Interview with Guitarist & Voclaist John Hermansen of Mother Misery (Sweden)
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, John! Welcome to The Cosmick
View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's
greatly appreciated.
John Hermansen: Hey Mick! Thanks and thank
YOU for having us.
CV: Do you feel Heavy Metal
music in general is viewed differently by fans in Europe compared to fans
elsewhere, especially in America, and if so why?
JH: Hmmm, I haven’t really thought about that
until now ha,ha. My answer would be no since it’s nothing we have reflected on
earlier. But I will think about it from now on.
CV: What do you feel makes Heavy
Metal music so alluring to the fans? What is it about the music that
personally resonates so strongly with you?
JH: Mainly when there a good and strong
melodies in the songs, it can also be a cool riff or blasting drums that gets
me. I have albums that I will never stop listening to due to the good quality
in the songwriting. I can also get caught on a band or a song when there is a
good heavy production, even if I’m not into the band too much.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too
many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making it harder for newer bands to
actually classify themselves as one style over another? Is it confusing
for fans as well?
JH: Yeah I personally think so and I have no
idea how many genres there are today and I certainly cannot name them. We have
problems describing our own sound when people ask, we call it ”Supersonic Rock”
ha. ha.
CV: How would you describe the
current state of the music business considering we are now living in a post-COVID
society, and maybe even feared world? Have things drastically changed long-term
for artists and bands given the recent pandemic? What are your thoughts?
JH: Well during COVID there were no shows etc
and bands and crews living on touring had a really hard time, maybe those
bigger acts have another way of thinking today, to be more prepared if that
situation would return and be able to handle it better. I think for us COVID
came as a break where we could focus on getting the new album done, without
stress. At this point, we don’t reflect to much on COVID shows are being booked
and venues are fully opened.
CV: What do you feel makes your
band and its particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps the band
together and making music?
JH: I think mainly it’s because we have an
open mind to each other’s thoughts and ideas and we always try out to see if
they work or not. We are also good friends since long and we know each other’s
way of thinking and performing. Now we have our new guitar player Emil Ström in
the band and he will contribute with his ideas and thought when we start
writing for the next album. It will be interesting to see were that takes us.
CV: On a more global view, how do
you see your band’s music and songwriting separating itself from just being
another Heavy Metal act?
JH: I don’t think that we have anything
completely uniquely, never heard before except that we maybe have a slightly
unique mix of styles that creates the ”Mother Misery Sound”. We also write the
songs in a certain way that maybe makes them detectable as MM songs with our ”fingerprint”.
CV: Can an artist truly be
unique? Some would argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s
nothing more than a compounding of influences making an artist who or what they
are. Would this then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of
those who have already come to pass?
JH: Hm, I think some are unique due to having
a singer with a specific voice that no one can copy, like Ozzy or Lemmy etc. Or
if they have a specific way to write music that makes them unique, like Iron
Maiden and Ghost.
CV: Are there life lessons to
learn being in a Heavy Metal band that you feel cannot be taught elsewhere? If
so, what are they?
JH: Ha ha, I
don’t know..Maybe
how to handle disappointments after beeing rejected all the time from labels,
festivals, magazines etc. To keep going and never give up. To get stubborn.
CV: What do you feel makes
someone a “rock star”? Does being a rock star automatically make one
iconic or are the two completely different in your opinion?
JH: A rockstar for me is someone who goes
their own way doing what they believe in. Not giving up whatever people think
or say. Either a non celebrity or a famous icon that started from nothing.
CV: What's next for you? What can
fans expect to see coming as the world looks to surmount a new normal laced
with a load of restrictions?
JH: At this point we are focusing on the new
album From Shadow To Ghost and the fantastic vinyl release on it from Doc Gator
Records. We are also booking shows ahead, mainly Sweden but there will be some
European shows further ahead. We are also planning a new video but we have no
date for that yet. At this moment we are not to affected by the restricted
situations around us and we can only hope things will settle down before
getting worse.
CV: Thank you again John for spending some time talking and
sharing with our readers. It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and
continued success.
JH: Well thank you
Mick, it was a pleasure for me too. Great questions and cheers to all the
readers. Take care and stay Metal!
Check out Mother
Misery at:
Official: https://mothermisery.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MotherMisery/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mothermisery/
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