Simon Ellard in Senap managed to get this interview to me and it was in august 2000.

History?

-Yeah, it was six and half year ago we started to play punk which was very popular back then. Panda was the on which took the first step and make it all happened. And then he suddenly find some lyrics at my home(Ellard). This was the beginning to our first songs and some of them are on our demo "Drömmen om Jas" which came out 1984. Before that we played some covers like Ramones: Blitz krieg bop, Charta 77: The beauty is in the beholders eye, Köttgrotterna: Bosnien, Zynthslakt: Påga, Cornelis: Trasiga skor and of course Strebers Betongbarn. It sounded not so good and it was more than good but we continue to make som own songs which really gave us the guts to make more songs. 95 we gave out our first CD "Kalla Minnen" and that got positive critics. But we were all too lazy to make any promotion on it and then punkwasn´t so popular so we came the wrong way..

But 96 we came back to the studio and that was the recording of our other CD-single(you can still buy it for 40 crowns) Blind. That record got positive reviews but the punkwave(the swedish singing punkwave) was almost dead. But we´re more a mateband than a musicband we give the shit about if punk was popular or not. And we have continue to rehearsal and do more punksongs.

But this time we wanted to do a fullengthCD so after four years of problems is out and it´s called "Återkomsten"

That´s how our background look like and we have always done everything ourselves and we´re going to do swedish proud "smashmouthpunk".

 

Please tell me a little about every member?

-Ellard: I´m the one who does the lyrics(and I´m a basist) and I´m a mix of a hippie and a punk both if you look on my way to look and my way to think.

Linnèr: Hardrocker and he´s the one who´s writing the most songs. Otherwise he´s very satisfied with his life.

Panda: He´s our engine and the one who does our homesite. Guitarrist with an attitude.

Skidi:  Drummer and he´s the longest in our band, he likes food and eat much and hés always bad in his stomach.

 

It´s not so trendy to play punk with swedish lyrics?

-No, but we don´t give a damn about it, and we´re still standing with two fingers in the air and thier against the wind which is blowing in the wrong direction.

 

What do you think happened to the audience to the old punkmusic?

-Like anything else it´s going in waves and every generation tries to find out their little thing to do. But the most important to remember is that even if we´re ater our time the music still have their fans. We ourselves thinks that the music is one of the best even if our musictaste have been a little broader. But a combination of nastalgy and openness I think give the best and the most musicexperience.

How long time do you think it´s gonna be to it´s modern again and that people like more swedish punk? 

-It´s difficult to say. And to be true to you I don´t really know what´s modern right now. If you compare with the hysteric about swedish punk which it was for about se-seven years ago. But as I said, everything goes in waves and also a wave come back( but a little calmer way this time....I hope very soon)

It´s time for more punk now if you think about all the wrong in the society which is it right now?

-Both and......the anger must come from the underground and it must be real and it must be born in long unjustice. I mean that unjustice cannot disappear in our lifetime....with or without a new punkwave. Much things have been better and the Cold war is over and the ironwall from the east have fallen. But a big danger as I see it is the big disappointment with politicans. We have the politicans we have worked to have. And I mean how fun is it to vote on idiots every fourth year and nothing happens  but it´s a right you have to do.... And I really think its fuckin bad when thousands of chinese students was crossed under the tanks only for that right.... You can vote on nothing but I´m think that you must use the right to vote. And some not used votes can give more room for fascist people which can shout higher and higher. Heider in Austria and Le Pen in France. Chruchill said one time. : Democrazy is the worst of all governments....if you don´t see the alternatives " And then you always can discuss where the power is. Do politicans so much to say against the big finance and multinational companys. The thing I want to come to is that silence is the same thing as that you accept... and I don´t think that is good. So it´s always room for angry punk which is never gonna shut their mouth. I really think about problem which is in the world. But we´re not politcally in the way that we´re like any parties or someehing. I want to work in the undergroundlevel (except of Senap, then) in Amnesty and Greenpeace. I think that we must work a little ourselves and don´t only say that everything which is wrong is politicans fault.

 

What do you think about Sweden today and where are Sweden on it´s way?

-Difficult question...To talk about the future is always difficult.. But Sweden I both love and dislike. I hate the "Swedish law" which says taht you´re nothing and you´re nothing worth called "Jantelagen" . I hate the swedish mentality and that people don´t vote because they don´t have the guts. And I hate Sweden because that they look at Bingolotto only to win some money.... On the other side I really love the freedom we have. The right to go where you want in the woods and so. And our social service is good even if there are some holes in it. We must all work for a better and more free community. But it´s much up to ourselves to do that. But I´m really happy that I´m live here and not anywhere else.

Senap(mustard in english) where does the name come from? Favouritemustard?

-No one of us is really like mustard...  But the name comes from Linners brother. When we got our first gig in the beginning of 94 we didn´t have any name and we was only a rehearsalband. And every other swedish punkband have names which doesn´t meant anything, silly names like Radioaktiva Räker(Radioactive Shrimps) Räserbajs(Speedshit) Köttgrottorna(Meatcaves) and so on. So we thinked that Senap would be nice. And it´s easy to remember when you once have heard it. Of course people have thought that we don´t are serious because of our name. But I have heard of an old swedish punkband who was called Piskad Senaped(Smashed Mustard).

Ljungby,how is to live there?

-Yeah, its like any other small city in Sweden I can think. The boring things in common life is here like everybody else but it can be to what you do about it. Or like Charta 77 sings. The beauty is in the beholders eyes.

Is there any other good bands there, any good bands in Sweden? 

-Yeah, really. I really want to recommend a band called Lurch which is a very good mix of Sonic Youth, Nirvana and some Posies( and they´re really cute too) And then we have the deathcombo called Erottica(or Butcher Bob which they was called before). And then some punkbands like Tumultus, HEA and Attitydproblem- ....And in Sweden ... of course...I listen mostly to swedish music land it´s everything from In Flames, The Hives to Cosa Nostra and Stefan Sundström...

Any good bands outside Sweden?  

-Of course how many bands that I can´t count them. It´s there the music is coming from even if Sweden is very good in music. It´s impossible to mention some bands but Iron Maiden we like all four.

Are you only listening to punk? 

-No, a band with broader musictaste than we four you must be looking for. It´s everything from raw synth via black metal to folksongs and pop. But the most music we listen to are punk and hardrock in all the forms it can be.

How is a good gig with Senap?

-When the audience is with us  and then we have fun ,which we always use to have. Even if it´s only one person who likes us we´re satisfied and then we give everything to that person.

How does the average Sneapfan look like? 

-15-17 years, and its´everything from sportnerds to grindpunks. It´s a really mixed audience.

 

Why haven´t you got any contract?

-?????? Good question. Of course it depends some of ourelves becuase we´re pretty lame of doing advertisment for ourselves. But the style we´re doing is really out-of-time and many people think we´re like dinosaurs.

Why took it so long time between Blind and Återkomsten? 

-Another good question... But many things went bad. A studio falled apart and people had it all the time. And of course the economy. We have paid the whole record by ourself and it have taken time to make all the money. The price of the record is 35000 and that for 500 CD`s.

When you put out Kalla minnen, did you get many reactions on your song Estonia? Positive or negative ones? 

-Yeah, both of, but mostly positive. My thought with that song was to make a new Wiehe Titanic. But of course it was full of feelings. On the other side it was nothing like Flugornas Krig which is about the massacres down in Rwanda and it was a thousands time more worse. But it wasn´t so close to ourself and then we put it out easier. But when an accident like Estonia happens and we are awakening out of our ordinary slumber.

You haven´t done anything more than the mini CD and the fullegth? 

-Yeah,we did make a demo which was released in 200 cassettes but it´s very nomore. On the other side we can record a copy if you send a empty cassette with payment back.

Why are you singing in swedish? Is it more difficult to make lyrics in swedish you think? 

-It´s much easier to be pathetic in swedish I think and swedish is a more unsharper language. And in the english language is more synonyms and some rock cliches you can hide behind and it can sound much better taht way. Personally I can´t make any lyrics in english and I´m very bad at english and I want to get our message foreward to our listeners so they understand it.

Is there any good lyricwriters

-Yeah, absolutely, Sundström & Winnerbäck is incredible. And then I think Per Granberg is very good too.

Is it important with lyrics which is about something interesting

-Yeah, of course. Do you have the possibility to write things that people can listen to so why don´t take the chance. You must be a little nice in your language so you let people think by theirselves. But not to think is a dangerous thing also..

You make some songs each or

-Yeah, but Linnér makes the most. The other ones in the group can come up with a riff but there´s always him who makes the song. And then we all say what we think about the arrangment before the songs is really finished.

Is it many interviews? Is it boring

- No, it´s not so many. These interview is one of the few. Of course is depending of our lazyness too, but boring no not in any way , it´s very nice that somebody care about us.

The question you want but you never get? 

-Which movie is the best, Friday the 13th or Star Wars. Answer:Vioelnce in SENAP. There I and Panda is thinking Star Wars says Linner and Skidi Friday the 13th.

What do you like the new way to communicate with email and all that stuff? 

Personally not my strong side. It´s more things for Panda and Skidi. But of course it´s a unbelievble way to get out info and to find info if you only learn to find. Information=Freedom. And then always freedom cab ne bad , I think of childporn and nazisites.

Any favourite site except Skrutt?

Ljungby band Tumultus wnsite   http://www.geocities.com/tumultus_2000/

Another good site which Peter in Cosa have is http://run.to/division 

and then we see that sweish punk is alive http://home.bip.net/grottforskarn/

Do you read many zines on the net and on paper?

-I´m reading mostly Close-Up but  Terrorpop, Benzine, Slambang, Finezine and Fett Röj was/is favoruites and of course Pie Mag.

What shall a good zine contain?

-Soemthing for all but mostly music.

You have an own homesite is it important and who does it? 

-Its´Panda who does it and he´s fucking good I think. It´s more important than we can realise. That´s a thing I begin to understand.

 

First and latest record you bought?

-Ellard:First: Helloween "Keeper of the seven keys part I"  Latest: In Flames "Clayman"

Skidi: First: Kizz: Lick it up        latest: Ken: Mitt hem blir ditt hem

Panda: First: Mötley Crüe: Theatre of pain   Latest: In Flames: Clayman

Linnèr: First: Twisted Sister: Under the blade  Latest: Notre Dame: s/t      

Idols when you were small?                

-Ellard: Helloween, Guns n Roses, Ramones and Yoda       Panda: Bobba Fett

Linnèr: Kizz, Zeb Machean, Jason Woorhees   Skidi: Kizz, WASP, Scorpions and Jason Woorhees

Futureplans for you? 

-To make and survive the first grade in Komvux.

Futureplans for the band?

-To get more gigs and to plan a new record

 

Wisdomword?

-"It doesn´t make any sense to be dressed if you want to meet the truth, because it´s always naked"

Something to add

"Stand on yourself or other stand on you" and "Aren´ t you good att being good, you always can be best to be the worst"