NIKE

-a goddess?

Nike have been playing with Tant Strul Usch and been nude on recordcovers two timesa, seems to be angry and red and now she release her new record ”Det Står Skrivet” and it feels like it is the right time to intervieweing her…october 2012.

You must tell me a little about yourself…I know that you are one year older than me(we don´t talk more about that). I know that you have been in groups like Tant Strul and Usch, what more should we know about you?

-I have been racing horses on Täby Galopp and I have gone in a Waldorfschool. I love anthroposophy and rabbits. Otherwise I´m a free art-soul which plays really good drums and have an operaschooled rock n roll voice and sings strong as hell. I´m driven by other forces than the forces of the market and I´m longing after the chance to buy an own house. I have been working as a musician on a theatre and been singing Offenbach on Dramaten as Strindbergs lover Dagny Juel. I´m often do runtraining and I like trees. I have two wonderful teenagedaughters which I do musicvideos together with.  .

Now you release your solorecord together with Röda orkestern, tell me,…record label, musicians etc?

-Nike & Röda Orkestern is a musical project with a political ambition to be there and change the world. I see how Sweden and the world is standing in front of big changes, many times bad changes. The big problem as larger holes between the classes, the climat, bad treatment of the already weak ones, world economy, equality. I feel like I must do something and not only sit still in front of the news and complain. I must use my voice, my music to be there and change things. The key to that is, as a first step to get a new government in this country, With a more human and justice politic. That´s the thing we have been gathering around on this record.

Autumn 2009 I contacted some authors and asked them to write a songlyrics to N & RO. The thing I wanted was that it should be a lyric which shows us how it is now from a political existential perspective.  Otherwise they have free hands to choose the thing to write about, rhtym etc. I was curious on what other people have for some kind of reaction and their view on the time we lives in. I did some lyrics myself too. And then I did music to the lyrics and then we did songs, put this band together and we started to play live 2010. It´s an unique compilation of songs we have, so I hope we can show Sweden from many different views. Both for people to be strengthened in the struggle nowadays but also as a view on right now and how is it to live here 2012. So in that way so is N&RO both a musicial and plitical project. But I´m a musican , not a politican.  

Nike & Röda Orkestern: Lotta Partapuoli: guitar, Johannes Nordell: drums, Mia Kempff: bass, Nike Markelius: vocals and guitar.

On the record so do we have också Fläskkvartetten in 4 songs, Malena Jönsson: piano and accordion, Emil Jonason: clarinet, Lotta Nilsson, Karin Renberg and Maria Blom: background vocals.

It´s released by the legendar label MNW, which release their first record in 7 years.

Authors: Inger Edelfeldt, Katarina Mazetti, Carsten Palmaer, Eva Fuchs, Mian Lodalen, Mimmi Malmer, Nils Claeson, Amanda Ooms.

Stupid question maybe but it does feel like if your opinion is that politics and music goes hand in hand or anyway can do that?

-The power of music is big and it can be opinion-forming!!

Is music a good way to make people listens to political views?

-Yeah but maybe more to be strengthened in the struggle for a better community. Anyway if you do as we, describe how people have it. How the consequences be when a right-wing government  destroys the welfare that we have built up so good in this country slowly and good, since Palmes time. It´s good when people makes the people´s speech. To see that they´re not alone.  

Are you as angry as you always have been and how is the angriness shows nowadays if you compare when you were a young punk?

-I have the same punkheart now as I had then. Of course. But it´s not only angry and there´s a lot of things to be happy about too. But now I know how to use my angriness in a better way and more as a tool in a the selfconsciousnessbox.  But I start a band in the same way ,as a 50-year old lady, as I did when I was 16 and did the same thing. I´m very proud of my roots and that punk have us some kind of fearlessness and too really believe that it´s possible to do things.

The best political artist/group?

-Nike & Röda Orkestern of course! Annars Ebba Grön, Stefan Sundström and Patti Smith. 

How do you get inspiration to your lyrics….it´s maybe easier with a right wing-government to write them?   

-Haha yeah, it was that which was the thing to make me writh this time.  Earlier it have been fantasies about sitting in Charons boat on the way over Styx on a date with death himself….heheh…No I have been singing  a lot about love and feelings as many others and that was agood time but everything have it´s time. Now it´s better for me to stand here with this lyrics in my mouth. So nice because it´s not about me and my lovestories. It´s good to spread and sing other people words. And there´s a lot of being critical over in the socialdemocracy too.

What do you think is best and what is worst in Sweden today?

-Worst is the politics of allocation and the nuclear power. Best is Facebook haha. I´m only joking. Best of all is that we have democracy. And there is a power to struggle in the left wing.  

Have you done all music on the record?

-I have written all music except Ingers two, she was the only one who wrote music herself. Of the 14 songs I did the lyrics to 5 of them.

On the musicvideos did you have your two daughters with you…they seems to have the same style as mother….is it important to do things together in this way as you do as mother and child?

- It´s we three which produces N&RO videos. We do the script, films and cut the videos. We have done our seventh right now.

I remember the record you once did together with Gurra once upon a time when you showed yourself naked(I bought that precisely on CD) …I don´t really remember hwo it was….was it a lot of writings about that…that you show yourself naked etc?

-Yeah or not. The nice recordcover through all times! But the writings about it took away focus from the songs on the record. It was a shame because it was fucking good.

How did the punk in that time look at this…that you exploit bodies or what was the comments?  

-Not a clue? Which punks do you mean. For me it wasn´t any exploitation , it was more an idea of art, a beautiful picture which was did the whole thing as a wholeness. I was naked on one more record. ”Solitär” which was released on the artist own Diva.  

Do you see yourself as a punk, or don´t you ever have seen yourself like that?

-I´m deifintely a punk still today, in soul and in my heart. Even if it´s not alwas the way it looks outside me..

What does punk mean to you, is it only a musicstyle or is it a lifestyle?

-It´s a rock n roll-nerve that you have or not have. It´s there like a fearlessness in everything you do. A strong belif on yourself. And that fearlessness can be about say something or to be a part of a change. Or to start sewing clothes.  

You went from the punkband Usch to Tant Strul…what was the biggest difference on the band do you think?  

-Musically it was a challenge for me. From pure punkrock to new wave. Usch was more straight and rawer and also more pubertal. With Tant Strul there was a rocknerve and the exciting arrangements make me flying and be more mature as a drummer. Be free and I become validated. I found home.

Is it anymore with Tant Strul?

-We have recently done an occasional reuniontour which have been a success this summer. We have been around on big festivals and had really fun. We do three absolutely last clubgigs in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo now in November.  

New songs with T.S.?

-No.

When you play live nowadays do you play old material with Usch, Tant Strul, NikeGurra or do you focus on the new material?

-Only the new. But we have had some Patti Smith or Ebba Grön song as encore and I have thought about take in some old song but then it will be from the Solitärrecord.  

Which type of people comes to your concerts today? And which type do you miss?  

-With Tant Strul  it was obvious that it was most people in our own age which was there back in time too. But many young stood there in the audience and sang along. So TS have some new fans. Maybe the children to the ones who like dus in the 80´s. With N & RO so is it both political interested and the ones who knows like someone who does good stuff. Maybe our audience is a little bit older so I with the young to explore is, that is their future it´s all about.

There isn´t a chance to have a compilation CD with Usch—how many songs did you do and record(Do you have everything with Usch so I can hear it?)  

-No, it´s not so big chance. USCH released three vinylsingles on three different labels and had 4 songs on a double compilation CD recorded live on Saltlagret in Copenhagen, late 70´s. It becomes 13 songs.  

What´s the difference today if you compare with when you started to play music? To play music I mean?  

-The musicclimat is really different. The technique is really different. The way to spread music is different. The way to earn money is not so many. It´s not so many cool plays to have gigs in smaller or not so big premises.  

Can you play something else than the drums?

-Have been playing acoustic guitar all my grownup life. Plays electric guitar since 1 ½ year back in time. Plays piano at home.

What are you living on today? The music or what do you work with? If you work is it important with a work or is it only to get some money?

-I have had different works on the side to the music earlier in life. It have been a little bit different from time to time.   

You were in the work with starting the record label Diva once upon t time….tell me a little about that(you don´t have any old record which is lying there and collects dust that you can send to an old recordcollector)?

-Yeah, we were 8 female musicans who decided us to start an own artistowned record label and support each other and release each others records. The first record was a compilation there all had 2 songs each. It was produced by Michael Blair and become a really cultcompilation if you ask me. And then would everyone on the label do a solorecord. Lotten was the one who said the order of the releases, when Malena Jönsson released her record so did I work in the office with all administration and promotion for it and then she did the same for me. The ground idea was that record 1 should pay for record 2 and then record 3 etc. Everyone gave out one record each but it became harder and harder to get it together economically and we understood after one record each that we were better artists than recordmanagers. (Yeah, I have some records still left and it´s definitely left with the girls)

How do you see on downloading, mp3 and similar, best and worst with that?  

-I´m totally against piracydownloading. I think you should pay for the music if the artist REALLY WANT to give away the music for free. I think it is a big problem that the whole physical albumthought it´s lost when you download. Because you as an artist have created an art as a wholeness. With an order of the songs, lyrics, pictures, covers etc. It´s totally lost if you download some songs here and there, Mp3 is practical and a necessary help in the work when you do music over the net between yourself and other musicians, record labels etc. .

Is it something you do yourself, download, Spotify or do you still buying records as I do? ,

-I´m still buying physical records. Have bought some songs on Itunes once when I was Dj and I had to burn some songs I only had on vinyl on CD because the place I was DJ on only had a CD-player.

Back to the lyrics…how is the the lyrics on the record if you compare with Tant Struls lyrics?

-It´s lyrics from different times. In Tant Strul I only did two lyrics and they were very pubertal but charming, I was around 18 when I wrote them. I hope have been a little bit more mature now.  

You have read Kajsa Grytts book I presume…is all true in that…is there any other things which is really unbelievable which have happened in your artistlife which could be fun to tell us?  

-Yeah, I can say that everything which I´m a part of in the book is true. But seen in her way to see it. The other things will wait to be heard to my own biography hehe

You haven´t any thought on any similar?

-Maybe..

Is there any good bands which do good music in Sweden or around the world? Mention some bands you really like?

-The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Lhasa de Sela, Lykke Li, Ulf Stureson, Patti Smith, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Den Svenska Björnstammen, Muse.

The first, last and most expensive record ever bought?

-First: 10CC (Don´t remember which Lp it was first, I had all of them almost after a while). Latest: "Banga" Patti Smith o "Throw it to the Universe" The Soundtrack Of Our Lives (bought those two at the same time) haven´t bought any expensive what I remember.

The record you bought just because of the cover and become disppointed?

-No.

The biggest recorddisappointment ever?

-A whole lot.

At last…the best record to have sex to?

-Pink Floyd: "Meddle"

Futureplans with the music?

-That N&RO lives in the future. I will go out with the question again both to new and “old” authors”. I will be interesting what they will tell us then. And then I hope it can be some more drummerwork with other artists. After that Tant Strul quit 85 so have it been not so much work with the drums.  

For yourself?

-Yeah, my life is really chained to my music so it´s the same thing which I said recently. Private futureplans I hold for myself.

Wisdomword?

-Maktub.  (arabic, betyder "It´s written". ) It means: Listen to your hearts voice.

Something to add?

-Vote red!

Thanks for showing interest