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Anders Sandvall:
Would you please like to tell us a bit about the band?
JL: "In 2001 I was in a
depressed situation. I had quit my studies, my job,
my band and I had broken up with my girlfriend. I
had no money for drinking so I forced myself to
write songs. Bored and without anything to do. I
asked the drummer in my old band (Redrvm) if he
wanted to play drums on a couple of new songs with
Swedish lyrics. The most important thing was to do
music and lyrics in our own way without taking
notice of what other bands did. I love metal but
the lyrics had to play a central part and I wanted
to let people listen more careful at the things I
wrote about. So I started to sing in Swedish and
my raw accent would fit perfectly to this brutal
music I wrote."
AS: Why did you choose to add
666 to the original name Skurk? Does it mean
anything special for you?
JL: "One of the songs name is
'666 personligheter' (666 personalities). It
contains a positive message about variations and
those people who have lots of different sides. I
prefer colourful and charismatic people instead of
those grey figures who want to live their lives as
comfortable and boring as possible. Why not just be
yourself? The only way our band will survive is to
have variations. That�s why we added the triple 6.
I prefer plain 'SKURK' but we also wanted a unique
name."
AS: How many are there in the
band? Have there been any line up changes along the
way? If so, why?
The line up is:
Mike Svensson - bass
Martin Brorsson - drums
Bj�rn Hall - guitar
S�ren Sandved - guitar
J�rgen Lindhe - Voice
JL: "In the beginning of 2002
when we formed the band and recorded our first 4-
track demo we were a quartet. S�ren who is one of
my best friends joined the band this summer (2003).
Martin and me have played together for ten years in
different constellations. I most say that I am a
very lucky guy. Those members are my dream team and
I would never change one of them if I don�t have to."
AS: Why have you stopped playing
guitar and just sing now?
JL: "I still play guitar and I
play on the first demo. But I wanted to give 100% at
the singing part. I also wanted to feel more free
when we play live so I handle over the guitar work
to our excellent guitarists: Bj�rn and S�ren who
do a great job on their black Gibson flying V's.
It takes two guitar players to replace me. Hahahaha!
I am just kidding."
AS: Who writes the music and
lyrics?
JL: "I think I have answered
that question already. We do the arrangement part
together as well."
AS: You have released two demos,
the first one with 4 songs and the other one with
just 2 songs, why just 2 songs?
JL: "Why not? My experience of
record companies is that they never listen to more
than one maybe two songs before they decide if they
can turn you into a money machine or not, hahaha.
A demo is just a piece of work that shall give you
a sample of the band. Demos can never compare with
huge CD productions that had been created for a
great market machinery with lots of studio costs
and advertising."
AS: Are there any particular
songs you are more satisfied with than the others?
JL: "I am satisfied with all
the material. Every song means a lot to me, but I
can only speak for myself. I don�t like to play
rubbish songs with stupid lyrics."
AS: Why have you chosen to
sing in Swedish? Doesn�t that limit the worldwide
market for the band?
JL: "That�s a clich�! It
doesn�t have anything with language to do. Rammstein
who sing in their mother language have sold millions
of copies worldwide. I think that you have to figure
out why you play in a band. Is it because you love
music and want to do it because your heart tells
you to do it? Like a real artist. Or do you make
music because of the money? Do you want to sound
like one million other bands or do you want to try
something different? When Black Sabbath started
there wasn�t one band that was even close to their
sound. At their time they were completely unique. If
we want to develop the metal scene: We have to try
new ways. I�ve done it one time before. When the
black/thrash metal music was new at the eighties.
I played in Obscurity who was one of the first
black metal bands in those days. It felt great to
play music none have heard before. RESPECT!"
AS: Are there any record labels
that had shown any interest in you?
JL: "We have got several offers.
Both from major and minor labels but nothing are
decided yet. So I better keep my moth shut when it
comes to this issue. But I can tell you for sure
that we are beginning to record our debut album
early spring 2004. We will probably visit Berno
studios in Malm�. He is an old friend and I have
been there several times before. First time was
when I together with Brorsson recorded the second
album with Flegma in 1994. It doesn�t make things
worse that Berno recorded The second Haunted album
which they got a Grammy for. Best metal album in
2001."
AS: Do you have enough material
for an album debut right now?
JL: "I have a lot of song ideas,
but I never do anything hundred percent finished.
I think that the most exciting part is when the band
completes the songs in our rehearsal space. The
band is like flavours they put an extra 'spice' into
the music and it makes it sound more interesting.
A dinner without flavours is tasteless. It is the
same thing with music."
AS: How have the live gigs
worked? What has the response been from the
audience?
JL: "I�m very satisfied with
our live gigs so far. And our audience (p�beln)
have been great. I have never played in a band
where the most of the people watching us are singing
in every lyrical part. I�m impressed really."
AS: What song is your personal
favourite to do live?
JL: "I like all the songs but
my personal favourite is a song called 'Ondare �n
Hin'. It is about all the evil things who live
among us, pedophiliacs, false presidents, meanless
wars, rape and booze who making men to monsters.
The music is a little bit thrash and sounds like
Exodus, Nevermore or Testament. But you can still
hear our traditional melody we have."
AS: Is there any special song
that the crowd demands to hear when you play live?
JL: "Most people want to hear
'D�tt k�tt'. I think that the song has become a
local hit. It's only three minutes long, lots of
melody that is mixed with attitude and provoking
lyrics."
AS: Skurk666 are very political
aware in the lyrics, how come?
JL: "'Very political' is to
over-react. I wrote lyrics since the eighties and
have never been accused for being political. The
lyrics are pretty much the same now as the use to
be. The only thing is that I do it in Swedish for
the moment. I think it's very important
to write about things that actually happened.
Generally metal lyrics are written in a very
dreamlike way. Where they create evilness, hate,
love, goblins and fantasy worlds. Why do they have
to do imagine all that when its already exists in
our real world? I think that they who write such
lyrics are afraid of reality and want to escape
into fantasy. I want to say: Become a man and face
the truth, if you dare."
AS: What does the future look
like for Skurk666? What is going to happen after
the summer?
JL: "Write a couple of songs
for the album. Continue working for the band.
AS: Is there anything you
would like to say to the readers of absolutmetal.com?
JL: "Maybe this is pathetic,
but: In religion, politics, love, hate etc: FOLLOW
YOUR HEART but let your brain decide what is good
for you. There are no answers to 'the meaning of
life' so until you get it. ENJOY!
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