PIG EYES (Eng.)
– Hello and first of all, thanks for taking the time. How is everything going right now with PIG EYES? What are you currently up to?
Hello. We just released our second album here in Scandinavia and are awaiting the North American release of said album, which will feature the same songs, but look slightly different.
We have already started demoing songs for whatever the next release will be.
Things are, as per usual, happening in a slow fashion.
– First off, even though I guess you may be tired of answering this… What’s the story and meaning behind the band’s name?
It was just thought up randomly, like most band names I guess. I was out drinking alone and saw all the other tragic figures with their pig-eyed, distorted faces. It might have been a mirror. Probably was. It’s not a great name for a band, but it works.
– You are a relatively young band, and really unknown in our country so would you mind to tell a little bit what kind of activity have you had since you got together up to the date?
I wouldn’t go as far as calling ourselves a proactive band, but somehow we managed to squeeze in two albums, a number of shows, a couple of parties and too many late nights, inbetween our setbacks in life. I think the impact of the band has solely been on a personal level. No success story I’m afraid.
– Your are a singular six-piece with two drummers. What does this bring to the band’s sound?
I think we haven’t really explored it to the fullest yet. I guess I would say our two drummers more sound like one and a half. Meaning we’re still learning, and it’s a steep curve.
Actually, on the first album we really only had the one last song that featured two drum tracks. The other songs were split up between the drummers. Mainly because those songs originated from two different constellations. We just melded them together and found ourselves being six people in a band.
– And your sound is also really singular. PIG EYES mixes different emotions, styles, elements… All you have have played or are still playing in different bands so, how much of your background are you bringing to what you are doing with PIG EYES?
I think the answers can be found in your question. We’re six very different persons with as many different backgrounds. What happens while people develop and expand relationships with each other always comes in to play. I think it’s even more evident in how we sound. Just listen to the diversity between the songs on the new album. Although they do come from Henrik’s brain solely, they really show how disparate we all are in our playing.
– And with such a unique sound I wonder what’s PIG EYES for you. A way to channel all your creativity?
Exactly. A lot of it has to do with friendship, but as musicians it’s a much needed creative outlet. I would say it’s very liberating with this “anything goes”-mentality. Keeps it fun and interesting. I guess that’s our true north.
– This being said; how would you describe your sound?
I don’t feel we have a particular style. Genre bending, really.
The repeated lyrical themes are friends, fear and death. This no-escape soul destroying life.
What we try to do is translating those feelings into music, so the word navigating us through all of this would probably be; “Sorrow”.
– Now you have just released your sophomore self-titled album. A self titled album always says a lot about the album, as it’s like a statement, and from a self-titled album you expect to retain all the band’s essence. Is this the case of your new album?
Yes, I think you’re right. This album is more of an debut album from the band that we are today, whereas the first LP was more treading lightly in waters. We have found the universe we want to explore and I believe this record became our point of departure.
– As I said earlier, even though you are a realtively young band you have a great support and distribution. In fact in the US your album is being distributed by Electric Assault, a really dedicated record company and supportive to the underground, also quite known even in Europe, and they have also signed bands as your compatriots in GRAVMASKIN. How did you hook up with them?
Henrik is a good friend of Henry and they have already worked together when Electric Assault released a 7” by Sonic Ritual a couple of years ago, which is one of Henrik’s previous bands.
Henry is an awesome guy, and as you mentioned, very dedicated and supportive. His label being one that is far from pigeonholeing itself and has a very similar outlook on music that we have. I think it’s a perfect fit.
– And in Europe the album is being released through a small label called Fetish. How is everything working?
Fetish is basically releasing the record exclusively in Sweden, but it’s gonna be distributed through other european channels, I guess. Anton, the guy behind the label is one of the guys behind Mourningwood Records, who mostly released records from Bombus. So he already had the distribution set up. Making this a new label, but from a seasoned veteran. A great guy, and also a very good friend.
– Fitting to your unique parallel world the cover artwork for «Pig Eyes» is really singular too. If I’m not mistaken is a picture by Johan Döden Dahlroth. Could you comment a little but what were you looking for the cover and how did you work on it? I mean, was it a picture inspired by the album?
We were thinking of something to put on the cover that matched the tone of the music, something that would keep with the lyrical theme of the record. The kids in the photo is very important.
Johan Dahlroth, who took the picture is an old friend of mine and I’ve had this picture in the back of my mind for a long time. It has this aesthetic that draws you in, making you wanna look closer. It’s a strong image. A perfect fit. We are very happy that we got the permission from the photographer to use it as a cover.
More people in the world should take notice of the pictures he’s taken.
– I read all over the internet, when it comes to the band, you use a lot cosmic-related words and adjectives. To what extent can this be applied to PIG EYES and in which way?
That’s mostly the way we talk and describe things. But of course, the transcendent power of music plays a part in that as well. It’s a combination of our more serious pretentions of creating music and the likewise important need not to take yourself too seriously. Both are equally important.
Music is one kind of drug, but there are others to help you realise the bigger picture. Let’s leave it at that.
– All 6 songs on the album are really dynamic, and manage to keep the listener’s attention from start to end, something isn’t always easy with lengthy tunes. Do you keep this in mind when you compose or do you just let things flow on a natural way? How is the songwriting process like in PIG EYES?
On the new album, Henrik has written almost everything himself. He has the gift of being able to write songs, complete with basslines and drum patterns in his head and then just translate that full vision in the rehearsal space. Lately he partenered up with Benke as a creative sounding board.
But there’s no rules.
– You have already done a heartfelt, emotional video for «Warlord», which feels like the Scandinavian verison for THE BLACK KEYS’ «Lonely Boy». Could you please elaborate a little bit on the video and its concept? I’m really willing to know more about it.
Well, the video recording was a spur of the moment kind of thing. It was very late in the night and it’s only one first take.
The metaphor is that you only have one take in life it seems. So when the camera starts rolling, and your dance isn’t welcome in society, that’s when you have to take to the figurative guns.
– All this about your new album being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Feel bad music.
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
Keep making new songs and try to appear in front of people’s faces and crossed arms a little more these coming 6 months.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Thanks for your interest in the band, always fun. Keep on freeing yourself in a rocky world!
