has its last days and it seems so clear
everywhere. Many time you can get a CD on a flea
market for two krona and do not even get rid of
most. Stores like Åhléns who used to have a fair
range of discs now do not even have the top
list, because they obviously can not sell -
otherwise they would have them. Since it was
something everyone bought and had, it has become
a special concern. Think most do not even have a
CD player at home anymore
Do you buy discs yourself?
-The most discs I buy digitally, like files to
download to a computer, but I occasionally do
some fleamarket sometimes and makes complement
to the CD collection with the things I really
want in the shelf. I've realized that it's the
music that's important, not if I have it on a
piece of plastic or on a hard drive. However,
streaming services have ended, I noticed that I
did not appreciate music the same way I paid a
hundred a month to access ALL. Instead, I've
ripped down all my CDs to mp3 and uploaded to a
music service that both sells new discs and
allows to save their own uploaded music, and so
I get all the discs I've bought available,
wherever I log in. Smooth and good.
On February 25, 2012, my daughter Sanna chose to
take her life and she made a song before called
Miss You, you're one of those who chose to try
to do your version, why?https://soundcloud.com/dick-lundberg/dick-lundberg-saknar-dig-miss-you
-As you know, I wrote a song called "Hard" (Hårt)
because I became so concerned when you posted
pictures on Sanna on Facebook every day after
her passing away and when you asked the question
of making her song, it felt like I was "forced",
so not that I felt in any way pressured, but
because I was so emotionally involved in her
story that I could not doing it. I think that
such a thing as this song that she created will
live on even though she is somewhere else now.
Was it hard to do?
-Both. I got two versions of it, a choir version
and a YouTube movie with just Sanna, and then I
chose to go entirely from the movie and not be
affected too much by the arrangement which was
made. The film was a little tricky, I suppose
the song was new then, so it was not always
clear which melody or rhythm Sanna was looking
for.
Are you playing a lot nowadays? With
band or by yourself?
- Hardly not at all. I've been doing one yearly
gig since 2014 and that's enough. Last year I
promised to make at least two gigs, and it's
kind of a whole tour to be me, haha! Seriously I
do not have the time, I live so much for theater
right now that it will be too much to
simultaneously rehearse, travel around, etc. But
if anyone is asking
after me I can usually come and lately it
has actually happened a bit more often. 2018 may
end with three gig made, I'm already had two!
When you play what kind of audience do you have?
-Hard to say because i have so few gigs. Bands
like Charta 77 or Mimikry have so badly toured
that they have built up an audience
relationship, they have their loyal fans who
always show up when they go, I do not. A few
years ago, I tried to build it, but then I'd
been inactive for as long as I had to start over
from the beginning. At the same time, I was my
own - and others' record company director at the
same time as I started a full time job. First I
had to put the band on ice, and then I gradually
lowered the record company and finally I had to
even go down to work. Everything you've heard
about burnout can I sign on. Nowadays, I'm a
sensitive bastard who manages stress
significantly worse than I did before - and then
I was stress-sensitive already before. But I try
to think positively and focus more on doing
stuff in the studio instead. Surprisingly many
have hung up and still listen to my records, I
have noticed and it's really fun.
Would you like to play Sannas lsong live by the
way?
-Of course I could think of it, but it's not
likely to get rid of now, I play live so rarely
and when I do, I have so many of my own stories
I want to tell. But you never know. Should there
be more gigs in the future and there were people
in the audience who asked for it I would
probably try to rehearse it.
Do you still have your "record label"? New
artists or is it on ice?
-As I wrote above, it's more or less on ice. I
still give out my own discs, but there will be
no big pamphlet releases with subsequent tours
and so forth. Have a bunch of stuff to get out,
then I think I feel "happy" for a few years. But
I've said that before, I usually find a hunger
again when I least think so. I think I have a
bipolarity in me (although I do not have such a
diagnosis). I can go into stuff very hard and
drive until I die and then I will let go of
everything - until I start building again. I
just can not stop building, creating projects,
even when I'm at the lowest, then I can have a
book project, a blog or something else that does
not require much energy. Now I'm struggling hard
to find a balance in that.
How do you think it's in Sweden today, with all
violence, SD (Swedish "democrats"(read former
nazi)etc, what should you do about it?
What can each individual do?
-Yes, you ... I'm torn between hope and despair.
But I think we are in a transitional phase for
something new and that is why conservative
forces fight the last blood drop to maintain
their power, preserve patriarchy and old values,
much like really belonging to the 19th century
romance. It was for example in the 19th century
as such as nationalism grew forth and we began
to think about what is "typically Swedish", the
nuclear family was celebrated as the most
natural thing that existed, though we almost
never lived so before, etc. Now that society (at
last) begins to grow from romance and we are
talking that a family may be two mothers or two
dads, that we may not necessarily have to be
blonde and blue-eyed and have a dalahäst in the
window, it's quite natural that many people look
It is a threat to our traditions that the
"Swedish entity" is in danger. If you then
connect this with gang crime in suburbs it is
easy to look like we have an immigration issue,
though things do not belong together. Crime and
violence should really look at our general
public problems, and here a number of
alternative journalists do more harm than good,
theythey confirm a worldview we should have made
up with already 1945 - to the sound of cheers
from the conservative forces. Then, of course,
we should be aware that people who move here
from other countries can also be conservative,
of course, from their own perspective. It is the
world we are talking about cultural
difficulties. But again - it's a general problem
we have to solve at a time when major
relocations take place, we can not stop, just
look at the environmental changes; Soon we have
entire cities and maybe even countries that are
uninhabitable. There is no solution in backing
the tape that some political parties want.
Conservatism can never solve problems with other
conservatism. On the other hand, there is a
solution that we stop seeing each other as
enemies and talking to each other as the people
we actually are. We sit in the same boat
regardless of whether we talk to each other and
we also value our values against each other.
One problem is that humility is lacking so much,
in commentary on Facebook, people can be so
extremely unpleasant to each other that I'm
really scared of people. In any case, I think we
will have a turbulent time with strong
high-speed successes, maybe 10-20 years ahead,
but then they'll be back and then we'll get
something else. I sincerely hope that we do not
go to ruin after new concentration camps then.
Now for something more fun. Are there any new
acquaintances in music Sweden that you found
that are really good? Or some old ones who are
doing well yet?
-Philip Fritz is one of the most vital I've
encountered in Swedish music life lately, check
him out if you have not already done that. Tove
Strength (which is certainly not new to the
course anymore) I think is a cool. Zornheym is a
relatively new band and the country's best
extrememetal right now. Some of the old "foxes"
still in my world include Thåström, Johan
Johansson, David Shutrick, Staffan Hellstrand,
Per Granberg, both solo and with Charta 77.
Säkert! I listen a lot too. Yes, I could do a
long list, we are very good here in the country.
What else do you listen to today, say five discs
that right now mean huge and five that have
meant everything to you through the ages?
-Just now (no mutual order)
> Stefan Sundström - 5 dagar i augusti (2010)
> Dick Lundberg - Fy för den lede! Vol. 2 (2018)
> Septicflesh - Codex Omega (2017)
> Ulf Lundell - Skisser (2018)
> Säkert - Däggdjur (2017)
> Through all times (no mutual order):
> Ulf Lundell- Det goda livet (1987)
> Unicorn - A Collection Of Worlds II (1990)
> Frankie Laine - Hell Bent For Leather (1961)
> Johnny Cash - Sings the Ballads Of the True
West (1965)
> Journey - Escape (1981)
You're up to do Sannas song in English too, is
not it comfortable to sing in English or what do
you think?
-It is not comfortable at singing in English, so
I translated it. I'm not adept at understanding
and pronouncing it to feel the same as when I
sing in Swedish. I translate a lot of theater
manuscript from English, so I'm not so bad in
english, but it's another thing to formulate and
pronounce. It becomes so frustrating not to know
how it sounds for someone who has English as a
native language that I usually don´t choose it.
Is there anything you can never think about
writing
about when it comes to texts?
-I do not think so. I thought I would never
write a football song, but then I realized I was
actually about to do it almost 20 years ago.
However, I did not succeed and the song was
lying without text until recently. Now it's on
the record I made with Misstro under the title "Förrådd"
I swore in 2001 not to write more texts
about alcohol and that promise I have kept. If
it shows such songs on new records, they are
written before 2001.
The last song you wrote, what was it about and
what is it called and when will we hear it?
-The very latest song should have been a thing
called "Hey Jason"
which certainly started in 2012 but it
was completed recently. It's about the feeling
of having an intrinsic alto ego that you can not
control, maybe it sounds awkward, but I've
learned that many people can feel that -
sometimes you do things that you really do not
want and as you know is not good really . The
person in the song asks his alter ego to avoid
participating in more destructive projects.
(Believe that anyone who tries to quit takes
what I mean.) Those of my Facebook friends have
actually heard this song via a secret link, but
I think your readers can get the same benefit,
here it is:
https://soundcloud.com/dick-lundberg/hey-jason/s-tSVnK
I do not really know if I have asked you before
but are you from the punk from the beginning or
how are you? What does punk mean to you, is it
just a word or is it a way to "live"?
-I got into the punk"from behind", through
visuals with the past in punk like Stefan
Sundström and Johan Johansson. Now, perhaps,
many would protest when I call Johan singer/songwritert,
but that's how I perceived him with "Den gode..."
- the tour with Sundström and Demian, the Flum
record and all that. Never even heard of KSMB in
the early 90's. I grew up with American country
music myself, but by a good friend, I was
curious about Ulf Lundell sometime towards in
the late 80's and was fascinated by the lyrics.
From Ulf Lundell did not go so far to other
artists who sang in Swedish and so I began to
identify with an underground world that was
quite large in the 90's, the same world as
grown-up artists like Winnerbäck (who also came
from punk). So while many others in my genre
started punk and then become "nicer" purely
musical, I came from the country to the visors
to find out that the poles were, in the way,
punk with acoustic guitars - and then my
interest was also awkward for punk . When I
slipped into the Birdnest around 2000, Birdnest
and the artists there were more or less legends
I had looked at, so it was extremely big for me,
while there were people who came from the DIY
turn just like me. Think it's the last thing
that's punk for me, music from those who do not
really have anything but do it anyway.
An underground perspective.
Is there be a lot of interviews or is it quiet
on that front right now?
-Very calm. I should be well in the true 10th
century spirit of appearing as successful , but
I'm probably very hidden nowadays. At the same
time, it fits me well, I think I ended up just
where I was because I wanted it. Every time
something has been about to grow up, I've been
backing, not so I thought so in the moment, but
I think I'll see a pattern like this afterwards.
However, it is not impossible that it is a
retrofit. Sour said the fox? Maybe, but I know
the depth that it really is.
Which question is the question you've never
received but really want to have ... .Ask it and
answer it?
-Oh, it was hard! Maybe "Why are you so
fascinated by Jason (Voorhees)?" Then I would
answer that I could feel his exclusion and
identify me with his way of breaking apart
without having anything to do with it (although
I obviously did not kill people). Because I do
not really believe in evil, I think evil comes
from getting stuck in our own wounded egos and
does not understand better than ... use a
machete as well. There are many Jason's and many
machetes out there right now.
When you make a song, how do you do ... do you
have a text ready or do you start with melody
etc?
-Often, text and melody grow together, I get a
phrase and a melody in my head and then I build
it. From time to time I write on the bus and
have forgotten the melody when I get home, then
I'll do another one afterwards.
Is it harder or easier to write songs today, do
you make more demands on yourself today or do
they only come to you?
-It's probably something like songs like just
coming to me. Most people write themselves, but
I am more selective now and take away many
ideas. When I was twenty-three I went on
everything, good and bad. What I find difficult
is to arrange the songs since, dress them in the
right suit as well. Tomas / Misstro usually does
a great job there, but of course he does not
belong to all my gadgets, so often I work alone.
I'm especially pleased with "Fy för den lede!" -
records that are now out
both, think I found an exciting and quite
unique tone in them.
If you could choose five artists / bands to have
a big concert with you, alive and dead, which
five would you have chosen?
-I think I'd just gather Fredrik Johansson &
Hundarna, Janne Olofsman with any of his
companions, Dag Swanö / Tom Nouga, Unicorn and
Mama Viol. Everyone is the ones I know and would
like to hang with backstage. (Had I had more
than five, I could have pulled
together some more.) Unfortunately,
Olofsman left us a few years ago, so it will not
happen. Now I could have said a lot of great
stars that I would have liked to see and see,
like Johnny Cash or Waylon Jennings, but I would
just be nervous.
Future plans with the music?
-Actually just to continue as I do, a bit in the
small like that. I sometimes think I'm going to
gig more, but it's not really pushing for it.
But, as I said, I have noticed a slight upturn
in that lately.
For yourself?
-Would be as whole human as I can. It's a
project.
Words of wisdom?
-Identify your own Jason and make up with him.
Something to add?
-Nah, I've already told you enough, I think. :)