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Hailing from
Sweden Maryslim are one of the new generation of crazy rock n' rollers
to be currently hitting the scene hard and fast. Following on from
the release of their new album 'A Perfect Mess' we catch up with Mats to
find out more ...
MM - Firstly who are Maryslim?
Mats - Mats, Kent, Urrke and Patrik.
Four different personalities that somehow melts together and ends up
playing good rock music.
MM - Is it true you all came together after meeting up in a bar?
Mats - Well me
and Kent decided to start a new band and we wrote songs and recorded it
but we didn’t have a bas player or a drummer. A friend of ours had
told us that he knew a guy (Urrke) and I think he plays the bas because
I saw him running around in his apartment whit a Thunderbird when I was
there on an after party but I don’t know if he actually can play.
And then we met Urrke at a concert with Hellacopters and Wayne Cramer I
think it was back in 99 so we asked him and he said hell yeah!! Then
when we tried him out it actually turned out that he could play the
bass! Then Urrke knew Patrik and the whole crazy circus began.
MM - The bands new album ‘A Perfect Mess’ is the bands third full
album, what feedback have you received so far from both your fans and
the media in general?
Mats - Well from the fans it’s been
great and when we’re out playing we’re getting amazing feedback. The
Media has been pretty good to us this time I think also but more outside
Sweden though.
MM - How would you describe your music to anyone not familiar with the
band and where do you draw your influences from?
Mats - The influences comes from
everywhere but if I should try to describe the music I would say, Hard
rock with a little bit 80’s heavy metal, punk, and rock n' roll mixed
with pop melodies. Weird hahaha.
MM - Who normally writes for Maryslim,
and what would you say fuels your lyrics?
Mats - Well the
latest album it’s written almost by me (Mats) both music and lyrics,
before Kent has been involved in the music process and Urrke has written
some of the old lyrics on the first album and Split Vision. I try to
keep the lyrics as easy as possible but of course sometimes you really
make it. I write about what I see, read and of course my own experiences
and the different things you get exposed to. And I like it when people
can make there own opinion about the lyrics, it doesn’t matter if
someone reads something else into it.
MM - How have things changed with the
band since you first began to now? How do you feel you guys have matured
both as a band and in your sound over this time?
Mats - I think we
have developed a more matured sound and even the lyrics. It has to be a
substance to what you sing about in my opinion.
MM - How do you feel the band fits in
with today's music scene? And what about your local scene, is this a
healthy place to be?
Mats - I think it fits in well, it’s
kind of timeless in a way. Sooner or later someone will enjoy it haha!!
The local scene is healthy in that sense that there are a lot of good
bands but it can be hard to fit, it’s a small country.
MM - Are there any more modern bands or
artists that you guys look up to or get inspired by?
Mats - I think we get inspired by a lot
of bands, mostly old ones I think.
MM - How did you come to meet Peter
Tagtgren and what made you choose him as the producer for this new
album?
Mats - Well we
worked whit him on Split Vision and it was “love at first sight” so
we wanted to try to take it a step further whit him this time and I
think we got even closer to the sound that we have in our heads. Peter
is very talented and a really nice guy so it was pretty easy to choose
him again. We have a lot of fun in the studio, and I think that’s
important that it clicks socially.
MM - What are your favourite tour and
groupie stories that are worth telling?
Mats - The
favourite tour must be the latest whit The 69 Eyes and Wednesday 13 it
was a blast!!! Stories to tell!? Well maybe they'll show up in lyrics in
the future hehe.
MM - Did you all agree on your particular sound at the very beginning or
were there ever any clashes over musical ideas?
Mats - No not
really, I think we found our sound pretty fast.
MM - How do you put your songs together lyrics or music first, or do
they develop at same time? Electric or acoustic?
Mats - I sit at
home with my electric guitar and a little amp and the music comes first
whit arrangements and melodies, then when we’ve tried it out whit the
whole band I ask the rest of the guys if it’s a good song and if
the approve I go home and write lyrics. Of course everybody in the band
is involved in arrangements and sometimes changes if there are better.
MM - Looking back on all you've done, if given the chance is there
anything you would change?
Mats - No you
can’t turn back time, there is no time for regrets, the only thing you
can do is write even better songs and do an even greater album! (If we
talk about music) But I think it goes for private stuff to.
MM - Do the band have any tours or festival dates planned for the coming
year?
Mats - It’s
pretty slow this summer but in the fall we’re gonna tour some more but
I don’t have any details right now.
MM - Can you tell us a little about the process of how ‘A Perfect
Mess’ was recorded?
Mats - Well we
did a preproduction and sent it to Peter so he knew how the new songs
sounded and then we recorded the album during 2½ weeks in may 2006 in
the Abyss Studio.
MM - What are the bands favourite tracks off the album and why?
Mats - I really don’t know but I thin
that Part of me is Urrkes favourite and actually mine to. I don’t
usually have a favourite but this one I’m really proud of.
MM - What are your views on rock fans, as opposed to fans of other
types of music (eg. Boy pop band fans!)?
Mats - It’s hard to say but the fans on
this latest tour in Germany, Holland, Belgium and Finland was amazing!
They are very nice fans, really cool persons.
MM - Do you think rock fans (and bands
for that matter!) are treat with enough respect in today's society?
Mats - I’m not
sure what your question actually is about here but I think it is the
same as it always been, people think that they are naïve dreamers I
guess but that’s the beauty of it, do what you want and don’t care
about what other people say!!!
MM - What does the year ahead have in
store for Maryslim?
Mats - As I
mention earlier we’re planning to tour in September and forward, and
then it could be time for planning a new album, we will see.
MM - Finally are there any words of wisdom you’d like to share with
all your fans out there?
Mats - That’s
also something I’ve already said: Feel your guts and go for it because
nothing is impossible!!!! Do what you want and believe in yourself!!
Thanx a lot for this time.
Cheers
Mats/Maryslim
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