Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

What are your names? / Who plays what? / How old are you?
Christian – Drums – 25
Nikola – Guitar – 30
Navid – Guitar – 24
Daniel – Bass & Vocals – 24

Have you had other previous members? Yes, there were a few members who have contributed to the band. Two of them are featured on our debut EP, though some have also been involved in the band prior to our studio recordings.

Did you make music even when you were young? Does performing at school count?

Where are you from?  Christian, Navid and Daniel were all born in Norway. Daniel has his roots in Bulgaria, and Navid in Iran. Nikola moved to Norway in 2000.

What year did the band form? The band was originally formed in 2008, and was finally complete in 2012.

What's your style of genre? We combine many different styles and genres. There are elements of rock, heavy metal, thrash, groove and speed metal, with occasional progressive elements. Most our fans describe it as old school heavy metal.

What inspires you? Inspirations are many and quite varied. Some are drawn from watching old performances of our favorite bands, others come from the world we experience around us, the challenges of society, and to a great degree, our own experiences and things that we face in our daily lives, as well as the people in our lives.

How often and where do you rehearse? Normally we rehearse 2-3 times a week…sometimes more before shows.

How have you developed since you started with the music? We started off with cover songs, but soon realized that it would be better to write originals, so we started practicing more, and developing our style, drawing from many diverse influences. Playing covers has helped us make a good foundation. It soon became obvious that heavy metal was what we did very well, so it kind of stuck. We added several other elements to it as we went along, like some prog, speed metal, even blues.

Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? Yes. Every band needs a quality booking agency if they want to make serious strides in their music career. Finding one in the initial stage is not always easy, so we book our own shows and collaborate with other musicians, club owners and promoters. It provides us with valuable experience which we hope will aid us in the future.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? We currently have a label, Nyhoff Records. We might be open to working with other labels in the future.

What made you decide to make this music? Passion, and our need to express ourselves through music.

What are your songs about? We tackle various themes. Pretty much everything that interests us, and we don’t put too many boundaries.
Most revolve around issues that modern society encounters: Injustice, war, standing up for what is right, and not turning a blind eye to important matters. Some songs are more personal, where we write about things we go through in life.
Although we have 1 or 2 songs like “Bad Lucy”, which deviate slightly from the aforementioned themes, but these were made to be more “fun” if you will…a nod to bands like AC/DC and ZZ Top.

Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? When we compose the songs, usually it’s based around a riff or a groove. That is the spine of most songs we compose, and then we add the rest of the pieces. When it comes to lyrics, Nikola and Daniel do most of the writing.

Do you start with the music or the lyrics? Usually we start with the instrumental parts, and then we work on the vocal melody. From there we write the lyrics. I can’t remember if we’ve ever done the writing the other way around, but some say it might be an interesting to try doing it in reverse.

Do you compose in a certain environment? There are no specific rules here. Sometimes a good idea hits you when you’re not even thinking about music.
One thing that we’ve been doing recently is leaving our recorder ON at band rehearsal. We just jam and see what sticks. The best composing moments occur when we sort of snowball on each others ideas. Someone throws something down, and the others add to it. Those moments are pure gold, and have produced some of the more memorable songs.

Have you done any covers live? Yes, on some occasions! We honor the bands that have influences us, and the crowds really enjoys it too. This year we will be going back to Gran Canaria in December, and we will have an evening of playing JUST covers. That is something we are really looking forward to.

What language do you sing in? English.

What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? That really depends on where you play. Once we were performing a concert at a small town square during a cultural event, and you could see some 20 people standing. It was kind of fun, because we got to play in a very different environment than what we’re used to.
We’ve also played in front of pretty huge crowds at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo…twice. Those were the shows with the best crowds.

What ages are most of your concert attendants? That can range from people in their 20s to even in their 60s. Some who have lived through the “golden age” of the 70’s and 80’s rock scene seem to enjoy our music a lot. Whoever it may inspire, we are happy to play for them. 

Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We try to play all our original songs whenever we can, but sometimes we have to compromise, and pick those that will fit the bill.

Do you have a regular place you play live often? No regular places at the moment, but we have played a few venues in Oslo multiple times, such as Hard Rock Cafe, John Dee and Rockefeller Music Hall.

What was your first gig like? It was really exciting. The first time we performed original songs was in November 2012, and that show holds a special place in our memory. It was better than we had expected.

What was your latest gig like? It was our EP release concert on May 23^rd. Great show! A lot of fun. We even had guests, friends perform with us, and it was a lot of fun!

Have you had to cancel a gig? Never. 

Where do you plan to gig the coming year? As we’ve said before, we will be going back to Gran Canaria to play on the Hard ‘n Heavy Tour again. There are also opportunities coming up in Denmark, and perhaps we will head over to Sweden some time soon.

When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We started selling our merch last year. We started with t-shirts, and now we also have CDs, bottle openers, key-rings, lighters etc... A couple of new items are also underway.

Where can people buy your merchandise? We have them available at our gigs, but people can also contact us directly via Facebook or website/e-mail, if they are interested. A webstore will be up in the near future at Fiercejustice.com, so people will be able to order from there as well.

What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays? The traditional model of buying records is not as prominent as it used to be, because people nowadays have digital downloads, streaming, Youtube, etc… It is more convenient to get the music from the comfort of your home, instead of going down to the record store and buying, or even ordering the CD and waiting for it to arrive. Although some people still support the artists by buying records, which is a good thing, but most seem to be leaning more towards downloads. There are pros and cons to both, depending on how you look at it, but for a modern band, it is important that they take advantage of both platforms at the same time, if they want to make any headway.

How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? It appears thatthe world has somehow gotten used to the idea that music is “supposed to be free” today because it is available everywhere, both legally and illegally, unfortunately. That can sometimes create problems for the artists, considering how much time and money they have to put into their music. We’re talking about rehearsing, recording, mixing, mastering, manufacturing, artwork, printing, classes, courses and so much more.
Some artists choose to give their music away for free, in hopes that it will expose them to a wider audience. This occasionally works, but there are so many who follow that track, that getting noticed is really not easy unless you put a sensible amount of marketing and promotion into it. Others are more hesitant about giving their music away for free, because they don’t want to devalue it. You have to respect your work, but you must also make it somehow easily available. Knowing how to balance is where it’s at.
The truth is, the music industry changes on a daily basis. The best strategy is to adapt, and evolve all the time, seek out opportunities, learn from others, become creative, innovative and make sure you have multiple ways of supportig your work.
It is very much a sink or swim situation. Of course, no one is forcing you to spend time and money on music, but if it really matters to you, then you have to do everything you can to stay afloat.

What do you think of my work? You have been running this website for several years, and you seem to take great interest in independent rock and metal artists, and that is a great thing. This genre needs more people like you, and we hope that you will continue with your good work.

How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business? We like to talk to people who are passionate about music as we are, and we really appreciate the opportunity to be considered for this interview. If it gets us noticed, then that is also great.

Do you have any role models or idols? Every aspiring musician has role models and people they look up to. The artists we respect are dedicated, honest, and possess integrity. They are not afraid to speak their mind.

Why do you think that they exist? I don’t think they pursued to be idols or role models, but what matters is how they make their mark on history, and that they set a good example that would positively inspire others. That is what being a good role model is all about.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? The older bands have set the bar for our music, but many new bands are also coming up with cool ideas. New genres are emerging, and everyone makes their contribution to music.

What have been your biggest obstacles? Phasing out of our regular jobs and going into music full time. That would be the toughest one. It’s a long road ahead of, but we realize that we need to push ourselves.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Work your ass off, don’t quit, and be on fire at all times, even when things are hard. Don’t be afraid to fail. It is more about the process and growth, not the destination. Be honest with yourself and others, and rock as hard as you can.

How do you get psyched for a gig? We are always psyched for gigs! We feed off the audience. The exchange of energy is probably the most important part of every show. If you want the crowd to enjoy, you have to give them everything you got, and then some! If you have to play til you drop, then that’s what it takes.
Do you have any new material? We are constantly working on new material. We will be heading back to the studio soon, to finish the debut album. Stay tuned! 

What are your web sites?
www.fiercejustice.com

www.facebook.com/fiercejusticeband

www.youtube.com/fiercejusticeband
How can people reach you?  Go to any of the web-pages listed above, or send us an email at [email protected]
What are your plans for the future? Make more music, play as many shows as we can, and live for this.

Do you have something to add? Thank you for the interview, and we wish you the best of luck with your web-page. Stay Fierce!