Röd Revolver is a band that grows and only gets better for every release they make. The new record is superb and I had to send a bunch of questions to the group. July-2025

Tell us a little about how you started playing together and when this was?

Mattias: It all started in 2018 when Martin, who I didn't know at all, contacted me and wondered if I knew anyone who could help record some songs he had written. All songs were already recorded with drums, bass, guitar and harmonica by Martin himself with the exception of a few guest solos - there was only vocals missing. I thought if it wasn't worse than that, I could help do it. The one who was going to do the vocals was someone named Jojo, I didn't know her before either so it was a bit of a special atmosphere when the song was to be laid, ha ha. When this was done and I mixed it up a little quickly for myself, I thought it was so damn good that I thought it deserved a continued life beyond the EP "Sec foot under" and the band name was already done! There was only one drummer missing which we quickly found in Jojo's friend Kajsa.

Tell me a little about each current member, age, instruments, other bands before, other bands next to it, what you do when you don't play music and last but not least something really fun about every member that not everyone knows?

William: I'm 23 years old and play guitar in Röd Revolver. On a daily basis, I study Music and Sound Design, which basically touches everything around the technical part of sound and music. I used to play in a band called The Chauffeur, but we disbanded last spring. Next to Röd Revolver I play in two other bands, a hardcore band called Juggernaut where I scream and another band where I also scream! But that band is a secret so far! When I'm not doing music, I practice Muay Thai instead!

David: 38 years old and sings/screams in this orchestra. Have appeared in several bands before but the latest was a reggae band called Myllan which is in some kind of rest. I also have a solo project: von Bacchi where I play some form of acoustic punk and mix interpretations of other people's songs with self-written material. When I'm not playing music, it's family and work that take up most of my time, at the moment I'm trying to learn to skateboard with varying results.

Martin: I run GrönPeppar and play bass in Röd Revolver. Back in the days I played with some punk and hardcore bands in Gränna and Jönköping but nothing really worth mentioning. Most of my time is spent supporting my little kids at various trainings, competitions and matches in football, handball, floorball and athletics. I'm an old top scorer myself at boys' level in Gais, I usually brag about. And then someone might think of those mackerels from Gothenburg, but I mean of course the real Gais - Gränna AIS, ha ha. You didn't know that!

Mattias: 49 years old, which makes me the old man in the gang, plays guitar and does a bit of driving in Röd Revolver. I also play guitar in a band called Blimey which is a little nicer and in English. Have played in a lot of bands before but the ones that there is something released with are Doughnut Overcook and Hellfuckers. Outside the rehearsal room, it will be mostly family, work and association life. I have some kind of hope that one day I will be done with my university studies as well. At one point in his life, I have worked as an assistant to the institute technician

Marcus: 38 years, cousin of Mattias, drummer and least punk of us all. Also make the most of our merch designs and graphics for covers and stuff like that. Haven't played drums since the hardcore band Kitchen Radio System I had with some high school friends. Since then, he has mostly been active in music by producing advertising and film music under the name Kungen & Hertigen, as well as producing and mixing for a number of other bands and artists. Röd Revolver lacked a drummer when the band restarted like 2023 (!? Correct me Martin!) and Mattias persuaded me to come and try. One of the best decisions of my life! The little time that is not spent on music, work and family I prefer to spend on the climbing wall.

I know that Jojo Wadensten has been in the group but who else has figured in the group through the years?

Martin: In the first edition it was me, Jojo, Kajsa and Mattias who played. And after the restart, it's been this gang, except that William's friend Oskar played drums with us for a short period.

To have a name with Röd in the band name, is it a compulsion then to play political music and be anti-right or how did you reason?

Martin: No compulsion but the name came from the fact that I read an interview with the old singersongwriterpunk Caj Karlsson who just formed a band called Revolver Blå. When he was asked about it, he said something like "we couldn't be called Revolver Röd because then people would think that we were some kind of left-wing political band". "What the hell" I thought and concluded against that background that Röd Revolver would be an excellent band name.

Were there any other band names that were on the agenda?

Martin: Not really, Röd Revolver felt spot on. However, we were in the choice and qualification if we should change the name of the band in connection with Jojo and Kajsa leaving and we later made a new start with new members. But it didn't turn out that way in the end anyway.

To release an LP, has that been the dream and how does it feel when it finally came out?

Mattias: It's been a dream that I've had ever since I was little and started collecting vinyl, there is still something special about music and covers (!) for a vinyl record. Just the ritual of putting on a record is very special to me and probably for many who grew up in the 70s and 80s. I've been nagging Martin pretty hard to release one on vinyl (sorry).

Is there anything you could have done better?

Marcus: Haha yes where do you start. You can always do things better and I probably have the perfectionist in me to blame for the fact that it has taken so long to finish the album. Very unpunk, I know. You can always get a liiitle better take, make a riff a liiitle more interesting, or turn the mix a liiitle more up. In retrospect, maybe what we could have done better is to have done everything a little worse, just carelessly put the together, haha. No, but jokes aside. It was a bit of getting in over your head to record 12 tracks all by yourself in the rehearsal room. Sure they are short as hell but still 12 songs that should have some kind of interesting dramaturgy and substance both musically and lyrically. So if anything, we might have aimed for fewer songs (then we probably would have navel-gazed them to pieces in absurdum anyway, haha)

Is it important to get your opinions out in music do you think?

Martin: Yes, yes... or opinions... It's more about formulating one's view of the present. To be able to write off.

Who writes most of the lyrics?

Martin: I am. But Marcus has written a lyric on the album and David has written some lyrics that we have started to rehearse little by little and there will surely be more. As a singer, David also has quite a free hand to change the lyrics if he thinks it is necessary, for various reasons.

Tell us a little about the following songs

-Lewi Pethrus I (Martin) studied journalism at a folk high school run by the Pentecostal church in the Stockholm area. There they were paid to receive students with an addiction problem - and beat themselves over it. They cleansed these sinners in the name of the fine Pentecostal church. Then there was a course student of mine who they got wind of and did some party drugs. So one evening at the dormitory we lived in, the police stormed in with drug dogs and the whole ballet. And since they found a small bag for their own use, the school decided to throw my friend's neck over his head from the education he attended. Because in that particular line, the school was not paid to take care of people with possible drug problems. Such fucking hypocrites. They just threw him out on the street.

-Basebollträ och bajonett I wrote it during a big notice meeting I was attending. The owners earned too little from our hard work and we needed to be fewer who worked even harder for them to earn enough money. So I wrote down what I think we all felt there and then during that meeting.

-Gud och grov kaliber It revolves around the United States in a few different perspectives. But it is based on all the soldiers who return home completely destroyed with PTSD and to a life of exclusion. I saw some documentary about it that hit me pretty hard. But it is also a reflection on religion and gun laws and Trump and the American system in general.

You run Grönpeppar Records too, was it obvious that the record would come out on that particular record label?

Martin: It felt like it was pretty close at hand anyway. But maybe someone else should answer this, ha ha.

Marcus: No one has dared to suggest anything else

Is there anything else going on there?

Martin: Hopefully a full-length album with Misfit Maniacs will be in the near future, but it will be a while before it's ready.

To get the album out physically, was it obvious or can you feel that you have made an album if it is only available on e.g. Spotify?

Mattias: For me, it's obvious that an album should exist in some physical form but I'm not careful with singles because it's so damn expensive to make.

I can imagine that you attract the most punks to your concerts, which or which gig goers have been the most odd so far?

Martin: One of the best things about punkgig for me is that it's one of the few contexts where no one has to feel like a freak who doesn't fit in.

Tell me something really sick that has happened during a concert with Röd Revolver?

Marcus: Hmm. Well, a little anecdote from a gig at Platens in Linköping. However, not from the gig itself, but afterwards. It was insanely hot in the room and genuine as Mattias is, the memory is going on regardless of the temperature. Tight jeans and Martens on your feet. He got such extreme ass sweat that when he afterwards in the elevator of the parking garage put a fart he was completely convinced that he had himself. While William trudges to get the car, Mattias sneaks to a dark corner with a roll of toilet paper to freshen up. Luckily, it was a false alarm, but Mattias' gaze in the spotlight with his pants down when William arrives with the car is unbeatable. As a cherry on the cake, the parking garage had also closed so we had to pay the security company half of the travel allowance to be released.

What is the best thing about playing live, what is your biggest strength?

William: The best thing is of course to get out and meet all the nice people who show up at gigs. Then you also get an extra kick when you see that the audience is having fun and appreciates the music! Our greatest strength is probably the energy we contribute on stage. We think it's crazy fun to play live and I hope you notice it when we perform!

Is there any really good unknown Swedish bands we don ́t miss?

William: Icedancer and Dogfight

David: Broken Cock Locks are not completely unknown, but damn how good they are!

Martin: There are so many good ones that I have worked with at GrönPeppar that should be mentioned, but no one mentioned, no one forgotten there so I say Luvghul instead. They can be something really good.

Which is the dream band to release on Grönpeppar Records?

Martin: I don't think I have any. The main focus has always been to help young new bands that preferably do not only consist of guys. Bands that are already established can take care of themselves, I think.

What are your ten favorite records of all time? The five best concerts you've been to and the five most important things in life?

William: Difficult question! I chose to start from records that shaped me as a person and my taste in music, which perhaps made the list a bit boring! In no particular order:

Choking Victim - No Gods / No Managers

Död Mark - Drabbad av sjukdom

Have A Nice Life - Deathconsciousness

Title Fight - Shed

Minor Threat - Out Of Step

Green Day - Dookie

Rage Against The Machine -Rage Against

The Machine No Cash - Run Your Pockets

Touche Amore – Lament

Cursive - Cursive´s Domestica

My five best concerts in no particular order: Slayer - Touche Amore - Speed Way - Idles and Lamb Of God

Five most important things in life in no particular order: Symbicort - My partner - Dogs - Headphones - Good shoes

Many bands make their own beer and release, if you did, what would that beer be called and what kind of beer would it be?

David: Feels already done, I'd like a Red Revolver ice cream!

William: That ice cream will be some kind of family mix so everyone agrees on taste!

When I read your lyrics, I understand that you are not satisfied with how it is in Sweden today? What is the best and the worst thing about Sweden right now?

David: The worst thing about this country now is how all parties have moved to the right and that with that they have bent their backs on fascism. We are throwing out people who have lived in our country for a long time and become part of society, restricting our freedom of speech and right to demonstrate. The best part is that there are people who resist and organize themselves!

Have you received any really sour reviews? Do you care about such a crappy review?

Martin: No, we haven't gotten that as far as I can remember, in that case I've repressed it.

Which are the bands you are most compared to, do you get tired of people comparing or is it understandable? Which is the strangest comparison you have received so far?

Marcus: Someone said that a song reminded him of Status Quo. Quite far from our frame of reference!

David: The most common is probably early Asta Kask.

I read that Ska n ska cancelled a gig in Norrköping because an SD politician owned the restaurant they were going to play at, would you also do that if that was the case?

David: Of course, as an anti-fascist band, there are no alternatives.

The futureplans for the band?

David: Hopefully we'll get to come out and play some on our record and then there's some new music to work on.

For yourself?

William: Right now I'm studying music and sound design at university so my first goal is to finish it. After that, it would have been fun if you could work in that industry in some way. The dream is to record and mix bands that play some more alternative music such as punk/hardcore/metal etc.! I'll also try to release some songs with my other bands in the future so keep your eyes and ears open!

Words of wisdom?

Martin: There is no reason to stop living before you are dead. Nostalgia is a state meant for the deathbed. This also applies to music. Support today's punk scene instead, it needs you. What has been has gone and the belief that everything was better in the past can be left to the right-wing populists.

Something to add?

Marcus: Fried capers are so damn good and easy to make. Perfect as a snack or topping on pizza, or in a warm potato salad.