interview with HEAD OF THE DEMON
Have any of you played in other bands? Yes, all of us have played in several bands before and some of us still do. Many of us have played in bands together as youngsters and now play together again in this constellation.
How is it that you started playing music? It was in my nature I guess because it was natural since I was very young. I guess it is my way of being creative.
Did you make music even when you were young? Yes, since the age of 15 I believe. Before that it was foremost learning the instrument.
Where are you from? Sweden.
What year did the band form?2010 or 2011. My mind is blurred here, but I think the earlier.
What inspires you? Black magic, the occult, spiritualism, Satanism, the eerie atmosphere of writers like Poe, Algernon Blackwood, Lovecraft. And of course, movies and paintings related to the same subjects and moods.
How often and where do you reherse? Generally once a week when there is anything to rehearse for. Like gigs, recordings or working on material.
How have you developed since you started with the music? We haven’t.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? Yes! One of my biggest areas of interest is the Left Hand Path. I have submitted myself to this for almost to two decades now. And we are talking both theory and practice here. And I also have found martial arts to fit my mood too.
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? No.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? No. We are working together with :AJNA: and look forward to do that again.
What made you decide to make this music? It came as a very strange current that needed to manifest. So we didn’t decide it but rather followed it.
What are your songs about? We have only released a full length album that is also our debut. This has a Lovecraftian mythos theme to it. But not necessarily based on his works. Rather it takes on from where his mythos ends and points at, ancient gods beyond, malefic ones, the dark voids of space, the horrors of man’s confrontation with the unknown, and the likes.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? That would be me. But we arrange it together as a band.
Do you start with the music or the lyrics? With the music. The idea with Head of the Demon has been to write the songs so that they can function instrumental. That gives us a certain freedom to use the vocals and lyrics as an instrument.
Do you compose in a certain environment? Not really. I would rather say that I create in a certain frame of mind. But environments sometimes triggers this frame of mind which if it has any red thread, I would call it inspiration. The environments can differ quite a lot, but if it has any gloomy, eerie or satanic feel to it, it triggers me.
Have you done any covers live? No.
What language do you sing in?So far English.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? We have only done two gigs so far. And it was at bigger arrangements that I believe were sold out. But a good guess would be a presence of about 500 lost souls.
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? We have done the same songs and last time we included an additional song to the set. Plus we have done intros, midtros and outros. But it if more of developing a set and not changing it.
What was your first gig like? Very good and successful. It took place at Black Harvest in Stockholm last fall.
What was your latest gig? The would be the Heavy Days in Doomtown in Denmark this spring.
Have you had to cancel a gig? No, but we came close once.
Where have you played live this year? Denmark.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale? We started selling merch as soon as we had released the vinyl of our full length. We did this backwards, and the CD was released only after the LP and then by :AJNA:. Then there is some shirts that are for sale too.
Where can people buy your merchandise? Well, one can get it from either the band directly, the label or some distributors.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records nowadays? Well, I don’t mind people doing that. I do it myself and that is partly how music is spread these days. But if I really like an album I do purchase it in the end.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this? Hopefully for the better. When the swamp that is the music industry and all its artists can be heard for free. It hopefully means that the best ones will shine through.Plus that bands from countries that don’t have a big music tradition can much more easily come across.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today? I’d say that it is easiest to find inspiration in good music, be it past or present bands. But one cannot deny that it usually is the old bands that form ones preferences. But is they modelled you they will also model others. So there is interesting present and probably future music that will impress and inspire one.
What have been your biggest obstacles? None! Obstacles are to be overcome and try one. We don’t ascribe to exterior problems or bumps.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? Don’t care for current trends or the likes. Find your style and do it all the way. With other words, stick to your guns.
Do you have any new material? Yes, we have outlined a second full length album.
What are your plans for the future? Our plans are to record a second full length album and do some more gigs.
Do you have something to add? They lie in wait!
