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Thursday, 18 June 2009 13:22 |
 "We have a schizophrenic relationship to music in our band in a way," explains Backyard Babies guitarist Dregen. "The schizophrenic part is that Backyard Babies still don't know if we are a punk rock loving hard rock band or a hard rock loving punk band."
It's certainly been a long road for a band which formed more than twenty years ago, and are currently touring in support of just their fifth studio album, yet one that has seen them proclaimed as bringing "sleaze rock to Scandinavia".
From frank and candid answers to the ever present comparisons to Social Distortion, to the reasons behind the long wait in the bands announcement that they would be playing at last weeks Download Festival, Komodo Rock's Tazz Stander was joined on a white leather couch at the Heaven Nightclub before the bands performance alongside the Rasmus later that evening.
Backyard Babies, Dregen, How the fuck are you?
Dregen: Good, I'm tired but good. There are only 3 dates left on this tour, we've been on tour for 5 weeks and only had 2 days off.
It's almost done
Dregen: Fuck yeah
So, saying that then, just how fucking good are you guys anyway?
Dregen: How fucking good are we? (laughing) I think we are pretty fucking awesome.
Only pretty fucking awesome? Lets give credit where credit is due dude!
Dregen: Well you know, we sound pretty alright by now.
You formed in 1989, 20 years ago, with all the super talented and amazing bands coming out of Sweden, do you ever consider yourselves as the Godfathers of the New Wave of Swedish Heavy Metal?
Dregen: Wow, that sounds cool. To be honest, super honest, it is 20 years but it doesn't feel like that. I mean, I feel – even though I look like a fucking wreck today, I feel pretty young at heart. When you say 20 years, I'm like, “oh wow, shit man, that's a band that should be kind of done”, but I feel that we still haven't done 'that album' that we can do. But of course, its really flattering to hear you say that. I think I'm getting fucking old though!
Would you say that Backyard Babies are more of a live band than a studio band?
Dregen: I think in a way but as I said, I think Backyard Babies is still a band that has the potential to do that classical, historical album. I know that we have done really, really good albums but I'm still waiting to do that classic one and its not just about the band and the songs, its about the timing and the production and maybe even getting to work with other producers. I couldn't see myself being a musician making a living out of recording albums in the studio only. I would freak out.
Being in a band for 20 years and saying that you haven't yet done that classical album yet, do you think an amazing classical studio album can be played just as amazingly live?
Dregen: Fuck, that's a good question. I don't know really. Lets take a UK band – when you've done a song like 'Never Mind The Bollocks', what the fuck can you do after that? Its just going to be down hill. They will never be able to top that album.
Could Backyard Babies top that album?
Dregen: I'm not saying its impossible, but not by that same band. But saying that, I don't think that the Sex Pistols sounded as good as they did on their album – they sounded better on the album so …
So you cant really get a fine balance then?
Dregen: Some classic rock bands, I think, pull it off. I think that AC/DC sounds really good on the album but they sound way better live. Even early Guns 'n Roses with the original line up were really good.
That does then say that you can have one or the other then doesn't it?
Dregen: You're too fucking smart (laughing)
(Laughing) I'm always right! We've finally moved beyond the age of comparing bands to Hanoi Rocks and Motley Crue and we are now comparing them to Backyard Babies and Buckcherry. What response do you have to this?
Dregen: Its funny that you mention that because in June we are doing our first tour with Motley Crue. We have never toured with them and we are doing 8 gigs in Germany and in Czech Republic together so its going to be Backyard Babies, Motley Crue and Loaded (Duff McKagan's band). I guess times are just changing.
Did you ever have the foresight when you started off Backyard Babies and think that one day, bands would want to be like you?
Dregen: Not really you know. I'm not satisfied, I still think we're only half way on what we can do.
If so many bands are being inspired by Backyard Babies, who inspires you?
Dregen: We have a schizophrenic relationship to music in our band in a way. We formed this band, we are actually farmer boys, we're not big city boys, so we formed this band because 50% of us loved music and wanted to play music but at the same time it was just to get the hell out of that place where we lived. We don't have that many inspirations though. I think that is when you grow as a band, when you stop trying to be like another band. Now we are finding ourselves. 10 years ago, you're writing a riff wondering what people are going to think about it but now I don't give a fuck, as longs as I think its good. I guess with all true rock and roll bands its not just music that inspires you, its life in general but when we stared out, I would say that album that was most important to us was 'Appetite for Destruction' I think. The schizophrenic part is that Backyard Babies still don't know if we are a punk rock loving hard rock band or a hard rock loving punk band.
That leads me on nicely to my next question. Some have said that musically that you're trying to sound too much like Social Distortion. Can you identify with this and what would you say back if you could?
Dregen: Wow! I think its because of Nicke as he is very similar vocally to Mike Ness. The true story from the beginning is that we were at a festival when we were like 14/15 years old and I had never heard about Social Distortion before and an old friend of ours heard our demo tape and he said that we sounded like Social Distortion and we didn't know who he was talking about but I think, musically we are way more …. I don't know, its like comparing Motley Crue and Guns 'n Roses in a way. We have now toured with them a lot and I guess that we have kind of the same record collections but we are Scandinavian so I would say that in our rock and roll we have a bit more of a melancholic touch where they are way more, we don't have that Country nerve in us. Backyard Babies doesn't have that Johnny Cash sound to them. Even though I love Johnny Cash, they are way more American than we are. Its not that I don't like Country music but its not in our blood you know. We were raised more on Abba I guess.
Your new single, Degenerated off your self titled album has an animated video tied to your involvement with Guitar Hero and it took 6 weeks to complete. Tell me a bit about the process that you went through in shooting it.
Dregen: We have been talking about making an animated video for about 10 years. I think that life in general would be more fun if it was animated. It was always a question of budget, everything that involves animation – I don't know why but its really expensive and it takes a lot of time. We hooked up with a Swedish dude called Siegfrued and he was really up for doing it and making it was really fun cause we had these motion capture suits which isn't so rock and roll as you look like a fucking UPS guy (laughs) but is kind of cool with these sensors everywhere. On the computer screen you only see the dots that are registering but straight away you can see somebody walking.
Awesome. It must've been a lot of fun.
Dregen: Fuck yeah, it was a lot of fun.
If anyone walked up to you and said that they had never heard any of your music, which album would you suggest they listen to and why?
Dregen: I would actually suggest they listen to the latest album, Backyard Babies. I think if you had never heard of us before and you don't like the latest album, you shouldn't even fucking bother with the other ones but if they could get into it then …. its not like a best of album but it was written in a very wide range of song writing way which I think, the new album, the album we are going to do in the future – we haven't started writing it yet – but I think that the next album we would maybe go for a faster album or a heavier sound, in one direction. I would suggest Backyard Babies by Backyard Babies.
Its a rocking album but my favourite song is still People like, People like, People like us.
Dregen: Ah, cool. We are going to play it tonight then.
Are you?
Dregen: Yeah, fuck, why not. You like it so I will play it.
I heard a rumour … Download?!?
Dregen: (Whispers) Yeah. When is this interview coming out?
After Download.
Dregen: How the fuck did you find out? We only found out yesterday but its still every hush hush. But yeah, fuck yeah, its going to be awesome and its on my birthday, 12th June.
Any plans for the near future – apart from Download?
Dregen: The whole summer is all about the festivals and before that we are doing the Motley Crue dates. After the summer we have a South American tour and by September were going to release our first big fucking box / coffee table book that includes 5 cd's. I (boring) cd that includes greatest hits but it will also have all the 'b' sides with all the rare stuff. Its also going to include our book that we released 3 years ago which only came out in Swedish – a sound book but in English. It will also have a DVD including history and all the videos with a lot of pictures and stuff.
Wow, going all out! Any space in there to fit one or all of you guys into it?
Dregen: (laughing) Fuck yeah.
Dregen, thank you so much
Dregen: Fuck Tazz, thank you.
- Tazz Stander
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 June 2009 13:22 |
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