KVELERTAK (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to?
Having a few days off before we embark on our first european headliner-tour with Wolves like us, The Secret, Toxic Holocaust and Doomriders!
– First of all, could you please make some history of KVELERTAK?
Me and Bjarte used to live together a couple of years ago, we got tired of only using our basement for playing wow, so got some friends together and started practicing there instead!We were pretty bad at first, so we practiced alot, worked on songs, had some line-up changes and played as much live as possible. That’s pretty much it!
– How did you come up with the band’s name?
We brainstormed.
– And what are the band’s main musical influences? As your music is really varied, always adding elements from really different music styles.
I think you have to ask Bjarte, according to him there’s beach Bois references in our music, but I only listen to heavy music, so I wouldn’t know!
– Due to this I would like you to describe your sound? As I think we can find nuances from Black Metal, more traditional Rock N’ Roll or Punk…
Rock!
– You have recently re-released your album «Kvelertak»; how did everything start?
How the album started? It’s basically just a collection of all the songswe had up until the point of us recording the whole thing!
– Feedback for the original pressing was really excelent but, this being said, did you have high expectations with this debut album or did the good reviews surprise you?
I didn’t really know what to expect, since we’ve never released an album before. I knew it was going to be good once we started recording with Kurt Ballou (Converge) and got John Baizley (Baroness) to make the coverart, but the thing I’m most surprised about is that we basically haven’t gotten a single bad review! Not trying to make it sound like we want bad reviews though, hehe.
– This first album was released last 2010 but you were formed in 2007 if I’m not mistaken; what were you guys up during that time?
We formed in 2006, we weren’t really doing much. Studying, having shitty jobs and playing wow like I said in the beginning.
– Now that is has been a while since the original release came out; would you like to change anything on it?
We just did the best we could when we recorded it and we’re happy with that! So no.
– As I said your sound is really varied and dynamic so, how was the songwriting process? Is it a team effort where everyone involved adds its own touch?
Bjarte makes the songs and I make the lyrics, but everybody gets to put their touch on it when we hash it out in the practicespace.
– In this record we can find guest artists as Hoest (TAAKE) or Ivar Nikolaisen (SILVER) among others. How did you come up with this idea? Why did you choose them and what did each one of them brought with their cooperations?
It’s just people we knew from before and thought would be cool to have on the album. I love when bands have guestvocals, because it sounds more dynamic and varied as opposed to just having one vocalist throughout the whole album.
– The coverartwork is really personal and, for what I know, was done by John Baizley. What do you wanted to express through it?
I just told him what the songs were about and told him it needed to have an owl on it, so he made the cover based on that. He wrote like two pages explaining different elements in the cover, but I can’t remember all of it anymore though. The guy with the tits and skull for a head is Fossegrim!
– With «Kvelertak» you guys managed to get two Spellemann awards. What did this mean to you? Did this fact opened new doors to the band?
I guess in Norway it made people more aware of us, so yes, it might have opened a backdoor or two! For me it was more of a cool pat on the shoulder.
– Anyway, have you ever thought about singing in English to spread the band even more?
No, I prefer my own language.
– Your lyrics deal with Viking and Norse mythology, so I guess that fits with singing in your mother tongue. How much does your land and its culture influence your music?
A lot, I guess, even if it isn’t that concious. I basically just sing about things that I think is badass and makes for good songlyrics.
– After releasing such a sucessful debut, have the goals you had when formed the band now changed?
Yes, before the goal was to release a good album, now the goal is to make an equally good second album!
– Finally, what are your near-future plans? Have you already started writing for an upcoming album?
We’re doing the european tour I talked about in the beginning of the interview, after that we’ll start working on and practicing new material for the next album. Hopefully we’ll be recording sometime next year.
– That’s all, thanks again for your time. If you now want to add some final thoughts, take the last lines.
Check out my black metal band Djevel and thanks for the interview. Hail Satan!
Erlend Hjelvik
