PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
We catch up with Feffe from Bombus, who introduces the band, being signed to Century Media, their new album ‘The Poet And the Parrot‘ and their plans.
For the benefit of anyone who isn’t familiar with Bombus, can you tell us about the band please.
Hi all, we are a four-piece heavily rocking band from Gothenburg Sweden. We´ve been around since 2008 and have since then released a bunch of highly listenable stuff and will in the end of august release our second full-length album “The Poet And The Parrot” – our piece de resistance!
How would you describe the Swedish music scene, any difference from when you first started out?
Well, I think the Swedish music scene is thriving at the moment, but then it has been pretty good for a long time I suppose. You can definitely see trends coming and going but other than that it´s pretty much the same you know, fish on Tuesdays, pea soup on Thursdays and roast on Sundays of course.
What made you guys sign to Century Media? It must have been a defining point in the bands career, opening doors to a much wider audience. Did it strike you at that point that things had got just a bit more serious is that daunting in anyway?
We wanted someone else to do all the hard work. Our first album is released on my label Mourningwood Recordings and up until now we have pretty much been doing everything ourselves. We like that to but it´s a lot of work. Of course getting in cahoots with Century Media has changed stuff (for the better) and will continue to do so. But that’s nothing we really think about that much. We make albums – they release albums, so it´s a match made in heaven when you look at it really.
What’s the song writing process in the band – is it a collaborative or are there one or two main song writers?
It is a collaboration, where I´m the main songwriter so far. I bring most of the ideas to the rehearsal studio and there we polish the turds together and make them fly like butterflies. Some songs are instantly finished while others take longer. But we are all guilty of the end result.
What are your inspirations for writing the lyrics?
Everyday life, the overwhelming stupidity of mankind, books, politics, films, music etc. You know everything and nothing. And then we try to make it rhyme were it should.
What was the writing and recording process like?
Looooong… but enjoyable. We were in and out of the studio so many times we´ve lost counting before we were done. But you know, we are happy as pigs in shit with the end result so it´s all good. The song writing process wasn’t the hard thing, it´s everything else really.
Who did you work with on the production and creation of the album and cover work?
Our former bass player Ulf, a proper artist that one. He does most of our designs and is really somewhat of a fifth member still. He really thinks outside the box so to say and doesn’t gets boring or predictable.
Can you give us a bit of background about each of the tracks and their meanings?
1.Enter The Night – Is about the Black Death. It almost wrote itself that one, and came in late in the recording process.
2.The Poet And The Parrot – Also the title of the album. That one really had to mature in the back of our heads for a long time before it fell to place. The lyrics refers to The Poet as a creator of things – whatever it may be, and The Parrot as someone who repeats what others do without even knowing why or what it means.
3.Liars – Is about religion and all it´s mind-blowing stupidity. This song reminds me of one of those slow heavy melodic Twisted Sister ballads. Always liked them.
4.A safe Passage – Got the idea for the riff when I was shitfaced at some backstage area and the DJ played something that stuck, probably the only thing that stuck that night. Do not have a clue what song it was. The outro is paying some homage to W.A.S.P´s Love Machine. Shouldn’t say that stuff though.
5.Apparatus – That was a quick no-brainer to write. The lyrics are about a really awesome Salvador Dali painting called Apparatus And Hand. It just tells the story of what I saw in the painting. Oh, isn’t that deep…
6.Let Her Die – Is about a relative of mine. Like that a bit “too” slow, dragging tempo, it´s really annoying in a way.
7.Master The Reality – Yes, obvious title theft here. If you don’t get that one you have to start listening only to techno music instead. It has a lot of different parts in it, but it was still pretty easy to write.
8.Into The Fire – The last dance. It´s about a fat leader getting even fatter sitting on his throne, treating his people like shit. We have all seen the guy.
How would you say ‘The Poet And The Parrot’ compares to your self-titled debut album, ‘Bombus’?
I would say that The Poet And The Parrot is even more varied, coherent, catchy and to the point. First of all, we have put so much more time, thought and effort in to this album. We have been in and out of the studio, re-doing, re-writing, re-mixing, re-mastering and re-improving stuff before we where completely satisfied. We had a pretty clear vision of what we wanted to achieve with The Poet And The Parrot both musically and production-wise I think, and getting there took some time. Every song on the album had to have a hook, also we wanted every song to supplement the other and we wanted the production to be fresh, contemporary but still classic. Our first album was more of a quick in-n-out kind of thing. What got stuck on tape got stuck on tape if you know what I mean.
In-between recording and playing live, what do you do to kick back and relax?
Just anything really. Some of us got kids and families and that stuff. Hanging out with friends, writing new songs drinking alcohol enjoying the perks of life.
You have a few festival dates in Aug/Sept any other any tour plans at the moment?
Yes, the fall is coming together now and it looks like we will be out playing a lot covering pretty much Europe, Scandinavia and GBR. Both headline and support stuff. It will be great!
What are the plans for the rest of this year?
Getting out there playing as much as possible to as many people as possible, do the album justice and start writing a new one. That process has actually already begun.
When you buy music, which do you prefer and why – CD, Vinyl or legal mp3 downloads? What was the last album you bought?
Vinyl and streaming services. Vinyl just because it looks and feels nice, and streaming services because it´s just easy, cd´s are good to have in the van on tour though. I´m a big consumer of music, but not a collector in that sense that I care about collectibles, rarities and stuff. The last albums I “bought” was when we sacked and pillaged the Century Media head office and their warehouse. Left the place in ruins.
If you could recommend three Swedish bands for people to listen to and three other bands from around the world, who would they be?
Hmm… lets see. Swedish bands, Cortex, The Bear Quartet and Pyramido were/are great. And from around the world maybe Okkultokrati, Iron Age and Primordial. Always a tough nut that question.
Are there any messages that you would like to pass on to our readers?
“Live one day at a time and make it a masterpiece” – Just found that on the interwebs. Naa… not really, but do check out our new album “The Poet And the Parrot” coming out the 26th of August and if we´re playing where you´re at come down and check it too.
Links:
BOMBUS online:
http://www.facebook.com/bombusmusic
http://www.myspace.com/bombusmusic
Century Media Records online:
http://www.youtube.com/centurymedia
http://twitter.com/centurymediaeu
http://www.facebook.com/centurymedia
Century Media Webshop:
