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Interview: The Backyard Babies
by Sabine Schenk
On Aug. 11th the Troubadour in Hollywood was burning because the Backyard Babies from Stockholm, Sweden set it with their punk ROCK show on fire. Kastle will report on it on her LA @ Nite page.
We were set up for an interview at 2pm with the Backyard Babies. But when we arrived at the Troubadour we were told that the interview was moved to 6.30pm, which gave me the opportunity to do some more shopping. Hehe. (And it’s easy to kill 4hs shopping in LA. )
When we returned to the Troubadour the Backyard Babies were still doing the soundcheck and we were allowed to watch them. They actually played whole songs from their new record Stockholm Syndrome and we were almost blown away by the energy the handsome foursome spread on stage just doing their soundcheck.
After they had finished we sat down with Nicke (voc.+guit.) and Dregen (guit.+voc.) in a little café next to the Troubadour to do the interview. They were really nice in their own rock’n’roll way and spent almost an hour answering our questions.
So here it is the ultimate Backyard Babies interview, enjoy!
Your last appearance in the US was in 2000. Why did it take you so long to get back here?
Nicke: I think, the first time we were here we played mainly on the East Coast. The first tour was with Social Distortion in 1997. After that we went on tour with L7 at the end of 1999. And then we had an UK support the Jo-Jos in 2000. And that was the last time we played in Los Angeles. So, it’s been a while for sure!
Dregen: The question is why… well, we signed a worldwide deal with BMG/RCA records and they didn’t want to release it over here. So, we didn’t have a record label over here. So, we couldn’t tour here.
Your records aren’t well distributed here. Are there any US releases of your records?
D.: I think, that America is the absolutely worst market for us. Because we don’t have any label or anything. That’s why we’re here today. This is just a fucking money making gig.
That was pretty much the next question I wanted to ask you. You were touring Scandinavia recently, now you’re playing this one show in LA and then you’ll fly out to Switzerland to play a show there…
D.: Yes, we want somebody to release our record here.
N.: The thing is; because we signed with BMG worldwide even if there was a company that wasn’t BMG they couldn’t release it because BMG owned the rights. So BMG on this album… whatever… it’s like contract bullshit…. But … they gave us time allowed … to kick out the album so from count today we can sign with anyone to release Stockholm Syndrome.
Isn’t it exhausting to be on tour that much? How do you keep your motivation level up?
N.: Well, it’s a job. I mean, it’s exhausting in a way but we could do a million of other jobs that would be more exhausting. We started this band not only for the music and all but also because we love to travel, we love to meet people, we love to see different countries. We have some kind of nomad soul. It’s the viking spirit, you know. Travelling from country to country and conquer and just leave a mess behind. I mean, it’s not just music. It’s not getting exhausting because if you love what you do…
D.: It’s not really true that we are touring that much… I mean, we are touring hysterically when we have an album out. I mean, we are touring for maybe two years. But for Backyard Babies it takes almost two years to get another album out as well. So we recover from the touring while we are writing new songs. I mean, between Making Enemies and Stockholm Syndrome we didn’t play a show for a year and a half almost. So, when we sleep, we sleep. But when we wake up, we a are really waking up.
Would you say that Stockholm Syndrome is kind of more the original Backyard Babies’ sound if you compare it to where you came from and then there was Total 13 which was kind of different? It sounded like… well… there was the Swedish punk’n’roll boom and this might have influenced you in a way and now, you are kind of returning to the original Backyard Babies sound?
D.: Well, I would say Stockholm Syndrome is the … Backyard Babies record. It got ??? of Total 13 and Making Enemies into an even form. I don’t know how to describe it but you can hear what we were growing up listening to on the new album. I think, if you would only hear Total 13 you wouldn’t know that we have certain albums in our record collection at home. I don’t think you can hear that we have Bob Dylan records at home.
What were your musical influences on Stockholm Syndrome? Maybe stuff you have been listening to on the tour bus while or before you wrote the songs?
N.: I think, it’s actually the opposite. We didn’t listen to music at all. We talked about it before that it’s kind of a mix between the two other albums. But that’s also one of the best parts about being in this band. We all have a different musical history, you know. We listen to a lot of different stuff and don’t have a certain rule that we follow when we are making a new record. That’s what you can hear on all our records. They all sound a lot different but you can still hear that it’s Backyard Babies. And the next record we gonna make is probably a lot different from Stockholm Syndrome. In general, we are influenced by late 70ies punk and the 80ies. But still, there is all the other stuff as well. But mostly I think, that we don’t listen at all to music when we are writing new songs. If we sounded like the stuff we listen to in the tour bus we wouldn’t sound like Backyard Babies at all.
D.: We listen to all kinds of music but very little from each. In half an hour it can be a song by John Lee Hooker, a song by Kraftwerk and Slayer meets the Beatles and Ludacris meets I don’t know.
I don’t know if I am qualified to say that, but to me Stockholm Syndrome sounds a lot more coherent and complete than Making Enemies…
N.: I think that you are actually right when you look at how it was recorded. I mean, from day 1 until we finished the record it was like 3 weeks. The whole recording. On Making Enemies we were spending 4 months in the studio. And in the middle of recording Making Enemies we went to America for two months of touring. I am still proud of that record but it’s kinda hard to keep focus on what you are doing if you get away from recording and then coming back. I think rock music should … and when you leave it’s supposed to be ready, in a way.
Friends is one of the highlights of the new record. How did you do this? Did you have a recording studio with you on tour or something like that?
N.: That’s the question. … It was written before we recorded Making Enemies Is Good. And we had this idea that especially in the Hip Hop scene there is a lot of featuring artists, so we just came up with the idea because the lyrics were about friends and shit. And all these people we met over the years, we asked them if they would like to sing a line on that song. And eventually we had all these people agreed doing it. So, when we were in their city or whatever we went to a studio and we had the track and they wrote their own line, they sang it and we kept it all on tapes and stuff. And four years later, we recorded everything last summer, you know. It was like a big puzzle and it turned out awesome. These people never really met but they all were idols of us that became friends. I am really proud of it and I don’t know anybody else who did that. Band Aid maybe. It’s a really cool song.
You did a record or something called Supershit 666. It’s a collaboration with Ginger of the Wildhearts. Can you tell us something about that?
D.: It was me and Nicke from the Hellacopters and Ginger from the Wildhearts. We recorded an EP. Pretty sonic stuff.
Is it available in the US?
D.: I don’t know. I don’t think so.
Ginger also wrote one song for you which was a big hit in Sweden. Any future collaborations?
D.: I think it’s really great to do stuff with other people. You can get new ideas and stuff.
In a record store in Germany I saw a record called from Demos to Demons. Why did you put that out?
N.: When Total 13 broke we became a much bigger band than in the beginning. All these people had our demos and stuff and started to put them out on bootlegs and shit. Crappy versions. Bootleg shit. And we thought that this wasn’t fair, you know. So, we said to our first record company that still owned the right of all the demos: why don’t we put them all out ourselves, make a cool cover and put some extra shit on?! So, this bootleg shit would stop and the stupid die hard fans would get their demos.
Don’t call your fans stupid!
N.: No, no, no! What I mean is, if you are a fan and you pick that record up first then you might wonder what all the big hype is all about. That’s just what we wrote when we were 13, 14 years old.
D.: I wouldn’t recommend that record in anyone’s record collection.
N.: I would recommend it for the pictures.
D.: It’s a big box full of old skeletons. Every band starts out like that. Every band sounds like fucking shit in the beginning. But the big rockstars, they don’t want to admit that they had pink hair and a pink guitar. I am proud of everything we done. And we put it out just to show people that we dare! I am not embarrassed about anything we have done.
Nicke, you have a Social D tattoo on your Adam’s apple? Did you do that because you like that band so much or was it a bet?
N.: It was a bet. My tattoo artists friends they all had that Social Distortion logo skeleton somewhere on their body. And yeah, it is one of my favourite bands. I always liked Social Distortion. My friends were like: Don’t you want a Social Distortion tattoo on your body? And I was like: Yeah, I’ll have it right here (pointing on his adam’s apple) And they said: No, you don’t dare that! And I was like: Of course. Fuck it. Bring me the needles. And they brought me the needles. You know, that’s my newest hobby. Doing stupid tattoos on stupid places on my body. But you know, we toured with them. They were the first band who brought us to the US as Dregen said in the beginning. They are a really cool band.
What do you think, is there a difference between the fans in LA and the fans in New York?
D.: Well, not really. That’s the deal with rock music. We can go all the way to fuckin’ Japan and it might be different interview wise but the moment you start playing rock music people start behaving the same way everywhere. (Dregen raises his arms in the air and screams YEEEAAAHH!) It’s like that!
Do you have a favourite city?
D.: No, not really. We have a lot of favourite cities. It can be like big cities and the big city kind of mentality sometimes. They can go and see a show almost every night, if they want. But sometimes it’s cool to be in the redneck countryside in the middle of nowhere because people are kind of like: Oh! There’s something happening tonight! So they go totally fucking nuts! Well, there are some favourite cities but I have so many LA is one of them, New York, we have had always good shows in Chicago, we actually had always good shows in the Midwest like Kansas and stuff, Minnesota and stuff like that…
N.: It’s kind of weird but the Los Angeles crowd, you know, they really are appreciating when we are coming here. And now that’s it’s been such a long time considering which bands came out of Los Angeles, you know, at that time you guys were pretty spoiled. But now it’s almost like: thank God, the rock boys are coming to town! So, it feels really good to be back in Los Angeles.
D.: But it feels also kind of weird. This is the first time in the15 years of our career that we are travelling so fucking far for playing only 50 minutes. This is the first time that we are really some kind of prostitutes as well. I mean, of course, it’s our gig but it’s paid by our Swedish record label to get us signed over here. So it’s pretty much … I mean… even before they released the tickets they made sure that’s it’s like 200 just pure business people there. So they gave away the free tickets first and I guess this whole room is hired… which is great…. So, it’s not really like a Backyard Babies show. We actually wanted to play longer but they don’t want us to play longer than 50 minutes. But hopefully if everything turns out good we will be back here soon. And then we will spend some long time over here. I don’t know what our next record release here will be like. If it’s going to be Stockholm Syndrome or if it’s going to be a special US package with Making Enemies and Stockholm Syndrome combined to like one album. I don’t know how they do it but it’s probably planned to be released in January. And then we will spend at least half a year here touring.
Do you feel any pressure tonight?
D.: No, not really. We reached a point where we can say this is who we are and this is what it is. And if you don’t like it go home.
What would be the ultimate record label for you to sign with?
N.: I don’t know. I think there is always something wrong with everybody. But you know, we have never been a band that was afraid of signing with a major. We don’t really care if it’s independent or not. Just do a good job and sell our fucking record. And we do what we do, write good songs and play good live shows. We want to have that working relationship. I still don’t know why it doesn’t really work. Why the companies don’t really get what we are doing and we don’t really get what they do sometimes. We were signed to an independent label before we signed with BMG. I would say that we have more artistic freedom on BMG than we had on our old label. I don’t know… I don’t know a good label…
D.: I think Sun Records. Wasn’t that Elvis’ record label in the ‘60ies? Yeah, that would be cool.
So if you sign with a label here do they just pick songs from your recordings and decide on what to put on your next album?
D.: No, I wouldn’t say they do that. But on the other hand, I’m not ashamed of anything we recorded. I think you can hear what songs are the best songs and stuff like that. It would be really cool to put those two albums together for one record I think.
Do you have any favourite girl bands? Or let’s say female fronted bands?
D.: For Sweden, there is really a lot of all girl bands. There is a cool all girl band on tour right now with the Hives called Sahara Hotnights. They are really cool. They are on the same label as us. And there is a new band coming up. They are not signed yet and they are called Crucified Barbara. They are cool. And of course, the Heroines…
N.: Joan Jett.
D.: The Runaways.
N.: We did a long tour with L7 and that’s probably my favourite all girl band. They eat men for breakfast. It was a tough job to be on tour with them. But we got along really well.
D.: We liked to be eaten on tour with L7.
So, you’re not opposed to girls that do rock music. Some might argue that this is rock music and it’s supposed to be for guys.
D.: I think that’s kind of stupid. Girls with the same mentality as the guys… I mean, there is an all girl band and then the guitar player leaves and they are like, we have to find a new guitar player but it has to be a girl. Who the fuck cares? I’d rather kick you (pointing at Nicke) out and have a girl! I’d rather have three girls in my band!!
So did everybody just get fired?!
N.: Apparently!
D.: Punkrock is a really big scene for girl bands. And Finland also has a couple of good girl bands. Have you ever heard of the Ultra Bimboos? They are mixing right now a new record in Stockholm. They have been around for a long time as well.
You know Texas Terri?
D.: Yes! Is she coming tonight?
No, I talked to Texas Terri yesterday and she’s in Baltimore right now. But she plays a show here on the 28 in Santa Monica.
D.: Say hello from the Backyard Babies.
She said to tell you guys hello!
N.: So hello — hello.
So, what are your plans for the near future?
N.: Uhm.. peace on earth.. no.. hahaha… I think it will all depend on what’s going to happen this autumn when we continue touring Europe if we are going to have the album out before the end of this year in America, which I hope! Then we would be coming here to tour. If nothing bad is happening we will just start writing a new record. We are kind of restless. We just can’t sit at home and do nothing. Our major goal is to get the record released in the US and do at least one full length tour. It doesn’t matter if we do that tour on our own or if we are supporting a bigger band.
D.: We are going home now and mix a live album but this will only be available on the Japanese market. But if it sells well we might release it also in Europe. And then we are going to record a live DVD in November in Helsinki, Finland. And we have one more tour booked in Japan as well.
Touring Europe and touring the US is very different. But I’m sure you guys know that. Here you’re lucky if you get a slice of pizza and in Europe you get tons of food, you know.
N.: We got a lot of booze in the dressing room now. Someone did their fucking job.
Are you guys interested in doing another tour like you did four years ago to support Total 13?
N.: Oh, yeah. Sure!
Are you guys into the van versus the bus…
N.: Oh, we had a bus all the time.
D.: I would fucking hitchhike around!
N.: You haven’t toured England. You wouldn’t even get a slice of pizza there.
D.: We didn’t even get a gig.
N.: You’re lucky if you have a working PA system.
D.: That’s the boring side of… you know, we are living on playing music. So, the best thing would be to get us on a support tour. Because it takes a lot of energy and a lot of time to be three months on the road. So, of course, we would love to do that.
N.: I think the main problem is that the US is so huge. You can go on tour for two years and sell 50,000 copies. I don’t say that we are short on time but I don’t want to have my break through when I’m 90, you know.
D.: And we are 84 right now.
N.: So we have only 6 more years to go. I hope for a support tour really! I loved this tour we did with L7 but it just takes a long time to cover America. Lot of clubs.
Thanks a lot for your time!
Thanks a lot to JEN MALONE from www.blackandwhitepr.net for setting the interview up and being such a nice girl!!!!!
photos by frank |
