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Interview with BLITHE
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Scandinavian Indie Short interview with v1.0
BLITHE
by Erik Soderstrom (chief@lysator.liu.se)
after a gig at Herrgar'n, Linkoping, Sweden, 28-Sep-95.
Blithe are:
Mattias Norlander (guitar) Fredrik Brandstrom (vocals & guitar)
Emil Odling (vocals, guitar) Johan Nilsson (drums)
(c) 1995 Scandinavian Indie
If the answer is "A." it was answered by the group as a whole.
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Q. WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE GIG TONIGHT?
MN. It went really well. And it was fun too. Everyone knew what to do
and the crowd seemed to know all our songs.
EO. I didn't hear what I was singing from time to time. I'll be louder
the next time though!
FB. It was the best gig ever. But I want to sing more!
EO. I have told him to sing more, but he always comes in at the choruses,
which, I'll admit, is what I want him to. I noticed I slurred a lot, so
maybe that's why he wants to sing more.
FB. That's the effect punch has on you!
EO. No... no, I slur anyway! I forget the words, and then I slur. Maybe
it's an age thing. And everything goes too fast live too!
Q. WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
MN. Fredrik is from Pitea, and the rest of us are from Umea.
Q. WHAT SONGS DID YOU PLAY?
A. 'Allegiance', 'Rockin To a Lullaby', 'Haven', 'Losefer', 'No Comfort
Holden', 'Now You Know', 'The Bridge', 'Hellstreet', 'Mint Addict',
'I Guess Yes' and 'Bike Helmet'.
Q. WHY DID YOU RE-RECORD 'ALLEGIANCE'?
MN. It was a lot calmer, mushier before. The new recording made it a lot
better. It's got more speed now.
Q. WHAT ABOUT THE NEW TRACK, 'BAY OF SOULS' ON THE LATEST WS COMPILATION?
EO. No one (of us) knew anything about the compilation. It was like 'What?
are we included on a new compilation?' It was Mattias who found it in a
record store one day. We have no idea why Jocke released two compilations
in such a short time.
[Here, Henrik from Cloudberry Jam cuts in saying "Blithe is probably
one of the five best bands in Sweden. Magically good songs with
intelligent arrangements plus Svedalas best singer. Next question!"]
Q. ARE YOU PLAYING IN ANY OTHER BANDS?
EO. Well, I play guitar in a band called Carpet People. Only live though,
because they wanted an additional guitar when they play live.
FB. You already know that I play in Starmarket...
Q. FREDRIK IS KIND OF A NEW MEMBER ISN'T HE? WHAT HAPPENED?
MN. Fredrik joined some time before Verse Chorus Verse. In november 1994
if I remember it right. Nils Forsberg, who played bass back then, quit
around that time. Partly because he moved to Stockholm, but mostly because
he felt that nothing really had happened the last three years (of five)
he'd been playing.
Q. HOW ABOUT INFLUENCES?
A. Sonic Youth, William Holden, The Pixies, Wallace Wood, Abba, Thin
Lizzy...
Q. ARE YOU TOURING RIGHT NOW?
MN. Yes, you could say that. We started yesterday in Gavle, where the
audience consisted of about thirty people, so tonight was kind of a
big turnaround for us. Anyway, we have six gigs on this tour. Tomorrow
it's Halmstad, then Gothenburg and Stockholm, at Studion next weekend
(7/10).
Q. HOW ABOUT RELEASES?
A. Demos as well? Okay then. Our first demo was called "Soft Demo"
on Powers of Flowers (POF 001) and it was released in 1991. It had
the tracks 'So Far', 'Happy', 'Soft' and 'Afterglow'. The next release
was a mini LP on Garageland Records called Blithe (BF642), also 1991.
Then came Pagan Rituals Under a Midnight Sun, on West Side (WeCD 038)
1992, Head Is Mighty, West Side (WeCD 057) 1993 and Verse Chorus Verse,
West Side (WeCD 093) 1995. The last two were also released in Japan
on LDC on Pioneer, the first in july and the second in august this year.
Q. ANY COMPILATIONS?
A. Of course. Hmm, North of No South - Compilation One (NONSCD-01)
1992 with 'Ugly' and 'The Vanishing Boy'. On West side, we've been on
West Side Strikes Back Vol IV (WeCD 046) 1993 with 'Wallace Wood'.
We're All Part of a Family (WeCD 073) 1994 with 'Allegiance'. the
23enigma (WeCD 095) 1995 with 'Bay of Souls'. On The Outskirts of a
Small Town... (WeCD 101) 1995 with 'Bay of Souls' and 'I Guess Yes'.
We were also included on a 7" single compilation with The Bear Quartet
and A Shrine on Sticky Records, only released in the UK.
Q. WHY HAVEN'T YOU RELEASED ANY SINGLES OR EPS?
A. It's like this. Jocke is waiting for a label in the U.S. (Alias,
that also handles Archers of Loaf among others) to make up their
minds about signing us or not. Some representatives came over to
Trastocksfestivalen and talked to us. They were really nice. But
we can't release a single before they decide what to do. Jocke is
probably careful with the whole thing. He did call last week and
said that it was "ok" now, but you know how it is...
Q. WHAT FESTIVALS HAVE YOU PLAYED?
A. Hultsfred 1991. Actually, Nils bought a bootleg from that festival
because he'd read we were included on it, but the sound on it was just
too damn lousy. It wasn't even worth the cassette it's recorded on.
Shades of Orange played that year as well. You know that the guy who
played bass is now a member of Popsicle? Well, anyway, then we've played
Dalarocken 1991 and Trastocksfestivalen 1991, 93, 94 and 95. The first
year Trastocksfestivalen was a tent. Ha ha.
EO. Trastocksfestivalen is a great happening. And it's free! That's
something we all need more of I think. All ages. That's something we
all need more of as well. It's such a great event. One can see a lot
of bands, and you know you play for an audience who are there to see
you. It's not at all like if one had to pay to get in.
Q. WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO RIGHT NOW?
EO. Smiths, Gorilla Bisquits (with Walter before he joined Quicksand),
Fugazi, Palace Brothers and Crow (from Australia.. they sound like
early Throneberry).
FB. Dinosaur Jr (Bug), Daydream Nation, Sonic Youth, Gorilla Bisquits
(Start Today), Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced) and Public Enemy
(It Takes a Nation...).
JN. Wedding Present (Seamonsters), Cure (Seventeen Seconds), Sonic Youth
(Goo), Breeders (Last Splash) and Smiths (The Smiths).
Q. WHO ARE REALLY ON THE BACK OF THE 'VERSE CHORUS VERSE' BOOKLET?
EO. What do you mean? Who are on the back? It's us! Can't you see that?
Look, this is me [pointing at a blurred figure on the booklet]! Hey!
Ha ha!
Q. I NOTICE YOU HAVE A PUFFIN T-SHIRT...
EO. Yes! And there's only one! And this is the one. And no, I wouldn't
sell it for anything in the world.
[it's a white t-shirt with "Puffin" in a bent circle on the front and
a puffin bird on the back]
Q. WHO SHOULD ONE CONTACT TO GET YOU TO COME AND PLAY?
A. Call Ola at Luger. He takes care of that for us. They're in Sandviken.
Scandinavian Indie Blithe interview 14-sep-95
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Scandinavian Indie - your Internet guide to scandinavian independent music
E-mail: scan-indie-request@lysator.liu.se
WWW: http://www.lysator.liu.se/~chief/scan.html
E-mail: chief@lysator.liu.se Phone: +46-(0)13-175042
Snail-mail: Erik Soderstrom, Bjornkarrsg. 13 B:34, 582 51 Linkoping, Sweden
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