Our regular readers here at The Thanks List know about our soft spot for musically hyperactive artists. Those who constantly write for or play in different projects. Those who play a multitude of instruments in a multitude of different sounds. Nicke Andersson certainly fits that category and that is why he was on our list or people we wanted to talk to from the very first day that we started doing this project. As a drummer, as a guitarist or as a vocalist, he’s put out such an extensive discography that includes a truly remarkable number of great records, many of them ranking among our all-time favorite Metal and Rock ‘N’ Roll albums. That is why is was such a pleasure to discuss music with him. Make sure to pick up Lucifer III, to be released on March 20th through Century Media.
What have you been listening to the most lately?
I’m usually not a guy who keeps listening to the same thing for a week. I kind of skip between bands and genres in general. The last thing I listened to was a Death Metal band from Norway called VOMIT. It was a demo from ’87 that I heard today. I hadn’t heard that for a long while. I just thought of them and I looked it up and found it on YouTube and listen to it. It was really good.
Is it a band that you saw back then or something that you discovered later on?
No, I there was. I think we found out about them in ’88 or ’89 possibly? I’m not sure exactly. Uffe from Entombed and me, we thought they were awesome. I think we even might have stolen a couple of riffs. Maybe theft is exaggerating it at a bit. We were tipping our hat.
Going into your musical history, do you remember the first time music had an impact on you?
Yeah, and it’s funny because it was music but the impact was a picture of KISS. They have these trading cards in Sweden, which you could buy at a tobacco store. That caught my eye and I was hooked ever since. Then finally, I got my first Kiss album, which was Rock And Roll Over and I’d like to think that maybe that was the reason I got into music to begin with, but I’m not sure. But it had a very big impact on me.
After that, how did your musical tastes evolve, through your childhood and into adulthood?
Well, you know how, when you’re a kid, a month feels like years, so it was probably shortly after that I ended up having all the Kiss albums up to that point. I think Unmasked got released in 1980 and I bought it when it was released. That was the last Kiss album I bought. Then I got into Punk Rock through my childhood friend Kenny, who also played bass in The Hellacopters. His dad had some Punk Rock records so we got into Punk Rock through that. He had The RAMONES, The DAMNED, The CLASH and PISTOLS. From that, we went by looks. We saw a Punk Rock album in a record store and we thought it looked Punk enough, so we bought it. Which got me into a little faster Punk like GBH and EXPLOITED, DISCHARGE, VARUKERS and so on. Which in turn, got me into MOTÖRHEAD and VENOM and METALLICA. There was little stuff in between but that’s how I got into fast music and which also got me into Death Metal.
These days, what’s your favorite means of discovering new music? Is it live, on records, through friends’ recommendation?
Well, the thing is, although the music is new to me, it’s rarely new music. There’s such a huge well of awesome music that I’ve never heard before and they’re usually recorded between, I would say, the 50’s and 70’s. That’s where I look. There’s some new bands that I like, of course, but the stuff I get blown away by is unfortunately old stuff.
What’s an example of a discovery that you’ve made lately that just blew your mind? Like, “Where as you been all my life?”
There’s probably quite a few of those. I have a friend who is deep into the bargain bins. He’s a big record collector so he checks out all the bargain bins. For $1 or less even you can find an album from the 70’s that could have a song or two that’s really good. He told me about this band called DB COOPER. I think they’re from the States somewhere. I think the first album came out in ’79 or ’80. They did two albums and those two albums are just awesome. It sounds like a cross between ELVIS COSTELLO and THIN LIZZY. It’s amazing and if you find them, they will cost you absolutely nothing.
It’s nice that it’s a cheap found as well because a lot of times, these obscure bands, so few records were pressed that they’re super rare and super expensive.
It’s a genre that’s maybe not as cool as, you know, the early 70’s Proto-Metal stuff that can go for a fortune because there’s a lot of collectors who want these albums. When it comes to DB Cooper, I feel fairly alone with it.
Do you have any other examples like that of stuff you truly love but yet, can hardly find anyone to agree with you?
Yeah. Not many I know agree with a band that I really like, which are still playing, they’re called NEW MODEL ARMY. I usually don’t like whatever type of music they’re playing -I don’t even know what kind of music I play- but they speak to me somehow and I don’t know many people who like them. I only know one and that’s my friend Fred Estby of DISMEMBER, of all people. I mean, there are a lot of people who like them, but not that I know.
What strikes you first when you listen to new music? Is there anything special that will catch your attention every time?
I am a sucker for songs. The songs have to be good. Which is why sometimes, you buy a bargain bin record and it’s only one good song but then you have that good song and you would never have heard it otherwise, you know? I don’t know, it’s the song and the sound of it. Usually when it comes to sound, anything from the 70’s, they usually always sound good. I have rarely heard records from the 70’s that had a shitty sound.
Without necessary looking for it, is the production something that makes you like a band better?
Yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, that’s probably why I don’t listen to many modern band. As far as extreme metal for example, most of what I hear if someone plays me something or I check something out, I don’t think the drums sound like drums. And if drums don’t sound like drums, I’m sorry, I can’t listen to it. I think a lot of it has to do with trends. Somehow, whatever METALLICA did with …And Justice For All and the Black Album, that kick drum sound kind of stuck, and everyone’s using it but, I’m sorry, it doesn’t sound like a kick drum. It sounds like a typewriter to me. I’ll have to pass on that.
Can you name three songs that you consider to be perfect and say what makes them so special to you?
The first one would be City Slang by a band called SONIC’S RENDEZVOUS BAND. They released one seven inch and that was it. For high energy Rock and Roll, there’s nothing, absolutely nothing that matches that song. It’s got everything. It’s way too long but it’s awesome. It’s because the ending just drags on and drags on but you kind of want it to keep on forever. Those three chords are just amazing. The guitar solo in it and the vocals… Yeah, that’s probably one of the most perfect songs ever.
When we’re talking about high energy Rock and Roll, then I’ll put in Search And Destroy by IGGY AND THE STOOGES too. That’s what I call perfection. It’s hard to top that one. Every little chord, every delivery from every instrument and the sound of it. It’s perfect. I don’t know what else to say about it really. I mean, how can you not love a song like that?
How about the BEATLES and Help? As far as Pop songwriting goes, there’s no match. That’s the best. If I had a choice and have one of these many songs out there, that I could write by myself, that would be it.
You mentioned being more into songs but what would be some albums that you would consider close to perfect, where there is no bad songs? Something you can listen front to back.
The first one I would say is Never Mind The Bollocks by SEX PISTOLS. I can also say Reign In Blood by SLAYER. Well actually, there’s one song on that that I don’t like so much, but that’s okay. There’s quite a few, actually. I mean, Ace Of Spade is a pretty good album. There are a lot of those. If we’re talking about MOTÖRHEAD, Overkill is maybe just as good, I think. Like I said, I grew up with KISS and for me, Rock And Roll Over is their best album. There’s so many. In an hour or so, I’ll probably think of more.
What’s the album that you think you’ve listened to the most in your life?
Probably Road To Ruin by The RAMONES. That’s also one of those albums I like front to back. I love the sound of it. There’s something with that album, it’s a little darker than all the other Ramones albums. Actually, it almost has a little bit of minor chord thing going on, here and there. That’s a huge one for me.
What would be the most memorable concerts that you’ve seen in your life?
I wish it was the first concert I went to, but I don’t remember much of it. I saw KISS when I was eight years old, in Stockhölm and IRON MAIDEN supported them, they had just their first album out. I don’t remember much. I remember it was loud and I also wondered why Iron Maiden didn’t have makeup because I was only into Kiss. I wish I remembered more of that.
What would be the most impressive band that you’ve toured? The one day you had to watch their set night after night?
What a good question. I wish I had a good answer for that. I mean, sometimes we’re on tour, you are so geared up to do your own show. And so if the band that you’re touring with is on before you, you really don’t have time to focus on that because you’re getting ready, nervous. It’s easier if there’s a band that plays after you because then you’re done with your work and you can relax and enjoy but I haven’t done that many support tours, unfortunately. I mean, with the Hellacopters, we played support for KISS, for four shows so…that was good! It was very important. We were very nervous before our set, but then when that was done, we could just watch Kiss for free and that was pretty amazing.
Is there any upcoming bands that you’d like to recommend?
There’s a band that we toured with in the States, they’re from Vancouver, Canada. They’re called SPELL and they have a new album coming out in April. We heard it, they sent me the album and I thought that was really good. I can highly recommend that.
What else? Our guitar player, Martin, he also plays in a band called DEAD LORD. They’re working on an album and I got to guest on it and play some tambourine on it and that’s coming out later this year. I would say definitely keep your eyes open for that too.
In closing, besides Lucifer’s new album, do you have any other projects they you’d like to promote?
We’re working with the Hellacopters, we’re playing -well, not so much now because of the state of the world- we’ll see how that goes. We actually have started recording a new album. We also talk about a new album with Entombed. There’s been a Death Breath album that we started 10 years ago that we’re gonna finish too. Also with my other band, Imperial State Electric, we’re talking about recording a new album and we’re also talking about recording a new Lucifer album. I mean, it just came out, but we don’t want to wait too long for the next one.
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