Lazy Sodz is a norwegian group which I really
like a lot. They have recently released a LP
…here they answers a lot of questions from me .
October 2022.
Please tell me a little history of the group,
members and what you do when you don´t play
music, what do you work and which ages are you
in?
Lazy Sodz was founded by Kjetil Andersen, Johnny
Halvorsen and Anders Vatle Borger in february
2018 with the intentions of playing covers of
old Norwegian punk songs from the south-east of
Norway. After about half a year and a couple of
gigs we started to make a few songs of our own.
This got more focus, so today we play mostly our
own songs, but throw in a coversong or two
sometimes if we feel like it.
Work? Thomas Lønstad, our drummer, is a hard
working man and the go-to guy for train stuff.
The rest of us? Well, we don’t do shit.
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes? Please tell me
a little about every member? Earlier bands?
We did the old switch-a-roo on our drummer after
about 1-2 years. Johnny left and Thomas became
our new drummer. Our last gig with Johnny was in
the autumn of 2019 we think. Other than that,
we’ve stayed together through good times and bad
times!
All of the members are “hillbillies in the
city”, not much of interest there, but we can
tell you about some of our earlier bands; Some
of Kjetils earlier bands include Slips, Sterke
Svakheter, T-Zers, Fuck-Ups, Ratcats and
Stookers. Anders has been in Dvergpornoklubben
and Bauges Barn. Thomas has been in Betlehem
Abortion Clinic, Stagedive Suicide and Bauges
Barn together with Anders.
Lazy Sodz is the name, where did it came
from and you wasn´t afraid that some other group
would be named so?
Our name is, obviously, stolen from the Sex
Pistols. There’s no reason to re-invent the
wheel if it keeps rolling, so we don’t really
care if someone else is named the same as us. We
think there’s at least two bands named the same
as us, Lazy Sods and The Lazy Sods. They’re both
Pistols-coverbands, and both of them write their
names with a S instead of a Z.
What´s best with playing live ? Have you been
start playing after covid-times? Where is best
to play, which country, town, place?
The good times The energy! Free travel and beer!
(at least sometimes, hahaha).
In these post-covid times we have a lot going
on! We have played about 15 gigs after lockdown
we think.
The worst place to play? Stream! Those damn
streaming studios with cameras on rails and
shiny camera lenses everywhere! We don’t know if
we have any favourite places to play.. Every
place, every city, every town has something to
offer. We usually prefer to play in smaller
venues and pubs, crowded with people around a
small stage.
Have you been one of all these bands which have
made livestreams now during the covid-19 time or
how is it?
Hrmmm… Yes, we did two livestreams, one at Blitz
and one in Jessheim. There was way too many
cameras, and we’re really happy we don’t have to
do that anymore! We felt like we were surrounded
by some surveillance authority or something!
Is it important to give out the record as
physical releases do you think? Would it feel
like you have released a record if you only
release it digital?
A digital release don’t feel like a real
release! It has to be something physical! To
hold the release in your hands, listening to it,
looking at the coverart - that’s a real release!
A digital release feels like just a random song
being played on the radio….so that’s no good.
Do you play any covers when you play live? If
you do, which then?
We have played tons of covers, and some of them
we still play sometimes. As we said earlier, all
of our coversongs are old, both obscure and well
known, from the south east of Norway. If we do a
cover these days, we mostly play "Svart Framtid
- Displin", "PVC - Sykebil" or "K.Anfall - Fader
Vår", but we prefer to play our own songs.
Please tell me a little about following songs
a) Alltid vaera liten
b) Igår blir I dag
c) Underskriv her
Alltid vaera liten - This song is about being a
powerless loser in the society, being look down
upon by the “elite”
I går blir i dag - Depression and the feeling of
being stuck in a dark, endless loop, where every
day seems like the day before.
Underskriv her - Big brother, modern
surveillance, paranoia and the feeling of being
watched.
Is it important to get out your opinions in your
music, and is it a good way to get out
frustration too?
We think it’s important to speak your heart, but
we prefer to share thoughts, feeling and ideas
about different topics and rather than “preach”
what other people should think. We see ourselves
more as a storyteller.. speaking about our
reality and our misery, hahaha.
Frustration? You bet! We release a lot of
frustration!
Do you think that your lyrics can have effect on
other people who listens to them…any example on
it? Have you changed anyones mind?
Yeah, maybe someone does relate to some of our
lyrics… Or so we’ve been told a couple of times.
If we have changed anyones mind we don’t know..
Maybe they’ve changed their minds about us?
How is it to play this sort of music in Norway
which type of bands are you having concerts
with??
We have no difficulties playing our kind of
music in Norway today. The scene is alive and
well, and there’s several venues to choose from.
Things were much worse 40 years ago!
Some of the bands we have been having concerts
with are: Politisk Hjærnesvikt AS, The Fects,
Anti-Social Rejects, Pink Dirt, The Oxydants and
Faensmakt.
I like beer and also make beer.. If Lazy Sodz
would do a beer , what would it be named and
which sort of beer would it be? Or maybe you´re
straightedge?
Our own beer would be the homemade, bad, lazy
beer standing dusty and forgotten in the dark
corner of the cellar because no one remembered
to pour it out… Lazy Beer maybe?
How would you describe your music in three words
to anyone who never have heard you?
Pønk rock roll!
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs?
We don’t do favourites! Which song that is a
favourite depends on which songs that are the
newest…but if we have to choose:
Thomas: Offentlig Beklagelse
Kjetil: Nyhetene
Anders: Øyeblikk
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band?
There more venues these days! And the equipment
has gotten so much better! 40 years ago there
was a lack of venues, and most equipment
sucked.
For Anders and Thomas, the last 17 years in
bands has been much the same.
Old norweigan punk/hardcorebands which you
really like?
Svart Framtid, Bannlyst, Siste Dagers Hælvete,
K.Anfall, Kafka Prosess, Betong Hysteria, Kjøtt,
ØBK, Oslo Beurs, Stroyers, 1984, De sjenerte,
Hærverk, Hjertesvikt AS, Z-off, Kaare og Partiet…
and that’s just from the top of our heads!
What do you know about Sweden? What is typical
Swedish?
Anders - Surströmming, igelkottar and D-beat
Kjetil - Asta kask, Christer Petterson and Oluf
Palme... And Volvo! ...And Ebba Grön. Fläsk!
Systembolaget!
Thomas - Trallpunk.
Have you ever been here? Any good bands from
Sweden that you like?
We have all been to Sweden. It’s not that far!
Really! We like a lot of swedish punk bands,
both old and new:
Ebba Grön, KSMB, Asta Kask, Stockholms Negrer,
Attentat, Skäms, Moderat Likvidiation, Mob 47,
P-nissarna, Sötlimpa, Puke, Bisex-B, Sixten
Redlös, Bitch Boys, The Past, Missbrukarna,
Trogsta Trask, DLK, Satanic Surfers, Borgerlig
Begravning, Civil Olydnad, Troublemakers, Böset…
Yeah, and Nationalteatern!
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age?
Most people are in the age group 30-60, mostly
punks.. Other than that there’s usually a mix of
different kinds of people.
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during a livegig with your band?
A lot of funny things have happened during a
livegig, but most of them are things that just
the three of us find funny… inside jokes and all
that.
One time, Thomas lost his drumstick 7 times
during a gig. That was fun.
Is there any good bands in Norway today? New
bands which is good? Old bands which is still
good?
A lot of the bands we have been playing with are
really good. We don’t know if Beinkjør is back,
but if they are, count them in! Dømt, Danger!Man,
and Murder Maids are good newer bands.
Backstreet Girls is an old favourite!
Which is the record that you always must have in
the tourbus?
In our tourbus we have a rare, mint condition
ABBA record used to maintain the mood from the
concert to the afterparty!
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify
and those type of things to listen to music?
Kjetil: I’m happy with the records and cassettes
that I’ve got. I don’t need any more.
Anders: I buy a lot of CDs, records, cassettes…
and sometimes listen to Youtube when I’m too
lazy to put on a record
Thomas: I buy both records and cassettes, but
also listen to digital releases a lot!
How is it to live in Norway overall, covid,
racists and the attack with Breivik and on the
gaybar?
In Norway everything is as shitty as it’s ever
been. We do see that these things are affecting
society, but other than that we don’t have much
to say. We don’t want to give them any more
attention!
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
A really bad review might be funny! Hmmm, yeah,
it would probably be nice to get a good review
too… Kjetils old band Fuck-Ups got a good review
in Maximum Rocknroll one time. That was awesome!
If you could choose five bands from the past and
the history and nowadays and both dead and
living bands to have a concert together with
your band. Which five have you been chosen?
Anders: Svart Framtid! Bad Brains, GWAR. I would
love to experience those live shows!
Kjetil: Stooges from ‘69, Big Balls and the
great White Idiots
Thomas: Converge!
Futureplans for the band?
We got two new records out! The album "Blod,
svette og utgåtte skosåler" and the EP "Her er
vi igjen". We’re probably gonna play more
concerts, both in Norway and outside of Norway,
and we’re sure that we’re gonna release more
material in future
Wisdomword?
Thomas: Don’t eat the yellow snow!
Anders: Turn off the phantom power!
Kjetil: You need to ask my dentist about that
Anything more to add to the interview?
No comment.
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