PipemanRadio Interviews tAKiDA

0:04 Hi, you have done too. That's true. Wow for you young way, why become America. It's time for the Adventures of Pipeman on W four c hy dot com. Wis pomp Beats is number one internet radio station. Here's your host, the vipe Man. It's the pipe Man here on the Adventure of pipe Man W four c Y Radio. And I'm here with our next guest. Who are some killer Swedish rockers? And it's funny. I do have a couple Sweden stories that we might appreciate. But this band has been around for so long and I can't believe they're still making great music.

1:19 It always blows my mind when artists like can be around for like twenty five years and still make great music and sometimes and usually it's their best music, which is true of the new album coming out called The Agony Flame. So let's welcome to his show, Takita. How are you? Ah, thank you? I'm just fine, just fine. Yeah, you know I got a funny story for you. We'll start off right there about about Sweden. Okay, Yeah, So the first time I went to Sweden, one of my best bro well my best bro of life like brothers. His brother was getting married, marrying a Swedish girl, and because he went to college, he went for one semester of college at Uppsala and then never left. So I went to his wedding. I was married at the time, and the bride's parents were reindeer farmers. Now many of us idiots in the United States we seem to think that those are fictional characters, like there's no such thing as a reindeer because they're only in the Christmas shows and they're only with Santa.

2:38 So the wedding that I was a vegetarian at the time, but my wife ate meat and she's eating the meat at the wedding, okay, and I'm like, I had the buster chops. I was like, is that me good? And she's like yeah. I'm like, you're eating Rudolph And she goes, what are you talking about? Like that is reindeer and she goes, shut up, there's no such thing as reindeer. I'm like, well, tell that to ings parents, because Ing's parents are reindeer farmers, and that is reindeer. And then the look of horror on her face that I'm not sure which was funnier, the look of horror or the fact that she had no clue that reindeer were an actual, real animal. Oh that's a great story I know, right, and I think people from Sweden would appreciate that storyboard and anybody. Oh god, so let's let's I also want to mention too that there was one thing that really caught my attention when I was reading about you know, the press release and stuff, and you guys play that voking last year like that that is like that's like the holy grail

4:09 of playing a festival. Yeah, what was what was that like for you as a band, especially you've been around for so long and in twenty twenty three to be in what's known as the the the Godfather of all festivals around the world in childhood dream right dream? Yeah, it was like dream came through, came through. Was we got fucking nervous before that show, and that's not happening every every night now, but that was that was a great, a great show, and we got a very nice slot there at six pm at the same stage as Megodith and a couple of other small bounds.

5:00 Yeah, it was a crazy, crazy evening. See and I go on tour and I do radio coverage at festivals all over the US, Europe, UK. I still haven't done Voking yet, Like I've done Hellfest, you know, I do download, I do Bloodstock. You know, I can name a bunch of them, and that's one that's like, it's on my list. I'm like, man, I have to do Voking, you know. And everybody I know that ever plays it or attends it is like it's just the most amazing experience. So yeah, like, what an honor after twenty five years to play that festival. Yeah, yeah, we yeah, we were in Heaven for there. Yeah, it was crazy. It was it was like mud Paradise was the weather was not that. Oh yeah, I heard I heard about that. I was like, I was actually thankful last year that I did not do Vadkan. Yeah it was, but we didn't care about that. And the automens grew by the minute, and I don't know the numbers, but crazy, crazy a lot of people. So do you think that, you know, reaching that at your point in your career might have even played a small part in the impetus to make such great new music that we're hearing on the Agony Flame. Most of it, I

6:38 think most of it was written before we played we played the show. Oh that's cool. So did you play any of the new songs at Voadkan Yeah, I were played one the Loneliest Hours and single from from the album nice and then the crowd love it or what. Yeah, they totally loved it and it's been on there the German charts top like six I think since since the release. So wow, it's crazy in Germany and the countries around Germany. See and that's a testament to your band, because how many times our bands that have been around as long as you have that they're fans or anybody watching them wants to hear new music. Usually they want to hear old stuff and it's got to be good for them to want to hear the new stuff.

7:35 So that that says a lot. And that's a good reason people that have never checked you guys out definitely need to check out this new album. It dropped on the ninth just a couple of days ago Napalm Records. Yea. And you even have some cool like vinyl and other types of merch to go along with it. So that's pretty cool. Yep. So tell us what about this album. What do you feel is your growth as an artist in this album? Like how's it. How was the writing process and everything compared to previous albums that you've done throughout your career. We didn't have a deadline on this album. The previous album was still around and we so we we like worked on the previous album touring, touring wise and stuff, so we didn't have any pressure, so we could like take our time both writing and working in the studio. So that's we used to have a deadline so like in two months we had to have a monster ready for right print, So we didn't have any pressure, like time pressure. And this one that's

9:09 the biggest difference, I think, and we have we have grown as writers and the producers and yeah, in every way increased are like skills. See and you know what I love about hearing that is I've been talking about a lot of times, how you know if you're going to take a positive and not that this was related to it, but just what happened where you said the deadline that if you're going to take a positive out of what the COVID lockdown is, it allowed a lot of artists to jump off that hamster wheel and really start to create again like they did years ago in the eighties.

9:56 And nineties where you weren't right, you made changes, you you really worked on that creative process instead of boom, we got to get this done while we're on the tour bus to the next show, and then it goes out and you're like, uh, yeah, I wish I changed this, I wish I did that, and it just wasn't the finished product ever. And I think what you did with this album is similar to what I'm talking about, is like you actually created the finished product because yet you could take your time and really evaluate what you wanted it to sound, like yeah, yeah, yeah, precise, it's like that exactly. So do you think that there's like a resurgence of that since covid that Like some artists they got a taste of that and they're like, I think we're going to go back to the old way and kind of take our time creating music and not oways be bums rushed, as we would say here in America to get it done.

11:05 Yeah. Maybe maybe that's Yeah, I think so, because we like we're jamming in the rehearsal room, listen to this riff, yeah, and yeah let's jam, let's play like it was like old fashioned style in that part of the writing as well. So I don't know if it is the COVID thanks to the COVID, but that's how how it was done this time. It's a lot more fun that way too, right, Like you're saying jamming, and the first thing that popped in my head is, man, the band is like smiling having fun instead it being work to write it right now, I think you can hear that smile. I love that way in some way. Yeah, yeah, so yeah, that's the way it should be.

11:58 Music should be fun. If you're not having fun and you're in the music business, it's the wrong business, yeah, you know, because there's too much bullshit that goes on that at least you have to have the fun part, and that's the creating the music and playing live. Speaking of which, uh, you know, you're on an extended gs A tour in h until April, and it's called the Smoke and Mirrors Tour. I love the name of that. Yeah, by the way, thank you, thank you. And so you have an extended run and say it's in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. You're sported by the English band knows damn croz and uh the tour kicks off h in Offenbach, Germany on April second. Yeah, yep, it's gonna be great to go back play play Germany in that area again because we have have a lot of fans there that are totally crazy. Wow, you love them. I've heard that the German fans are like some of the best fans in the world. Yeah, I think so. They are amazing, Yeah, because I think they're just so into music and so into the scene. And you know, I think that's what makes back In such a great festival because of the people that attend. Yeah. Yeah, And and the Germans are they are they are crazy, but they are polite,

13:30 right, yeah, they are. If we go out to meet them after the show, they are standing standing in line waiting for their turn, and so you think, can you can you sign my arm or whatever? And in Sweden if you go out after the show after the show, they like grabs you, hey, you shure the right my girlfriends. So they are know that the Germans they are polite in some way, but they are crazy and they are singing and shouting and are totally crazy, but they have a politeness in somewhere. I love hearing that because here in the United States, we're just like, I mean, we just complain about everything. I mean, it doesn't matter what it is. Like I see it all the time, Okay, Like festival lineups will come out and people just complain or a band, one band drops off a festival and it's like, oh, the only reason I was going to festivals through that band. I'm like, then why are you going to the festival? Just go to their concert, you know, like that's not what festivals are about. But it's just it kind of makes me sick, Like I thought that would go away after COVID, you know, and it it's like you would think during that period of time

15:01 where nobody had live music that you will learn to appreciate a lot more, not bitch and complain, you know. But that's true, that's what. And they are rude about it, you know. Like so it's so great to hear the Germans are polite and I like that they're polite but crazy. It's like yeah, crazy, yeah, dedicated and totally crazy, but there's a ounce of politeness in it. So I love it. Yeah, I love it. Yeah, such a testament to Germany, you know, because Germany also gets a bad rap sometimes, you know, because people don't understand or they think of things like the Holocaust, and I think I think Germany is more embarrassed about that period of time than anybody can even realize. Number one. Number two, I think it's also a matter of like not understanding different cultures too, you know, because even in even in like the States, like people say New Yorkers are rude, and I'm from New York and New Jersey and I don't. I don't think of it that way. I think they just tell you how it is, and they don't bullshit you, and they'll tell you something to your face instead behind your back, but then act like your friend and your face, and I think that's kind of what gets confused. I think that's true also of Europeans, Like I go to the Netherlands a lot, okay, and there's this, you know, like

16:33 stereotype that the Dutch are very cold people. They just don't believe. It's like New Yorkers, they don't believe in being fake nice, like they're not going to meet you the first time and act like they're your best friend, you know, they want to get to know you a little bit, and then once they know you, then they open up and are extremely friendly, you know, and I think it's just a matter of understanding cultures. So I love that you, Clara find that about the Germans because they do get a bad wrap throughout the world sometimes because the one idiot who wasn't even German. No, no, no. So to get to know someone or some people is to meet them and and create your own like opinion of you were you were nice exactly. I love it. So how do people connect you on socials? On the web? How where they go to get the new album? I'm sure they can buy it through Napalm Records, and where are they going to buy all your merch all that good stuff on our homepage and like that. We have a Facebook and all that stuff, so that are linked to to the to the store, to the web shop. So it's

18:03 like like that. Okay, So everybody, just you know, look for Takita T A K I D A Yeah, and definitely check it out. There is even a lyric video for the new single Sickening, which is pretty badass, So thank you. Check it out. Their music's great and it's if you know them, this is even better than before. And if you never check them out, man, you're missing out. Is there any final words you want to give the listeners that we haven't covered that they need to know about you guys, whoa no, I think you you? You got it all there? Cool? Yeah, well listen, listen to the music, and come to a show. That's one more level of it. There you go, do it and man, have fun on that tour, on the extended tour. And thanks for being on the Adventures of Pipeman. Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pipemin on w for CUI Radio.