*When did you really get involved into music in general and into metal specific? Who was responsible for your interest in (rock) music?

I grew up in a family where rock music was constantly playing. While my friends were traveling with their family on vacations to other countries, mine took me to festivals and concerts and since I have an older brother I got to explore a lot of music (and today still) through him, everything from Ministry to Kiss. Kiss is the first band that I remember and specifically the Psycho Circus album because I was born 1998. Through the years I developed my own taste for music, leaving my brother’s heavier metal and got into psychedelic rock through one of my now favorite bands – Abramis Brama. They played a show at Sweden Rock Festival, and I remember walking right by their show but at the same time my feet left the ground and I hovered right past the crowd and into the show ( I may have dreamt the last part but it felt like that). From that day I knew that I wanted to play in a band that sounded something like Abramis Brama.

*Which artists or bands did influence you the most?

I’d say that the record is a goulash of Rival Sons, Janis Joplin, Hozier, Ghost and topped with some Vanilla Fudge.

*Which instrument do you play and how and when did you learn to play? Did you had lessons in school or private lessons? If so, was that because your parents expected that from you? Or did you learn to play the instruments by yourself? Do you still follow some lessons?

I play the guitar. Here in Sweden, we have a lot of opportunities to practice and learn instruments during school. I always knew that it was the guitar that I would play. I guess it was because I wanted to shred and be in the center of the stage haha. Also my brother already played the bass so the family needed a guitarist. I remember that I wanted to play heavy songs by bands such as Metallica and Judas Priest. My teacher didn’t use a pick and couldn’t shred so instead he taught me songs by bands such as Creedence, Blackberry Smoke and Johnny Winter. I didn’t like it so much at the time, but now when I pick up a guitar to play, I really enjoy playing music by bands such as Creedence, Blackberry Smoke and Johnny Winter and I never learned to shred.

*Do you listen to or are you interested in other styles of music besides rock? If so, what is the kind of music you prefer to listen to?

I listen to alot of Folk Pop / americana and specifically Hozier, he’s one of my biggest influences today. Besides that I love listening to film music, my favorite composers are Dany Elfman and Hanz Zimmer. One of my biggest dreams is to compose music for a movie one day.

*Is music a full time job for you now or do you have a job beside music? If so, what kind of job are you doing? If you would be really successful with music, would you quit your other job?

I work in a music-studio where I produce commercials, music for other artists and I also do a lot of live music jobs as an engineer with shows, theaters and concerts. I also work at the Swedish Radio. I would probably quit everything to only play music and pursue my dreams, but I also like to be able to do different things to always keep me occupied. That way, nothing gets boring.

*If you could start a completely new band (something like an all star band) with other musicians on other instruments, which artists would you pick for which instrument and why? Would you still go for a pop / rock / psychedelica band?

Jay Buchanan and Mike Miley from Rival Sons on vocals and drums, Jacob Binzer from D-A-D on guitar, Megan Lovell from Larkin Poe on slide guitar, Gene Simmons from Kiss on bass, Hans Zimmer on keys and orchestration and Devin Townsend as mascot. Genres aren’t needed, I would just sit in the middle of the soundscape breathing in whatever music they played.

*If you had been banned to an uninhabited island and you may pick 5 albums to listen to, which albums would you choose and why?

1. ‘Great Western Valkyrie’, Rival Sons – I listen to it 2-3 times a week so it wouldn’t be a bigger difference to only listen to it haha. It’s probably my favorite album of all time. I was at a pre-listening event when they released their album “Feral Roots” a couple of years ago and got my GWV-copy signed. Now it hangs above the tv and it’s my favorite decor in my apartment.

2. ‘Welcome To My Nightmare’, Alice Cooper – The album will never get boring. This is probably the greatest concept album ever released. If I could travel back in time. I would travel to 1975 to watch the liveshow from that tour. It has always been a dream to make my own show with inspiration from that album.

3. ‘Magical Mystery Tour’, The Beatles – Another great concept album which I bought when I was 16 on vinyl because of the splending artwork on the front cover when window shopping in gothenburg. I did a show where we played “I Am The Walrus” in Walrus suits. The sweat was pouring through the costumes, totally worth it.

4. ‘You Want It Darker’, Leonard Cohen – An album I discovered way too late (or just in time). It’s Hard to describe it. During the Autumn and Winter this record runs hot on my record player. Perfect for lonesome nights at an lonely island

5. Hozier’s debut album – It’s been a huge inspiration in my songwriting and since it’s like 30 songs on it. I’d use the time to finally listen to it from the first song to last in one session.

*Every new album of a band or an artist is the best one, so they say. So here is a chance to promote your album. Why should a music lover buy your album? What are the standout tracks for you on this new album and why?

This record is about finding love in darkness, the death of what we call living and resurrection through the roots of nature. My favorite tracks are ‘Roots’ and ‘Eden’. The first and last song we wrote for the album. I’d say that together they sum up the whole album. The more darker thriving rock songs as ‘Roots’ and the fragile scaled down songs as ‘Eden’. ‘Eden’ wrote it self for us in the middle of the night when we were having a writing camp to finish the album in a cabin in the woods. It’s one of my best songwriting experiences. We wrote ‘Roots’ just weeks after our first album ‘Flowers’, we knew immediately that it was supposed to be the title track of our next album.

This is the best one yet haha.

– See “CD-Review” for a review (written in Dutch) for the new Children Of The Sün album ‘Roots’ (The Sign Records) –

*Is there a chance that you will promote these songs through live concerts? If so, would you prefer small clubs or big festivals? And is there a chance we can see CHILDREN OF THE SÜN in Belgium?

I’d say that personally I like to play big festivals but there’s something special with playing small clubs as well. Probably because you get so close to the audience and the band. You really become one. We would definitely want to play in Belgium as quickly as possible, if you would have us.