Montagabend fielen wir aus dem Ponyhof in Frankfurt, beglückt von einem besonderen Konzert und einer besonderen Band: Solander. Nachdem wir diese Woche schon unsere Meinung zu deren Album “Since We Are Pigeons” (hier) verbreitetet haben, gibt es heute aus gegebenem Anlass ein Interview mit der Band – logisch, wir sind ja total neugierig. Also Brillenputztuch geschwungen, Kontaktlinsen an den Start gebracht und ab dafür!

1.) Band facts

– Name: Solander
– Band members: Anja Linna, Fredrik Karlsson, Mikael Persson, Klas Sjöberg
– Founding year: 2004
– Residence: Malmö, Sweden
– Current album: Since we are pigeons (Tenderversion)

2.) Questionnaire:

– How did you come up with your band name and what meaning has it for you?
It started off in a great interest for botanics. Daniel Solander was one of Linneus apostles and one of the greatest swedish scientist of all time. It felt like a good idea to join the interest for nature science with music.

– How would you describe your musical style?
I think it´s best described as Indie Folk music. At the moment we are reaching beyond the folkish ground that we started off in, but there will always be a great connection to both swedish and american folk i guess.

– Which musical influences do you have?
I listen a lot to jazz at the moment but for influence I’m more into books and landscapes. I think that the greatest influence for the next album will be the long winter that we just had and the major relief we all felt when king bore let go of his grip in our hometown a couple of weeks ago. When it comes to books the influence is wide and thriving. I work at a library in Malmö so I’m surrounded with books all day long.

– What are you as a band doing at the moment?
Touring Europe. Working on visuals for the live shows and carving out new songs for our upcoming record. This process is reallly fun for us and we are now working as a creative core of four. The solander team is getting tighter every day and the next album will most certainly be different due to the people involved.

– Can you describe what the listener can expect from your album?
”Since we are pigeons” is a neofolk album with a lot of structure. A young man once said that he thinks it sound as a circus and a man in sorrow. That was quite spot on.

– You are from Malmö Sweden – how is the environment influencing your writing?
As I mentioned earlier it does influence us a lot. It would be strange if it didnt. Malmö is a vibrant city and also very close to the capital of Denmark wich makes it even more interesting. Also the music scene in Malmö is really inspiring with bands like This is head, MFMB and Vit Päls.

– How do you normally work on songs?
The core of the song is carved out by one of us at first. Then Klas and Mikael puts the groove to it. Meanwhile Anja loops her cello over it and finds the harmonies that Fredrik could´t find while writing it. We always record the process and by that we find new ways to make the process more effective. Also the recordnings serve as a good ground for studio recordnings later on.

– How does it happen that you work with different musicians – are they all friends of you, is it the collective-character that you like of working like that?
I´m a very social person and couldn´t stand to work alone. Also I like the picture of artistic processes that was formulated by the english artistst Gilbert and Geaorge. For me they killed the lonely genius and once for all stated the process of artistary to be a social thing. Together we are stronger.

– With which person would you like to work together and why?
Big Fox, a lovely voice and artist from Malmö that I have listened a lot to lately but never met. If you read this, please get in contact! For the moment I listen madly much to Phil Elvrum (Mt Eerie, Microphones) so his way of recording would be really interesting to learn and be a part of.

– How come that after three EPs without Label “Since We Are Pigeons” is now released through Tendervision?
Kenta on Tenderversion called me a year ago and told me that he wanted us to tour with Scraps of tape. I said yes and praised the lord. Then he called an hour later and said he wanted to press the album Confessional Failures (2008), i said Yeah and praised the lord. After one more hour he called me back again and said: Please make an entire album for Tenderversion. I said: ”Lovely”, and went to work. The guys at Tenderversion are really professional and we feel so lucky to be on this train.

– You made the soundtracks for different movies – how did it come to this and are other projects planned?
In some ways I think our music is soudtrack marterial. And because of our goal to make new friends during the process we are always trying out new ways to work. We have some new plans but I dont want to ruin the surprice.

– The swedish music scene is very vivid (or at least it seems so for us) – which newcomer band would be you recommend for us to look up?
Besides the band I mentioned earlier I would suggest you listen to Bakers at dawn. Marcus from Malmö who is a fantastic songwriter. If you are in to experimental music you should check out Skeppet and Ved. Dont forget to check out Björn Kleinhenz who we played with yesterday in Nürnberg.

– 3 top albums 2009? Why?
Girls – Album
“The best that happed to pop music in the 21th century” – Klas

Taken by trees – East of Eden.
“Going to Pakistan to record album was a great idea and the result is stunning”

Bill Callahan – Sometimes i wish i was an eagle.
“Because it lush, airy ad filled with lyrical twists”

– What song fits to your actual situation?
While sitting in the van we listen a lot to old stuff like Missippi john hurt, but there is always a good moment to boom some Why? on the roads. Also the song “Awake at the wheel again” by the Glorytellers is really suiting.

– Which song makes you dance independent of the situation?
Ola (Tour manager): Dr Dre – Still D.R.E
Fredrik: Paul Simon – You can call me Al
Anja: Divine – Sebastian Tellier
Klas: Metal Guru – T-Rex
Mikael: I feel it all – Feist

– What do you associate with the name “Bedroomdisco”?
I think of the song “I rather Dance with you than talk with you” by Kings of convienience. Very close ad friendly even though its a song for disco dancing.

– Who did fill out this questionnaire?
Mostly Fredrik with the helping hand from Anja, Klas Mikael and Ola (Tour Manager)

Rhino from Fredrik Karlsson on Vimeo.