Peter, this is Derek from Himsa. I can answer most of your questions, but some I can not. Please feel free to contact me to follow up on some answers. I don¹t understand all the questions you are asking here, but I will try my best to answer what I can.

History?

-Himsa has been together since October of 1998. Our beginnings were more politically influenced and not as focused as they are now. We  have released 2 Eps and 2 Lps. The first 3 releases were on Revelation Records and now we are on Prosthetic Records here in the US and Join The Team Player in Europe. We play metal.

Please tell me a little about every member in the bands, bands before, age, family, interests and something bad about every one?

- http://www.himsa.org/members.html

Is hardcore a good way to take out anger that you have and don´t let it come out in the streets?

-I have red hair so I´m naturally angry. I don¹t take my anger anywhere, it just stays inside me and I¹ve learned to deal with it. John sometimes has a problem not taking his anger to the streets though. He works security at a club in Seattle though so he gets to throw a lot of hooligans out! I think being angry all the time just creates more anger. I don¹t hold grudges or stay angry for long if I am.

Somewhere I read that people who plays harder music is more aggressive than other people, what do you think about that?

-That makes sense to me. You have to figure they must be somewhat more aggressive if they play that style of music, otherwise they would be playing tambourines and harps and then they wouldn¹t be anyone you¹d have too much of an interest in, not that tambourine and harp players are bad people, they generally play more for the ear than as a form of release.

All the pictures you have on your website on sick people, why and are you much interested of that type of people?

-They were just people like you and me that decided they didn¹t want to be alive anymore. It just made me think about how bad people can feel in their heads and how far they will go to make the pain end.

Do they help you to write lyrics, I don´t mean personally but these sort of things?

-I don¹t write the lyrics, the lyrics are mostly personal and are a way for John to work out his frustrations.

Which is most important when you do a song, is it to have a good melody, good lyrics or is it to have a refrain that people remembers?

-The song has to be catchy whether it¹s a lyric or a riff, it should be something people can remember and that they enjoy. And it has to shred!

Who do the songs, is it only one who do a song or are you helping each other?

-Matt and Kirby write the songs that make the young girls cry.

Isn´t it hard to do a song nowadays, don´t you get the feeling that everything is already written?

-Yeah, a lot of stuff has been written already, you can only really just combine styles now. We tend to take a lot of influence from 80´s style rock and metal and combine it with hardcore and Swedish style metal of today.

Does music and politics goes hand in hand?

-Yes, it can. Music can also go with breakfast in the morning, a movie, and making out.

Is there any good political band around right now?

-None that I currently listen to.

Which band have done the best political lyrics?

-Reagan Youth.

Is there any good band sin USA right now?

-There are a few, Shadows Fall, Death By Stereo, Hell Promise, Champion, To See You Broken, The Agony Scene, As I Lay Dying, 3 Inches of Blood, Lamb of God, As Hope Dies, Fate Thirteen, 18 Visions, Bleeding Through, AFI, Testament, Nevermore, The Bronx, Underoath, Kill Switch Engage, Pretty Girls Make Graves, This Day Forward, These Arms Are Snakes, The Jet City Fix, Hauler, and Slayer,

What do you know about Sweden?

-It´s in the North of Europe and a lot of my favourite bands come from there. Also, our old guitar player Sammi Curr now lives there. I think it snows there too. Oh, and I hear the girls there are hot. Matt has been there and he really likes it there. I think we will get to play there next time we do a full Europe tour.

Have you heard any good swedish bands?

-Soilwork, Dimension Zero, Arch Enemy, The Haunted, and Refused

You were on Revelation Records before and now on Join The Team player, what happened?

-We wanted to go to a label that we were friends with. We love Marco and Ivonne and they both work harder than anyone else I know. We wanted a label that worked hard and that were honest with us. We couldn¹t be happier with Join The Team Player.

What´s the difference between the labels?

-One works and the other didn¹t.

How is good concert with Himsa?

-Good concert is energized people having fun in front of us.

How does the average fan look like?

-They look like the people reading this interview.

Do you have good contact with your fans, in which way?

-We¹re pretty open as a band, you can approach us and not feel strange. We like to talk to new people all the time and meet new friends. I try to email everyone back that writes us, but I¹ve been falling behind lately, so if you emailed me and I didn¹t write back, do it again and tell me I¹m a lousy friend. We love to connect with people on tour and on the Web.

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

-Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel

Integrity Those Who Fear Tomorrow

Slayer Reign in Blood

Youth of Today Break Down the Walls

Cradle of Filth Midian

I cant give you 5, but I would say that my life changed after I saw Youth of Today play in 1988 at Alice¹s in Salt Lake City. I had never seen anything like that before and I knew I needed to be a part of it. I also like going to see local bands that I¹ve never heard of. Just going to a show that you may have heard of and taking a chance on someone new can be just as rewarding as seeing your favourite band play.

First, last and most expensive record ever bought?

-I have a lot of old records, but I never paid a lot for them since I bought them all when they came out in the 80¹s. I don¹t collect anymore. Now I just buy CDs I want to listen too. I cant afford to buy records I wouldn¹t listen to.

Are record collectors pretentious arseholes as Poison Idea call their record?

-No. I know a lot of kids who collect records ­ they love the music and that¹s what is important to them. There¹s nothing wrong with that.

Which were your feelings when the terrorstattack was and what was your feelings when the Iraqwar begun, ?

-Bummed.

Is Bush a dangerous man?

-Yes, he¹s fucking up the planet.

Futureplans for the band?

-Tour more, write a new record, tour some more, write a new record, tour again, write another record and then we¹ll see what happens from there.

For yourself?

-See above.

Wisdomword

-Slinky

Something more to add?

-23 + 20 = 43