What have been your musical epiphany moments?
Jay - Wow this could easily become the longest interview in the world! I´ll try to keep it short :-)
I´ve had quite a few epiphanies so far. But the ones that come to mind are the first time I heard Yngwie Malmsteen, as a guitarist that blew my mind! He is the one who first made my want to be a better musician.
Yes - close to the edge, and Sleep´s Jerusalem / Dopesmoker and Ghost need´s to be mentioned too.
Max - Probably Jumpin' Jack Flash with Rolling Stones introduced by a former girlfriends dad when I was a teenager. "This riff is why I like Stones more than the Beatles" he said, and I was blown away. That he'd had the record since new didn't make it less cool. He also gave me a pair of awesome Lee bellbottoms which he bought in 1971. I still got them, and have used them on many gigs.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
Jay - First comes the riff, then comes the melody, and last comes the lyrics.
Max - and last but not least - the groove...
Who has influenced you the most?
Jay - For me as a songwriter, Peter Gabriel will always be one of the greatest!
When it comes to lyrics, Sting is the master of telling stories in his songs. And Clive Nolan from prig rock giants Arena likewise.
H.P Lovecraft and Lao Tzu´s Tao Te Ching is the provider of themes and hidden messages in our songs.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
Jay - hahaha here I think our answers will set us apart!
If I´m stuck on a song I often put on some old Black Sabbath, or perhaps Orchid.
But I do find inspiration almost everywhere. It can be an image, or a feeling that a certain song brings. It may be Mozart or Morbid Angel, and that "feeling" or "state of mind" if you will. That is something I may want to recreate.
For me music has always been about being transported to a different world, weather I´m listening to music or writing music.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
Jay - Its a small town in the northern part of Sweden, its dark and cold 8 months of the year.
Maybe thats the reason why we are writing music so that we can travel in our mind.
Where'd the band name come from?
Jay - Well... I wanted a name that kind of meant something, but at the same time dosen´t. Together the words "king" and "nomad" kind of becomes nonsens. And they are also each others opposites in some way, like love and hate, yin and yang and so on... I kind of like that!
Don't know were I got it from, from out of nowhere it was just in my head.
The first band name I thought of was "Devil`s fire". But I got that one from being on the crapper taking a quite painful dump, witch meant that every time I would think of our band I would think of that burning turd. I decided that was not a good idea.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
Jay - An old school horror movie, maybe with an erotic touch.
I love working with vocal arrangements, so it would be spooky sounding choir vocals all over that nudity!
Max - Fangs and females in unholy serenity.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
Jay - Genesis - Supper`s ready.
Because its one of the best song ever written.
Max - Rush - By-Thor and the Snow dog.
Jay - Regardless of what musical project I may have been involved in through the years. My intention has always been to create a musical vessel in witch one can travel in. To be able to step outside our daily life for one moment, to dream or to meditate on.
With this band I have really been able to tap into that intention.
We are escaping reality when we are playing together, hopefully the listeners can feel and do that too.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Jay - When I did what was supposed to be my first European tour around 96/97 with my then hardcore band Purusam. No one told us that almost all the gigs had been cancelled (for some yet unknown reason). So we drove for two days straight to Amsterdam, did a couple of crappy gigs on the floor (cause there were no stage) in some dark alley bar where everybody was doing drugs. Then we went home again.
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
Jay - Since we are new band, not many people have heard us yet. So the reaction from the audience have been - "Wow we didn't expect that!" Witch is a great feeling.
And as for the four of us, we are still kind of getting to know each other musically. So there is always a great energy at our rehearsals, a feeling of "you never really know whats gonna happen next" you know. Our songs are constantly growing and evolving, what you hear on the album is not exactly what you´re gonna hear live.
That is something I really enjoy with this band!
What makes a great song?
Jay - Oooo thats a tough one.
For me it is when a song turns into a vehicle, that takes me someplace else. I can't give you the perfect formula, but I´ll tell you what`s gonna help. and that is - When there is a thought, an intent, a meaning, a theme. an idea of a wholeness.
That equals goosebumps for me!
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
Jay - "Lucifer is dead" is the first song we ever wrote, the opening track on The second coming of heavy III. Me and Marcus was sitting in my studio, drinking beer and playing fuzzy Sabbath riffs. Then out of the great nothing, something suddenly appeared... A riff that turned into a song in a blink of an eye, and it was kind of to good not to do something with.
So the song turned into an idea about a concept, and that turned out to become a full blown band. And here we are!
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
Jay - When we get a theme going between songs, either with the lyrics or the melody or whatever. Like we did on "The Sibylline oracles" and "God of stone and sand" Those songs are like a sister and a brother. That makes me strangely kind of proud.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
Jay - I´ll probably gonna get my ass kicked by people for saying this... But Ghost writes the most amazing songs! They have great arrangements, interesting melodies and chord progressions. They put time and thought into their music, and not many bands does that...
Al cisneros of Sleep and OM is too an amazing songwriter, he takes music to a completely new level.
Max - All of the above, except maybe Ghost, hehe. And Robert Plant, all through the years.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
Jay - Vinyl is my choice.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice
Jay - A good whiskey is more enjoyable, but I don't drink so much these days. I do yoga instead!
Max - Beer. Works better with hot dogs.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
We actually don't have a record store in our hometown, we have to drive for two hours to the next city to do some crate digging... It sucks big floppy donkey dick.
What's next for the band?
jay - Well because I have a built a recording studio at my house (The room of doom), we are constantly writing and recording stuff. We have songs for almost two full albums soon!
We have eight songs that we think belong together, so we are going to put down some extra work on them. I´m gonna re-record some vocals, and Maximilian has some bass work to do. Then I'm gonna do some mixing, and stuff. But so far it is sounding awesome!
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the wave riders?
Jay - Be good to each other.
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