PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Norwegian black’n’roll metal team Kvelertak have just finished their UK tour. I had possibility to catch them in Glasgow, where they gave us an ass-kicking show. During the chat just before the gig, the band’s vocalist Erlend Hjelvik shared his thoughts about the concerts, music and owls.
So, how are you, Erlend? How’s the tour so far?
It’s been good. Just getting started. Yeah, Manchester last night was very good and tonight is going to be good… it’s like my three favourite cities to play: Manchester, Glasgow and London, where are playing on Saturday. And then we are going to the States with Mastodon and Gojira for four weeks, so that’s gonna be awesome.
In 2011 I saw one of your interviews, where you were talking about the tour and you said that England was the toughest. How is it now?
Emmm.. Some places are a little still tough but like those three cities I mentioned are always good. Yeah, it’s the most difficult country to play, but we’ll keep coming until it becomes good.
So which time it is for you in Glasgow?
Probably like fifth or sixth, I’m not totally sure.
Glasgow loves you.
We love Glasgow too. *laughs*
You are singing in Norwegian and people here are trying to sing along with you, how do you feel about that?
I think it’s awesome. I guess, it just shows that music and the atmosphere is the most important. It’s very important that people are into that, it’s just a bonus, that they can sing along with the lyrics. It’s funny to see people trying, at least for me. *laughs* We were joking around that we should release Norwegian language course dvd on the next album, like a special edition or something. We’ll see if that happens.
So the main reason that you are still singing in Norwegian is the atmosphere or there is something else?
Yeah, I think it’s part of the sound. I think it would sound kinda weird if we suddenly would start singing in English. I don’t even think that fans would like it either. I think we’ll stick to Norwegian, it’s sounds cooler than English. *laughs*
What about the albums? The last one “Meir” was quite different, I mean the lyrics, from the first one…
Yeah, I guess the first album had a lot of Norse mythology on it but I just wanted to do something different in the second one, just try to keep it interesting for myself and I don’t want to write about Norse mythology every time in a new album, so.. and the second album I wrote everything from the everyday stuff: from being on tour and not paying your bills to classy satanic lyrics, more evil.
What are the plans for the next album then?
I haven’t decided yet. But lyrics will probably be more like in the last album.
Haven’t started working on that yet?
No, not really. I haven’t written any songs yet but when I’ll hear the new music I will start thinking about the lyrics.
So it will be in another three years?
Hmm no, I don’t think it’s gonna be that long this time but we gonna start working after this summer. We are going to take some time off this fall and start working on the new album. Hopefully it won’t take this long as in between the first and the second albums.
So how the creation process looks like in your band?
So far it has been that our guitarist Bjarte is the main songwriter, he makes the demos and brings to the practice space and everybody plays the song and comes up with ideas together. And then usually I record the lyrics or I write the lyrics and record them on the top of the demos and then the songs are pretty much done and then we go to the studio.
I always wanted to ask, what’s all about those owls?
It’s just have been with us ever since we started the band. It came up when we needed a cover for your first demo compilation, which was called “Westcoast Holocoust”… We just made on our own around 100 CDs, so we needed a cover and our bass guitar player came up with idea with having an owl on the cover and Bjarte made the cover. And it’s stuck with us ever since, it’s turned to our mask on the stage as well…
What (or maybe who) influence you the most musically?
It’s hard to answer it now, ’cause there are so many influences. We get influence while being on the tour with good bands and things like that. It is too many to mention. But when we started out we were inspired by the bands like Turbonegro, Helicopters and heavier bands like Entombed, some black metal bands like Satyricon, Darkthrone and Enslaved. So that’s where we got influence in the beginning but it’s way too many influences now. It’s kinda hard to point out one band.
And what about outside the music?
I can answer only for myself. As for me, I get inspired by watching documentaries, things like being hangover, broke and reading, nature – they all influence somehow.
Especially in Norway…
Yeah, with a shitty weather and living on the coast. *laughs*
The same is here, in Glasgow..
*laughs* Yeah, but Norway looks better than Glasgow at least, I haven’t been around in the rest of Scotland.
Do you have a favourite song of the Kvelertak?
I’m just gonna say the song that is my favourite to play live and that’s “Kvelertak” – the last song on the new album. It’s always good way to end the show, people seem really in to it. So yeah, it’s my favourite at the moment.
Did you have memorable events or adventures with Kvelertak?
That’s always the most difficult question. We don’t really do that much of exciting stuff..
Funny stuff happens all the time but I keep forgetting it.
Oh yeah, I can tell you one memorable thing that happened once when we played in festival in Norway, I think it was two years ago. There were two people having sex in front of the stage, those were kinda funny.
It’s not very common as well…
Yeah, I haven’t seen that before, so it was the first time for me *laughs* it’s not a place I would pick.
Are there any musicians or bands you would like to collaborate with (and haven’t so far)?
Yeah, we have the small list but it would be cool to do something with John Baizley at some point. We’ve been talking about it but we’ll see if that happens. There are lot of people we would like to work with, we’ve just been so busy that we haven’t had time… I’m sure we will have some guests on the new album but we haven’t really talked about it yet.
Who are Kvelertak guys off the stage in the everyday life?
It’s kinda different. I think we have different interests. Like half of us like to go partying after the show and the other half take it a little easier – watch movies and stuff. It’s a little hanging out in the bus, playing video games, relaxing.
Do you have other works besides the music?
The only one with a proper job outside of the band is Bjarte, he works as producer when he’s at home in Oslo. So he’s recording a lots bands in Oslo. So he’s been pretty busy. The rest of us don’t really do much.
Today yo are playing with the two more bands, how about them, do you like them?
Yeah, I really like them. They are both good, especially Empress – it’s really good, it’s kind of mix between Mastodon and Pelican, it’s the atmospheric metal. You should check them out – it’s really good band.
So you have chosen them by yourselves?
Yeah, we have a list of bands that we listen to and we thought that those two were the best ones. We don’t really know that many bands in Britain, otherwise we would have contacted the bands ourselves. But that’s kinda difficult when you don’t really know that many people here, in Britain.
Your future plans are tour…
..and bunch of festivals and then time off. We’ve been touring a lot 3-4 years, so it’s gonna be good to have a break, just work on new stuff, I think we need it.
So before the very last question there is one more. If you could describe yourself as food or drink, what would you choose?
I’d choose a drink that’s called “Gammel Dansk” – it’s my favourite liquor. It tastes pretty bad but it’s good for your throat, have a lot of herbs in it. *laughs*
Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers?
Just come to the shows. *laughs*
I think they will.
Especially in smaller cities in England, they should come out to the shows and check us out. Even if we don’t have funny haircuts and things like that. *laughs*
As I remember the last time you’ve played here (in Glasgow), it was sold out.
I think so.. I don’t know what are today’s sales. But the last time we played in a really small place, so I think capacity was 150 or something but it was awesome, it was one of my favourite shows in the tour. So hopefully today will be just as good.
Thank you for your time!
