Siken is already a legend in punk Sweden even though he is "only" 33 years old. Here we talk about him, his music and Attentat. March-2023

Tell us a little about yourself, age, where you come from, what you work with what bands you have played in throughout the ages, etc. Are you just playing in a band now or what's it like?

-Aa Sik Vicious here! 33 fresh, born in Trollhättan, grew up in Lilla Edet. Works at Kviberg cemetery and reads to become a teacher. Played in a lot of bands such as Jerry's Farce, Civil Olydnad, Giftigt Avfall, Smurf Slakdt and Moderatejävel  to name a few. Since 2019, I play in Attentat and have recently started to launch myself a bit as a solo artist also.

Now you've released a solo single, what's the feeling?

-Feels good! Fun to be in the center on vocals and guitar, often I become a drummer or bassist or so in bands because there are too many guitarists and because I happen to know other instruments. But I felt like I wanted to front and that my lyrics and songs would get their chance in the spotlight.

It was supposed to be released on Grönpeppar or how was it, why didn't it turn out that way?

-Grönpeppar and Sockiplast would have given it out, it's real, but they regretted it so I had to give it out myself.

You get help from a Nisse on the record, who is it?

-There's a talented musician I found at work who wanted to play the drums, and damn how well he does it! He has a background mainly in the indie/pop scene in bands like Amnesti and Skräddaren but he loves punk and like all sensible people had a punk band in his teens.

You sing on the song Det Brinner that you should never stop burning and it's a nice tribute song to punk ... How has your sense of punk changed over the years?

-Punk is the best I know so I'll never stop being passionate about it! I've probably had my different musical periods where I've mostly been into trallpunk maybe or American HC or Swedish raw punk and so on. For a few years now, I've mainly been into four-stroke punk which has rubbed off on my solo songs, I guess, where almost all the songs go four-stroke. The great thing about discovering punk after the 70s, 80s and 90s waves is that I appreciate all the punk eras and different musical expressions.

When and how did you get into the wonderful punk world?

-Saw the Offspring on Voxpop back in the 90s. Then I discovered other things I liked like Rancid and Bad Religion and the like then I was hooked. Wrote and taped my first real song which is a bit punky back in 2001.

What was the first punk record you bought?

-Americana with the Offspring.

Do you buy a lot of records? What format do you like the most?

-Like hell. I like seven-inch vinyl best. But I also like CD and LP a lot.

You produce and record other bands as well, a bit like Micke from Asta Kask used to do. Where do you have this studio or how does it work?

-Right now I have it at home and have some bands coming in that I'm going to tape, including Gubbjävlers. Banding a lot of Attentatdemos right now as well.

Is there a band you dream of working with as a producer?

-I'd like to band Gefyr like hell. Same with Slan and Genöme. Ugh! would be fun too. I could have made these bands sound really good, I think, even though they sound good like they do now.

Do you have material for an LP or what about it?

-I even have my own solo LP recorded and finished with 11 songs on it. Just going to find record labels and it'll be released too. A little fun thing about it is that Crippa who I replaced in Attentat plays bass on the album, so I play Crippa's old songs and he plays my new haha.

You've even got some skatunes  on the song På vg mot nåt stort, ska is something you listen to a lot... Any favorites?

-No, skain punk is fucking risky I think. In 9 cases out of 10 it sounds completely disgusting but if it is done in the way that I think is "right" hahaha then I love it. Rancid does everyone right. They play the skathing on downstroke so that the guitar doesn't get such a wimpy and strutty touch and the drums don't hook on at any kind of disco backbeat but play straight. When these criteria are met and it sits tight, it can sound fantastic.

Do you have any new bands that are really good to share with us that you've heard or work withlately?

-Of brand new bands that have crossed my path recently, I mainly want to strike a blow for Slan, it's so damn good. But also Lyckorus, Usch! Dead ache and Konsumenterna. Off! have just released a new tough album and also Massgrav - both are great. Left Hand Black is another favorite band right now.

You were at some photo session with Therese Rasmusson a while back, do you feel like a rock star in such situations?

-Hahaha well, am quite used to being photographed like that because I lived with two different women who were photographers. Often became a model haha. It was fun that she wanted to photograph me and I will use the pictures for my solo project is the idea.

If we move on to politics....what is the feeling with today's government, NATO, Ukraine etc?

It feels terrible. Hate the government, hate NATO and the war. It feels a bit like dumbest people rule, Plato has to turn in his grave. Or am I messing it up now? Surely he wanted the most suitable to rule?

Tell us a little bit about how it happened when you recorded your first song In I mitt eget land when you were 12 years old. What was the song about?

-I didn't understand politics and stuff at the time, but I knew that war wasn't a big deal so I wanted the song to have some kind of peace theme I guess? Don't actually remember. My mother paid a technician and a musician and they helped me tape and play drums, bass and piano. I played the guitar and sang, I remember, it was in a studio in high school in Ale, I think. It was my first serious song.

You yourself have never thought about having a record label with what you record with other bands?

-Yes, but I'm too lousy at marketing and selling goods for that haha. Have huge piles of unsold vinyl records at home with my old bands that I don't get sold. If any poor people out there have bothered to read all the way down here and are eager to find cheap vinyl records, please contact me.

Tell us a little bit about how it happened when you became a bassist in Attentat, were you asked, or did you nag or did it happen?

-I have loved Attentat since I was in my teens, I thought it was absolutely top three best Swedish live bands as well and on the top 10 list of best bands overall. So when they posted on Facebook that Crippa is quitting the band, I wrote to them right away. Got good contact with Jönsson and I sent some video where I played and sang. Got to audition for the band and then I was thrown right into the recording of the Punkhjärta album.

What was the feeling like when you got the bassist spot in one of Sweden's biggest punk bands?

 -It's so sickeningly indescribably big that you don't get it.

Do you have something fun to tell us about each member , do they have any nice quirks?

-I know no one who eats and drinks as much all the time as Jönsson. I have a theory as to why he has to eat all the time and I think it's because half ends up outside his mouth, it gets very sordid around him. Another fun thing about him is that he microwaves his coffee right after he pours it from the brewer so it should be hot enough.

Paddan has a fun image around him that it feels like he's always angry and buttery like an old school janitor type, but the truth is he's the complete opposite. A fun thing about him is that he eats the same vegan stew every day.

Larry is the man who managed to be retired for like two days before deciding to plunge into a whole new industry haha. He's terribly optimistic and driven. He's probably the one in the band who listens the most to punk I think and he really wants to take the band in that direction.

Just like you said when you sent Lysande Utsikter with Attentat, you said that the single was the punkiest Attentat done since the start....that's fine. Why is that, have you got the guys going?

-There are different reasons. On the one hand, I have written most of the music on the EP and I would like to have my Attentat fast and to the point. But then the whole band after Punkhjräta which became a pretty poppy record felt that the next one may be more punky. Then we also work with a new producer (Per Stålberg) who is much more of a punk / hardcore producer than Attentat's previous producers. The even newer material for the next EP goes in the same line.

Jönsson was sick for quite a long time, did you think then that there will be nothing more with Attentat or what was the feeling like besides being worried about him?

-Yes of course I thought it's over, he almost died. I was even in the hospital saying goodbye as well... That it turned around some day after that is a fucking miracle and I can promise that we will soon be on the road again and a new LP will probably be released this year.

You're a lot younger than the others in the band, does it matter, do they feel like even old or do you feel like it's old men you have to kick off?

-"No, hell it's a sick spirited bunch, I can say. Jönsson kicks me off every day, doesn't fucking understand how he can cope.

You're doing new material or what's it like? How does that sound? Any song titles you can release?

-It's great punk songs that are the same style and soundscape as the songs on Lysande Utsikter. Some songs are about Jönsson's illness "Ett ensamt rum på Östra" a song will probably be called, for example,

Do you write any music for Attentat or are you "just" a bassist there?

-I write a lot of music for the band.

Are you going to play live a little more soon or what about it?

-Yes, there will be a little tour in the summer.

What is the most fun Attentat song to play?

-Fågel, I think, or Gå I taket.

What song do you "have to" play according to the audience?

-Maktlös feels like a given song.

What's the next project for yourself? –

Has a whole solo LP to release. Do you know of any good record labels?

Do you have anything else to greet readers?

-Just punk loose!