Two Swedes, a camper van and a bunch of ex-cons. It’s not exactly your conventional band backstory – but when has rock’n’roll ever wanted to conform to a mainstream ideal?
Martin Nordvall and Mathias Näslund are the two Swedes in question, having formed The Sweet Serenades out of a mixture of sexual frustration, broken hearts and the heavy influences of ACDC, ABBA, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and The Technicolors. And despite Sweden’s pure-pop ancestry, the almost-brothers are more than just another indie influenced pop sensation.
Following the critical acclaim received following the release of their 2009 debut album Balcony Cigarettes, the duo’s tracks have even gone on to feature in US mega-series like Grey’s Anatomy and Teen Wolf!
Naturally, the royalties were well spent, “Martin went to the dentist, Mathias bought a dog and together we invested in a band trailer. A place to hang out, write songs and discuss the meaning of life.” And if that wasn’t enough, wait until you hear about their stint in prison! Filled with intrigue as to whether they ever actually discovered the meaning of life, we sat down for an e-beer with the lively duo. This is what happened:
Hey guys! We understand The Sweet Serenades began life in a small North Swedish town; has that background had an influence on your sound?
I don’t think the sound has been effected too much. We don’t have that slow, depressive approach that some of the ‘way-up-north’ bands have.
Being raised in a small village has it’s advantages though – when we were 12, our school janitor gave us the keys to the entire school so we could practise during the summer break. I don’t think that would happen in a bigger place. At the time we played Metallica songs and felt like Kings of the world!
For anyone who hasn’t heard your music, how would you describe it?
A lot of Hey and Ho. Uptempo songs that will make your life easier.
Anything that makes life easier is certainly appreciated! We understand you spent a number of years touring Swedish prisons? How did that come about?
A very unique experience – a good chance for us to try new songs, playing upto five or six shows per day. It was also an interesting experience, being able to talk to the inmates and get a real view of the life inside Swedish prisons.
That’s a pretty unique idea, but were there ever any scary experiences?
Not really scary, but concrete walls, barbed-wire and tight security checks can make it a little hard to breath from time to time. I have danced the “train dance” with 10 convicted murderes behind my back. Not recommended for people with trust issues!
Now that’s a claim not many bands can make! We know The Sweet Serenades are influenced by bands old and new, but do you think any musician / band from today will be looked back on with the same respect we have for the great rock acts of the 70s/80s (like some of the greats you are influenced by)?
Thanks to the Internet, Spotify, YouTube etc. I think more bands will be remembered but by fewer people.
Instead of everyone remembering the biggest bands, some people in England will remember The Sweet Serenades and some people in Sweden will remember a local band from Kent or Portsmouth.
That’s a really interesting point. The internet has become a sort of musical archive. Alright, so a question we ask all our featured acts: what’s the strangest thing to happen during a live show?
Hmm… no UFO’s or orgies on stage unfortunately. Do you get good answers for this one? I guess boring things like breaking a string, having amp issues, dealing with some piss drunk guy in the audience is a pretty common occurrence.
Meh, UFO’s are overrated anyway! OK, how about three objects that sum up The Sweet Serenades? (they can be as weird and wonderful as you want!)
1. The band trailer we bought for the last album “HELP ME” – that definitely sums up The Sweet Serenades.
2. A CCCP-cap. For some reason this was a popular thing to wear when I was a kid. Probably most because of the hockey team – we didn’t know anything about politics. When I met Mathias (my band partner) for the first time, this is what we both had on our head.
3. My guitar amp. I love it. Silly but true.
So what are your plans for the future?
We are going on tour! Germany for nine shows and a club gig in Moscow for starters! Next year is still open, but I will start working on a new album as soon as possible.
Playing in London would be nice – can you make that happen? We want tea and crackers backstage but can settle for tap water and an apple.
