Intweview with Karl Edfeldt of Hot Breath (Sweden)

May 19, 2021

Intweview with Karl Edfeldt of Hot Breath (Sweden)

By Mick Michaels

COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Karl! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.

CV: Do you feel that it's still possible for an unknown band today to be plucked out of obscurity and make it to stardom? Can a dedicated core of fans sharing their music make that possible or has the internet and social media changed the game?
Karl Edfeldt: I do believe so. I would say the main difference between the pre and post social media outbreak is that more people get a shot at it now. Sub-cultures really seem to flourish in these times now that it’s easier for people to find communities on the internet with the same taste in music.

CV: Do you feel that given the accessibility and social awareness of modern times that a music underground still even exists today as it once did?
KE: As previously stated – social media is a great tool to reach the underground. It’s harder with venues though, especially now that COVID-19 has forced a lot of good places to close for good. The underground scene has always been dependent on enthusiasts, and I don’t think we are running out of those anytime soon.

CV: What do you see as the biggest difference in music and how it is perceived from back say 35 years ago compared to music today? Has both the music and the artist evolved from your point of view?
KE: When comparing old music to new music, people often tend to compare old awesome music to new shitty music. “Most of the music today sucks”, but let’s not forget that most of the music in ’85 sucked as well, but it’s the good tunes we remember…and the exceptionally bad ones too, I suppose!

If I narrow it down to just rock and metal, I would say that as far as “evolving” goes, I don’t think the audience is necessarily after “the next gear” in how fast or how heavy it can get. There are always more great bands and tunes out there to discover, old and new.

CV: Do you believe bands and artists who have the biggest impact on fans and other artists are aware that they are or is there more of a tunnel vision sort of process for them keeping them somewhat in the dark? Can influential artists see past their own work to be aware of the ripples they make?
KE: Maybe some do, and some don’t? I would probably be very happy to hear that Hot Breath or any other band I’ve been involved with had an impact on somebody, but it would probably be hard to digest it.

CV: Does music need to be influential to be considered worth listening to in your opinion? Or can music simply be just an enjoyable auditory experience devoid of substance?
KE: To me personally, the best musical experiences are the ones that inspire me to play or write music, or at least have me fantasizing about what it would feel like to play the thing I am listening to. But some music that I listen to and enjoy might just be something that helps me to relax or make me feel nostalgic.

CV: The world has been rocked by the COVID pandemic. The economy has been sent into a tailspin in its wake, unfortunately. Bands worldwide have been restricted with performing live and some it seems, restricted from earning a living. How has the pandemic affected your band? Are you hopeful that 2021 will see many of the restrictions lifted?
KE: The pandemic sure made us rethink our plans. We had just released our EP and were ready to head out and play. We had some tours planned and some standalone gigs at festivals that all got cancelled, so we started to write and record songs for the Rubbery Lips album. Making an album is a lot of work so it was somehow nice to get to work on it without distraction, but we really missed playing live the whole year. As for 2021, we can only cross our fingers and wait and see, hopefully some venues will open up.

CV: What do you feel artists and bands can do right now to stay relevant, especially in an environment, such as the present, where performing in front of a live audience is being restricted? What immediate options do you see available?
KE: There is nothing that can replace the live show experience. I love seeing a band that I like perform a live set. But recording, streaming live, making music videos etc. are good compliments with that, and while we cant play live, we just have to do stuff that will prepare us for when we can do that.

CV: As an artist, what have you learned from the events of 2020? Are those lessons learned different for you as a person than as an artist or are they one in the same in your opinion?
KE: To never take anything for granted, I guess. Murphy’s Law and all that…. We were luckily in a position where plan B wasn’t too bad, so I’m glad we had one.

CV: What's next for Hot Breath? What can fans expect to see coming in 2021?
KE: There’s our debut album that releases 9th April. You can expect some form of visual stuff, and hopefully gigs!

CV: Thank you again Karl for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was such a pleasure. I wish you all the best.

Check out Hot Breath at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hotbreathgbg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hot.breath/?hl=en
Webstore: https://hotbreath.bigcartel.com/?fbclid=IwAR2idy_8HCxwPsrvesba5ynJWx5KN5PNXKvjWvADWm49GxvbpdDRNOu11hU

Like The Cosmick View on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/TheCosmickView

The Cosmick Voice
Music, Talk & Nothing But Business
www.thecosmickvoice.com
www.anchor.fm/the-cosmick-voice

My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, show host, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.