Robex Lundgren virkblogg.

What made you form the band?Hamlets are small villages, I got the idea for Scattered Hamlet from a chapter in a civil war book I was reading when I started working on the first demos for the band. It’s basically the type of place myself and now many of the band members grew up. The band was formed as something that paid homage to all my outlaw heros with a nod to all the great classic rock that I grew up listening to. Of course it was done in our own way so it’s not exactly like that stuff. It’s been called Honky Tonk Metal, Southern Hard Rock, Southern Rock, Southern Metal, Classic Rock etc. It may not have been a great idea in hindsight. I always have people say “scrambled omelette” or some lame ass joke like that if they haven’t heard of us. It only bums me out because the name was supposed to represent things I have respect for and things I hold dear that I wouldn’t joke about. I know most times they don’t mean it as disrespect, but if they say things like that it means they don’t really understand the intent behind it and the point was missed....you know.

Where are all bandmembers from?/Who does what in the band? I’m from Southwestern, PA [Adam Joad], about a rifle shot from the mason dixon line. I sing but also do some guitar, harmonica, jew’s harp and even some banjo from time to time. Redd is from Texas, he plays lead guitar, slide guitar and the talkbox stuff. Adam is from Illinois and he plays lead guitar, slide guitar and backup vocals. Rich Erwin is from Kentucky and he plays bass and does backup vocals. Jake Delling Le Bas does all the drums and percussion.

What was the ambitions of the band when you started? Pretty to much to make a living touring, writing and making music that connects to us and the fans. We were a long way from that when my man Ari [Otep] helped me get my ideas together and do the first set of demos. Now we can pull up our sweet touring van next to his tour bus when we cross paths on the road. Now we need one of those damn buses!

Where was your first gig? The first gig was at the now defunct Cat Club on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. It wasn’t awesome. There was a lot we had to work out.

Where was the latest gig? Honestly I can’t remember, we do over 100 dates a year on the road. The next shows start in early January with the Genitorturers and then we team up with Kingshifter as well.

Who writes your songs?/ who writes the music who writes lyrics? I pretty much write all the lyrics. The compositions for the songs I usually start and get rough frameworks for. Then I send them to Jake and he lays down some drums and then the other guys start making everything better. It’s more of a collaboration now, some of the new compositions have started from sessions the guys started while I was away in my hillbilly bunker where I hide when I’m not on tour. Sometimes we morph ideas together, really whatever makes the best songs organically.

Who has the best since of humor in the band? We all have a pretty good sense of humor. It’s a prerequisite for touring with us. I’m the oldest but I probably have the most immature sense of humor. It’s probably about on a 12 -14 year old level. I’m always pulling pranks and shit on the road.

Why did you pick that particular style?/What are your songs about? I picked a style I liked and that I thought showcased what we were trying to do the best. It’s developed a lot too since we started. Our songs are about things we know. Every song on the Hillbilly Harmony EP and on Skeleton Dixie are stories of things I’ve seen or that have happened to me. That is with the exception of Hell Rider. That one is a story I made up.

Do you write your own material or mainly covers? We perform our own music. We do a cover now and again, usually a new one each tour. We redid Mountain’s Mississippi Queen on the new album. Lately live we’ve been doing the Allman Brother’s Whipping Post.

Have you made any albums?/If yes what are they? We released the Hillbilly Harmony EP as an introduction to the project and we are currently on the touring cycle for our first full length, Skeleton Dixie.

Do you have any clips on YouTube? Yeah, just search Scattered Hamlet, a ton of shit will come up. My favorite live bootleg one is us doing Skeleton Dixie the song at Rocklahoma a year back.

How old are you?/What got you started in music? I’m in my 30’s, the other guys are all in their 20’s, I’m the old guy in the band. They go to after parties and I find water and go fishing. I have to take care of my voice on the road or the show does not go on.

At what age did you start playing? I probably started later than most people. After my college football career was over I started hanging around friends in bands and carrying their equipment and stuff. I eventually made my way into the local punk scene where a friend taught me some chords.

How old were you the first time you saw a liveband play? In elementary school my cousin and I were in Jersey and we snuck out to listen to a battle of the bands in a park there. They were moshing and playing thrash at the time. It was a pretty religious experience for me. I was attracted to the energy of the whole thing. About a year later an awesome relative took me to see Poison, Lita Ford and Britney Fox and that really made me appreciate the spectacle aspect of music. I got to talk to CC Deville about that being my first concert when I was an adult playing in my own band, that was pretty cool.

Best/worst gig you've played? I’d rather be playing a bad gig than getting up and going to regular work. But with that said, the worst SH gig hands down was in Inland California. A bunch of dirty meth heads just wanted free jagermeister shit. They all lined up for free shit like they do every month for their welfare checks. It was so shitty. We hooked them all up with gear etc, treated everyone with respect and not one of them stayed and watched the show after they got their handout. The room was damn near empty. The owner told us if we came back on the first of the month when the welfare checks came in people would buy a bunch of merch... it was fucked up.  I thought for sure the van was going to get broken into while we were on stage. We have never been back. The bar paid us though, I have to give them that.

What places will you be playing in in the imidate future? All across the US and there’s plans for us to do some dates in Canada.

What songs are in your live set's? All of the one’s we’ve recorded and a few new tunes we have worked out. Those one’s that have only been demoed are  “Stonewall Jackson,” “Buckshot,” and “Time on My Hands.”

Is it always the same set's liv? No we change it up a lot, I dont’ know how bands do that. We’d get super bored. Sometimes I call audibles on stage too. We’re really into reading and connecting with the audience. You can’t always do that with a script or set list.

How big crowds do you usually play for?We put on the same show regardless of how many people come out. We’ve played for 2 people and we’ve played for over a thousand people at festivals. It depends. I wish more people would come out for live music but I think bad economy and shitty local bands saturating the market have got folks a bit jaded.

How do you get psyched up for a gig? For me, it may sound stupid but I go off by myself somewhere and meditate a little bit. I get focused on why I’m there, what I’m there to do, I pay homage to those who have done it before me and I try to get my priorities in order in my head so I can go out and do the best show to my ability. I did the same thing before I played sports.

What are your goals with your music? I don’t know, to keep pushing forward and keep growing the project. We want to get it out to as many people as possible. Even if that means only a handful of people at a time. We have people running around with our logo tattooed on them. That’s pretty awesome for a band our size and means we are connecting to people. That’s a goal I’ve always had, connecting to people on a level that only music can. We’re doing something right but it’s not always easy.

When did you decide to go all in for the music? Probably when I moved to Los Angeles, I went there for music and I wasn’t going to leave until I made it happen. Now I don’t have to live there full time so I guess I did alright. We still have a long way to go though. It’s a journey, not a destination.

Is it easier to get your inspiration from older bands or from bands more modern? There’s some newer amazing bands out there that get me excited. I’ve been listening to a lot of Gypsyhawk and Orange Goblin. Unfortunately, most newer bands are chasing trends and trying to cash in. That doesn’t inspire me in the slightest. Black Sabbath is awesome, Hipsters that used to be emo kids now playing stoner rock they just decided in their collective was non ironically cool sucks. So it’s probably safe to say I get more inspiration form older bands. They’ve already proven that they stood the test of time. The poseurs from their generations have since fallen to the wayside. 

What's the first step when making a new song? There are no steps, it just happens and it happens in different ways. Sometimes I’m fiddling on the guitar and stumble on a killer riff. Other times I wake up and I have a full composition in my head that we just have to record and play. I still have at least 4 songs in my head now I know will be SH songs in the future. Hell, we’ll be on the road and someone will have an idea and we’ll hum it into our iPhones and figure out how to play it later. Technology is great for that kind of stuff.

How do you feel about the downloading of music instead of buying albums?If you are paying for it I don’t mind. I download music from iTunes myself but I also still buy CDs of stuff I really like. If you are using torrents and illegally stealing music, fuck you. We are barely paying our rent, for the price of what you WILL spend on some beer and stupid shit you could support an artist and help them keep doing what they are doing instead of stealing from them. It’s like taking money out of a beggars cup because you think you’re entitled to it for some reason.

When you are on stage, what do you fear most then? I don’t fear when I’m on stage. That’s where I’m most comfortable. The fear sets in after you load out and you have to figure out how to get to the next show, pay your bills while you’re on the road, where you are going to sleep and all that kind of stuff.

What do you work with outside of the band and the music?  I’m an Avid fisherman, I try to catch bass anytime I can. I also train Mixed Martial Arts when I’m home from tour. I’ve been a sparring dummy for many pro fighters. Currently I have a Jiu Jitsu Blue Blue Belt under Grandmaster Eddie Bravo at 10th Planet.

What would you do if there was no music? I’d probably just fish a lot and move even further into the country than I am now. Maybe I’d run moonshine or at least set up my own still.

How important are your fans? They are the most important part of the whole equation.

What's the funniest/most memorable thing a fan has done for you? Probably get a tattoo of our logo, it’s happened twice now we know of. WE have killer fans. We’ve been given great gifts at shows. From local moonshine to belt buckles. Our man Chad at Carved Rock Leather has made us some amazing leather straps and such.

How often do you rehearse? As a band we rehearse before tours start. Personally, we all play our instruments daily to keep on the level we need to be at.

Where do you rehearse? At a warehouse we share with some other bands in a secret location in North Hollywood. We share it with Gypsyhawk and sometimes Huntress. Both killer bands that also tour.

What do you feel is the best liveband you've seen? Best is hard to say. Springsteen puts on an epic show, so does Kid Rock. We just saw Danzig with Doyle, that was a great show.

What drives a band that isn't all that famous and renowned to try to make a living on their music and to keep playing? If being famous is what drives you to make music please do us all a favor and get out of the game so we can get more authentic music on the air.

How do you view the musicindurty of today? It is what it is, there’s not use in complaining about it. I chose to be in it so I have to navigate it the best I can. If I don’t like it I can leave or try to change the game. I have no time for folks that complain and talk about the “glory days” of the industry. You have to adapt and get creative, that’s the way it works these days.

What are the biggest obstacles for a band? Themselves and unrealistic expectations of what it takes to do this. It’s not how you imagined it when you were sitting in your bedroom growing up daydreaming. It’s awesome, but you need to be OK with uncertainty and understand what you are getting into.

What is your favorite crappy instrument? I try not to play “crappy instruments.” My favorite beat up instrument is an old Gibson SG that I’ve beat to hell and back. Adam N. plays it live sometimes. It’s road worn and beat but it’s not crappy. It’s quality made in the USA craftsmanship, Gibson is a legendary brand.

What was one of the most quarrelsome times for you in the band? Those were when we were making a transition from being a local LA band to a touring national band. Not everyone was ready for the lifestyle switch. Some people hung on longer than others but the life wasn’t for everyone. Some folks were content with being local heroes, other folks still wanted the security of their day jobs. There is no reward without risk and basically none of the original lineup but me is still in the band. Now we have spats but we work them out. It’s part of being a team.

What do you feel a band/muscian should spend their money on? Whatever makes you happy I guess. I’ve never been asked that question. I know, spend your money on Scattered Hamlet music and gear. Stop by http://www.scatteredhamlet.com or like us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scatteredhamlet