Lastkaj 14 has sails up to one of Sweden's best
punk bands. Soon, the new album Speglar och Rök
comes and I have the honor to listen to
it already and you LK14 fans will not be
disappointed. The interview down below was done
in February 2020
Soon comes the new album Speglar och rök...
how's the feeling?
-It bubbles in the stomach and recharges! We are
sickly satisfied and also hope that others like
what we have achieved.
Speglar och Rök, how did you think about the
title and the cover?
-Dr Dille is probably better suited to answer
that question but we spontaneously felt with the
cover that the former was difficult to top so we
went in with the feeling that it would be quite
simple and a little classic old feeling. Mirrors
and smoke are what an Illusionist fools the
audience with. Aren't society and some
relationships the same?
Second Class Kids wrote that you sounded like
Winnerbäck with speed or something like that?
Thoughts about it?
-I think it's a pretty good parable for those
who aren't inaugurated in punk music. Sad,
melodies and fast as hell. What would you like
us to be if you explain to someone who has never
listened to punk in their lives?
Other bands you have been compared to over time?
-Don't come up with any extravagant comparisons
except for the obvious ... Do you have something
you think is the first time?
You wrote something in your press release that
you would like to have done a happy record but
that it did not go? I don't think it matters so
much to the music getting so much better with
angry lyrics etc and the disc and your music
makes me strong anyway?
-Thanks. Well, we probably don't think it does
anything either, but in a way it's tragic that
all our records get so damn sad because we build
them on our lives. For us, music and Lastkaj
have become a way of writing off our grief and
misery so that we can instead be happy and cozy
when we spend time with each other and others.
It may not always work, but I have always seen
music as a form of therapy and processing of my
personal inner.
What is the most uplifting thing fans have said
about your music or done (type of tattoos etc)?
-Oh oh oh. There are actually really amazing
things that people have done so I have a hard
time sorting it all out. One thing I remember is
a mother who wrote and told about her daughter
who lost her footing but found strength in our
music and our songs. Such things is warming.
Tell us a little about the songs
-Livsgnistebrist
You can get to a point where everything goes
around and you notice that you have gone wrong.
Then you have to embrace change, otherwise it
will be empty.
-Gaffa, glas & porslin
It was a song I wrote during a dark time in my
life when I had to get rid of myself very badly.
The worst thing about the song is that I was a
little unsure about giving it out as it gives
the person some kind of recognition which he
will only absorb as yet another feather in the
hat. Now I chose to release it as I think it
shows that the song is more important than the
person.
-Lämnad åt gamarna
It is about being cheated in a relationship
where everything ends up in waste.
Are there any other good bands that are new or
old that you want to tell my readers about in
Sweden today?
-Sardo Numspa, Björnarna, Illbutts, Död TV,
Kardinal Synd, Vet Hut, Anti-Lam Front, Laarhöne,
Civil Olydnad, Charles Hårfager, Sector Sexs,
Mögel (Borås)
What is the most odd thing you listen to?
-Depends on who you ask, but few people believe
me when I say that I think Enya is the best
artist ever!
Tell me a little about the following about an
album? Why and what do you think about them
today?
-Your first album:
Don't know but the first but songs I remember I
loved were Eric Clapton - Layla and Four Tops -
Reach out. Great songs even today !!!
-The album that changed your life
Sex Pistols - The great rock'n'roll swindle
-The album you are a little embarrassed about?
Nothing
-The album that makes Lastkaj 14 sound like they
do?
Mögel - Ditt ljug, Illbutts - Gubben i månen,
Radioaktiva Räker - Optional, Räserbajs -
Optional, Charles Hårfager - Korpen faller, Död
TV - Optional, Sector Sexs - Optional, Strebers
- Optional, Asta Kask - Optional-The album that
always has to be on the tour bus?
Lastkaj 14 - Speglar och rök
-The album that you would have liked to be on
and played on?
Strebers - Öga för öga(Play with Ulke and
Majken, mmmmm)
What are your most frequent asked songs at a
concert? Which songs do you personally enjoy the
most? Which of your songs is the hardest to play
live?
-Inte arg, Becksvart, Håll höjd, Våra dar,
Overkligheten etc. I think everyone is a
fun to play but if I can say a favorite
then probably Inte arge och Overkligheten is at
the top. The most difficult thing is to play the
songs that rarely come up type but become set
no. 3 or 4 when we have released our "Seriousness"
What happens when the release is… will there be
a lot of gigs or how does it look like?
-Yes now we should be playing much as hell. We
are fully booked until the summer
How is a typical life night looks like with you.
Before the gig, during the gig and after the
gig?
-Drive a car, rush in to do everything before
the gig ... Maybe stress to the hotel and change
clothes, otherwise stay and hang with cozy
people ... Charge and go on stage ... After the
gig - total discharge with all that contains.
If you were to record a cover song with 5 songs,
which 5 songs would you have chosen? Do you make
any covers live?
-Asbest - Som ett löv
Illbutts - Stadens original
Sjukdom - Trolligt pulver
Mental Härdsmälta - 20C Kallt
Död Tv - Ingenting
At the moment we have no covers on the setlist
but it has been done and will probably be done
again;)
Now to the political who really looks pitch
black ... How the hell are we going to reach out
to the idiots who are so fooled by SD, KD's etc
propaganda? Should we continue to propagate or
propagate it only to those who already think as
we do?
-Of course we will continue to propagate! If it
then gives something or not, we must see in the
next election. On the other hand, I think it is
important to consider why the whole political
climate has changed before we judge. If we are
to reach people, we must also listen to
individual individuals and their particular
history. I refuse to believe that 20-25% of
Sweden's population are racists, but if we look
at election barometers it is obvious that SD
attracts so many. Why?
Tell us a little about the game that will be
included in the record? How did that idea come
up? Difficult to include such things if you only
listen to Spotify?
-The game is based on Lastkaj 14 and our stories
as well as all members, current and past! If
people want to play is the only chance to buy
the vinyl record. It's a fucking fun game
whether you like Lastkaj or not.
How do you prefer to listen to music? Vinyl, CD,
digital?
-I prefer to listen to a vinyl record but time
is rarely enough so it will be digital. CD is
only played if I can't find the music anywhere
else.
When you make a record, you have a special
thinking when you put the songs on the record.
Is there any special order you want that gets "ruined"
if you just listen to some song digitally etc?
-Noo. We make a song and try to mix it so that
everyone who listens, regardless of media and
order, should like what they hear. Our music is
for everyone and not just those who adopt vinyl
or trall. Lastkaj is a band for the people!
Obviously we have a plan when we set the song
order, but I hope everyone thinks the songs
stand for themselves.
Future plans for the band and for yourself?
- Hopefully we will be touring constantly for
some year or so now and meet a fucking lot of
happy and kind people. In between, I will try to
be the best dad in the world to my daughters and
tile
the kitchen at home. If the time is
right, I would also like to fix the balcony at
the back of the house and invite my girlfriend
to a really romantic dinner there this summer.
Anything else to say?
-Continue supporting music by going to concerts,
buying records / merch, actively listening to
Spotify etc. You think it is a piss in the sea
but that is everything for us!