Following hot on
the heels of 2005's excellent 'Fanatical' album, 2006 sees the release
of Baltimoore's even more brilliant 'Kaleidoscope', We caught up
Baltimoore main man and vocalist Bjorn Lodin for another interview and
get the crack on the new album, where the band is heading and also what
the future holds for the band now they have their own record label BLP
Music... be sure to check out the review of Kaleidoscope, if you
don't have it buy it and crank it loud...enjoy!
Bjorn,
Many thanks for talking to us once again.
No problem. Thanks for the great
reviews, man!!
Kaleidoscope is the eighth Baltimoore
album, did you ever expect to still be here rocking when you started
the band?
Actually, it's nine if you count "Best
Of...", which are all new recordings of older songs. For a long time I
thought, if I hadn’t made "it” by the time I was 30, it’d never
happen. Now I know ”it" happened when I was 12... I’m surrounded by
great people and I can’t see myself ever giving up!
What does this latest album mean to you
in terms of personal involvement and attachment?
I have produced all my albums since
”Double Density” – 1992, and have been in and out of different sides
of the business over the years, and thought that now was a good time
to start my own label. I’ve been with different labels, big and small,
and found that whatever is expected to happen never does. Now, I have
total control of the anxiety..., sometimes you want a little more of
it, you know!
What is plainly apparent to me is that
you have stumbled onto a winning formula for these last couple of
albums that is slightly different to the bands previous output. What
were you striving for musically and lyrically with Kaleidoscope?
Well, even though my band mates never
accepted me as a guitarist in the early days:-) I’ve always written my
songs on guitar and I think it’s the ultimate instrument, so when I
got around to making songs for the last album, after have had a break
for a while, I started with arranging for two guitars instead of one
guitar and keyboard. Although, it’s not an all-new formula to me, it
was definitely refreshing and songs still keep coming. I think my
lyrics pretty much lets you know what I think - and have been through.
It's always been hard to write in a foreign language but I've settled
for way of writing that makes sense to me.
You
kept the same line-up as on Fanatical for Kaleidoscope (a first), what
do you believe this stability gave to the music and can we expect this
stability to continue?
First of all, on the previous albums,
there was never a situation where people were band members and then
got fired or was replaced for one reason or the other, except for
Nikolo Kotzev - he got "relieved". Baltimoore has been full of great
players coming and going for when there's been a project going. This
line-up is fucking great! We're all good friends and we've found a way
of making it work, which means everybody does what I tell them to
do.., no seriously, we're a great unit and we've made plans for 2 more
albums, 4 all together. After that I don't know.
What
would you say the other members give to the band individually?
Tone. I might be writing most of the
stuff but without the right tone, it's nothing. They're among the
best! I'm very proud.
The twin guitar attack is best
described as “classic” in all senses from tone to interaction, what do
you like to hear in your guitar duo?
Dynamics and independence. Take one out
- and it still works.
The
album to me is a little darker and a little more varied than the
mostly up-tempo and upbeat Fanatical, lyrically where were you coming
from?
I think lyrically, it's probably my
best effort so far. It reflects where I am at my early 40's. I wrote
my best love song in "Wellaway", I get pissed-off reading and hearing
about all the crazy fuckers out there, and I laugh at myself when I
realise how serious and professional I seem sometimes.
Over what time period was the album
written, recorded and produced?
We started in October 2005 and was done
mastering in March 2006.
Do you have any favourite tracks on the
album?
"Wellaway" is very special to me. "How
Sick Is Ok?" and "In The Name Of Love". Musically, I think "In The
Name Of Love" is 100%.
Checking out the bands
website and
myspace
site I see you have an excellent video for the track Wellaway, can you
tell our readers a little more about it?
If you can't find it where you normally
buy your records, you can always
buy it from our
website. Actually, BLP Music has all rights back from Lion Music,
so even the old ones can be bought from the site.
The press release for Kaleidoscope
mentioned another new album later this year and another in 2007. This
work rate makes a mockery of the likes of Def Leppard and Boston with
their millenniums between albums, do you have to keep busy and how is
the new material taking shape?
Well, it's just turned out this way.
We've got a good groove going and even though we get requests for
doing live shows from our fans, we haven't gotten around to realising
it in the way we want to do it. We will, though! I love writing songs
and with the set-up I have at my disposal, it's just very rewarding
and therapeutic, so it's nothing but big fun! The new songs for "TEN"
are all excellent:-)
What's your background as a vocalist,
how did you get into it and what keeps your drive going?
I got in my first band when I was 12,
and ended up singing - along with playing bass. I wanted to play
guitar like everybody else but there were always someone better..,
healthy competition, you know. Anyway, we started writing our own
songs. I've always found that educating, for every new chord you learn
- you write a new song. This is what keeps me going still, I love
playing and writing, it becomes your best friend.
There has been a lot of musical talent
in Baltimoore through the years, do you still keep in touch with ex
members?
Yes, every now and then we bump in to
each other. Thomas Larsson and I hook up quite frequently.
Finally. what does the future hold for
Bjorn Lodin and Baltimoore?
I'm dreaming of a world tour, but more
realistically would be getting these 2 new albums out on schedule.
Start looking early October for "TEN"!
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