It’s fun with a band which I never have heard of before and now have four CD´s with. Down and Away from Askersund in Sweden is this group. Check them out because they’re really worth it. This was done in then end of June 2006. 

History?

-Down and Away was started 1998. Before that we have played in a lot of different bands but DAA have been around since 1998. The first demo-cd we recorded 1998 and the second one 2000. This demo-cd gave us record contract with german Rockstar Records. The two first fullength  "Who´s got the Deliverance!?" (2001) and "Set To Blow" (2004). Between those two records we did the mini CD  "Make it matter" 2002 also on Rockstar Records. A couple of singles have been released on an own and other labels. We have done 9 europatours and 2005 we started to talk with other record companies, because we wanted to go some steps fore ward. Mad Butcher was the company which was most interesting and they had good thought about the future. Now were here 2006 and our new record  "To serve and protect" is just released. A two-week Europatour is planned in the autumn when we visit Italy and Germany.

Please tell me a little about every member, age, family, interests, work and something bad about every one?

-Marcus Johansson : Vocals/Guitar  Ager: 26 years Familj: Going steady with a female  Work: Studying  Interests: Sounds, Punk,Old tincoffeepots, motors and technique. Terrible: He lives in Piteå and rehearse in Askersund(that´s 621 miles) 

Martin Elf . Drums Age: 24 years Family: Engaged: Work: CNC-operator   Interests: Books   Terrible: Drinks 14 cups of coffee a day.  

The Face: Bass/Background vocals  Age: 25 years  Family: Free  Work: Green Cargo  Interests: Antique furniture’s, Cars   Terrible: The Face plays bass in The Pricks

David Elf: Guitar/Vocals  Age: 28 years   Family: He´s not free   Work:Draindriller  Interests: He´s working much with his own studio  Terrible: He have been studying to be a farmer.   

Askersund, how is it?

-In the summer it´s icecream, sunshine and many tourists and in the winter it´s cold and not a single human being out, but nice anyway. Askersund is a summer city. 

And how is it to play this sort of music there? And to play it in Sweden

-Askersund is in Sweden, which means that´s the same to play in Askersund as it is to play in other places. We do 3 Swedensgigsyear so in Sweden  we don´t do much. It´s fun to play in Sweden but it isn´t so often.

What are you being compared to?

-In Europé we´re compared to Rancid, Voice of a generation and Social Distortion... In Sweden we getting compared with Bombshell Rocks because if you don´t  is named Bombshell Rocks so can´t you play streetpunk in Sweden. The country seems to be too small or maybe to narrow-minded. 

Do you care about reviews?

-I would lie if we said no but it´s not so that you dig yourself down in it. A review can be good even if they don’t like the record but when the reviewers start to say that the whole music style so can you wonder why they got the record from the very beginning. Reviewers in Sweden have tendencies to make themselves funny instead of listening on the stuff on the record. 

Which is the most peculiar review you ever have got?

-I don’t know which is the most peculiar. But we think for ourselves that is odd when the reviewer’s don’t write a single thing about the record and write about themselves instead. 

You’re on German labels, why?

-It have only became so, there’s more companies and they´re interested of this sort of music. The music scene is bigger there and not so trendthinking as in Sweden.

Is it in Germany you sell the most?

-It´s so automatically.

Do you play more in Germany than in Sweden?

-Yeah, we do 95% of our gigs abroad and the most of these we do in Germany. 

You have done three Cd and one mini CD and two vinylsingles, is that correct?  Howcome that we haven´t been heard of you before?

-NeitherRockstar Records or Mad Butcher Records have distributors in Scandinavia and it´s wellknown that swedes don´t look in recordstores in any big extention. 

Which of your records are you most satisfied with?

-"To serve and protect"

Do you do any covers?

-It happens. Through the years we have done covers on  U.S bombs, Social Distortion, Cockney Rejects, Blitz and Ebba Grön

You have changed to Mad Butcher, why not Rockstar anymore?

-We wanted to take a step fore ward and Mad Butcher have a bigger distribution than Rockstar Records. 

Seems it be good on Mad Butcher?

-Yeah, it seems good, they have recently released our record so we will see how it goes along.

How is your relationship to punk, is it only a word or is it a lifestyle? 

-How does you live punk? I think it's difference between persons. Our definition of punk is that you believe in what you say and work hard. And there´s people who drink like pugs, do drugs and lives like they be on the rampage and call that punk. It will stand for them.

How do you think it is to live in Sweden? What is best and what is the worst thing? 

-It´s working fine to live in Sweden, noone of us have lived somewhere else, we haven´t so much to compare with, that you can compare with is the impression from the countries you have been to and then is Sweden an OK country to live in. The best with Sweden is the nature, which you miss when you go on the autobahn in Germany. The worst is the unpredictable weather and the trendguys. 

Will you vote this autumn, whcih is winning?

-I think the most in the band votes. We know which is winning later this autumn...

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When you do your songs, which is most important do you think, is it the music, the lyrics or is it so that the refrain is the most important?

-A mighty refrain is always important but the things which is heard first is the music and it´s important that the music is good just to lift up the lyrics. And in the same time a bad lyrics can take good music down. 

How do you do your songs?

-Through playing our instruments

Politics and music, does it goes hand in hand?

-You can decide that yourself when you write the lyrics. Sometimes it does and something it doesn´t. 

The best political group/artist?

-Steve Earle

Please rank your five favourite records, five favourite concerts and the five most important things in life?

-Martin answers:

Rancid "And out comes the wolves..."

The Clash "The Clash"

Bombshell Rocks "Street art gallery"

The Pricks "Destroy high society"

Nofx "Punk in drublic"

Concerts

Bad Religion in Stockholm Arena 1998

Rancid in Stockholm on Riddarholmen 2004

Nofx on Mejeriet in Lund 2003

59 Times The Pain on Scruffy Murphys in Örebro. 2000

Bombshell Rocks beside Kumlasjön in Kumla 1998

Most important things:

Love

Health

Family

Friends

Music

The first last and most expensive record ever bought?

-Martin answers: Status Quo "12 Golden Bars", 200 kr the most expensive cost and the latest was  Time Again "The stories are true". Our singer bought an AC/DC-Box for 2500 kr and that I think is very expensive.

The most embarrasing record in your collection?

-I haven’t any embarrassing record left. But the most embarrassing concert I have been to is Arvingarna in the town Hoting in Ångermanland and that can never be undone. 

How about the future for the group?

-An Europatour this autumn, and hopefully a tour next spring and then we must start to do a new record. And expect nothing new, we only go along the way we´re done before. 

For yourself?

-This summer I go to Spain for three weeks and when I´m coming home a two week europatour.

Wisdomword?

-Don´t do yourself to anything else than you are. If you do that it seems like if you´re pathetique.

Something to add?

-You have already asked a lot of questions so it will be enough….haha….no…We have precisely released the video to the song  Black And White from the new record "To serve and protect"

Please check the spelling

Thank you for doing the interview/ Greetings/Martin