Tomma Intet has been playing together for almost
ten years. Now they will release their new album
on May 9, 2025. A really nice record so I had to
interview Johan from the group....this happened
in the beginning of May 2025.
You have been doing it for about 8 years now and
have released records, how do you think has
developed over the years?
-9 years to be exact. We have developed in such
a way that we have created a red thread that has
an empty no stamp on it. It sounds like Tomma
Intet. Next year will be album number five and
then we will celebrate 10 years.
What is the big difference if you compare how
you sound in 2017 vs 2025?
-Those songs were written 10 years ago so
hopefully we have developed as musicians and
songwriters since then but also as people. It
should really be reflected in how the different
records sound. New perspectives on things.
Have you completely released English lyrics now?
(I hope so because I like best in Swedish)?
-At the moment it feels very fun to do it in
Swedish. We got the idea a long time ago but
only realized this now at Hisingen Taxi Rider.
So right now it feels incredibly good, but we
never lock ourselves in. The next one might be
only Romanian or Bokmål?
I write a little in my review about Hisingen
Taxi Rider is like listening to Håkan, Terra and
Veronica Maggio in an LSD high(How now I know
that since I never have taken LSD? Comment on
it?
-What a nice compliment! However, we come from
the muddy banks of Viskan. So our trips are from
another planet.
I also write as if it feels like you summarize
all the music made from the 60's until now on
one and the same record, do you know what I mean
then?
-Yes! When we were little and heard the Beach
Boys and the Ramones, a seed was sown. Fleetwood
Mac became a plant and Joy Division killed it
all. Then came Neu!
Hisingen Taxi Rider, tell me what is this
expression?
-HISINGEN TAXI RIDER is about moving to
Gothenburg and how revolutionary it is with all
the new impressions and people. A tribute to the
adventure, the tingling in the stomach and all
the late nights. Taxi rides to rave and
after-parties. Taxi rides home to loneliness.
Taxi rides to love and taxi rides to anxiety.
How do you feel about the record now that it's
done?
-I
feel strongly for the record. There have been
many hours of tearing my hair and peeing blood,
but also fantastic moments with the band during
the creation process as really some of the finer
moments in life. And we are proud of how the
album turned out now that it is completely
finished and we have got some distance to it!
The cover on the album is nice, who is it in the
picture?
-The cover picture is of Mange as a child... and
his demons.
Tomma Intet , where did this eminent band name
come from, who came up with it? What are the
names on the wallpaper?
-We watched Svenska Hjärtan (Swedish Hearts).
You are on Welfare Sounds & Records, are you
happy with that?
-Yes, they have their horses at home!
What do you like the other bands which are on
the label, any favorites there?
-They have many good bands such as Spögelse and
the new, young and exciting Mud Grief. Terra is
great too. But the record company doesn't take
on bands that don't have any, so the Welfare
family is something to hold on to!
Is it important to release physical records do
you think?
-Yes really much, especially when it comes to
albums. It's a completely different thing to be
able to physically hold on to the songs you've
written and struggled to get finished. That's
how we consumed music, to be able to listen to
an entire record and look with a magnifying
glass at every little detail of the cover,
lyrics and other things that came with physical
records.
Would you imagine only releasing records
digitally?
-EP yes. Album no.
Do you buy a lot of records yourself? The
favorite format to listen to music?
-Tobias Standar is one of Sweden's biggest Iron
Maiden collectors.
Back a little bit to the group, have there been
many lineup changes over the years? Tell me a
little about every member who is in the group
now, if you have any other groups you play in or
if you have been in other bands before worth
mentioning?
Magnus Petersson:
Most of the songs come from Magnus' head. Writes
and produces most of the work at HISINGEN TAXI
RIDER. Born and raised in Borås but has lived in
Gothenburg for many years. Likes adventures,
Chinese restaurants and cemeteries. Plays guitar
and sings.
Tobias Standar:
Mastermind and driving force in EMPTY NOTHING.
From Borås, but has lived in Gothenburg for a
long time. Is behind much of the graphic with
EMPTY NOTHING. Plays guitar and sings. I love
Black Metal and Elfsborg.
Gittan Kock:
The elegance from Mora. Have also lived in
Gothenburg since ages. Playing keyboards and
creating drug sounds live. Also sings like a
lark. Known for her eminent dance band *Gittanz"
and mixing incredible drinks.
Jacob Mårtensen:
Rävlanda Rudeboy. Gothenburgians who now live in
the countryside in Rävlanda. Plays guitar and
sings. Is the sharp edge in the eminent band
Fredag den 13. As he is Danish in his blood, he
has a weakness for smørrebrød and Gammeldansk.
Erik Ahlblom:
The latest addition to TOMMA INTET. Lives in
Borås and makes absolutely exquisite music under
the name "HIMLEN BROR". In TOMMA INTET he plays
acoustic guitar and sings. Dresses incredibly
sharp and has a hairstyle that everyone is
jealous of.
Johan Holm:
Originally from Skene but now from Gothenburg.
Is a recognized sound engineer and brilliant
producer in Studio Påtår. Plays drums and
samplepad in TOMMA INTET but is also a big part
of the sound as he produces, mixes and masters.
I love Elfsborg but hate eating animals from the
sea.
Emilia Gustavsson:
Born in Gullberg but now proudly a Borås
resident. Plays bass and sings. The mastermind
behind the band Lavette and is the light of the
party. Is known for having been voted the
coolest person on the planet and is a bastard at
wrestling drunk.
Cornelia Adamsson:
The songbird from Småland. Now she lives in
Stockholm and show where the cabinet should be.
Sings and plays acoustic guitar in TOMMA INTET.
Is also the person behind the mighty Virginia
and The Flood.
Tell us a little about the following songs
Östra Kyrkogården
-Johan Holm and Mange P both live next door to
Östra Kyrkogården. Mange goes there every day
and feels right at home!
Revisited 68
-A
song from 2017 that we wanted to release again
in a new version. A dream of what once was.
En konstant och jävla skuld
-When you stand in the corner of shame and the
loved ones stand and point fingers. Then you get
betrayed and you hate summer. again.
Who writes the lyrics? Is everyone in the band
"guilty"?
-Mange P writes all the lyrics. Tobias Standar
is the ballpark.
Is it easier or more difficult to write texts in
Swedish than in English?
-English is easier, Swedish is more satisfying
(and with that said, also harder).
Who is Sweden's best Lyricist?
-Jocke
Berg.
Is there any really good bands in Sweden that
you can't miss?
-There are so many good bands in Sweden.
Incredibly nice music that we have out of here.
No one mentioned, no one forgotten, but Entombed
should still be mentioned.
When you get reviews, are they only positive?
How do you feel when you get a negative review,
do you get angry or do you think that you should
change it a little or how do you react?
-We think that this person does not understand.
But one beautiful day.
Which is the weirdest review you have gotten on
something you have released?
-It was some fucking idiot who sawed us at the
ankles and commented on how we dressed. We shook
hands with him when his band was support for us
later. It was a sloppy handshake.
When you play live, what kind of people come to
the concerts?
-Nowadays there are all kinds of people, which
is wonderful! It is our goal to reach as many
people as possible.
What is your strength when you play live and
what is the most fun thing about playing live?
-That we try to nuance everyone's roles in the
band. There are still three, sometimes four of
us guitarists. And we are six people singing.
All of which have their own character. The most
fun is when people sing along with the lyrics!
To have politics in music is it right or wrong?
Which is your most political song?
-It would probably be the song Moderat, from the
first album. A lot of punk there, but maybe more
fuck off than political, really.
If you could choose five bands to have a big
concert with you and you could choose both
living and dead bands and you could choose
freely, which five bands would you like to
include?
-War on drugs, Nirvana, Rolling Stones, Beatles,
Wu-Tang.
Which band is the biggest you have played with?
They don't have to have been big then, they
could even have been your supportband a long
time ago?
-Kiss.
Interviews is there anything you like? Is there
too much of that commodity or too little?
-It's very fun of course. There will be time for
reflection that may not normally be prioritized
immediately.
If you have a question you never get that you
want, ask it and answer it?
-"Are you taking care of yourself?" "Even
torment."
The weirdest question you've ever been asked?
(except for this one)
-Is there a fish in the perculator?
Futureplans for the band?
-Play the shit out of Gothenburg, Stockholm,
Malmö and Vänersborg this summer. Then we
celebrate 10 years as a band in 2026! Record
number 5 will come then.
For yourself?
-Soak up the summer. Again.
Words of wisdom?
-Thinking about what you say. It affects others.
Something to add?
-TOMMA INTET is recorded by Johan Holm aka
Studio Påtår. Shout out for cooperation!