LAST DAYS OF APRIL
interview by smc
Last Days of April are excellent, but you probably haven’t heard them. As simple and poignant as a polite slap in the face, these (now) two Swedish gentlemen have endeavored to create something as trite as perfect music. Eight ‘what’s’, an ‘are’ and a ‘how’ later, lead Aprilian Karl Larsson Mad Libs a funky little story about his band and gives props to Microsoft as well. Bill Gates must be smiling.
Speaking strictly from an American standpoint, our media gives us a small interpretation of what kind of music is coming out of Sweden. What is the music scene in Stockholm like?
Don’t know really… I hardly go to any shows because I get disappointed most times. But I think there’s about 200 either 80«s-retro-synth-bands or garage-punk-rock-bands in Stockholm right now.
How would you describe the music you make?
Just very simple music, simple pop-music.
You have a simple yet elegant sound structured around a wonderful mellow groove. What influences the band to make the music it does?
Thank you for your nice words. I think we’re making the only music we can make. I mean it hasn’t always sounded like it did on ‘Ascend To The Stars’. We’ve always been changing the sound a little for each record and will do it again for the album we’re working on now. I think it’s because our influences are changing all the time so our music is bound to change as well.
What’s your process for writing a song, and what goes into constructing an l.d.o.a. album?
That’s also something that has been changing with each record. When recording our first 2-3 albums we were a band and could rehearse the songs and even write them together. But along the way we lost some members and at the time we recorded ‘Ascend To The Stars’, there were only me and Andreas left and with no time to rehearse. So we had to rehearse the songs in the studio while recording them. It’s still only me and Andreas in the band but now we’re rehearsing.
What bands are impressing you right now?
Two great bands from Canada, “nko Jones” and “Broken Social Scene”.
If you had to pick one food for the rest of time, what would you choose?
My girlfriend’s potato soup.
What kind of audiences comes to an l.d.o.a. show, and what’s the most memorable show you’ve played?
When we started we had most Hard Core kids coming to the shows but these days we have got all different people coming to the show. I think the most memorable show I’ve played was in a Swedish town called NorrtŠlje, with the band Grotum that later became Last Days of April.
From album to album, there’s been noticeable maturation and evolution. Are there any plans to experiment with other genres of music?
Yes, but still just plans and I don’t think that’s something we’ll do under the name Last Days of April. But I think we want to try both 80’s metal and jazz.
What makes you keep going?
Sometimes it’s just that I’m able to. But in the beginning of LDoA I didn’t have that much money (not that I do know but I make my living) my parents often helped me out with a place to stay and food, so I feel that I owe them to keep going. They are as much to thank for the good songs of LDoA as I am. And another thing is that this is probably the only thing that I’m sort of good at. There was a time when I worked night shift at the post office but noticed that that wasn’t really my thing. Me working with music is probably a way for me to not get a real job. It has always been one of my biggest fears…
What else interests the Last Days of April?
Lately XBOX has been a big friend in both mine and Andreas’ life.
