HARDCORE SUPERSTAR (Eng.)
– Hello, lots of thanks for answering our interview and, first of all, congratulations on your new album. How is everything going into the HARDCORE SUPERSTAR’s camp right now?
We´re all celebrating over here! We´ve got such a nice response from the fans and we´ve just finished our first show here on «Take On Us Tour 2013». Cheers 🙂
– You have just released your new album, «C’mon Take on me» which is your ninth studio album so, is this still an exciting moment for you?
It gets more nerve wrecking for every album i´ll tell you that. We´ll push ourselves to find new interesting ways to write and record album.
– I personally think this is one of your best albums ever, and I bet it’ll be one of the albums of the year but, what are your thoughts on it? Do you share this same feeling? Anyway most bands use to say their newest album is their best, but this time reviews have been overwhelming as well for what I’ve seen…
When we start to write for a new record we always want to do the opposite to our previous album. So that´s why we think for a couple of months that our latest album is the best and then you start to hate it…Hahaha!
– After giving the record some spins I could say is has a bigger influence of 80’s Sleaze/Hard Rock and also some 70’s Rock nuances. It’s obvious 80’s Sleaze has always been a huge source of inspiration for you, but this time I’ve also noticed some AC/DC-like riffs so, are you always open to explore new territories and to go a little bit further?
That´s what drives us. Inspiration and trying to find new ways to write. It´s exciting and almost the same feeling as when you come home from a date. It´s just a great feeling if it feels good.
– There’s something that caught specially my attention, and are the choirs on «One more Minute», something unheard in HCSS. How did you come up with the idea?
Drinking way too much in the studio..Haha! We wanted that song to be almost schizophrenic in a way with an almost soft hippie verse with a party chorus.
– In fact you have already done a video for this track, your first single. I think it’s a great choice, as «One more Minute» is one of the catchiest songs off this opus but, was it easy to choose one single? As you always have several really up-lifting, catchy and «easy-listening» songs.
We´ve actually planned to release four singles for this album. There will be four videos as well so watch out for them. «One More Minute» felt fresh and that´s why we choose that as the first single.
– You have always managed to top over your previous album, but with «C’mon Take on me» I specially noticed a huge improvement or refreshed approach on songwriting terms. Due to this I would like to know if the songwriting process changed at all.
We always plan our album before we start to write on it. We discuss in what direction we want to go, who to mix it and so on. This time we choose to be more spontaneous and write and record it without any discussions. It felt very fresh and creative for us.
– One of your trademarks I’d dare say is how you mix your usual rough and sharpening sound with melody and really catchy moments, also with a thick sound. This I think creates a nice contrast, leaving a bigger mark on the listener so, are these contrasts something important for HARDCORE SUPERSTAR?
Very much so. We all grew up in the golden age of hard rock music and we can´t just limit ourselves to one style. I like to think of us as a hybrid of all the 80´s styles.
– This being said, with each new album you have also managed to refresh your sound still keeping your own essence and recognizable sound, is it easy to get it? I mean to keep the classic HARDCORE SUPERSTAR’s basis still adding new elements or getting new approaches.
That´s the challenge really. To find new ways to write, finding new angles and so on. When we have trouble finding new ways to write we´ll just stop i guess.
– The own band has produced the album, with he cooperation of seasoned Randy Staub taking mixing duties. How positive has been for the final outcome to have the band itself taking production duties? (as the final product is superb). I guess there’s no one like yourself to understand your attitude and sound but, don’t you feel more pressure dealing also with the production?
We felt pressure for sure. We had to do everything ourselves. We found an old abandoned studio which we took over and we stayed there for about 6 months. It was hard work. It was really nice to hand it all over to Randy to mix it. We were exhausted by then. Randy is like god when it comes to sound really, i mean c´moon… Metallica´s black album and Dr Feelgood. Those albums are the best sounding albums there are.
– All this about your new album being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Pretty Fucking Good!!!
– It feels to me like on «C’mon Take on me» you have mixed all the different elements you have always used, from some classic Rock details as in albums like «Thank you (for Letting us be Ourselves)» to the Punk edge of «Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada». Maybe doing a compilation album like «The Party Ain’t Over ‘Til We Say So…» made you look a bit back in that sense and this way made you recover some of those elements?
We´re old school guys so we listen to bands like Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, KISS, Boston and Alice Cooper. And what they all had is great melodic hard rock songs. Today a lot of bands miss out on that. I always wanna hear all those classic songs like «Strangers in the night» with Saxon and «Schools Out» with Alice when i drink and we want to be just like our heroes.
– Anyway musically it’s obvious you are always looking further, and you have never done the same thing twice, being heavier with each new album and digging deeper into Metal. Is this your true identity? Are those the actual HCSS? Those heavier, rougher and more Metal ones. As this personality is being solidified with each new release, specially compared to your two first records.
It´s like with Judas priest. We like to be hard sometimes like Painkiller and next minute you just want to hear Living after midnight. Why go for just one of those moods all the time??
– Talking about this and still looking back, I’d dare say «Hardcore Superstar» was the album that finally brought you to fame after several years of hard work and solid releases so, what did that album mean to the band?
A loooooooooot. We got to tour everywhere on that album and we toured with a lot of different bands. I think we really found our confidence and our own voice on that album.
– And about earlier releases, have you ever tought about re-releasing «It’s Only Rock n’ Roll» worlwide? I mean also featuring those songs that weren’t included on «Bad Sneakers and a Piña Colada».
No. Not really.
– You have been around for several years and you have always been a really active band, both on studio and on stage so, where do you take all that energy from? As it’ something you also deliver with your music. Maybe this activity itself it’s a way of recharging your battery?
Yeah. Hard work makes you stay inspired.
– In fact you will soon start touring Sweden but, aren’t being planned any other dates? Any chance of seeing you guys in Spain?
I´m pretty sure we´ll be all over the world this time. Let´s make it happen 🙂
– Talking about such, you have been to our country so, any nice memories from Spain?
I Have lots of great memories from spain but one of my favorites was when we were out partying in Valencia. We came there the night before our show and went out to just see the city. We came back to the bus the day after having a fucking great time!!!
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Looking forward to have another great time in Spain 🙂
