 1) Hello Marcus, how are things in Sweden? Hi! Well, things are quite fine on these northern shores this time of the year. We’ve just got our first blizzard of a winter for quite some years. Slippery on the roads but unmatched in majesty! Winter is sure a fine season. 2) First of all, congratulations on your album. It is quite impressive and therefore it got a 9 out of 10 mark in the album reviews. Thank you. 9 out of 10!!? I didn’t know that. It feels rather strange to get these kinds of reviews bearing in mind I’m competing with the major metal releases. It was surely nothing I expected when I started out with ElviraMadigan. It makes me a very happy Swede, indeed! 3) Tell me some things about the production. How long did it take you to prepare the album and record it? It took me two years altogether, to write, record, produce and mix it. I don’t write all the songs before I go into the studio, but have the blessing of a studio of my own so I can record whenever I want. So songs often just have basic lines, melodies and arrangements written when I start recording and during the whole process in the studio they get rewritten until I feel the finished result is perfect. It takes a lot of time recording ElviraMadigan albums, from beginning to end. There are no heavy rehearsings leading to a limited timeframe in a studio. The only stress factor is eventual deadlines I set for myself. I suppose I am a rather spoiled individual, don’t you say? 4) Were you the one who handled the production? Do you think that a professional producer could help elevating your music even more? Yes I handle also the production. It would be nice to leave say the mixing of the CD to someone else, but if I were to leave the entire production to someone else it would feel like I gave away much of the control I now have. I am somewhat of a control-freak regarding ElviraMadigan. The reason why I started this project in the first place was actually to make music exactly the way ONLY I wanted it, without having to hear or take into consideration what other people/eventual members think. It might sound a little bit tyrannical, but I have so many visions and ideas and ElviraMadigan is the vessel on which I want to make those dreams come true. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be able to afford a producer anyway since my budget is extremely tight. And now I have come to hope my own productions and soundscapes might become sort of a trademark for ElviraMadigan and therefor serve in a positive way. 5) I really liked the cover artwork and the whole package of the album. It’s not common to see this kind of presentations in self-financed or even small label releases… Yeah, they look pretty nice… both albums. Well, it is one more way of hopefully being able to sell better; that is by hoping some copies will sell themselves from the shelves or on the web by just looking stunning – since I don’t have a very wide distribution network today. And on promotion-tours what really catches peoples interest is the covers, and those are of course mostly men (I wonder how that can be??). I spare no expenses and efforts in order to get a more beautiful design (full color CD labels as well as digipacks) and a breathtaking artwork (by Mr Luis Royo) on the front. The way I figure is that if You have room and availability to have the packaging really special – there is no reason to settle for less! It’s an obligation to however might buy the CD! I am pretty interested in graphics and imagery besides music so it is an extraordinary opportunity to combine both interests under one roof – so to say. The same goes for the website which has many hours of design put down on it. I feel that even though I finance this myself, there is no real reason for the CD:s to look as of any poorer quality than if it were to be released under a larger label. It is the sheer love for the art that should set the boundaries and not the size of the label. That’s my opinion anyway and I hope I’ll succeed in having the name ElviraMadigan associated with good tasteful design! 6) So lets come to the music itself. Black metal seems to be the foundation of your compositions, however you emphasize a lot on the atmosphere so I guess this is equally important to you. Was that something you had in mind before entering the studio or did it come out during the recordings of the album? Mixing different styles is vital to ElviraMadigan. It is truly something that comes natural to me. When writing songs I don’t really reflect on whatever music style it will be or must be limited to. The music more or less becomes Black Metal because of the use of vocals, but mostly I feel the songs border more towards Speed, Symphonic and Progressive Metal (and let’s not forget the heavy doses of folk!). Many have had difficulties defining the music style (including myself), so mostly people settle for “Art-Metal” or “Avant-Garde Metal”. I mean, just look at “Kvinnorovet” on the new CD; it has only clean vocals and almost no distorted guitars at all. I don’t know if one can even say it is metal! The emotional issues in the music are of course important since they add weight and feeling to the songs (and especially the guitar solos and symphonic passages). Everything is woven together to hopefully make a musical experience that is by no means boring or repeating itself. But in answer to your question, most emotional and atmospheric passages do get worked out either in my mind while writing the songs or by pure accident while jamming on recordings already made. 7) How difficult was it for you to compose these songs, bearing in mind that they are quite different from what dominates the market nowadays? It is very hard work and I have sort of mixed emotions while composing and recording. I mostly go from loving it to hating it several times during each song. The thought of abandoning everything even crosses my mind a few times but the drive and urge to come through always prevails, and the end result is always worth it. It truly is a love/hate relationship. Don’t get me wrong! I couldn’t imagine NOT doing this. It comes extremely natural and is a vital part of my very existence, heck, it’s as obvious to me that I do this as it is going to the can! And if people should tend to like the music… that’s just wonderful! It is difficult to write the albums but not in the sense that I set out with the intention to get songs that are different from the general outlet, but more because I am so extremely self-critical while composing. I’m happy you find it different from what dominates the market, it is one of the most wonderful compliments one can get when I work so hard all by myself with only my own artistic mind and ability as the limit. 8) So which are the bands that impelled you to follow this music path? Oh, I don’t know. I listen to quite much and I suppose most of those bands play a very little – but vital part in creating the background of influence. But to name a few that got me into the direction of the first ever recordings of ElviraMadigan up until now, or that have given me something extra: Sabbat, Cradle of Filth (four first CD:s), Den Fule (Swedish folk-band), Ayreon, Blind Guardian (defenetly an influence), King Diamond (up to and including “Conspiracy”), Marillion, Hexenhaus, Mekong Delta, Bathory, Subway to Sally, WASP, early Magnum, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and many other. 9) What do you think are the differences between your new album, “Witches – Salem (1692 vs. 2001)” and your previous one, “Black Arts”? Do you think you have made some progress? There has defenetly been progress. Even though “BlackArts” is a very impressive release with songs that are very close to my heart, the new opus is better produced and even more diverse. I suppose the theme of the new release is a bit more vivid as well. I myself have not yet got that much of a distance to “Witches…” since I am just finished with it so I do have a rather hard time comparing them both (“BlackArts” was finished two years ago, but was released only one year ago). Only in a few months will I be able to with distance compare them both, but according to others (friends, magazines) the new CD is much improved. Those who for instance thought the vocals were a bit low on “BlackArts” will find that is corrected on the new one. One can say it is the natural, perhaps more artistic next step after “BlackArts”. 10) The band is called Elvira Madigan. Care to give us some information about her? Is she a fictional or a true person? The story of Elvira Madigan is rather captivating! She was a tight rope dancer in a Circus and lived from 1867-1889. She fell in love with a married lieutenant named Sixten Sparre and together they ran away to Denmark but were eventually faced with the necessity of returning to Sweden. Their running away had made Sparre into a deserter from the army and they would most likely be parted upon their arrival home so they chose to kill themselves instead. Sixten shot his Elvira Madigan and then shot himself. There has been classic movies made of this story, as well as musical pieces. But, my project does of course not really have anything to do with her life or crimes. I just thought it sounded neat! I really like band names that don’t actually mean anything and are not necessarily English, so ElviraMadigan fits me perfectly. 11) What about the lyrics? Someone could easily say that there is a concept story behind them… Yes, the concept is more vivid on this new CD than earlier on ElviraMadigan recordings. I focused more on witch-burnings and perhaps also more on direct attacks on the bloodstained history of the cross. Most ElviraMadigan lyrics have separate stories and that is the case on the new opus as well. The Swedish songs have perhaps more well-painted story-lines and more folklore-ish aspects than the English. But all tracks can refer to either Witches, Wicca or lashing down on religion in general. It’s a thankful subject since religion stands for so much evil in the world both in the past and today. There is however no conceptual story that runs through all the songs and tells a collective tale, like a “Rock Opera”. 12) Why are there only three songs written in English? Do you think that Swedish lyrics fit your music better than English ones? These three songs are the first ever in English for ElviraMadigan. “BlackArts” and the unreleased debut (which has most of its’ songs as bonustracks on “BlackArts”) have all the songs in Swedish. I began writing Swedish words after having spend many years writing only English lyrics in bands before ElviraMadigan, and the reason for that was because I found that Swedish felt more honest and I also found a very poetic/olden way of using Swedish in order to carry dark and captivating stories upon. I had been listening to many folk bands and a few Swedish Black Metal bands prior to this (who all sang in alternative languages) so I suppose it motivated me a bit. I also had more or less of a mental breakdown concerning English lyrics. I mean, the outlet of English lyrics is extremely vast and trying to come up with something that feels like me own property and not only a compilation of phrases heard elsewhere felt practically impossible. So Swedish words were the only alternative as it does fit the more Black/Folk Metal-ish. But after toying around with stories in Swedish for a while I gave English another chance and was very pleased with the result, hence these three songs in English. 13) Aren’t you afraid that this might have an unpleasing result as far as popularity is concerned? Well, perhaps it might. The way I see it though, is that ElviraMadigan really is my personal artistic journey so it’s nothing that actually troubles me. Swedish will probably never be entirely abandoned although I plan on having the next release sung only in English. I myself don’t care much what language music is sung in if it fits the entirety well. Such bands as In Extremo and Subway to Sally are really great but I can’t say I understand much of what they say (although I’ve studied the German language for six years… Shows how much I payed attention during those classes eh?). Rammstein has gained major recognition with singing in German. I feel it might be an artistic strength instead of a weight, and yes, it might perhaps filter out a few people but on the other hand, maybe that doesn’t matter. I don’t care much for following unwritten rules in music, whether it concerns language or structures of the songs. I didn’t start ElviraMadigan thinking I would gain popularity or thinking I would even get as far as I’ve done (sounds cliché but it’s true). Number of copies sold is not really a measurement of success for me, but rather getting through to people who really loves music. Like the recognition I get from talking to people who like my music while out on promotion-tours is really heartwarming. Artists who sell millions in mainstream today end up as background music in clothing stores and elevators while other bands have the ability to make the listener sit down and really listen. And if my hopes come true, I’d belong to the latter category. Being stubborn and hard-headed is kind of rewarding at times! Haw haw! No one can really blame me for just riding on momentary trends and the peace and satisfaction I find out of knowing this is priceless! 14) Elvira Madigan is a one-man project formed by you. Is that something you always wanted to do or were you forced to do it due to unconcern of other members? Funny you ask this question. In fact, ElviraMadigan had never existed if it hadn’t been because of the lack of interest from other members as well as other problems connected to a band I had prior to EM (called Andalucia). It split up at about the same time I started investing in Madigan Studios (in 1995). There was a brief period where I tried to revive the band but finally realised it was best to quit the idea entirely. In bands I was mostly rather frustrated since none of my songs really came out the way I wanted them to, so as I realised that the split up actually gave me an opportunity to have a fresh start, I began sketching the outlines of ElviraMadigan. And only after the first songs had been recorded did I realise I had something to work with for the future. If I remember correctly it was not until “BlackArts” was finished that I decided to carry on ONLY by myself and start my own recordcompany. Up until 1999 I was still fishing for a deal and to rerecord the songs, but I suddenly realised I was very satisfied with my productions and would not really want to have recordings done in more expensive studios. The soundscapes of Madigan Studios gives ElviraMadigan kind of a trademark of its’ own and besides, if I were to spend as much time as I do in my own studio elsewhere, I can not imagine what the studio costs would look like. 15) What is your opinion about the Swedish metal scene? Some say that the N.W.O.S.D.M. movement has begun to loose its effectiveness. I better watch what I say here, for I never actually liked this trademarked Swedish Death Metal. Everything mostly sounds like Iron Maiden on some kinds of frenzy drugs. The perfect productions just adds to the lack of identity for most of those acts, the melodies are often quite uninspiring and without any hint of emotions – as are the riffs. And most Death Metal vocals sound extremely boring to me – plain and as brutal as possible but without any thought of alliteration. Black Metal has a wider range which sounds far more interesting, as does the older Thrash/Speed scene and the early Death Metal that came in the beginning of the nineties. I wouldn’t mind if this new Swedish scene would at least get some fresh air into it or perhaps even head into a different direction. It’s like there is either that kind of Death Metal or uninspiring Power Metal that comes out of Swedish shores today. That is rather sad. Such creative and wonderful acts like Candlemass (of the eighties), Hexenhaus and Memento Mori are all gone. The only exception that is truly extremely interesting (and that crosses my mind right now) is Notre Dame. Then there are Marduk and other Black Metal acts of course, who manages to be creative. Perhaps this Swedish Death Metal has helped in putting Sweden on the map a little, and perhaps many other bands can benefit from that. But acts like “Bathory”, “Candlemass”, “Marduk”, “Lake of Tears”, “Morgana Lefay” and “Candlemass” or heck… even “Europé” have done well in doing so earlier and I’d rather have those bands coming into peoples minds if they refer to Swedish Metal than the N.W.O.S.D.M. 16) Have you given any live shows? Is it easy to reproduce your music on stage? No not with ElviraMadigan. Perhaps this will be an issue for the future. I do write all music so that it is possible to play it live. I played live in the band “Andalucia” (which I briefly mentioned earlier) and in other bands, but the music were more Hard Rock or Heavy Metal back then. 17) What are your plans for the future? There are loads of plans right now. I don’t know how many of them that will actually become reality or how many I should make official, but early next year I will schedule myself for an artistic & highly professional photo session, but for this I am still gathering props. I will put down loads of work on this. The result is most likely to end up as postcards, eventual CD-covers and such – depending on the result. I hope to have some T-shirts available as merchandise soon and I have also scheduled “Witches…” for a limited edition on vinyl. Heck I’d kill to have at least one of my own albums on vinyl. I can’t imagine how fulfilling that would feel. It must be some sort of a juvenile dream! When it comes to new releases, I’m planning on having the next CD as a saga telling a highly vivid collective story with different characters. It will then only be in English since it is rather stupid to mix languages in the middle of the faerytale. These are of course only plans and depend on how everything turns out. I will probably need female guest vocals as well. I am aware that a release like this demands a more extensive pre-production and will take some time so it is most likely there’ll be a single or EP release prior to this. I actually already have songs ready for recording that does not fit into this “saga” so they’ll most likely be released on the single/EP. Fact is that I thought I’d take a break from recording as soon as I finished the mixing of “Witches…”. I felt completely burned out, but now it feels like I’m all ready to go again so that break will never come to be! 18) O.K. Marcus, these were pretty much all the questions I had for you. Anything else to add? Nah, I don’t think so. I do have the ability to make my answers almost a bit too long for each question so perhaps I’ll do best in wrapping things up. But I hope You found the interview worthwhile and I hope You’ll stay interested in this little project of mine. It is really inspiring to know that ones music comes through to people all over the world like this (even though it’s partly in Swedish). But that is the nature of Metal, isn’t it? No other music style could ever brag about being so well organised and have so many passionate followers who manage to live quite well without the approval of the mainstream music industry. Just a quick note to anyone who might be reading this; don’t forget to check out (and perhaps even bookmark) the official website at www.elviramadigan.com , for this is the first gateway to what happens in this quite (dare I say it:) intruiging world of ElviraMadigan. 19) Thank you for your time. I hope we can talk again sometime in the future. Thank you. Any help in promoting ElviraMadigan is greatly appreciated. Cheers! And I hope to hear from soon again. |
