10 Quick Ones with MAGNUS HENRIKSSON of ECLIPSE – March 2017

According to a recent press release: “Two years after the successful release of the “Armageddonize” album around the globe, Eclipse have established themselves as rising stars with audiences in Australia, Japan, America, and Europe (including the 3.5 million viewers who saw Eclipse’s debut on Swedish national television at Melodifestivalen 2016). With the musical development and maturity shown across the board on their last two albums, Bleed and Scream and Armageddonize, the future has become clear: these guys are destined for stardom! And now with their new album, aptly entitled Monumentum, band’s amazing abilities are truly on display for the world to hear.”  As a big fan of melodic rock, I can honestly say these guys are one of my favorites and they seem to get better with each release.  We were lucky enough to get Magnus Henriksson to answer our 10 Quick Ones about the new disc and much more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

I don’t think there’s much hidden in our music. We always set out to make easy listening, accessible and honest music that shoots straight for the heart. When we write we’re always going for the goosebumps on our arms. When the music gives us that, then we know we’re on the right track. Then of course, some songs are growers and some are not. Our singles are usually the ones made to pick people’s attention right away, and the rest of the songs are the ones that are made to be the soundtracks of your life 🙂 But to answer the question, what’s hidden is what influenced us to write the songs. We “borrow” a lot of ideas from other artists. You might not spot where we got it from cuz we’re really good at covering it up and to remake our little “thefts”.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I got into music from the day I was born cuz my dad was a professional musician and I was always surrounded by music every day. There were always guitars laying around in our house. One day when I was 9 years old I picked up one of the guitars and started to teach myself how to play it. The first song I learned to play was “Shadoogie” by The Shadows. I always wanted to be a musician and I was halftime musician until the day I got so much offers to play gigs that it would be impossible to keep a daytime job at the same time. That’s when I took the bold move to be a full time musician. And I’ve been ever since. That was 15 years ago.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

• Elvis Presley – That’s what got me into music. Still Love his music.
• The Beatles
• AC/DC
• Rainbow
• Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising Force

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

David Coverdale. His voice makes every song the best song in the world. He has that quality. It’d be easy to make a great album with him cuz he’s so damned talented.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Groovy beats with nasty metal guitars combined with poppy and melodic song melodies with clean vocals. All this in a very contemporary production/mix. This is not a retro band. We sound like Eclipse!

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The best thing is that my work is making people happy. I get instant payoff by seeing people’s reactions on their faces and getting their applause when I work. Not everyone is that lucky. I do however believe that all working people deserves applauds. The moms that are home raising their children, the police, the cab drivers, the mine workers, the people working at this magazine. I applaud you all! Another thing I love about this work is that I get to see parts of the world that most people would never dream of going. I’m really thankful for that.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Unfortunately we don’t have much time to hang out when we’re not working. We mostly see each other on rehearsals, photo sessions, gigs and on the airports. Most of our communication is through email and Facebook when we’re not working together. Maybe it’s best that way. Philip is always the one getting the drinks in when we’re travelling by airplane. Gin and tonic. I don’t know how he can drink that. Erik’s the one who always wants to go to the local pub in whatever town we’re in. Magnus Ulfstedt stays in his hotel room reading Kiss books or watching old movies. I like to do some sightseeing when I’m in a new town.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

Any job that’d include a lot of travelling I guess. I don’t like to sit still. Travel guide maybe.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

I don’t regret anything. The only thing I regret is not doing more. We could’ve toured more. We could’ve worked harder. Made more records. We could’ve started this band earlier. I regret that. We’re not getting any younger.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

I’d like to be a fly on the wall when AC/DC recorded Highway To Hell. That album has meant everything to me as far as writing songs, riffs and getting a great guitar sound. It’d be really interesting to see how Mutt Lange worked with AC/DC as well. I’ve heard their collaboration wasn’t without trial and tribulation. But that’s what makes a great album.

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Category: Interviews