There had been major confusion over time slots and time zones when this interview was set up.  In a fit of caution, I decided it would be better not to leave the house at all, and just wait for the phone call.  Sure enough, two hours before the allotted time, the phone rang. 

Assuming it was going to be an annoying sales call, I answered the phone curtly with a mouthful of lunch.  “Hello, it’s Tom from Evergrey,” said the softly spoken caller.  “Oh,” I squeaked, “you’re early, but don’t worry …. “ and I frantically began to assemble tapes, recorders and find the printed questions.  When I apologised for speaking with my mouth full and explained that I was just having lunch, he graciously offered to call back in fifteen minutes. 

I suggested five, and we settled on ten!  He was as good as his word, and punctual to the second.  Once introductions had been properly made, we settled down to talk about the excellent new album ‘Torn’, the frustrations of fishing and ... er... Manchester United! 

With ‘Torn' only a few weeks from release and a new collaboration with SPV/ Steamhammer this is surely an exciting time for Evergrey. What are your hopes for this new chapter in the band's history?

(Laughs).  Well, we've stopped hoping.  We're beyond that now.  When you were a kid of fourteen or fifteen years old of course you expected your first live gig to make you a millionaire.  The ambition is still there, of course, but we don't really have any expectations at all any more.  We just make music and hopefully the people around us will make our job look better than it is, then we might succeed somewhat.

You describe ‘Torn' as a "modern mix of ‘Search of Truth' and Recreation Day'. Obviously as artists you will not be looking backwards, so how do you feel the music has evolved with this release?

I've just gotta say one thing first.  When I did this biography thing they always ask these funny questions about how would you describe the album, do you think it's your best effort yet and whatever.  Yes, of course it's always your best effort when you've just recorded or released an album, but every artist will give you the same answer.  At the same time, this is the first time we released an Evergrey album eight months after it was finished, so for the first time I have a somewhat objective idea of what I think of the album this time.  When I am asked what I want to compare it with ... you know ... I'm so tired of these fan boys out there comparing whatever we do.  We could make a jazz album and they would scream their lungs out and we could make a death metal album and they would complain that it wasn't tough enough.  I just said it's a mixture of ‘In Search of Truth' and ‘Recreation Day' because I wanted to inject some irony into it.  If that's what the fans want it to be like, then I'll say it! 

In recent years, press have started to change the description of Evergrey's music from "dark progressive metal" to "dark melodic metal".  Why do you think they do that, and does it frustrate you?

I think having the progressive label on Evergrey has been more dragging us down than helping us.  We have been on a label that has all these fantastic musicians and side projects from people in Dream Theater and whatever, and we're not that skilled whatsoever.   We have never really been about studying music at that level so that we could perform it by the book, you know.  We're a rock and roll band more than anything, and that progressive label has kept a lot of people from listening to us because they have already made up their mind about how we sound, until they see us live.  On numerous occasions I have met people and they say "Oh my God, I never thought you were a band like this ... I was expecting you to sound like this and that and act like this and that". So, we're trying to get rid of that progressive label, not because we don't like the music, but because Evergrey is just not that type of music. 

Watching the studio updates, it appeared as an outsider that the band had a lot of fun making this record - is that a fair assumption?

Yes, and I think it really shines through on the album as well. 

In an interview Henrik (Danhage, guitar) expressed a hope that the writing would be more of a band effort on the new album. Has this been the case or were you once again firmly in the "boss's" chair?

(Laughs)  I will always be in the boss's chair, no matter who writes the music.  I would say that 70% of this album was written by me and Jonas (Ekdahl, drums) and the other 30% was written by Henrik, or Henrik and me or Henrik and Jonas.  If you have three fifths of a band making an album, I would say it's definitely a band effort, but it's always been a band effort no matter who writes the songs.  Some other guys in the band might feel different, but for me it has always been really important that it is a band effort, otherwise I would make it my solo project, and I could have done that numerous times when people left the band or whatever.  But it's the band effort that I'm after and I guess we all are. 

You state that the new album has "... exactly the sound our fans expect of us". Was it frustrating for you that the slightly different approach on "Monday Morning Apocalypse" was met with some criticism from your fan base, although reaching number 3 in Sweden probably speaks for itself?

Well, I wasn't upset with it at all.  If I was to look at posts on every message board ever day and really react to them I would be devastated.  At the same time, first and foremost ‘Monday Morning Apocalypse' sold way more than any album we have ever done.  It's a matter of how you measure success.  Is success playing for more people and/or selling more albums, or is it to try to satisfy everyone who buys the album?  We don't think about any of those things.  We make music for ourselves and we have just been lucky during the years that other people than us have enjoyed it as well.  That's never going to change.  We're never going to start making music because of what 15% of our whole listening audience says we should do.  Bring in more keyboards, bring in more of your wife Carina, do this, do that... well, get your own band, man!

Do you feel there's a danger that fan "pressure" may ultimately limit your range to explore and incorporate new elements in your compositions?

I'm grateful for all the fans that we have, but at the same time some people have got to realise that we are not making music for them.  That will never happen. 

One of Evergrey's strengths is your willingness to tackle subjects that most metal bands would shy away from, such as bullying and child abuse. Tell us about some of the themes you have addressed on ‘Torn'?  Are the songs linked in any way?

The songs are not linked, other than the common happy stuff (said with tongue firmly in cheek), but I would say that this album is pretty much about the same things that every other album has been about, excluding ‘In Search of Truth' which was based on a book.  I would say that it's all about the human psyche, things that I have experienced myself or things that have affected me deeply.  My lyrics for me are like talking with your best friend about your inner feelings and ideas and whatever.  I do speak with my friends as well, but this is my way of getting it down on paper and really dealing with it.  If you take the first song on the album it's called ‘Broken Wings' and it's sort of a modern Cinderella story.  It's about an adopted child who comes into a house.  I won't tell you any more  ... you'll see it all in the video.

Have I missed something?  Is the video out yet?

No, don't worry, you haven't.  We're shooting it tomorrow. 

Who did the artwork?  What does it depict exactly and what are you trying to convey with it?

The cover was by the same guy who did the last four albums, but all of the pages in the booklet are photographs by a Danish award winning photographer, so it's really a cool thing to have.  The actual artwork itself is based on the first song that I told you about.  It's about a person who has been let down so  many times and wounded so many times that you can't stay above the surface.  Your wings are broken and you have taken as much as you can as a human being, and especially being a young person, as it is, you can only take so much and it's enough.  That's why I wrote those songs about bullying and all of that as well, because that's the people who are going to be there when we get much older.  A lot of it is overlooked, especially in Sweden.  We form people while they're young and then they grow up to be like us, hopefully ... or hopefully not, depending on which way you see it!  I just think it's a major subject that is overlooked.  

Going back to the new contract with SPV/ Steamhammer; as well as the new album there are plans to re-release the entire back catalogue. What stage are those plans at? Has a schedule been decided yet and have any decisions been made as to additional content on the re-releases?

I would be surprised if that happens within two years.  We really have to make sure that we have something to put out as well.  We can't just re-release the albums as they are because that's ripping people off financially and that's something we are against.  We do have a lot of video material that we could add on there from the various time periods, so I guess that's what we're going to do.  We don't really have that much musical material lying around.  We have some old demos and shit, so that could be cool ... maybe the first demo with a different singer and stuff.

Does the contract just cover the release of ‘Torn' or has there been a commitment to further albums as well?

Honestly I don't know.  I think it's three albums, that's why it took so long for us to get a label.  It wasn't like we were trying to find a label.  We had all of them interested, but they all offered various degrees of great contracts and worse contracts.  This might be the last contract that we sign, so we wanted to make sure that we were on top of things and that's why it actually took a year to get sorted. 

Was part of that getting out of Inside Out?

That was already done.  It was our choice to move along.  They still wanted to have us on the label of course (laughs) well, maybe not "of course".  But you know it comes to a point where you have worked together for four or five albums or whatever, and you're going to stagnate if you keep on working with the same people all the time. 

Do you think you had in fact outgrown them?

Yes, that was one of the reasons, also SPV is a much bigger label, even though they have bought Inside Out now, so it's a bit weird (laughs). 

You also have a new bass player on board, former Stratovarius man Jari Kainulainen.  Did he reply to your ad for a bass player on the website?  How did you hook up with him?

Actually, no, he didn't reply, but one of my friends in Norway replied and said he had a guy and I said well he has to do what everybody else does and send us his shit and whatever, which is what he did.  We tried out four bass players in total.  Our main concern wasn't that we had to get somebody who has been in a band.  Our first and foremost concern was that he could play the bass, and Jari can certainly do that.  Then adding his live experience and touring experience and everything on top of that made it really impossible for us to choose anybody else because he played better than anyone else by far. 

How's it working out having a Finnish hockey fan in the middle of a bunch of Swedes? 

Well, that's his problem!  We beat Finland all the time!  And we have won way more world cups!  And that's coming from someone who is half Finnish! 

I wondered whether you were such an avid Manchester United fan that you maybe didn't have so much time for hockey?

Well, I'm still a Manchester United fan and I've been one since 1983, so that's not going to change.  I've never been to a game at Old Trafford, but me and Rikard (Zander) the keyboard player, who is a Tottenham fan, have talked about going to one of those games where the two teams meet each other, if we can fit it in somehow. 

No, it isn't current, and yes we have plans to address it.  We just didn't want to change pictures and layout before we had a new album.  We wanted to be sure which bass player we wanted to use, and not put different pictures up every month.  But it's going to change when the album is released. 

Moving on to tour plans; you have a few shows including the Sweden Rock cruise taking you to the end of the year, but what is the schedule looking like after that? Will you be visiting any new territories?

Right now we're planning what we're going to do.  We'll do Scandinavia first because we've never done that before.  We've always kept Scandinavia to last which was pretty strange because we have sold a lot of albums in Scandinavia obviously.  We are going to do Sweden and Norway, maybe one in Denmark, a couple in Finland and then I think we are going to South America after that.  That takes us to the middle of December I guess, and we have a support tour for next year beginning February.  Unfortunately I can't say who it's with.  (Unfortunately the Irish charm didn't work this time and he remained tight-lipped on the subject).  Then we'll do our own headlining tour and the summer festivals and then we're back at this time next year.  I would hope that the tour would come to the UK, but I don't even have the dates so I don't know as yet.  The South American fans are fantastic, psycho fantastic.  We did two weeks touring in Brazil alone, so we've seen that country now (laughs).  I think we're doing Central America and South America and maybe some other more obscure countries like Iceland and stuff. 

Are there any territories you haven't yet visited that you would like to?

We haven't been to Asia yet, if you don't count Istanbul which is 80% Asian.  We haven't been to Japan or China or Korea or anything like that.  It would be nice to go there, I don't know if I would like it, but we'll see. 

You have contributed to many projects both as an artist and producer and not too long ago you joined the ranks of those who have "Entered the Electric Castle" and contributed vocals on the latest Ayreon project. What was it like working with Arjen and not being the boss for a change?

Nice, it was a good collaboration. I went there and we had something to eat and then we started immediately.  I think I was there for two or three days and it was great.  Arjen is a really nice guy and he knows what he is doing.  I'm honoured that he asked me or even considered me at all.  I haven't heard it yet, actually.  I want to listen to it uninterrupted during a long journey or whatever and I just haven't put it on my IPod yet, but I will. 

With the benefit of having your own studio, are you still mentoring younger bands?

We had a studio.  We sold it, actually.  ‘Torn' was the last album we recorded there.  We did the first album there and we did the last album there.  ‘Inner Circle' was the first album recorded in that studio, or maybe it was ‘Recreation Day' - I can't remember. 

Does this mean you'll be decreasing your mentoring role?

Yes, I think so, because I have had to say no to so many bands, it's getting more difficult.  It's also a way of making a living, but at the same time you can't have two full time jobs, and it becomes too much music as well.  When we're away the studio just stands there and costs money, and there aren't many people who would rent a studio without anybody in it. 

Everyone knows you as the slightly imposing looking dark haired guy at the front of Evergrey but what do you do for relaxation?

I just do what everybody else in the world does, fucking stay on the sofa and reach for the remote. 

Is there a hobby you have or something about you which may come as a surprise to most people?

I don't know, I like cooking a lot, I like wine a lot and I play poker a lot.  Those are some things that I don't think people know. 

Are you a Swede who enjoys fishing?

Agh, I fucking gave up on fishing.  My whole life everybody else gets fish all the time, and I don't get a fucking little sardine.  I have been out with people who have said we're going to a place where we usually bring up like 37 salmon or whatever, and I come along and they fucking get fish on the other side of the boat and I don't get shit, so I'm tired of it.  So if someone says they want to go fishing I say get the fuck out of here ... I don't have time for it (laughs). 

Its been ten years since ‘The Dark Discovery'. With the fresh start of a new album and a new label, where do you see yourself and the band in another ten years?

(Laughs).  Oh my God, ten years; that would make me fucking old.  Coffin time, I think.  I don't know.  Ten years; I try to look as far as next week, or if I get plans for next year I will at least have them in the back of my head somewhere, but other than that I don't even have any plans.  We live for the day and we'll keep doing that until it doesn't hold any water any more.

Are there any other musical ambitions you have that might not work as Evergrey projects that you would be interested in pursuing?

Well, me and Jonas write music for other people as well, like pop artists for Idol shows and shit like that, but in different obscure countries like Lithuania and Australia (laughs).

I love that you said Australia was an obscure country, especially when we beat them in the medal table at the Olympics.

Yes, and Sweden didn't beat anybody!!  We don't get the gold, and I don't get the fish.

Now for the reminiscing.  We have actually met briefly at Earthshaker festival in 2006 when you guys were less than happy at being first band of the day and I missed your set because the organisers hadn't arranged any transport between the town and the site.

Yes, we had got really drunk the day before, and then we had to get on a bus and go to Yugoslavia or somewhere like that right after the show or something, I can't really remember.  Does that mean you've never seen us?

I've seen you live once, at the Underworld in London.

(Laughs)  Yeah, because we got kicked out of that other place - what's it called - Mean Fiddler - we played there with James LaBrie once.

Well, it just means you'll have to come back and see us, or we'll go to Scandinavia to see you.

You should really do the Swedenrock cruise; that is a lot of fun. 

You bet - I'm off to check the flights now!  Good luck with the album and the video shoot tomorrow.

Thank you, and thank you very much for the interview. 

Check www.evergrey.net or www.myspace.com/officialevergrey for news.

- Dawn Irwin

- With thanks to Matt Spall and Roland Bearne for their contributions to some of the questions

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Simply brilliant
written by JBsweden, September 12, 2008

Am so looking forward to listen to the new album once released.

Also cool to read that some of the back catalog will be re-released, with demos and/or videos, either will be fine by me! They'll end up in the CD collection anyway

/JBs

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