Transcript of an interview I recorded with ELIN LARSSON of BLUES PILLS - 20200810. Full article here. MAL-
Let's talk about yourself initially. How long have you been singing and did you get into singing by accident? ELIN- Yeah, I can't remember when I started maybe at six years old. Both of my parents are big like music fans and my dad had this big record collection. So it was a lot of you know, BEATLES, SMALL FACES and a lot of soul music and I instantly fell in love with ARETHA FRANKLIN. So I was like mimicking her a lot when I was a kid growing up, but then eventually, you know, my parents heard that I have some sort of talent, you know, even though my dad always thought it was singing very loud. So I went to a vocal coach I think around when I was 14 and then I started going to music school around 15, then I guess I became more technical and and you know got help with my vocals. MAL- Tell us about how this band formed because you were born and raised in Sweden, right? ELIN- Yeah. MAL- But tell us about how the band actually formed. ELIN- Yeah. I met Zack on Facebook actually and I had a band in Sweden, he had a band in the USA and I was heading to California because you know, when you graduate you sort of collect money and then you often maybe a lot of Swedes go to Asia and travel around for months, and I wanted to go to the United States. So then I met up with him and we clicked and hit it off and started to create music and eventually he moved to Sweden and we all formed this band, you know, but it went like very fast like I think that was one of the things we didn't expect, you know, because we just wrote songs and then like instantly got spread on YouTube and we got these like labels fighting about us. So it was just you know, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into at all. But I'm thankful that we did, you know do this and I remember like the first tour we ever did we had like practice for a week and we also actually got kicked out from the practice / rehearsal spaces from this other band who was kind of douche bags and then we have like yeah less than a week practice and then we went to Spain, and then you know, we had released a four-track EP back then and then they wanted us to play for 3 hours. We are like, okay, this is so fucked up. So we had to play like one song for 40 or 45 minutes just to get people drinking but I mean after that it was you know, because usually bands they lose money when they go do their first tour and you know, it's like a hassle in the beginning and of course it was because I had three jobs and then I went on tour. So I never got time to you know, rest and was constantly this, you know, you put everything in the band but it was quite weird that we actually like, you know earned money on the first tour we ever did which is you know, that's you never do that. Yeah, that's how it started. MAL- Tell us about the second album there. That debuted didn't it at number one in Germany? How did that feel? ELIN- It felt weird, it felt awesome. I was you know happy that people bought it and that, you know, they were into our music but it was like a (?) recording situation. So I think that was mostly as happy that we got through it in the end because we were, you know, heading from tour into the studio sleeping on floors, back to tour so it's like a long period not seeing your family and friends and you're you know working but it was crazy. I didn't I didn't think if we would create an album that got, you know got to be number one in Germany, had no imagination for that. So that was pretty cool. MAL- So you've taken a bit longer this time with the third album. Tell me about building your own studio and having it full of analogue equipment, tell me all about that. ELIN- Yeah. I mean, it's sort of Zack is you know, the chief of this thing. He's the sound nerd and he started to collect these like old equipment like already in 2014 or 13, you know, he fixes them up. He's like a genius in that way. Yeah, we wanted to have this studio to get complete freedom and we got this place outside of Örebro in Sweden, which is called Lindbacka, and it's an old factory building. So it was like mostly to get complete freedom and so, you know at the end of the day I had some gear, Zack was collecting gear and the same with Andre had his gear. So it's also to have sort of you know camp for BLUES PILLS where we had all our stuff and practice and record, like a headquarters. So it was you know, and through this album, we just, you know, we recorded it ourselves Zack was the sound engineer, we produce it ourselves. It's completely self-made and in the studio that we built. When we were done with it, it was you know, this incredible thing that Andrew Scheps, who's a Grammy award winner mixing engineer mixed the album and that it turned out this good because we had like we were like, okay, let's try to do this on our own and then it became this amazing record that I'm very proud of so it was also sort of uplifting thing for ourselves that we could do this ourselves and take back control because now we're getting older, I'm an adult now and that's what I felt during the ten years that everyone threw their opinions on us and we were you know at times scared to say no and just thankful for all the opportunities but you need to take back the control over your music and your band and your art and that's what we did on this record. MAL- I think you've done very well. 'Holy Moly!'. is the name of the album. I'm curious as to you know, speaking to people around the world like myself what sort of feedback you get about different tracks, and what people's favorite tracks are because let me tell you mine and it might come a bit out of left field, but mine is 'Song From A Mourning Dove'. ELIN- Yeah. That's my favorite too. Yeah, it's the first track we finished on the album. It was the first demo. So yeah, so that was like a you know our point to try to make every song as good as that one but this song is about my dog that passed away in an accident. So it's sort of goodbye. I don't know if you have animals, he was my baby. I don't have any kids. So he was my family member. So it's really hard. So this song means a lot to me as well lyric wise and the whole thing. MAL- Do you think building your own studio, sort of locking yourselves away helped to make this album,.. t's sort of comes across as a introspective album. Is that a fair assessment? ELIN- Yeah. MAL- It's a very self analytical album. ELIN- Yeah. Yeah for sure. I mean, it's very personal. I think when we recorded it was only us existing in the studio. It's like being on a spaceship with no other people around. I mean, we all had a kind of rough times, you know personal struggles and so on so we have stuff to write about this time. So I think that it's also become so much more personal because on 'Lady In Gold' we did have me we're only touring and working so there was not much lyrical influences. We took you know, we made fairy tales and so on which is also cool. But this time around yeah, they're very personal all of them. MAL- What can you tell me about the song California? ELIN- That song is sort of a love song and about the time back in California, when we started a band, during these times or these years. I've struggled with depression and anxiety. So, I mean at your lowest points you sort of trying to remember a time when you were actually happy and that's like what we were trying to capture in this song, dreaming our way back to when we were free and happy. MAL- Everybody's plans have been thrown into disarray with this whole covid thing all over the world? What's the plan now for BLUES PILLS? ELIN- I don't know. I mean I'm just happy we got to release this record and I mean depending on the situation either we start touring but I don't think you know shows are going to happen until 2021 at least so maybe we start on a new record and be productive in that way. But I mean applied to go back to school and so I think it's kind of weird for us, we can't just survive on releasing records because people don't buy records and we don't get enough streams to make a living from it. So we're very dependent on touring and the same with all our crew members and the people we work with, they need us. Yeah right now, we don't even know, like we have shows booked in the fall, but I'm just, you know sitting and waiting to get the information that it will be cancelled. But it's a bit of a bummer. MAL- 'Holy Moly!' coming out August 21. I really like the album. I think you've done really well with it. So congratulations on that. ELIN- Thank you so much. MAL- I really hope you can get out on the road and tour it and sell it out there very soon. ELIN- Yeah, thank you. If we come to Australia, do some tours. MAL- Hey Elin Larsson, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me today. Best of luck with your new album, 'Holy Moly!' out, August 21. I love it. Hope to see you on the road soon. ELIN- Thanks, Mal. Thanks for calling. MAL- You have a good night. ELIN- You too. Bye. Comments are closed.
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