Hi
Exploders, are you ready for a questions & answers
round with four cool Scandinavian rockers? Percy Mejhagen
(voice and guitars), Robert Monegrim (guitars), Anders
Sevebo (bass) and Robin Lagerqvist (drums), are ready
to conquer us from their frozen Sweden. We couldn't
help it anyway, considering such a monicker! Ladies
and gentlemen, here you are CellOut!
Hi guys, we're very pleased to
have you here on The Rock Explosion to ask something
about you. How and when did you meet and decide to form
the band? Tell us about your previous musical experiences:
if i'm not wrong Anders was part of BackDraft.
Percy: I played in a Foo
Fighters influenced band called The Shopliftingangels.
We played live on a radio show and Robert heard it and
contacted me and asked if i would be interested in helping
him out on a few tracks. Of course I was, cause the
music was banging! We found Anders through an ad and
the same with Robin.
Anders: That´s right,
I was in the first lineup of Backdraft (at that time
named Morningwood). That was me on bass, Trizze on drums,
Jonas on vocals, Rob and Snejken on guitars. I left
the band when the musical direction was going from Sabbath
kind of music to southern rock, southern rock and big
beards wasn´t really my thing (laughs). We are
still great friends, Infact Trizze and I are neighburs.
It´s kind of sad that Jonas is no longer in the
band because I thought he really was a big part of the
Backdraft sound. The new stuff with Greg doesn´t
sound that great.
Why did you choose CellOut as
name of the band?
Percy: Well, the band name
is an important thing and I came up with that name while
boozing with some friends. Selling out is the worst
thing a band can do and to spell it with a "C"
makes it a lille more exciting! (Laughs)
I listened to your self titled
EP and I thought that your sound is a mix between different
metal styles with a good melodic attitude. In general,
which bands of the past did influence you deeply, since
the beginning of your career? Use your words to describe
CellOut sound.
Percy: I´m very influenced
by Deftones, you may not always hear it in my songs
but I´ll try to have different or weird chord
changes every now and then just to make the songs a
little more interesting..
Anders: I don´t really
write songs but bands that had influenced me and my
playing are to many to mention but I give you a couple
of bassplayers that I really like, Mike Starr (Alice
In Chains), Hal Patino (King Diamond), Nikki Sixx (Crue,
for attitude and beeing the ultimate rockstar)
Let's start a track by track
about your 4 tracks EP. Describe your sound and content
lyrics and songwriting approach to our readers.
Percy: I usually sit at
home with my guitar and a shitty taperecorder and tape
riffs and glue them together. Then I bring the song
to Robert and we sit down and record it digitaly on
his computer. Everything is live except the drums which
are programed. "Superstar" is our first promo,
so we knew that we wanted a aggresive yet catchy vibe
to it. To us the chorus is the most importand thing
in the song and it is very importand that it sticks,
you know. Just whats right was basicly a full throttle
kick ass song, and is nothing more, really! (laughs).
"The Dirt Inside" is more of a melody based
song, there is really no riff just cool chord changes
and a totally awesome chorus. "So Damn Real"
is our show closer, our fans love it and eventhough
it is one of our oldest songs it is still kicking and
fun to play. The closing song is a cool sounding tune
and eventhough people say it's a ballad I would call
it a metal tune draped in roses (laughs).
Who's in your opinion the superstar
prototype for excellence? I want to know the reason
why.
Anders: Ehh, We are! (laughs)
Which are your plans for the
next future, do you want to give to us some anticipations?
Did you receive some proposals from some labels?
Anders: We would love to
get a support slot on a tour but it´s hard for
an unsigned band. Some things are infact in the works
but I can´t tell you right now because it´s
not 100% sure so keep your fingers crossed. Yes we have
been offered some proposals from record companies but
we have turned them down because it didn´t feel
like the right labels. We still looking for the right
label that belive in us and want´s to give the
band the support we need.
Now I want to know something
about your gigs. In your opinion, which is the best
and the worst concerts in your career? Can you tell
us something about them?
Anders: Remember that CellOut
has only existed less than a year as a band so there
isn´t that many shows been done, that is there
are not so many stories. But a highlight was when we
played a club here in Stockholm on a Wednesday night.
We didn´t expect anyone to show up but when we
hit the stage the club was sold out, that was cool as
fuck.
What do you usually do before
going on stage? Do you have any particular usage or
kind of spell against bad luck?
Anders: Nothing special
like sacrifice a goat or anything like that. Just boring
stuff like tuneing guitars and getting prepared for
the show plus going to the toilet...
Which have been the the happiest
and the saddest moments since the beginning of your
music career? Never thought to give up?
Anders: Happiest, joining
this band, this band fits me like a glove. Lowpoint,
the band I was in before CellOut. Not musicwise or memberwise,
just a very sad story that happened outside of the band
that involded members in the band. I´m not going
into what happened here, but the whole story is very
sad.
I really was thinking of giving up music after that
band but I´m relly happy I didn´t, CellOut
saved me from retirement (smiles).
Which bands are you listening
to recently? There's some cool Swedish band that you
want mention to our readers?
Anders: I really listen
alot to radio and can´t really say there is any
specific bands that I´m listening to. I can give
you a couple of my favorites at the moment, Slipknot,
Papa Roach, Alice In Chains & Queensryche. Swedish
bands worth checking out: Entombed, The Haunted, Misery
Loves Co., Hellfuled. Demo bands: Source Of Ignition,
AMP, Subcyde etc. Like you said there are quite a few
great swedish band out there.
What do you think about the following
old bands reunions:
Twisted Sister:
Anders: I don´t really
know what to say about that, the people that I know
that have seen them say it sucks. And why re-record
"Stay Hungry"? I guess this reunion sucks.
Judas Priest with Rob Halford:
Anders: Great, I have waited
for this for a loong time, Ripper did a great job but
it wasn´t Priest without Rob!
Iggy Pop with The Stooges:
Anders: Don´t listen
to them so...
Iron Maiden with Bruce Dickinson:
Anders: Blaze Bailey was
a joke and still is. Maiden are, Bruce, Steve, Dave,
Adrian & Nico. Btw, kick Janick out of the band
now!
and obiouvsly... Duran Duran (laughs):
Anders: Great band (laughs)
Choose between these 2 options:
Making music for passion gaining
money or making music for money and fame:
Anders: Passion what else?
If you make some money that's great.
Taking back the Holy Metal Flames
just for passion or just for money (maybe I'm thinking
to Manowar...):
Anders: Manowar is a joke,
aren´t they?
Metal can be a trend or when Metal
becomes a trend it isn't Metal:
Anders: Who sets the trends?
MTV? They don´t even play metal (sobs)
Testament or Slayer:
Anders: Slipknot
Alex Skolnik or Marty Friedman:
Anders: Marty Friedman
Metal pro Bush or Metal against
Bush:
Anders: Doesn´t have
to be metal, all artists against Bush are good.
Fave top five albums, fave books,
fave movies and fav pornstar!
Anders: My top five album
changes all the time, so I'll write down what I listen
to now: Alice In Chains with "Dirt" and "Facelift";
Slipknot with "Iowa", Papa Roach with "Getting
Away With Murder" and Meshuggah with "Destroy
Erase Improve". Concerning books: I have to say
I don´t usually read books, so that one is hard,
I give you three ok? So: "The Dirt" (Motley
Crue Biography); I Don´t Lie About Rock´n
Roll (by former EMA Telstar, a swedish concert promotor
and worker Tommy Ahlén about his work as a promotor.
And finally "The Shawshank Redemption". Fav
movies are "American Pie" 1 and 2, "Memento",
"The Bourne Identity" and "Spinal Tap"
(the movie). The hottest pornstars for me are: Hannah
Harper, Angelica Bella, Tori Welles (back in the days),
Jenna Jameson and Catalina Cruz.
What do you think about internet,
exchanging of mp3 songs and the webzines? Are you pro
or against them?
Anders: That´s a
really hard question, personally I don´t download
music but that just because I suck at computers (laughs).
Seriously, I think it´s wounderful for unsigned
bands to promote their own bands on internet but when
you get signed you got to get payed somehow. Touring
costs alot of money and you got a very small procent
from the recordsales and it´s impossible to have
a normal work on the side because the band takes alot
of time. You gotta pay the bills somehow, so it´s
a really hard question. I love webzines, they are usually
done by harcore musicfans and they are great for unsigned
& signed bands, so I give the webzines both thumbs
up!
What is the craziest thing ever
done in your life?
Anders: I really don´t
know, hmmm, that´s a hard question!
Which is the greatest dream you
would like to realize in your career?
Anders: To play the Olymic
Stadium in Stockholm with CellOut.
Ok guys, the interview is over.
Thanx for the cooperation and I give you permissions
to write everything you want!
Anders: Thanks Bruno &
The Rock Explosion for your interest in our band and
to everyone reading this and supporting us, you guys
means alot to us. Please check our website (www.celloutonline.com)
for news and other CellOut info. While you're there
please sign our guestbook and download some songs and
buy a t-shirt!
Intervista realizzata da Bruno
Rossi
Traduzione di Kendy K. from SNAKEBITE
Margherita
Realmonte
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