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A Dirty Dozen with CHARLIE GRANBERG from HELSINGLAND UNDERGROUND – August 2019

| 13 August 2019 | Reply

 

According to a recent press release: “First single ”Carnival Beyond The Hills” taken from our upcoming fifth studio album A Hundred Years Is Nothing is set to be released on August 9! Available on 7” vinyl in two different vinyl colors: Solid Black and Solid Pink – Limited Edition of 200 copies of each color. The B side is the previously unreleased track ”Flare Up The Night” recorded during the Evil Will Prevail-sessions back in 2012.” We get Charlie to discuss new music, influences, 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 think a lot of our longtime fans might be a little surprised about the sound on this record. We’ve been slowly moving in this direction over the last two albums, Evil Will Prevail and Understanding Gravity, but this is the biggest step between two albums I guess. I produced the album this time, and I wanted more space in the songs, and to really keep the album together. Plus, we started to experiment a lot with all these synthezeizers, mellotrons and pedal steel this time. This album is perhaps not as direct as previous albums. It might take a while to get it. But once you have, the reward is much bigger.

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

I was raised into a musical family. My father was a troubadour and I used to go with him to his shows as a kid. He is still active, but now as a lead singer of a jazz band. And there was a lot of music played in our home all the time. Mostly Beatles. The exact moment I realized this was something I wanted to do, was when I saw Stones playing Start Me Up live on tv. Something just clicked in me.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I guess I must say The Beatles. Having heard all their albums over and over as a kid. It kinda evolved from there.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Neil Young and Abba.

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

Someone that plays a very different style of music from us. A guy like Aphex Twin or something. I’m a big fan of him.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

Music played from the heart. Raw energy, rootsy kinda folk and country rock fundament, but with a more progressive way of approaching our pretty happy sounding songs, combined with dark lyrics. And some spacey elements on top.No, I don’t care how other people describe us. That is their thing. Our music is ours. But we’re happy to share it with anyone who likes it of course!

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

Playing live. Connecting with an audience to a point where the band and the crowd becomes one sweaty mass. That’s the most beautiful thing about it. I also enjoy writing and recording.

8. 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?

If we are barbecuing, it’s definitely me who cooks. I have a serious Texas BBQ fetish. I light tgat smoker as often as I can. We’re no fancy drink people, we usually drink beer or red wine. Martin is the one with the acoustic guitar. But he have to be really drunk first. And he only plays Neil Young songs. Or songs by Allan Edwall, a Swedish cult troubadour.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

I’m seldom star strucked these days. I think the last time must have been when I was 25 and met Lemmy in a bar in Stockholm. He stood by himself with his Jack & Coke by the bar. People would sneak around him and point at him but no one would talk to him. He was like the elephant in the room. So I guess that task was on me. I went up to him, said hi and shook his hand. Then I said “You have no idea how much time I spent on my boy room listening to your music, growing up”. His face didn’t change when he replies “No, but I read about it.” Haha, what a legend.

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

I have managed to survive on art and music for the last 18 years, so I guess I would just be doing art full time then. An ordinary job just isn’t for me. I’ve tries did, didn’t like it.

11. 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”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

No, there is no use in even thinking like that. Of course there’s been mistakes made, but since there’s nothing you can do about it, why think about it.

12. 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 don’t know really… there are so many. I first thought about Blonde on Blonde with Bob Dylan. But I think being a fly on the wall during the recording of the first Doors album would be more interesting. There’s just so much legends, myths and tales about Jim Morrison, so I would like to see what he was like in real life. That was the one album that made broaden my musical horizons as a teen. Previous to discovering them, I’d almost only listen to metal bands like Motörhead and Iron Maiden. That album made me realize that there were other types of great music out there.

HELSINGLAND UNDERGROUND LINKS:

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Category: Interviews

About the Author ()

ToddStar - that's me... just a rocking accountant who had dreams of being a rock star. I get to do the next best thing to rocking the globe - I get to take pictures of the lucky ones that do. I love to shoot all genres of music and different types of performers. If it is related to music, I love to photograph it. I get to shoot and hang with not only some of my friends and idols, but some of the coolest people around today.

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