Da Skywalkers is a really interesting swedish punkgroup which haven´t been so big in Sweden as they should have. Here we got a really deep interview with Richard and Kryckan from the group. This interview was done in the beginning of January 2004.
When and why did you start to play as Da Skywalkers?
R)We began with DSW 95, then most as a sideproject to our swedishsingel melodypunkband HDF, we did some songs in english , most for fun and then DSW became our main project.
Please tell me a little about every member, age, work , interests and something bad about every one?
K) Tommy is 25, he has no job, lives with a girl, only X-Box and DSW, Robert-24-makes identificationcards-daughter, girlfriend in Leeds, macaronpyromaniac, Micke-23-he is studying- i Kendo and he´s intelligent, Richard-24-works with a lot of things – he lieks to party.. Kryckan-23-he have no job but a girlfriend -Garageland Studio.
You come from Strängnäs, do you feel the pressure to take over after Strebers?
K) Not at all. It´s never going to be any good band which can take over after Strebers. But it feels fun to put out Strängnäs on the punkmap.
You did a cover of one of their songs. Why and do you do any other covers?
K) We have done different Strebers live for a while so it felt it was fun to do a Strebers song in the DSW way. We recorded a whole lot of covers and we have played a lot of covers through times but we will see in the future what´s happening
R) We started to play because of Strebers and band like Asta Kask and as long as I can remember have we played Strebers covers.
You put out your records on foregin labels mostly, why?
K) Just because it haven´t been any interests or alternative on our homeground. And then the foreign labels showed us more interest than the swedish which was a little bit curious and on that way it is.
Red Angel is it your own label or how is it, is it going to be any other bands on the label?
K) Red Angel isn´t our own label. But Richard and one guy from Blisterhead have it together. The next release will be a split with Blisterhead and Voice of a Generation.
R)Yeah, we have some really good releases on it´s way which will get some life in punksweden.
I have End of Chapter and Smalltown saviours, is there any other records left and how can I get them if it is?
K) We have a record which is called United Kids on 7” and the same 6 songs is on a split with Italian Inderdzia.
R) I think we have a whole lot of both but otherwise check out with the record companies.
Which record are you most satsified with?
R)The latest record feels absolutely best, I´m really proud of it. .
K) If we´re talking about songs it must be End of a Chapter. But I´m a perfectionist and therefore I will never be satisfied with the production because I recorded it.
I compare you with Rancid and Bombshell Rocks, what other band are you being compared with?
K) These two bands are the most common. But I have seen dropkick Murphys also, Sick of it All have some harder songs been compared to.
R)It´s mostly Rancid everywhere I think.
Is it boring to be compared with other groups or is it anything you understand as a musican that reviewers do?
K) Of cause it´s boring to be compared to other bands. And the longer time which goes have we and Bombshell Rocks taken longer steps between us. But of course reviewers compare to other bands so the readers can understand which way the record sounds
R)It´s a felling I get that people haven´t listened to the record if they only write Rancid. I mean , we haven´t been influenced by only one group and we don´t even try to sound like Rancid. The Bombshell comparement cannot I understand, we come from the same country but that´s the only thing.
Do you care about reviews?
K) Enough to appreciate a good review and so little as possible so I could forget it the day after.
Which is the most peculiar review you ever have got?
R) I don´t know if I can come up with any…….hehehe yeah Kerrang thought that we sound like thich old oi-punks or something like that, but that was obvisiously good
How would you describe your music in three words?
K) Energic, melodic, captivating.
R) Hard punk rock
What does punk eman to you, is it only a word, or is it a lifestyle?
K) Punk for me have always been to do what I want and believe in. So I think it must be called a lifestyle then, because it´s the way I live.
How is a good gig with you?
R) So I see it it´s a good gig when I almost puke of tiredness when the gig is over, then it feels good..
How does the typical Da Skywalkers audience lokk like?
R) In England it ´s much old men in the audience, really mad.
How much does a group like Da Skywalkers sell?
R) Honestly; I don´t really know but a couple of thousands.
When we talk about selling things, where do you stand we´re talking about mp3´s and the the thing that the labels are collapsing. Is it going to be a future where the music will be free or what do you think? Is this good for the big or the small bands?
K) I have all the time been thinking that they´re pissing in their own pants when they have tried to stop this instead of coming up with new ways to sell their music.I don´t think the music is going to be free, but I think it will be alternative ways to buy the records instead of the usual way as now on a record. It´s good for small bands , and most for the bands who wants to come out more. The big bands is losing more but not so much as the labels say. All who download isn´t potential recordbuyers. That isn´t shown in the statistics.
Do you download for yourself?
K) Yeah. The record prizes have been so high that you can with good conscience download the songs and buy it when the prizes is getting better. .
R) Absolutely, and if people wants to download our records or burn them so …..go for it.
How is it to play punkrock in Sweden today? Is it any places and any audience to play for?
R) It could have been better but it feels like something is going on.
Do you have any favouritesites on the net?
K) As a studio and computernerd I am much on those forums..
R) As all normal people I check out the most news about music like punknews and some netzines are good and some independent newssites.
Is it many interviews? Is it boring?
K) No, much isn´t it. It´s some then and then. It´s absolutely not boring. But I don´t shall say that the three first records about the bands history isn´t so inspiring to answer…hehehehe..
Men det är kul när intervjuaren i fråga tänkt till och ställer frågor man aldrig hört förut.
R) But it´s more interviews now than for a while ago, we do some every month.
Which is the question you never get, but that you want to have? Please ask it and answer it?
R) A question which have been asked in the bus: How many spruces(christmas trees) is it in sweden? But I can´t answer it but I really want to know the answer.
What do you think are the best, zines on the net or on paper? What´s the besta nd what´s the worst with both of the things?
R) I like paperzines best because you can have it in the bus or when it suits you, the best with netzines is that they can be updated more often and paperzines don´t come out so often.
Have you played much outside Sweden? Where is best?
K) Not so much as we should have done. Different things have done so we had to cancel two tours. But we have done three tours and then mostly played in England. We have done about 60 gigs in England. Germany is Germany and there you have it better when we´re talking about food and somewhere to sleep
R) I look foreward to Austria where we´re going in april, I have been there with some other people and it have been very fun.
How do you think is it in Sweden otherwise?
R) I think it´s OK in Sweden, things could have been better but the most things are better if you compare to other countries.
What do you think about the world otherwise, what to do with saddam Hussein,is Michale Jackson guilty and who wins Robinson?
R) The iraqian people must judge Saddam, if Michale is guilty he must go to prison as any other man and If I could decide should Pål win Robinson.
Shall or should music and politic go hand in hand?
R) Music and politics goes along very well but it would be very boring if every band sang about politics all the time, there´s some other things too.
Which is the best political band?
R) Band which I like which never have been afraid of showing what they think and stands includes Clash, Public Enemy, Refused but if they are only “political bands” I don´t know.
Which is most important when you do music, a good lyric, a good melody or to have a refrain that people remembers?
K) For me its´the melody. I know that Richard do so good lyrics so I don´t have to lay any focus on that. We don´t write hits, we only write songs. A good album can never have only hitting hits, it must have songs which grows after some time and so on
Please rank your five favouriterecords, five favourite concerts and five most important things in life?
R) OK five favouriterecords right now 1) the Clash-London calling 2) Refused-the shape of punk to come 3) Strebers – Kallt stål & varmt blod 4) Rancid-life won’t wait 5) Minor threat – the complete discography.
Concerts: Sick of it all (’01 Sthlm), Five Knuckle (’03, Austria) Refused(?, Eskilstuna), Beastie boys (?, Sthlm), and then I don´t know….
The most important: The music, the family, the friends, the food, the love.
First,last and the most expensive record ever bought?
R) The latest record….yeah, I bought the Asta Kask compilation, Strike Anywhere’s new and Sick of it All, the most expensive must have been some Motley Crue bootleg on vinyl but it wasn´t more than 400 swedish krona. The first record must have been some childrecord but the first real one must have been a Kiss-record.
What drives you to play music?
R) I have asked myself that question many times and I don´t really know why but I know that I can´t be without doing it.
If you could choose five bands to have a concert with, new living and old dead bands which bands will be playing with Da Skywalkers on a big concert?
R) Hehehe… Tommy wants surely Europé, Robban surely wants Jimi Hendrix, Micke should take som old oi-band or skaband and Kryckan rancid or something like that but it´s me answering now and then I say Strebers, the Clash, Johnny Cash, Mötley crue and Sick of it all
Which are the biggest abnd you have been playing with?
K) Will we count the bands on HITS where we have played the last two years it must be Suicidal Tendencies, The Business, US Bombs to mention some. Otherwise we have toured with F-Minus on Hellact and we have done some gigs with Leftöver Crack.
What does Da Skywalkes do in about ten years?
R) We´re old men and we wonder why everything have gone so fast and why it only comes warm air when you go on the toilet.
Futrureplans for the band?
R) In february we do a shorter tour in England, in april a short Europetour and in the summer it will be a months tour in UK+some toher touring. We record some songs to compilations right now and I hope we can get something out before the summer.
For yourself?
K) I hope to expand the studio. I hope I can live on it some day.
R) Get a dog and more tattoos.
Wisdomword?
R) No, now its enough!!!
Something to add?
R) Buy our record, come to our concerts and check out our site.
