Microlaxx released a record on Grönpeppar Records a while ago and it's a nice and cool story. Here ahve the young band has answered a bunch of questions and I'm really happy with this interview. Read and enjoy. November-2021

A little history of the group?  

Diana: We were formed in 2019 in Gothenburg. In the beginning, we didn't have a drummer, it was me and two more girls. After a while, Elias came in. The idea was that he would play bass but he became a drummer instead. 

Elias: I got a message from Diana saying she had a band that would need a bassist so I said yes and would try to play but it became drums instead

Elle: I haven't been part of the group that long, so can't answer it.

Tell us a little about each member, age family, band before and band ont the side?

Diana: I'm 21 years old and I live in Köping. I'm originally from Stockholm, so I have my family up there. I've had a few bands before, but we haven't gotten very far in the previous bands, I used to play bass and sing. 

Elias: I am 16 years old and live in Gothenburg. The bands I played in before were Rättegång there I was a guitarist and in Pank where I played drums and guitar                     

Elle: I am 23, non-binary and live in Svedala. I've played in some not so erious bands before when we've only done covers, so this is my first real band so to speak.

I can hear a lot of punk and not so far from Hårdgnissel's style?  

-Diana: People have mentioned it before and we can only thank you for that. 

Elias: Yes, I've heard that from some and thank you

Elle: I don't know what to answer, but thanks I guess.

Microlaxx, are you satisfied with the name? I work in a hospital so I know what it's all about. Where did you get the name? If the best bandname hadn't been occupied, what name would you have chosen? What's the best band name? 

Diana: We are definitely happy with the name. I came up with the name when I was at the pharmacy one day.  The best band name is Mimikry or Asta Kask

Elias: Yes, of course. 

Elle: I think it's a cool bandname and wouldn't change it to anything else.

What's the best thing about playing live?  Have you started playing live after covid yet? 

Diana: The best thing about playing live is the adrenaline and that it feels like you're becoming one with the audience. It's a really lovely feeling that you are very grateful to have experienced and hopefully get to experience more times.  So far we have played at a festival near Kinna and at Brasshornet in Malmö. We have two gigs planned. One on December 4th at Cyklopen in Stockholm and one on December 11th at Fängelset in Gothenburg

Elias: It's probably the kick you get when you play and to see how people let loose

Elle: I love the energy that fills in the room when playing live. Being able to interact with the audience when you're on stage is such an incredibly cool feeling.

Where is the best to play, where is the worst? 

Diana:No place is the worst. Both have been sick. But my personal favorite is probably Mässingshornet in Malmö. The guy who had the place was really nice and it was a perfect venue and scene. 

Elias: I'd probably say Mässingshornet too.     

Elle: Have only played live with this band once and it was at Mässingshornet in Malmö. It was a great experience and I hope I get more of them.

What's it like to play this kind of punk in Sweden today? 

Diana: It's fun and a little different, I think. Most younger bands probably choose to play a little more trallpunk.

Elias: Really fun for the newer bands that I've heard play most trall

Elle: I have a lot of fun when I do anyway.

How would you describe your music in three words?  

Diana: Energetic, Hard and Honest

Elias: Raw, fast and aggressive

Elle: Exhilarating, anti-capitalist, energetic.

What does punk mean to you, is it just a word or is it a lifestyle?   

Diana :Punk is a lifestyle. It makes you think and dare to be yourself. 

Elias: A lifestyle that is to be yourself

Elle: Punk is breaking unnecessary and sometimes dangerous social norms. Dare to speak up when something is wrong and to be free.

How do you see download, mp3, streaming and the like? Is it good for smaller bands? 

Diana: I like it. More people can come out with their music. 

Elias: I like it. you will find more new bands and bands that are not from Sweden

Elle: There is both an advantage and a disadvantage to it. Personally, I like streaming, but am not against the idea of buying CD/vinyl.

How do you think it's like to live in Sweden today, politically? SD-KD-M? Should people be allowed to vote from they are 16 or what do you think? 

Diana: It's a shame that there are such idiots in parliament and people actually vote for them. People shouldn't vote from they're 16, it feels like it could be a bit either way. 

Elias: It's just sad that there are such disgusting parties I think people who are 16 may not have to vote 

Elle: I think Charta 77's title; Herrarna i sandlådan (The gentlemen in the sandbox) are perfectly suited to how Sweden's politics look today. It would have been nice to see more young people politically engaged, but do not believe that 16-year-olds have the general maturity to be able to make decisions that can affect an entire country.

Are there any good bands in Sweden today? In your hometown? 

Diana: In Stockholm some good bands. Type Ksm3, Grebol, Käftsmäll and Dålig Isolering, etc.  In Köping there is Charta 77 and Zynthzlakt was there before. 

Elias: I know a damn good band from Gothenburg called Spøgelse and so I would say Giftigt Avfall and Warför. The bands I listen to the most that are from Gothenburg are not so active anymore

Elle:There are only one band in Svedala as far as I know. They generally play a lot of Swedish folkmusic.

Do you play anything outside of Sweden?   

Diana: No, we don't, but it would have been fun to do it sometime. 

Elias: Nope, but it would have been fun! 

Elle: Unfortunately not, but it's not beyond our goals as a band.

Other good bands from abroad? 

Diana: Generation x, Sham 69, Social Distortion and Clash

Elias: Would say MDC, RKL, Gorilla Biscuits, Void and D.O.A

Elle: Gorillaz, Twenty one pilots, Paddy and the rats, Black English

Your lyrics, what are you influenced by?  Never in another language?  You did a cover of a Charta 77 song, is that a favorite band? Other covers you play? 

Diana: There are different things we are influenced by but society, everyday events and maybe a little anxiety. It would have been fun to write in English as well. For me, Charta 77 is a favorite band but we have different tastes in the band so can't answer for everyone We do Brev från Hemmet, we do a cover of Moderat Likvidation: Sprängd.  I think about society when I write. 

Elle: A lot about what happens to us personally but also about what happens to others in society or in our vicinity. English is a really fun language to write songs in, so it might happen that we write a song in English.

Is there anything you will never write about? Or is there nothing sacred? 

Diana: We will never, ever write about things that we cannot stand for. 

Elias: I don't write the lyrics but it's just things we stand for that we write about and would never write anything I don't stand for.

Elle: We will not write about pushing down vulnerable people/groups or other racist/sexist. Mainly because it's something we don't stand for.

Politics and music, does it always go together? Or should we not mix them? 

Diana: It doesn't always have to be connected. You can mix music and politics. There are a lot of good bands that do.

Elias: It doesn't have to have politics in it. There are many great bands that make both political and non-political songs.

Elle: I'm writing a song with the lyrics " allt är politik, särskilt musik" ("everything is politics, especially music").

Best political band/artist? 

Diana: Mimikry and Asta Kask have very good political texts 

Elias: I'd say MDC and Mob 47. 

Elle:I can't think of anything right now because there are so many. But Loke Nyberg has some really beautiful texts about mental illness.

Do you think music can change someone's life, I mean lyrics etc? Do you have an example of that? 

Diana: I think so. I think you can make people think more about things in the world through music. 

Elias: Yes, they do.

Elle: Of course, music has the ability to inspire and heal, as well as oppress and destroy. Personally, I listen to melancholy music when I'm sad so I can get through the process faster. But there are examples of how artists and their music have influenced history. Take David Bowie, for example. Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash.

Your cover is really cool on your record, who did it. Is it important to have a cover so you understand what kind of music you are playing? What's your favorite cover of all time? 

Diana: Thank you very much. I'm the one who made the original and then edited our former bassist dad's the picture in the computer.  Important and important, I don't know. But maybe fun. My favorite cover is London Calling by Clash or Alla sover by Mimikry. 

Elias:Diana was the one who made the cover.  You don't have to and would probably say Hårda Tiders EP Området or MDC's album Shades of brown

Elle: Diana was the one who did our previous record. Cover is art so can't say which is my favorite as it changes depending on where I am in the mood / life / place / who I am with.

Is it important to get physical records out? Vinyl or CD or both?  Is there a good record store in your vicinity left? 

Diana: Getting physical records out I think is a lot of fun. I think both CDs and vinyls are cool but would be cool to record something on vinyl someday. In Köping, there is only one left. I think it's okay. It's called Vinyl Records Sweden. There are a lot of good stores in Stockholm. Sound Pollution and Bengans. 

Elias: It's better sound and cooler records with vinyl. There are a lot of record stores that are good in Gothenburg so I don't really know

Elle: Not as important as it was before streaming became mainstream. The closest for me is in Malmö about 30 km away but have never been there.

Please tell me something really funny that happened during your career on stage or backstage etc? 

Diana: There have been some funny things happening but the funniest thing was probably when we figured out what to say before we went on stage to pep ourselves up. "Violent masturbation, it vibrates." The chant is two songs that we like that we merged and thought it sounded fun. 

Elle: After our gig in Malmö, we would pick up our stuff backstage which was just a small corridor, but at the same time there were like 3 other people who would also have their stuff. so a total of 7 people in a small corridor who get to help each other pick out their stuff. It was a pretty funny scenario.

Elias: How we pepper ourselves

How does your audience look like? What kind of people do you have on nyour concerts? Are you missing any kind of people?  

Diana: Our audience is made up of punks and other lovely people. We don't really miss anything but can imagine it's fun when a little younger punks come to the gigs. 

Elle: Our audience is all that don't belong among the so-called . straight-backed peoples. Our music can be quite hard digestible for many.  

Elias: They're great. Most of them are punks, but it would be fun if you saw someone in my age.

Please rank five favorite records, five favorite concerts? The most embarrassing album in the collection? 

Diana: I listen to too much mixed to be able to rank entire albums. But Alla sover with Mimikry is good. Tecken i tiden by Charta 77 and Generation X with Generation x. The same with concerts but my favorites are probably Attentat och Världen Brinner 2019 in Stockholm, Asta Kask at KB in Malmö 2018, and Mimikry and Asta kask in Borlänge 2019. The first time I was at Hugo Fjäderben was also fun and many good bands playing. I mostly listen to Spotify so don't have a direct record that I'm ashamed of but one of my guilty pleasures that I have is Jedward. 

Elle: Don't usually listen to entire albums/albums or concerts so unfortunately can't say.

Elias: D.R.I-Dealing with it, Moderat Likvidation-Kuknacke MDC's collection, Hårda Tider-Området and Dross demo 1994.  It's hard to rank them because everyone is great my favorite concert is probably D.O.A at Rebellion in Blackpool 2019.  I don't have an embarrassing album yet, but maybe in the future.

Are interviews boring? 

Diana: No, I think it's funny. I'd love to join more. 

Elle: I like that there is someone interested enough in us to ask questions. So I love it! 

Elias: No, it's funny.

If you could choose five bands from history, dead and alive to have a concert with your band, what are the dream bands? 

Diana: Sex Pistols with Sid, Generation x, AFI (before they went more the emo direction), Asta casket and Mimikry

Elias: MDC, Dross, Moderate Likvidation, Hårda Tider, Spøgelse and Los Bohemos

Elle: Queen, Rolling Stones, The Beatles (during its psychedelic phase), The Moldy Peaches, Nirvana.

Is music a great way to get out frustration and become a kinder person? Are you angrier today than when you weren't a punk?  What got you into the wonderful world of punk? 

Diana: Music is definitely a great way to get out frustration. Whether it helps to be a nicer person, I don't know. In one way, I'm angrier today than when I wasn't a punk, in another way not. Guitar Hero 3 was what got me into the world of punk. After that, there was a rock musical they put on at the city theatre in Stockholm, the three Musketeers. And then Asta Kask

Elias: I grew up with that music because my dad listens to music like that and I'm never angry and every time I listen to it I'm happy.

Elle: Kind is a relative concept, but I think music can make you a version of yourself that you weren't before, for better or bad. I've developed and grown while I've been a punk, so I don't know if it's because of punk or not but with experience I can see more injustices happening which has made me angrier. I've always been a bit punk in terms of norm-breaking, so it just felt natural that it was a title that fit.

What's the strangest question you've been asked in an interview? (Except for this one) 

Diana:This is my first interview, so no one.

Elias:This is my second time being interviewed, so I don't have any. 

Elle: Has been part of some interviews about polyamory before (having multiple partners with the consent of all parties) and then I was asked "What would you do if your partner slept with someone else?". And I said, "Give her a high five."

What's the question you never get, ask it and answer it? 

Diana: Which character from the Astrid Lindgren films do you most recognize yourself in? - Lotta from Lotta on Bråkmakargatan

Elias: Well, not like I'm thinking of

Elle:Do you have a message for the reader/listener? - Become vegan, for the sake of animals.

Future plans for the band? 

Diana: If you can dream big like that: Release vinyl, play abroad (would be cool to play in Berlin or London), record more records and reach out with the music

Elias: It would have been fun to play abroad.

Elle: Get as big as we can be and reach as many people as we can.

For yourself? 

Diana: Complete CNC training 

Elias: Finish high school

Elle: Continue any studying I like, as well as continue with the projects I have started.

Words of wisdom? 

 Diana: "You've got to fight for what you believe in. If you don't try, you'll always wonder, and that's a horrible way to live. "- Joan Jett

Elle: "Not responding is a response - we are equally responsible for what we don't do." ― Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals

Elias: "Don't let anyone ever tell you what you can and can't do. Take your chance by storm and show the world who you are and what you can do! "

Anything to add? 

Diana: Thank you so much for joining us for this interview and if you want to book us, please contact us on the number: 0702863883 or to: Microlaxxpunk on Instagram

Elias: Thank you for joining us and Mircolaxx is the world's best stomach medicine

Elle: Thank you for this opportunity, it means a lot to me and to the band to know that there are people listening to us.