intervju med Slender Pale
Have any of you played in other bands?
GUS: To mention a few, Bäddsoffan Brinner SWE, Bravado SWE, Mojo Kings SWE, Jeremy UK, Scullys Wonderbra UK, Handsome Strangers SWE (with Lars Skiöld, Tiamat).
NENNE: Yes, Bravado, Impact Machine, Pipkin & Still Crazy to name some.
What are your names? / Who plays what?
Pelle GUS Gustavsson: Bass and Vocals.
NENNE
Wallin: Guitar and Backing vocals
Lennie GUNSHOT Andersson: Drums and Perc.
Have you had other previous members? GUS: We used to have a second guitarist, Niklas ELECTRIC NIC Katrin, who just had to make other choices in life. Nothing ugly, he’s still a good friend and great guitar player. But it was after his departure we found our sound as a power trio and we have no plans going back.
Where are you from? Mora, Sweden.
What year did the band form? 2015
What's your style of genre? GUS: Hard rock! In the broad sense. We really don’t have the knowledge on what defines all the sub genres, so maybe someone would label us differently but we don’t care. It’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll, hard Rock ‘n’ Roll!
What inspires you?
GUS: Sitting in our studio with a beer or a Jack and working on new ideas.
NENNE: Different things but it often includes beer, a glass of JD, a guitar & my Marshall JVM
Are you looking for a booking agency, and what are your thoughts around that? NENNE: Yes we are!!! We do all the bookings ourselves today, and would sure appreciate a working partner.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? GUS: We are signed to CRS Records today and we are about to release our first single under that label. CRS is at this point a streaming label only, so for now we’ll probably release CD and Vinyl independently.
What are your songs about? GUS: I think you could put them in three different categories’, 1. What is wrong with you? 2. What is wrong with me? 3. Fuck it, lets Rock ‘n’ Roll!
Go have a listen, you might just find something you could relate to.
Who does the composing and writes the lyrics? GUS: Nenne and me compose the music and I write the lyrics.
Do you compose in a certain inviroment? GUS: We use to bring our ideas to our studio were NENNE and I put together and record a sketch. When we are happy with the sketch we start to rehearse it with the band and develop it further, or it goes back to the drawing board.
Have you done any covers live? GUS: Yes, but only one so far. We have done “Born to raise hell” by Motörhead a couple of times, and usually it’s if we have a guest on stage.
What are the least and most people to attend one of your gigs? GUS: The most, must have been last year’s Music and Motor festival where they registered about 600 paying visitors on the concert/dragstrip area.
What ages are most of your concert attendants? GUS: Hard to make a fair guess, never really thought about it. We’re all rockers and young at heart!
Do you always play the same songs live, or do you vary? GUS: Depending on how much time we get on stage we use the same set list for a while. But we also du small changes as we write new songs that we’d like to try on stage.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? GUS: Not really, but we do play at the annual Music and Motor Festival in Älvdalen every year.
What was your first gig like? GUS: Nervous as hell! It was my debut gig as a lead singer, I was sure I’d black out and forget all the lyrics and get chased out of the county. But we didn’t suck so it was fine.
What was your latest gig? GUS: The classic Pub Anchor in Stockholm.
Where have you played live this year? GUS: Well it’s still early in the year so not many yet I’m afraid. We have been working in the studio since late december 2019. And have just started mixing the new album now.
When did you start to sell merchandise, and what do you have for sale?
NENNE:
We started selling merch about 3 years ago, with a few Beanies.
Then we stocked upp on T-Shirts and Girlies, and we’re about to order Hoodies soon.
Where can people buy your merchandise? GUS: At our shows and hopefully soon at our labels, CRS Records, web shop.
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days?
NENNE: Even though nowadays the industry & downloading music has a larger impact on accessibilty, I miss the time of records where it created an anticipation and patience for each record! But foremost reading the sleeves, lyrics & equipment they used
GUS: I don’t have a problem with that, but I do think that we could get to “single” oriented and forget to write those quirky songs that ends up on the last track of the album.
How do you think the music industry have changed because of this?
NENNE: More artists has become available to their fans but the bands also has much more difficulties reaching new fans. And the few major record companies that’s still standing doesn’t take chances with new bands in the same way they used to.
GUS: Streaming and downloading media has opened the industry for a lot of new bands. Today you are literary on the, marketing budget aside, same shelf as Metallica or AC/DC.
What do you think of my work? GUS: Excellent, and we’re glad we got this opportunity
How do you think and know that this interview will help you in the music business?
GUS: First, I hope it leads to more people finding our music. And from a marketing point I think this interview is far more interesting to read than a bio, so we’ll be using it.
NENNE: Hopefully this interview will reach more people that will check us out & find our music to be as great as we do.
Do you have any role models or idols?
GUS: Lemmy of course, for his attitude and persistence. Musically I’d say Geddy Lee, Geezer Butler and Bob Daisly has made the biggest impact on my own playing.
NENNE: I first wanted to play guitar when I saw Steve Vai in the movie ”Crossroads” but the ones that has had the most affect to my playing is Alex Lifeson, Eddie Van Halen and Phil Campbell.
Why do you think that they exist?
NENNE: Great musicians that plays from both their heart & mind in favour to the song
GUS: Well you grow up listening to a lot of musicians and some of them just stick. And it helps if they don’t turn out to be complete ass holes.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active today?
GUS: I chose to remember old bands as more true than bands today, but it was probably just as much gimmicks and PR back then. We try to bring back the edge, when rock was a bit unpolished and dangerous.
NENNE: Older bands for me musicallywise although my interest in new bands is more soundwise.
What have been your biggest obstacles?
GUS : Learning to be active on social media.
NENNE: I agree, managing social media & finding good places to perform live.
What advice would you give other bands or artists?
NENNE: Follow your heart & believe in what you do (even if no one else does).
GUS: Right, and have fun! The only one who’s expected to work for free in the music business is you, so be sure to enjoy yourself and have fun. So, in the end at least you had…fun!
Do you have any new material? GUS: We do, there are some new songs on the coming album and we’re always in writing mode.
What are your web sites?
Do you have something to add?
NENNE: Check us out on Spotify or www.slenderpale.com
GUS: Yes, please follow us on Spotify and social media. And share it to your friends, we need your support ‘cuz we suck at this part.
