Kongressen was one of the bands that
responded to my call to be interviewed by
Skrutt. Here comes the interview that was done
in late July-2018
A little story about the group?
-In the summer of 2016 we talked about trying to
start a trallpunkband with Swedish texts. It
took a while, but in 2017 we formed Kongressen
and tried to play some songs, it worked well so
we continued to make new songs that we later
recorded in Boomstick Records. Now this year we
were signed by No Bullshit Live and
Records that released our debut album "upa för
att glömma, knarka för att fly!" Digitally on
the largest platforms Spotify, iTunes, etc.
Tell us a little about each member, age, job,
family, band before and band on the side?
-Peter: Song and guitar works as a preschool
teacher since 20 years ago. Previous band
Ramoniacs and BreakOut, current band (except
Kongressen) Kaj i Rännstenen
Anders: Song and guitar works in the
manufacturing industry in the same workplace as
Jonas. Has played earlier in Refresh and
BreakOut.
Rosen Song and bass Works as a forging worker in
the heavy industry.
Previous bands are Total Kaos, Bombfors,
Barbaras Grannar Breakout and Ursinne.
Jonas Song and drums Works in the manufacturing
industry in the same workplace as Anders
Played earlier in Ramoniacs and current bands
besides Kongressen, Jonas plays in Offside.
I can hear a lot of old trallpunk but also a bit
tougher things, I hear right? Was it better
beforer?
-Our goal when we started was to be playing
trallpunk, but all songs do not allow you to be
printed in just one style and is one song good
so is it, so it's the most important one.
That it was better sooner is an argument SD says
so we do not agree! ;) Much of the trallpunk in
the 90's is still great, but it's definitely not
only the old one, but also a great new
trallpunk, such as Lastkaj 14 and Skrammel.
Trallpunk lives / Punks alive.
Kongressen, are you satisfied with the name? How
do you get such a name! If the best band name
had not been taken, if you could chosen that
name, which would you have chosen? I mean which
is the best band name?
-We are pleased with the name, it feels simple
and stylish, it comes out quite a lot and people
remember it. We wanted a name that brought our
thoughts to the left to the 70s, we tried
different names and eventually we agreed on
Congress. The second best band name after
Kongressen has to be Vänsternäven, it is a
wonderful name for a good group as well.
What's the best thing about playing live?
-The audience becomes part of the gig, one gets
and gives energy from each other, the band and
the audience. It's never the same feeling of a
live recording like being there in the place.
Where is the best to play, where is the worst?
-The best places to play are where you get close
to the crowd, a low scene and no fence. Worst is
the opposite, high scene and fence that makes
the audience get farther away. Good co-operation
is also very nice to have, but it is often said
and so on. There is Hillstreet 1 in Lindesberg
which is the best place we have played in terms
of sound and co-operation, absolutely superb!
How is it to play this kind of punk in Sweden
today?
-Unfortunately, it's a very limited audience who
listens and plays, but we think it's about punk
overall, it's not the most popular music genre.
But it does not matter, then it's all the more
important for those who really think it's good.
And the most important thing is that you think
it's fun to play yourself.
How would you describe your music in three words
?
-Intensively, trall and socially critical texts.
What does punk mean to you, is it just a word or
is it a lifestyle?
-The most important punk stand for us is that
everybody regardless of sex, sexual orientation,
appearance, ethnic origin and so forth are
welcome. Nobody who wants to be punk and listen
to punk should be ruled out. We believe that
many who are out of communities in different
ways and who find the punk feel welcome. That's
why we do not like when it's discussed (which
sometimes does) in punk if you listen to the
"right" kind of punk or if you dress properly to
be named a punk."Gabba, gabba, we accept you, we
accept you, one of us" - Pinhead av Ramones
How do you look at download, mp3 and the like?
-For our part, we're just happy the more people
listening to our music, it does not matter how
they listen. We will never earn any money to
talk about from the music, but it's just fun the
more it's spread.
How do you think it's to live in Sweden today,
politically? SD etc? Will it be more important
than ever to vote this fall?
-It is always important to vote, everyone who
has the right to vote should do that. We find it
hard to find the blue-brown currents that are
now and only increase, where people are
suspicious and painted out like lazy, liar and
terrorists. The weakest in society are used
against each other in the debate, pensioners
against asylum seekers, for example. Vote with
your heart.

Are there any good bands in Sweden today? In
your home town?
-Some bands we have a little closer cooperation
with and which we played / will play with are
Skrammel, Analrevolt and (d)juret. And so we
were support to Lastkaj 14 on two gigs too, it
was very fun :)
There are many good bands from Karlskoga to name
a few other good bands, such as Bombfors, Von
Bøøm, Kaj i Rännsten and Barbaras Grannar and
others.
Do you play anything outside Sweden?
-It would be fun, but we have not done that yet.
We would not like to say no to a gig in
Christiania.
Other good bands from abroad?
-We do not just listen to Swedish punk.
Other good bands abroad are, for example, System
of a Down, Rise Against, and Bad Religion to
name a few.
Your lyrics? What influences you? Never in a
language other than Swedish? Is your album title
Supa för att glömma, knarka för att fly... does
it have any deeper meaning?
-Many texts are about highlighting the mistakes
and injustices we see in everyday life. We only
sing in Swedish, it feels more genuine then,
just with the lyrics we have in any case because
it's mostly about Swedish society.
Supa för att glömma, knarka för att fly is a bit
long and not so catchy title. But we like when
an album title is taken from a song and not a
song title and "”Supa för att glömma, Knarka för
att fly" We sing in our song ADHD -barn (our
most played song on Spotify)
Is there anything you will never write about?
-It would be about the Swedish Democrats, if
not, now we were kidding. No, we have no
restrictions on what texts we write, we write
what we want.
Politics and music, does it always belong to
each other?
-No. There is good music with texts that deal
with other and even nonsense texts. We do not
know if we will make somebody such a song, but
it must not be political texts to make it good.
Do you think music can change someone's life,
then I mean lyrics etc?
-Yes I think so and hope so. Maybe not in big
but small. If you really get stuck for one song
it can accompany one through life and text lines
can pop up in your head in different situations
and it helps or strengthens one. Just like any
other culture, you can do it, books, movies,
poetry, art and more.
Best political band/artist?
-Asta Kask of course, especially the records
that came in the 2000s.
Even the band Kardinal Synd has made many
awesome songs with a political agenda.
Is it important to have a cover on a record so
that you understand what kind of music you play?
Which is your favorite cover all the time?
-No the cover feels secondary but Onkel Kånkels
cover for "Gammaldags Jul" is really a good one.
Is it important to get out physical discs? Vinyl
or CD or both? Is there any good record store in
your vicinity?
-We do not think it's important. It feels like
vinyl collections have become snobbish, it
should be special and exclusive, editions with
limited editions and the like. Then you'll sit
there and browse their exclusive editions and
brag for their fellow companions how cool they
are because they've managed to collect them. It
feels contrary to the punk grounds. We love
Spotify, it's both convenient and easily
accessible. Then some think that the sound is
much worse digital than on vinyl, but we do not
get it because we play Punk and music is still
the best live.

Please tell me something really fun that
happened during your career on stage or behind
stage etc?
-When we were supporting Lastkaj 14 here in our
hometown Karlskoga (it was just our second gig
ever) we gave Kongressen t-shirts to all in
Lastkaj. When they was going to play, they'd put
on all the sweaters, and they also played with
our Kongressen backdrop, so if you only saw them
without hearing them before, you could easily
believe that it was Kongressen and not us.
How is your audience looking like? What people
comes to your gigs? Do you miss any kind of
people?
-We do not have any devoted fanbase
unfortunately, but a sound engineer in one place
in Gothenburg once said we sounded good, and
that said Anders mother too. We would like more
people to understand how many good punk bands
there are today.
So the Punk scene became a little bigger than it
is today.
Please rank five favorite records, five favorite
concerts?
-Rise Aginst Fryshuset 2015
Exploited Motala 96
Ramones in Bergslagshallen i Karlskoga 1990
Gatans Lag Closeup boat 2018
Doktor Kosmos Arvika festival 2008
Is it boring with interviews?
-It's just boring if the questions are boring;)
If you could choose five bands from history,
dead and alive to have a concert with your band,
what are the dreambands then?
-Ramones
Lastkaj 14
Fear Factory
Räserbajs
Rise Against
Is music a great way to get frustration and
become a nicer person? Are you angrier today
than you were as young punks?
- (Anders)
Music is a very good tool for cleansing the soul
and getting rid of its frustrations over all the
crap you hear and see everywhere.
(Peter) is a very happy and positive person and
has always been. But I get frustrated when I see
injustice and oppression. Then it's good to be
able to scream out the frustration in the music.
What is the strangest question you received in
an interview?
-No question is too strange because we are open
minded.
Which is the question you never get, ask it and
answer it?
-Pass
Future plans for the band?
-We think it's fun to play live as mcuh we can
and do so many live shows as possible. Then it
would be fun to release a disc more.
For yourself?
-To have fun together with friends
Words of wisdom?
-We listen and learn from you others instead.
Something to add?
-We would like to thank you for the eminent
interview which have taking 2 days and 5 nights
to complete, but it was worth it.
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