JB (Grand Magus)

Sojo, 06/16/2004

Even though his performance later that night suggested he’s a combative, blood-lusting warrior, singer/guitarist JB (who’s also in The Spiritual Beggars) proved to be an approachable guy in reality. Even though he was already fed up with the sheer boredom of life on the road, I managed to have a short talk with him at the beginning of the night:

Have you been touring for a while now, or is it also for you the first gig of a series?

This is the second gig, the first one was yesterday in London.

Will the package stay the same each night?

Yeah, yeah.

So you’re gonna play with Monster Magnet tomorrow?

Yeah.

How long will the tour take?

Well, uh, the last gig is on the 15th of July and tomorrow’s just a one-off, the other days it’s Orange Goblin, Witchcraft and us.

Still a lot though, thirty gigs in a month. Is that a normal scheme for you guys?

The last tour we did was exactly the same, that was two years ago and also with Orange Goblin. I think we did 28 gigs in 29 days or something like that. So yeah…

How do you prepare for something like that?

Well, I think it went very well, even though it’s hard work … and a lot of fun as well, of course.

You also play in another band, the Spiritual Beggars, what are they doing for the moment?

At the moment … you know the guitar player Michael Amott is in a band called Arch Enemy and they’re touring at the moment.

Are the Beggars planning to do another album in the near future?

Yeah, there’s gonna be another Spiritual Beggars album…

About Monument, the latest Grand Magus album. What was so striking about it, was that it was so different from the debut album. Much heavier, with longer and slower songs… is there an explanation for that?

Yeah, you know, I think you learn a lot. When we played live it seemed that everyone thought we were much heavier live than on record, so we just wanted to capture that. I think the next album’s gonna be different still, you know, it’s gonna be some other thing, so it’s not gonna sound like Monument.

I thought that not only the sound was different, but that the songs were also much more accessible. How did that change so suddenly?

Well, we change in the way we think and the way we feel. We just wanna do different stuff, you know, do different kinds of music… You wanna do something different, I don’t wanna do the same album twice.

Are there any bands you like that people wouldn’t expect you to be a fan of?

No, not really, I mostly listen to metal. Nowadays, mostly black metal actually, Norwegian bands like Darkthrone, Immortal and Mayhem, stuff like that.

Is that kind of stuff still so popular in Scandinavia?

Yeah.

Is that also a scene where you fit in if you wanna play live?

Yeah, actually we do, because we got kind of the same approach, it’s just that the music is slower, you know. But you know, when it comes to lyrics and the thought behind it, I think it’s quite similar.

Are there any recurring favorite themes, or is there a philosophy behind your lyrics?

Absolutely, every one of them, but the thing is that I don’t wanna explain it. There is a definite meaning in every song and they all have a common thread and I want people to discover that for themselves, like I did with the bands that I liked when I grew up. I always liked bands with a bit of mystery.

Now I suddenly don’t remember if Monument had a lyrics sheet.

Yes it did, but it was very hard to read (laughs).

Some Gothic font?

Yeah, it was a bit fucked up, but it makes it even more difficult to find out what we’re talking about, but there is a definite message and a definite red thread behind it. People wrote us, and say “I’ve just figured it out”…

…what it is about

Yeah, and they were so pleased with that, just like I was pleased when I realized “Oh, NOW I know!”

Did they come up with ideas that you maybe even hadn’t intended to put in there?

Yeah, sometimes, but that’s OK, as long as people think for themselves.

How has the reception been for Monument the past half year?

It’s been fantastic.

Also in Scandinavia?

Yeah, surprisingly enough, because the first time we were getting the praise only from the rest of Europe. But this time, we got a lot of attention, so…

Yeah, all the sites – even including American ones like AMG - and zines seem to talk about Monument in terms of ‘progression.’ Have you ever played in the US?

No.

Would you like to?

Yeah, of course, but it’s very difficult if you’re a band of our level. It’s extremely… it costs a lot of money and it’s tough work. Like Orange Goblin, I think they’ve been touring the States, I think three times, and to sleep in the van and drive like 14-15 hours every fuckin’ day for, like, five weeks and go to gigs where the people who arrange it, say “Who are you?”

Yeah I read some of their online diary stuff from the previous tour. It’s surreal.

Yeah, you know, so I’m not really sure it’s something I wanna do at this point. If we get bigger and have more money, sure.

Already encountered scenarios like that yourself?

Yeah, of course, and you have to be careful not to do stuff that would break up the band. There’s the three of us, and that means we have to agree on everything. If things get too fucked up, it might break up the band, so it’s better to tour in Europe and do it properly.

Are there already specific plans for a new direction or album?

Yeah, we’ve written stuff for the next album; which is gonna be a lot different. Faster and more aggressive.

More of a return to “metal”?

Yeah, even more metal than Monument.

What about tonight? Are you gonna try out new stuff or focus on the albums?

We’re gonna play songs from both albums, 50/50.

Are you a band that allows for jamming or do you work with a steady set list?

We’re not a jamming-type of band, we just play the songs the way we recorded them.

But louder and heavier…

Exactly.

Now, when you release a new album as a Scandinavian band, how does it go exactly? You’re on Rise Above Records, right?

Yeah, the thing is, we’re on a British label – the same label as Orange Goblin and Witchcraft – so this is like a Rise Above-tour.

Do they have enough funds to give you some promotion and get you some gigs?

Yeah, you know, they put together this entire tour, so I guess it’s working out pretty well.

Ok, thanks a lot.

Sure, thanks.