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Band page - Overdrive
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Band Profile
What is your name and your current position in the band?
Janne Stark: Guitarist
How would you categorize the style of the band? And did you ever consider or try playing other styles of music than the one(s) you are playing now?
Pure eighties heavy metal. Overdrive has always been a heavy metal band. I personally have/are playing some other styles as well, like with Constancia (melodic/progressive), Sir Lord Baltimore (70s hard rock), Locomotive Breath (melodic metal), Zello (progressive Kansas-type hard rock) and SALT (bluesy hard rock).
What is your latest album and why should people buy it?
"Let The Metal Do The Talking", released last month (March 26 in Japan). Simply because it's a damn good album! It's 24 years since our last album ("Swords And Axes" 1984) and we're back with a vengeance!
Tell us about the history of the band. More specifically, when was the band formed, how did you meet, and have there been any particular highlights or low points in your career, any crucial events that have taken you where you are today?
In 1979, just before Overdrive I, Pelle Thuresson (vocals) and Kenth Ericsson (bass) were playing in the band Paradize, while Kjell Jacobsson (guitar) and Kenta Svensson (drummer) were sort of our heroes playing in the band Ocean. Paradize was a melodic AOR-type band, while Ocean was more straight biker-type hard rock.
I and Kenta got an assignment to write a hard rock history for a local magazine and at the same time we started talking about putting together a real heavy metal band. This was in the beginning of 1980. We asked the others and they were all into it. We started out playing covers by Riot, Trespass, Dark Star, Teaze etc. and soon started writing our own material. We recorded our first demo in the end of 1980, the songs "Overdrive" and "20th Century". End of 1981 we recorded a 12" EP, "Reflexions", which was released in 1982 in 500 copies and I've now seen it on Ebay for over 300 USD.
We were signed by Planet Records and released two albums, "Metal Attack" (1983) and "Swords And Axes" (1984) before splitting in 1985. We reformed briefly and with a different line-up in 1993, but only a demo was recorded.
We then reformed the band in 2003 just to do a local festival show. Then we had a request from Headbanger's Open Air in Germany, which we jumped at. Our original singer, Pelle, however left just 3 weeks before the show. As we didn't want to cancel we immediately tried to find a singer to at least do this one show.
Through some contacts we found Per "PerilOz" Karlsson, who was in Unchained at the time. He learned the songs in just two weeks and did a great gig with us. More shows followed and he was in. We never really though about doing a new album, but at least re-recorded some old stuff with Per just to see what the old stuff would sound with him on vocals.
This became the "Resurrected" 5 track MCD we released just before the Sweden Rock gig in 2006. This in its turn lead to Lion Music asking us to do a new album. I honestly hadn't though about it, but when facing the opportunity, what to do? On the MCD we had included one track that was written back in 1985 but never recorded or released, "Ride The Fire".
We figured as we had more that we picked out a bunch of the older unreleased stuff, which we rearranged a bit, and then wrote a bunch of new stuff in the same vein. This became the 12 songs on "Let The Metal Do The Talking". You guess which ones are new and which ones are "old" :-)
Was there ever a time when you wondered if your band would remain just a local outfit and never make it in the industry?
Well, back in 1985, when our singer quit and we couldn't find any replacement, plus we were cheated by our record label, it kinda felt like the end of everything.
Can you share with us one or two of your favourite moments with the band?
Of course when we got our first real contract with Planet Records back in 1982. That was huge! Also in 2003, when we re-united the band and found the chemistry was still there.
How is the writing process in the band?
Historically it's mostly been I and Kjell that have come up with the basic idea and we've worked it out together at rehearsals. On the new album, actually half the material we written back in 1985 for a third album that never happened. We've just brushed off those songs, made some minor re-arrangements and for the first time actually had vocals on them. The rest was written by myself, Kenth and Kjell, where we presented more or less finished demos with programmed drums. We just did some minor re-arrangements in the studio.
What brought you on the path to becoming a musician? Did you ever consider or take any other paths through life besides music?
I got into music when I was very young, both from my mother who played guitar, and a neighbour who had some cool records. I however never got into music full time, but got myself a good education and now do both.
Do you have any idols? If yes, who?
I have people I admire for various reasons, both as persons and for what they do. I wouldn't say idols, but people I really look up to. Philomena Lynott (Phil Lynott's mother) is someone I really admire for various reasons. She's a lovely person! Douglas Adams is someone I really wish I'd met. Plus there's a lot of unselfish people out there who really give all they have to help others.
Do you have any regrets looking back at your career? For example any songs or even full albums that you regret recording? If so, what made you regret it?
There's of course some old stuff I would have done both better and differently today, but nothing I'm ashamed of or regret recording.
Are there particular songs in your catalogue that the fans love but you're not particular fond of yourself?
A lot of people have requested we should play "Dream Away" from "Swords And Axes" live, which we started doing on out last gigs.
How important do you rate the lyrical side of your albums?
I think the lyrics are very important. Not that all lyrics need to be deep, but they have to in some way match the song or say something. I always write about stuff that I've seen, heard, read about or that have affected me in some way. I often try to tell a story.
What do you think about the state of the music industry today?
There's a revolution on the way with all the downloading. The business has been totally blind for the last couple of years, not seeing the signs. Now they try to mend it by punishing people, which won't work. I hate that people can up and download for free what I've put my heart and soul into and had to pay for myself in various ways. But at the same time I can't blame them - if it's out there just a few clicks away, for free, it's so easy. What they don't realize is that they won't have anything to download if noone gets any money to record the stuff. OK, the access makes more people get the possibility to hear my music, but it should be MY call and no one else's to upload my music how and when I want to.
What do you think is the best way to fight music piracy?
To be honest I don't know. However, first of all the music must be easy accessible, just as easy as the piracy downloading. The prices for CDs must come down.
Do you have a life philosophy? If yes, what is it?
"It's never too late to give up" :)
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Get up at 7 in the morning, go to work (as a technical writer/project manager at a consultant company). Come home at 5 PM. Eat. Either I go into my studio and start working on something, or I have stuff to write (I write for a couple of music magazines, too). I go to bed sometime between 2 - 3.30 AM. Don't need much sleep, so I get a lot done.
What do you like to spend your time with besides music?
I like fishing, but rarely do it. I have a house and a garden. Spend time with my girlfriend.
What's the craziest thing that has ever happened on a tour?
When we accidentally burned a guy at a concert. He was supposed to guard in front of the stage, but couldn't take the pressure and snuck up behind me and my amp without us seeing him. He then put his hand on one of the pyro-containers and it blew up in his hand. We didn't see or hear anything about it until a few days later when it was all over the press. "Rock show almost ended in tragedy", "Overdrive throws bombs at their audience". The guy claimed he had been standing 1 meter from the stage, in the audience, and the bomb had miraculously flown over all of us and onto his hand. He tried to sue us, but gave it up as we recognized who he was.
You're heading off to live on a deserted island for a couple of years with your portable entertainment system... Which albums, movies or books would you bring? (Max. 3 of each)
Albums: "King's X" by King's X, "Stigma" by Jack In The Box and "Top Priority" by Rory Gallagher.
Book: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.
Movie: "Hipp Hipp" (Swedish comedy show) and "Yrrol" (Swedish comedy).
What is your favourite joke?
Man, there's so many and they're mostly x-rated. so I won't go into that :)
Can you tell us about any future plans for you and your band?
We've just released the new album so we're trying to book as many gigs as possible for the summer. The album will be released in Japan in March, too.
Thanks for answering these questions. Now you are free to write a few lines to our readers.
I hope the new album will appeal to both our old fans from the 80s as well as a new generation of fans! I also hope to see each and every one of you out on tour!
Added by Steen - 2/23/2008
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