Truckfighters: Let’s Get Fuzzical
Mania by Swedish rockers Truckfighters — number three on this site’s recent list of the Top Five of the First Half of 2009 — is an album that by now nothing more needs to be said about around here. After posting the video, reviewing the disc and tracing singer/bassist Ozo back to Greenleaf more times than I care to count, it’s been covered in just about every way possible — except an interview.
So clearly it was time for an interview.
Ozo and guitarist Dango (now joined by new drummer Pedro) took some time out to field questions for the following emailer. The fuzzmasters discuss the growth of the band over the course of their three albums — Mania, Phi (2007) and Gravity X (2005), Dango reveals his guitar setup, the band’s plans for the future and even what it would take to get them over to the States for some shows. Q&A is after the infamous jump.
First off, the album seems incredibly cohesive, but the name suggests something crazy and all over the place. What?s the significance behind the title Mania?
Dango: To me, mania is about being a bit crazy in what you are doing. You have to be a bit crazy to do some things and make it. For example, we have spent endless hours in the tour van driving back and fourth through Europe because we love to play live and we have an inner glow which keeps us going. You also have to be a bit crazy to write a 13-minute song, ha ha. We were truly in a mania or frenzy when we wrote and recorded the album. It was the only thing in our minds for two full months. Truckfightersmania, I would call it.
Over the course of the three records the band?s sound has shifted significantly, and especially on Mania, the songs feel bigger somehow, not just longer. Looking back on it now, how do you feel about Gravity X as opposed to the new album?
Ozo: Hmm, tricky question, I really, really like the Gravity X album as well but I can see your point. I think we?re always in a constant development and we?re curious about new things and new sound, without losing our sense of quality and integrity. We do not wanna be stuck in a specific way to record albums or write songs. I mean, if we would like to do the same album over and over again I think it will get really boring fast. Both me and Dango are also sound engineers and we tend to spend a lot of hours in the studio just for fun.
How did Pezo come to join the band and did his inclusion have an effect on how the songs on Mania came out?
Dango: Pezo was (almost) the original TF drummer, he played on The Fuzzsplit of the Century, then he left the band for various drug-related reasons. It felt natural to ask him again when we needed a new drummer. But it didn?t work this time either, ?cause he left the band before we wrote most of the material for Mania. We really hoped he would have changed his personality over the approximate five years Paco played in the band, but unfortunately not. I wouldn’t say it was a mistake to take him in again though, ?cause he drums on Mania and we are very happy with the album in every way. When Pezo said he wanted to quit, (September last year) we searched on all possible channels, talking to everyone we knew, putting up posts on forums etc We didn’t find anyone who fit. That’s why Pezo recorded the album and did a few shows with us in Italy this spring. After a looong wait we finally found a new guy in February or March and it was through the normal channel. The mouth. Ha ha. But seriously Ozo‘s girlfriend had a friend who knew Pedro as he will be called in Truckfighters and it is on that way, a real love story, hee hee.
Describe the songwriting process for Truckfighters. How structured initially is a song like ?The New High?? When you?re putting the album together, how conscious are you of showing different sides of your sound and not making all the songs sound the same?
Dango: I think there?s not so much structure at first, and I don?t know if we are so conscious about making the songs sound different either. For us it?s natural, if one song sounds to much like another we usually discover it long before the recording process starts and usually don?t finish it. In general the process to write Mania was very different than before. We recorded just bass and guitar straight into the computer first cause we had no drummer so we couldn’t make songs the ?normal? way. Me and Ozo took a weekend and locked us up in the studio making most songs from old ideas or fresh stuff. Some things we had jammed on at times when we had a drummer and some not. We put all riffs together and made new parts and used our imagination on how it would sound in the end. Then Pezo in the end played the drums after all, but he didn’t know the songs he just came down in the morning, we listened together and talk about how we would like it to sound, then he played until everyone was satisfied… took some time but it was kind of cool.
Also a lot of parts on the album were made on the fly so to speak, created in the momentum of the recording process.
Ozo: I think almost every riff or/and song is made out of jamming. We usually record some rehearsals, sometimes we happen to create something that we feel is worth doing something serious with and that?s what we do.
Most bands stick their longest track at the end, but on Phi, ?Chameleon? was early on and on Mania, ?Majestic? is right in the middle. What?s the theory behind putting the epic song earlier on? Is it just a way to be different?
Dango: No it is ?cause we think they?re the best songs!
Ozo, Are there any lyrical themes you?re working with on Mania? Your vocal approach always seems to be changing as well. How is it different for you singing in Truckfighters as opposed to Greenleaf?
Ozo: I really try to develop both my singing and my text writing from each album. I don?t wanna do an album and do a much worse singing or writing of the lyrics, of course. I try to spend more and more time singing and writing lyrics for each album that we do, and it feels like I?ve been successful in that quest. ;) I try not to limit myself to any specific themes or so, I just write lyrics about things that happen in the world, either to me or to other people out in the world. But also some lyrics can be a little bit unserious and fun. Everything doesn?t need to be painted in black just because you play hard rock.
The experiment with recording an album with Greenleaf was for me really good. For once I got the chance to concentrate only on one thing, the singing, and for me that was really relieving. That?s something I have good use for in Truckfighters also. I try to see myself as I?m in a constant learning process, that?s important to keep interest and the quality on top.
Do you consider yourselves a stoner rock band and if not, where do you see yourselves in the rock spectrum?
Dango: ?Modern rock? is a good expression. We are way too progressive nowadays to fit well into the stoner genre.
The guitar tone really makes a song like ?Monte Gargano? stand out. What kind of equipment or fx are you using to get that sound?
Dango: Hee hee, thanks. I use Hiwatt Custom amp and cab, Russian big muff sustainer (fuzz!) pedal, Crybaby wah, Rickenbacker 481 guitar (but live I play Gibson SG GT nowadays). Most things are at maximum settings of course. On an old Big Muff which I stomped to destruction I hardwired the sustain pot to max.
You?re about to embark on a European tour. Will this be the first time you?re playing the new songs in front of a crowd?
Dango: We did play ?Monte Gargano? and ?Last Curfew? on our mini-tour in Italy in March. We?ll also be playing ?Loose,? ?Con of Man,? and ?Majestic? on this tour.
What are the plans after the summer? How much touring will you do for the record and is there any chance you guys might make it over to the US anytime soon?
Dango: We?ll be playing some festivals in Europe and will do another European tour in fall, as well as go to the UK in November. Really hope we can make it to the States. You can help by spreading the word and make sure everyone you know does the same!
Tags: Fuzzorama, Sweden, Truckfighters
