It is (Fred Burman, Vocals/Guitar) who answered
the questions and according to his perception
and his opinions, and he cannot answer for the
whole band :) But here is the interview with
Satan Takes a Holiday... October-2026
You started playing 20 years ago, did you think
this band would last this long?
-It feels unreasonable to manage to see yourself
20 years ahead in time in any context I think -
so no. But the funny thing is that when we
started in 2006, when we were between 23-28
years old, the idea was to have a band that you
could age well in, that it wouldn't feel
embarrassing to still be in middle age.
What was the ambition with the band then, was it
just to have fun and has the ambition changed
like this 20 years later?
-It was definitely without ambition we started
STAH, and that was the point - to play lustfully
and maybe not even write our own songs. We
listened to bands like the Cramps and the
Sonics. They played a lot of other people's
songs - but in their own way. And we didn't
Because we thought it would go home somehow. Now
we couldn't keep ourselves from writing our own
material quite immediately, but I think our lack
of ambition was an advantage at first. It was
never very convoluted and was probably perceived
as more genuine than much else. Or at least I
hope so. There has always been a lot of drive -
to write and record songs, release records etc.
A creative drive. But no serious ambition to
become something bigger. It has never been
there, for me at least.
It's been a pretty solid lineup over the years,
hasn't it?
-Our
first drummer, Svante Nordström, stepped down
after the first three records in 2015. And Danne
McKenzie stepped on. That's the only change in
20 years. We've had a substitute live on bass
about ten times too. But as a trio it's a pretty
big deal with a new member, so we try to put up
with each other to avoid the change haha.
Do any of you play in other bands and which
bands have you played in before?
-Absolutely, there were many bands before.
Nothing really famous except that Danne toured
with Truckfighters and drummed for several years
with Mustasch.I play actively in a band called
Voldet and have many other projects that I am
working on and that I hope will be able to
complete and release soon.
Now you have just released a cover album, it has
been done before but not really in this way I
think, because you have really got your sound on
the songs it feels like, it was important not to
Do covers straight off?
-Yes, but it has been something we wanted to do
more of, but after the first record (which had
three covers) we haven't really had time for.
And it's back to the thing about how bands like
the Cramps did it. If you came from outside as a
novice you might not have been able to guess
that Most of the songs were covers. Everything
was just so believable, just their expression.
And then to record a cover without feeling that
anything is added was completely uninteresting
to us.
Which is the best cover song that someone has
done through all time?
-There are many many. But DEVO's "(I Can't Get
No) "Satisfaction" is hard to beat in its
waywardness.
Will you play any of these cover songs live?
-We've
played all of them live already!
I can imagine that you play with some different
kinds of bands and music styles when you play
live but is it common that you play together
with punkbands or how is it?
-We are quite difficult to categorize, so it has
become very broad. Everything from punk gigs to
city festivals opposite Uggla. Both very fun
with different contexts, but maybe also a
disadvantage purely PR-wise as we don't belong
to a specific scene directly.
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What is the most odd band you have played with?
-I don ́t know if anything is particularly
fishy. When we are booked together with
something in the metal swing it can be a little
bit strange I think. Unexpectedly I think some
people experienced it when we went as an
intermediate band on a Takida/Stiftelsen-tour.
But I appreciate to stand out in different
contexts And we lived our best life that summer,
I can say.
Which is the biggest band you have ever played
with?
-We played with Kiss at Friends Arena once, it
was big. Absolutely the biggest crowd I've ever
faced. 10k when we went on, 20k when we got off
there was someone who appreciated.
You have a new record label now from what I
understand, why not Despotz anymore? Is the new
label good?
-It's a sister label to Despotz, Icons Creating
Evil Art, so it's not very dramatic. Yes it's a
good vibe, they release a lot of artists we've
played with before and there's a great forward
movement.
What happens now for the group, are you going on
tour now to promote the new album or maybe you
don't do it when you have made a cover album in
the same way as when you make an album with
their own material?
-We don't
throw ourselves out on a giant tour but have our
eyes open for fun contexts to play in. There are
some booked things next year that we are looking
forward to.
Is it nice to only be three in the band, there
is more gage left over for each person or what
is the best?
-The best thing I think is that everyone gets to
work hard to get it together live when you are
only three. For me it is a lot of coordination
with what is to be played and sung while the
feet are pressing on the pedals and the lyrics
hopefully are delivered right. It will be a
little sport!
What's the best thing about playing live?
-The energy that is unleashed and answered is
something completely unique. Downright addictive
I can say as someone who has been on stage for
over 30 years...
What kind of people do you attract to the
concerts?
-It's incredibly mixed! All ages really.
Which is the most chaotic concert you have ever
had and what happened?
-Sometimes the joy and energy is so great that
it risks spilling over. We have had to break to
check the well-being of people in the audience a
few times. Once in Riksgränsen at a snowboard
competition a few years ago, I remember that the
stage-diving started already during the
pre-recorded intro we used. It's peppy.
Do you get a lot of shit for the name when you
have Satan in the name? In the past, surely your
records had been burned at the stake because you
were devil worshippers?
-Yes, but it wasn't the world's smartest name
maybe. We were told early on that the door to
the US would be closed. But that's the thing
about my lack of ambition... not had the energy
to deal with a name change haha.
How did the name come about?
-We reasoned that if you can be called Queens Of
The Stone Age you can be called just about
anything really. We sat with a recording of a
radio show that Lux in the Cramps had sent and
looked at the song titles and Anton LaVey's
version of Satan Takes A Holiday stood out.
After quick deliberation it became the name of
the band.
How do you think it is to live in Sweden today?
What could be better and what is best?
-It's tough to live anywhere in the world right
now, much easier in Sweden maybe - depending on
who you are and what conditions you have been
randomly beaten with. Less decisions for your
own gain and more empathy and generosity in
general, I wish for.
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Do you have any political texts or should
politics not be involved in Music?
-Politics should preferably be mixed into music
and other artistic expression. Many of our
lyrics have political observations or positions
in more or less subtle expressions. Our song
Iron Pipe is a less subtle example.
How does it work when you make a song, does
someone come up with a whole song or how does it
work when a new song is added?
-It has
varied a bit over the years. In the beginning a
lot was done with all three in the room.
Johannes (bass) spouted out many ideas and
riffs. Over the years, much of the creative has
moved to a studio outside the band's dynamics,
where I complete and write together with our
producer and creative partner Alexander Idfalk.
Personally, I need some time and space to work
through songs and lyrics that are not really in
the rehearsal room.
Ten favorite records all time?
-This was a lot of request haha.
On the fly:
Blonde - Frank Ocean
McCartney II - Paul McCartney
Check Your Head - Beastie Boys
Chet Baker Sings - Chet Baker
Fever To Tell - yes yes yes yes
Paul Simon - Paul Simon
Here Are the Sonics - the Sonics
Kid A - Radiohead
Women In Music Part III - HAIM
I Am Come - Part Chimp
If you could choose five bands, living and dead
to have a concert together with Satan takes a
Holiday, who would you want to play with?
-The Cramps
At the Drive-In
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Wings
DEVO
Now that you have "only" done a coverrecord, do
you have a lot of other new songs that need to
be put on paper?
-There are always plans to make more music. I
have an ambition to manage to finish a couple of
other projects before the next STAH release, but
we'll see what happens.
Is it important to release physical albums do
you think?
-Yes, but I think so. And I'm very grateful that
we've been able to do that too. There are no
guarantees that what's on streaming now will
always do so.
How do you listen to music yourself, is it
physical or digital?
-Mostly digitally, rocket.fm In the car, I don't
have an LP player right now, but I'm working on
it!
Do you buy a lot of records yourself?
-Some. I live quite compact and have more people
in the family whose interests must be
accommodated :)
Words of wisdom?
-Music anyway? What a thing.
Thank you for your interest!
Greetings
Fred