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Astrid in Heavy Tiger has so kindly answered my
questions now here in March 2017. Heavy Tiger is
a group that I fell for at once and do you like
rock n roll with female vocals a'la Donnas, The
Runaways, etc.Then I think the Swedish group
Heavy tiger is something for you.
A little history about the group?
We did not know each other before Heavy Tiger.
We had just come up in the teens and everybody
wanted to be rock stars. The common ambition
brought us together and have kept us together
for seven years. Still going strong.
Tell me a little about every member, age, work,
family, bands before and band on the side ??
-Maja 24 is years old and works at Jam Guitars
in Stockholm. Living in a basement in Bromma
with her boyfriend. Hope that there not is mold
in the apartment but it is not going to know for
sure. Have obviously no band next Heavy Tiger -
just tigers that counts!
Sara: 24 years and works at the gas station.
Lives with her Viking-like boyfriend in Rissne
and he enjoys cooking to her. Have obviously no
band next Heavy Tiger - just tigers that counts!
Astrid: The youngest in the band but is still a
head taller than Sara and Maja. 23 years old and
working as a student assistant. Crossword King
and calm as a cow. Live with tinker-Uffe in
Bromma. Is there anything Uffe can not fix that,
it simply can not be fixed - throw the shit!
Have obviously no band next to Heavy Tiger -
just tigers that counts!
-We are all more or less grew up with older
music, like 50- 60- 70´s music. For the most
part, it was better before, yes.
Heavy Tiger, are you happy with the name.? If
not the best band name had been busy by another
band which name had you chosen then? I mean what
is the best band name?
-Yes, Heavy Tiger is a cool band name. It comes
from the Flaming Sideburns song of the same name
so it becomes simultaneously a tribute to this
cool Finnish garage rock band.
What is the best thing about playing live?
-The energy and kick you get! It's a kind of
energy exchange between the audience and the
band, and it's magic when it happens!
Where is the best to play, it was the worst?
-Sweden is among the worse places to play. Of
course, not always but often it is a stiff
audience not until after the gig shows that they
actually thought it was an awesome gig. Then
arises of course
not the magic during the gig. Finland is
cruel to play in! Spain and Germany are also
really good rock audience that reveals the gigs.
Japan was totally unreal. Like a dream! All sang
along with the lyrics and stood and was into the
whole song through. Between the songs, it was
dead silent in the crowded hall and the crowd
was so polite and committed and did not want to
miss the talking.
I felt like a real rockstar.
-Energy, attitude and good.
What does punk mean to you, is it only a word or
is it a lifestyle?
-We have never seen ourselves as particularly
punk. We are influenced in part by the garage
and the like, but punk, we have never called us.
We are rockers!
How do you see on download, MP3 and the like?
-Because we want to live on our music, obviously
we want people to buy it if they can, and do not
download it for free.
How do you think it is to live in Sweden today,
politically?
-It's scary that SD has managed to grow so big
!!! But compare it to many other countries in
Europe, such as it is so is it calm .
Is there any good bands in Sweden today?
In your hometown?
-Bands, there are of course plenty of, but then
it's not everyone who is especially good. Tips
for a great band is The Hawkins, The Moonbeats,
Thundermother, Devil's Gun, Junkstars.
-We have made several foreign tours and played
in Finland, Japan, Vietnam, Germany, Spain,
England, Scotland, Austria, Italy.
Other great bands from abroad?
-The Struts! '77! Flaming Sideburns!
Your lyrics, what influences you? Never in
another language than English?
-We sing in English but it would be fun to try
sometime Swedish. we might do a Thunder Express
/ Dundertåget. Writing in one's native language
is a way harder for it feels more honest and
indecent exposure. But also easier because it is
the language you can and have an eye on all the
nuances and can color the language in a
completely different way than eg English.
Is there something you are never going to write
about?
-You never know, but we will never write
something we do not stand for.
Politics and music, does it always goes hand in
hand?
-Not automatically and you do not feel compelled
to it, but it's good if you take the opportunity
to exploit the media space you get and standing
up for important and great views.
Best political band / artist?
-The Clash. Otherwise Heavy Tiger. If you are a
girl and takes place and is seen and heard in a
male-dominated industry (which means most
industries), it is in a way always political.
Do you think that music you can change someone's
life, I mean texts etc.?
-Absolutely! Music can do so much, it can cheer,
comfort, broaden anyone's views ..
Your cover is really cool on your CD, who has
done it. Is it important to have a cover so that
you understand what kind of music you play? What
is your favorite cover all time? ...
-Niklas Brunzell took the picture and Juha
Kuusjärvi has made the album cover. Obviously,
it is extremely important to have a neat and
representative album art that captures the
interest and where the potentially prospective
believern get what it is about and taking the
plunge to buy the album and listen to it.
Is it important to get out physical discs? Vinyl
or CD or both? Is there any good record store
near you left?
-Absolutely! Both CD and vinyl is important in
this genre. Rockfans still listen to the
physical discs (or want to at least have the
physical discs in the disc back) and depending
on the territory's if it´s CD or vinyl that
dominates. In Germany it is almost CD that
people want and in Spain it is quite the
contrary!
-This is well more a sick story a funny, but
during a gig in Helsinki last autumn Sara got a
microphone stand in the middle in the middle of
the set. It started to drain a lot of blood, and
we had to run off the stage and go away to the
emergency room with her. There we sit for a few
hours, with the glittery costumes and Sara
completely patchfilled . It probably looked a
little funny anyway.
How does your audience look like? What people
comes to your concerts? Do you misssome types of
people?
-That's the most old men. We lack the younger
girls! Rock is so sick unpopular today if you
look at the crowd and we tried to play so much
to younger audience to get them to open
their eyes to this kind of music. We have made
several school tours, and it has been quite
successful. For many of the kids, this has been
their first rock concert, and they thought it
was really cool.
Please rank your five favorite records, five
favorite concerts?
-That's difficult to answer, because we have
quite different favorite bands. Astrid would
choose some Deep Purple and Whitesnake CDs, Maja
draws more attention to garage and punk rock
with such band as The Clash, and Sara dig bands
like Thin Lizzy. But we all agree that early
KISS and AC / DC are well worth a few extra
sessions.
-Depends on the interviewer and the questions it
gives us.
If you could choose five bands from history,
dead and alive to have a concert together with
your band, what are the bands dream then?
-The Clash, Thin Lizzy, ACDC and Kiss (all when
they were young and cool).
Music is a great way to get out frustration and
become a kinder person? Are you angrier today
than you were as young punks?
-We have never been a punk or played
particularly angry music. Instead of taking out
frustrations through the music we air the energy
and joy.
What is the weirdest question you have got in an
interview?
-In an interview they lined up a bunch of
different women, ranging from musicians to
Hillary Clinton, and so they wanted us to give
our opinion about them. It felt very strange, as
if we would have something special to say about
them just because we are women.
-We never get this question! Which is lucky,
because we do not know how we should respond.
Future plans for the band?
-Release the disc, have a great summer of
festivals and start writing new fat music!
For yourself?
-It's all about Heavy Tiger! |