On March 9, 2009, EastScene was able to catch up with Fredrik Larzon, Millencolin’s drummer, and chatted a bit prior to their show in Montreal, topics ranging from how to keep things fresh despite the everchanging trends within the music industry to the good and bad sides when it comes to touring… and even their skateboarding competition.
EastScene: I’ve done a lot of research on you guys. You’ve been around for 16 years. I was just wondering, after 16 years in the business, how do you keep it fresh, constantly changing and moving?
Fredrik Larzon: It’s hard to answer. We don’t really plan to, or make –it happens naturally, I guess. We always felt like that we don’t want to do the same album again. In the beginning, when we started, basically we tried to sound like the influences we had a lot. But then we managed to get our own sound and I guess it’s developed through the years to what it is now. And you never know how the next album is going to sound like until you’re rehearsing, you know.
ES: Actually, I was listening to Kingwood, which was released in 2005, versus the new album [Machine 15]. It [Kingwood] was kind of a return to your more fast, punk rock, traditional roots, and the follow up album is more pop punk. Do you ever worry how the old school fans that have been following you throughout the years react to this?
FL: No, you can’t think like that. You can’t. We would feel really bad to just make something that someone else wants. In the end, it’s us who’s going to decide. Yeah, I mean I want to feel proud of all the albums, but you can’t just start making music for how somebody else wants it to sound like.
But I understand it. Some people like the old stuff and some people like the new stuff. And luckily, both of those categories still come to our shows.
ES: On that note, kind of, the music scene has changed a lot. The current musical trends change so quickly; there’s a lot of young upcoming bands who are just springing out from everywhere. If you can change one thing about that, what would it be?
FL: Yeah, I think all changes pretty much, are good. That’s just it; it’s totally different nowawadays. Back when we started our band, it’s just recording demo tapes and sending to fanzines and people all around the world. It took like two weeks to send a tape to someone [laughs]. And these days, just instantly, you can go and get new music on myspace and stuff. That’s cool.
ES: Do you think that that had made it too easy for younger bands?
FL: No, I think it’s definitely harder these days to get your band known, because there’s so much competition.
ES: In my research, I noticed that you guys have your own skate competition and festival. I was wondering how that came along? Because I know that you guys were inspired to start a band because of the music in old skate videos. Was this something you guys always had in mind to do, or is it your way of giving back to that community that got to the top?
FL: Yeah, the other three guys… they’ve been skateboarding for a long time –not as much these days–, but they started when they were young teenagers. When our city got an indoor skate park, Erik decided to start a skateboarding competition. And it’s a way of giving back to the city, especially the skateboarding scene. It [the competition] has grown pretty big in Sweden and is probably the biggest skateboarding contest these days.
ES: Also, your city is giving a music award in your name to younger bands. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about that. And if you could get any award for any band in their name, who would it be?
FL: The prize we’re handing out is pretty much like a scholarship for concert organizers, bands or somebody who did something good for our city in music or something like that. This year was the 3rd year that we’re handing out [an award], and it was a DJ/Rap artist who got it. Last year was a pop punk band, and the first year was an organizer/promoter.
ES: Do you guys have a say in who gets it? Like, are you involved?
FL: Yeah, it’s us picking out [among] four candidates that the whole city gets to votes [for] and probably wants to see as the winner.
ES: There’s been a gap in between the release of the album –which was released last april– and this tour, and it’s an extensive tour –a world tour, essentially.
FL: What do you mean? When was the gap, you mean?
ES: Between the release of the album, which was last year (April 2008) to now (March 2009). Was it because you were promoting overseas?
FL: Yeah, there was never a gap. We’ve been touring constantly since we released the album until Christmas. January & February, we had off since Nikola became a father with his 3rd daughter. And I recorded an album with my other band. Since we’ve been touring constantly, it was kind of nice to get a little break in between, because we’ll be touring the whole spring and summer.
ES: How do you keep it fresh, since you’re touring so much? How do you keep the momentum going, every night playing a show? How do you keep it going?
FL: I don’t know… we try to plan the tours. We don’t do too long tours. We try to do like two weeks [on tour] and then we’re home two weeks since we all have families and stuff. When we’re on tour, we’re playing every night. But it’s pretty relaxed, still. And everybody is having a really good time. I’d say it’s the balance. I’m having more fun these days than a few years back or so.
ES: Why do you think that is? Is it because you became more laidback?
FL: Yeah, we got a good vibe in the band, and good people working for us. And we’ve got a great audience pretty much everywhere. I mean… it’s really nice.
ES: Songs like “Da Strike” and “Chiquita Chaser” from way back, they’re some old tunes versus “Detox”. I was wondering if there was difference in your writing, ’cause I noticed from reading your older lyrics, they seemed playful and you guys were just having fun in the studio.
FL: Yeah, we were much younger back then, of course [laughs]. It’s so different from today. Back then, we rehearsed all the time, playing together in the rehearsal room all the time. These days, it’s more like Mathias and Nikola come up with pretty much all of the ideas and start to make the structures of the songs, and then we start to rehearse together and just try to get the best out our songs. So, it’s different compared to the old [way of writing] songs.
ES: How would you compare the Swedish/European scene to the North American scene in general?
FL: I think the biggest difference is that [with] Sweden, we don’t have like a certain punk scene or anything like that. It’s more of… people are interested in music [and] go to shows. It’s more of one big scene and it doesn’t really matter if you play punk or rock, or anything like that. We’re friends with all kinds of bands. And maybe there’s a hardcore scene, but we’re not a part of that [laughs]. We’ve never been part of any scene in my opinion.
ES: Going with that whole “scene” thing, I find that a lot of bands today –even the older punk rock bands– all have a platform, something they want to speak out against, whether it be politics or anything. I noticed that you guys were involved in a compilation CD for fish water restoration.
FL: It’s actually Erik; he came up with the idea since there a lot of our friends in other bands in Sweden who [are] really interested in fishing and the whole thing about the environment. So he came up with the idea –since he knew all these people– that we should do a compilation for this organization to raise money for [it].
ES: Do you think it’s important that bands or people who are in the public eye to do these things? Or would you rather just stick to playing music?
FL: It’s good. I mean if it’s an interesting subject for us, we could be up for it. And this was a good thing that we wanted to do. But we’re not a political band.
ES: Yeah, you like to keep it light, I suppose [laughs].
FL: [laughs]
ES: So what’s the best and worst part of touring?
FL: There are no bad parts, in my opinion [laughs]. Maybe being away from friends and family back home. That’s the only bad thing about it, in my opinion. There’s a lot of good parts: Playing music every night for people who love the music and… it’s really fun.
ES: Is it still fresh and new for you guys?
FL: Yeah, as long as we’re into the songs that feel fresh.
ES: Is there a different feeling from playing the older stuff to playing the newer stuff, that you feel happens?
FL: Yeah, I mean the old stuff… some of the old songs, we’ve played like 500-600 times–
ES: “Mr. Clean”? [laughs]
FL: [laughs] Yeah, we loved to play that song. But it’s a special feeling to see people who’s been listening to that song for maybe –I don’t know– 12 years or something.
ES: ’98, I think.
FL: Yeah, it’s fun to see how people react. It’s a good thing.
ES: After so many years in the business, what could you tell a younger band today that you guys have learned or maybe have noticed that they may be doing wrong or if there’s anything?
FL: I think the attitude has changed a lot since we started bands back in the day. A lot of bands, they aim for pretty much success and they want it really fast. I think you should keep it fun and let it take some time. Do some work, and not just aiming on being a superstar or whatever.
ES: You guys are on Epitaph, which is considered an indie label. How have you guys managed to stay well known but maintain that… I guess you could say “indie credit”, or underground feeling to you guys but you’re still very well known?
FL: I guess they’ve done a good job. Both Burning Heart and Epitaph. Some people say we’re too “promotion”. It depend who you ask about it. But I mean, I think we’ve been working hard, touring a lot. And you need to go out and play a lot of shows, spread the name and build the fanbase.
ES: So this is my pretty much last question. For “Machine 15″, you teamed up with Lou Giordano who did Taking Back Sunday, Plain White T’s –who are younger bands–. Did any of these bands or younger bands have an influence on your record, working with that producer?
FL: He also did “Home from Home” for us. So we’ve worked with him before. And we thought he would do a good job on the kind of songs that we had for the new album. We knew the guy and he’s fun to record with. We knew he was going to get a sound [that's] modern on the new songs. He also produced Sam, I am, which is a big influence for us and some other bands [like] Sugar.
ES: So this is kind of a wrap-up question: After so many interviews, what is one question –or maybe THE question– that you just don’t want to hear anymore, that you’re fed up of hearing?
FL: Maybe questions about bowling, and “Da Strike”. Or “do you guys still skate?” [laughs]. But I mean there’s a lot of people who’s never heard us not doing any of those stuff. But I don’t get angry or anything like that [laughs].
Have something to say? Hit us up on Twitter
