by Adam McGrath
It’s been more than 11 years since Swedish indie-rockers The Sounds burst onto the scene with their debut album, Living in America. Since then, the five-member group has brought high-energy, synth-tinged dance rock to every corner of the globe. Now, as they cross North America on a headlining tour in support of their fifth album, 2013’s Weekend, The Sounds are an independent, mature band that thrills fans nightly with a kinetic live show.
Just a few days into the tour, drummer Fredrik Blond called in for a chat with That Mag to discuss the making of Weekend and the challenges of touring, including what happens when the band’s gear doesn’t make it all the way to the starting line.
“The first show [in Vancouver] was kind of weird,” Blond admitted, “because half of our gear didn’t make it all the way. We had to sort of improvise, borrow some stuff, but we got through it. Now everything is here, and we’re just rolling, so it should be smooth sailing from here, hopefully.”
Luckily, the making of Weekend wasn’t plagued with any such hiccups. Recorded in Gothenburg, Sweden with producer Alex Newport (At The Drive-In, Bloc Party), and released on the band’s own label, Arnioki Records, Weekend contains plenty of the band’s signature sound while also exploring newer, more subtle arrangements.
“I like to think all our albums are different,” Blond commented. “We always work with different people and in different studios. The last album we did, [2011’s Something To Die For] we sort of produced ourselves, in our home studio, but this time we felt that we wanted a different experience, and we teamed up with Alex.
“In the studio, we were all staying there at the same time, which just creates this other vibe, where you see the people all the time, and if there’s any issues, you just have to deal with it. It was also good to have someone else listen to the ideas, and see what their point of view was, to get a sense of what they thought the song could be or should be.”
The Sounds are relatively unique in that they have maintained the same lineup throughout their career, and each member possesses the songwriting impulse. Any casual fan will recognize stylish lead singer Maja Ivarsson, but guitarist Felix Rodriguez, pianist Jesper Anderberg, and bassist Johan Bengtsson are all integral to the band’s success.
The album’s title track, “Weekend,” is interesting in that it features a more laidback vibe, even though the message is clearly light and carefree. Blond explained how that song came about:
“All of us have always been interested in writing songs, not necessarily for The Sounds. Me, personally, I just like writing songs, and it doesn’t have to end up like anything. I have tons and tons of stuff that was only meant for me to listen to. That song, we just wanted to write a song, and not necessarily worry about what’s going to happen to it. I thought it was a nice vibe. If I recall correctly, I believe that song was mostly written by me and Jesper, and mostly in one session.”
Another perk of the band’s previous success is that they have complete freedom and independence to make the music they want to. Blond says, “we own all the recordings, we pay for everything, so there’s no bureaucratic bulldog to worry about.”
The Sounds make rock ‘n’ roll look easy, and their success is well-earned. The current tour has them headlining venues in major cities, and their show on Tuesday, April 8 at Union Transfer features supporting acts Blondfire and Strange Talk.
My conversation with Fredrik (who changed his last name from Nilsson to Blond at the request of his grandmother) wrapped up with a discussion of the band’s diet while on tour. “We try to eat healthy,” Blond chuckles, “and in the big cities there are lots of choices, but all of us in the band really like the Mexican food here on the West Coast. We don’t get a lot of that in Sweden.”
