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Interview with Tom Englund - Evergrey
Evergrey have just released their metal-defying smash "Recreation Day" (Read review), an emotional and powerful comment on much of societies values and downward spiralling direction.
I was fortunate enough to speak with Tom Englund, lead guitarist, vocalist and mastermind behind Evergrey since its beginning in 1996 and debut during 1998.
This was my first interaction with anybody remotely famous and as such I was quite nervous. To add to that, this interview took place at 5am while I'd been awake half the night with a fever. Enjoy!
Ok, lets begin.
How did you come up with the band name "Evergrey"?
Back in 1996 we were at a time in our lives when we didn't really have any jobs or anything really going for us at all, so we were sort of caught in a grey zone where nothing was even, you know, black or white. So, two years passed without us even, sort of, noticing. So.that's why.
Excellent, ok -that actually really explains it. I was kind of stumped with that one. I never actually knew why. Ummm, also what does the actual album mean to you, the "Recreation Day" - what does it mean to you?
What it means to me?
Does it have a specific, eh, sort of sentimental value or anything like that?
No, not yet
(Both chuckle)
It's brand new, you know, the album becomes a product of value when you have played it live and you've really got the feedback for it. But today we entered the charts in Sweden on place 18, which is really amazing.
Oh, wow.
Eh, so it sort of has an economic value. (Laughs)
Well, I mean a lot of fans actually said that this is probably one of your, if not the best album. I've read in forums and stuff that they actually really enjoyed it.
Yeah.
Umm, I mean how do you think it differs from your past albums?
First of all it's most definitely the hardest, or more metal album we've done. And we sorta took away all the bullshit really, you know. Bullshit meaning, a lot of instrumental stuff that only were of value to ourselves, and we sort of aimed for the songs instead and tried to make really good stand-out songs and tried to make each and every song a representable for the album. But at the same time it's also the most technical album we've done because the immediate thing you hear, is the actual song. But when you listen closely, you hear all the other stuff going on in the background or lying underneath the vocals and upfront guitars.
I was actually very impressed with some of the technical stuff that um, I mean all the instruments - I'm a guitarist myself, so when I heard the stuff, I mean. Even track 7, I thought the opening to that was.beautiful. It reminded me of.
Which is that? (laugh) Is that blinded?
Yeah.
(Tom does an impersonation of the opening to track seven, which I thought was very funny).
Yeah I really enjoyed that, I thought it sounded a lot like eh, Michael Angelo, I don't know, I don't know if you've heard of him.
Yah, cool.
Yeah that was very cool. Uh if hypothetically you were not a successful band, what do you think your alternative form of moneymaking would be?
(Pause) Definitely be something involved with music, either producing other bands as I'm already doing as well, or I dunno writing songs for other persons.
I see, what bands do you produce?
I produce an American band called, oh shit, (laughs) you've put me on the spot now.
(At this point I thought the name of the band was called 'oh shit')
They will be, eh, very pleased with me now. Oh my god, eh "Dissonance" they're called "Dissonance".
"Dissonance".
Yeah, the album hasn't come out yet, and then I help producing bands like Morifade and bands like that.
Unreal.
Yeah.
Umm, what other progressive metal bands do you admire? I mean is there any other, sort of, new talent out there that you sort of listen to?
Yeah, I enjoy, I actually enjoy Pain of Salvation a lot and Symphony X of course. What else? Well there isn't anything else (laughs). No, that sort of sums it up pretty good. I don't really listen to metal that much anymore.
Well, what are you listening to now?
Umm, I'm listening to stuff that I've been listening to for all my life really. Stuff like Pink Floyd and Tori Amos, even Dire Straits, sort of more emotional, cool music.
Yeah, they're great bands. I love Pink Floyd.
Mm yeah.
What got you onto guitar, uh specifically like metal, but just generally speaking.
(short pause) Def Leppard actually (laughs)
Really?
Yeah, I watched them at a show here in Sweden and, and they decided my future for me, so to speak.
(Both of us laugh)
They just, you know, I just realised I wanted to become a rock star and having all these chicks hanging around me.
(We both laugh again)
Yeah, it's getting better you know.
Is that actually happening?
What? Ehh yeah it's getting better (laughs)
That's cool, On your website I saw a couple of eh videos that you posted of everyone getting drunk, that looks pretty funny.
( Both laugh)
Yeah we were fuckin sick in the head. Yeah that's one of the main things that differ us from, (pause) you know every other quoted 'prog metal bands' because we don't ourselves consider ourselves a progmetal band at all.
What do you consider yourselves?
We're a metal band. Down to the core. And, you know we just have some, maybe have some progressive tendencies here and there, but I mean I don't consider ourselves to be more progressive than for instance, what should we say, "Nevermore".
Nevermore.
For instance. Here you know, today it's become like, if you're able to play your instrument in a fairly good way then you're automatically being labelled as progressive so.
Yeah, that's, that's quite true actually. I never saw it in that way.
Umm, just looking at the album cover, which I actually really like it's very cool.
How did you find the screaming child? The little blonde boy?
We went to a sort of picture archive where you can buy pictures, eh which you know can be, I dunno, I think this picture is like 25 years old actually, so then you have to buy it, which is really expensive. But it sort of suited the album. The inspiration for the boy is actually taken from the song 11, "unforgivable", which is about the catholic priests horrendous treatment of children.
I see, yeah, we have that all over the world actually. Uh, are you a religious person?
No.
No, not at all?
Nope.
Oh, ok, Do you have any favourite non-metal bands. You mentioned "Pink Floyd", I mean not so much in that genre - is there anything sort of ahh..i tend to listen to, sometimes the rock stuff. Do you ever listen to the radio and stuff?
Emmm.. not so much radio, no. I listen to., you know I like other bands like Sting, I like Sting a lot. And I like, as I said, Tori Amos and Norah Jones. Rather stuff that has something emotions to convey, rather than an ordinary new metal band.
I sort of noticed that actually came out in this album, this was a very emotional sort of album.
Yeah, I mean that's always been the case, it's always been about emotion. I think that really shines through all the releases, because we're being very very honest, and you know we're not singing about dungeons and dragons and whatever.
(I laugh and picture Malmsteen in my head)
.other bullshit that there is. There are a thousand other bands doing that better than us.
Well it comes along very nicely. I really enjoy this album, it's almost always in my car on the way to university.
Cool man, great!
Do you write the song together? As a band, or do you write them alone?
Nah, I mean, I'm actually the only, what do you call it, the only member from the beginning of the band, so to speak. I've always been a strong, controlling person when it comes to music, since I've been singing and doing the lyrics, it sort of falls naturally for me to do most of the music as well, as I also play keyboard and compose on that.
But for this album, Henrik, the other guitar player has, written half of the songs. I mean we have written the whole album together, me and him, and then we'll have Rickard the new keyboard player will help out with objective ideas and arranging stuff which has been really helpful to us.
Umm.cool, do you have any heroes, guitar heroes, keyboard or drum heroess?
Yah guitar heroes, we have a lot of guitar heroes. David Gilmour first of all, pink floyd. Ahh, Paul Gilbert.
He's brilliant.
Yeah he is probably THE best. And whatever else, ummm Mike lee firkins, I like him a lot. Well you know, there's a lot of them
I'm sure, Ahh..do you do anything besides music? What are your hobbies?
No.
You don't have any hobbies?
Nope. Don't have time for any hobbies. I got my family as well.
Ahh, you have a family?
I have to take care of them on the hours that are left over, unfortunately.
Ok - do you have a favourite food or drink or anything like that?
Favourite food? Ummm I like lasagne a lot. Our sound engineer's lasagne is the best in the world, he adds beer in it. That's why.
Hmm, that's interesting (we both laugh)
And um, just lastly, how do you feel about mp3's and the situation with downloading albums and stuff like that?
At first it really upset me, but we have been in this business since the sort of mp3 thing started and we haven't been in it before. So we really don't have anything to compare it with. We haven't seen any lack of sales and they claim that the sales of the whole market has decreased by, whatever percentage a year, and uhh I think it rather helps us than makes us lose money. And if somebody downloads the album uhh, I mean it's hard to download a live show, when we come to the city, so hopefully they come to that show and buy a shirt or whatever, and at least we have gained something from the person that has "stolen our music".
(We both laugh)
Stolen our music.
No, well, we don't care really, that's the way it is really and it's never going to change so why bother with it.
Fair enough, I mean that's a similar sort of approach that I've seen it with.
Uhh, do you have any plans to ever come to Australia.
Yeah man, whatever, if anybody would have us we'd be there in a snap of a second.
Oh, right.
So, it's all about, you know, it's all about money.
It's all about money, money makes the world go round.
Yeah.
Umm, ok I think we better wrap it up there - do you have anything to say to the fans or anything like that?
I actually have a strong fanbase in Australia, which is pretty cool. I mean, I don't know what strong is in Australia, but I get a lot of mail from Australia.
Yeah.
But I mean, for the average reader or listen, just take the time to buy an Evergrey album because it really, it really holds a lot of stuff for everyone.
Ok, look thank you very much for your time Tom.
Alright, thankyou very much.
Good luck for the future.
Ok Take care.
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Written by Yoni - 3/27/2003 |
This article has been shown 6410 times. Go to the complete list.
RevelationZ Comments
| Comment by mike r (Anonymous) - Friday, April 18, 2003 | wow that was the most incredible interview.
i loved the interviewers approach and tom sound like a really smart guy. Cant wait for their next album.. yay!!!!
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| Comment by Mr. Shred-ididle (Anonymous) - Saturday, June 7, 2003 | Hello Yoni, (again)
Great interview! I can see you have a very original way of writing and interviewing. Thanx for asking him about Australia (As I'm from there) Hopfully they will actually come down here one time!
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| Comment by Matt (Anonymous) - Sunday, January 16, 2005 | It's funny how Evergrey's big trademark is their depressing lyrics and Tom himself kinda talks like a teenager. Great band though.
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| Comment by tristain (Anonymous) - Friday, April 1, 2005 | I LOVE TOM ENGLUND!!!!!!!
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