Shout Out Louds

Shout Out Louds

-Hi Shout Out Louds! Let's start with the name of the band, why did you choose this pseudonym?

 That's way too personal, next question!

-Why do you make music and what does it mean for you?

It changed our lifes, we grew up with this band. My entire adult life, the past 12 years. 

Don't know where I'd be without it. I love music.

-A new album ("Optica") is about to be released, is there a link between it and you last one ("Work")? 

Well, they contradict eachother. 

Work was very much a black and white album. 

OPTICA is all about colour and light.

-Many reviewers talk about "Work" as a turning point for your sound, but I think it's more a return to the roots. What do you think about it?

Yes, you're right. WORK is about the five of us playing together, taking away everything else. 

Us, rediscovering the foundations of the band. 

-If it was up to you, how would you define your sound?

Melodic, melancholic and mostly up-beat.

-Talking about the compositions of your songs: how and where they born? Do you have a favorite one?

Blue Ice

Usually Me and Adam create music bits and pieces together and then later, present them to the the band and everybody adds on their part.

-You have recently released the single "Blue Ice": a record actually made of ice. Wanna talk us about this initiative?

I go iceskating with my dad during winter. Here's a link http://player.vimeo.com/video/20338520

and so we have a special relation to ice. The idea of listening to frozen water felt too exciting to miss out on.

-What genres and artists influenced your music the most?

Influences comes from various places, art/music/photography/everyday life etc. I'm gonna name a few so here we go: Guy Bourdain, Yo la Tengo, Sebastien Tellier, Sophie Calle.

-You come from Stockholm, Sweden. What do you think about the music coming from your country and how how do you see yourself in relation to them?

I think Stockholm has a good scene. Many great acts in various genres, always pushing things forward.

-What's your favorite artist and song?

Suicide – Dream Baby Dream

-I have to tell you, your song "Very Loud" is one of my favorites of all time. What's the story behind it?

Escapism. Dreams. And the power of creating something together.

-Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowadays and who are you listening to the most?

Shout Out Louds

Kindness, Forest, Taken by Trees.

-How much does the live element matter in your music? You have toured with awesome artists such as Strokes, Kings of Leon, The Magic Numbers etc.. Wanna talk us about this experiences?

Playing live is sucha fantastic medium. It's all taking place there and then. 

It's a fragile but important part of being a band.

-A new tour is about to start: there is one place in particular that you can not wait to reach?

Paris. Lots of friends there.

-If you could pick an artist or a band to play with on a stage, who would you choose?

The artist James Turrell, he does wonders with light & colour.

His work would make any show magic - for any band.

-What do you think about the music industry nowadays? Wanna talk us about your experience with the labels? And what would you say to all the young bands looking for a record deal?

"Optica" cover

Call me.

-What is the message that you'd like to express to the people who listen to your music and what would you like to say to your fans?

Explore all things.

-What is your favorite book and movie?

I saw the film Amour not too long ago. I liked it lots.

-How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Cycling Mont Ventoux with Yves Montand in my headphones.

-Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The Beatles

Killerball

Killerball

Who are you?

Killerball. The Swedish band that play anywhere, anytime, and always make the most of it! We play rock clubs, arenas, livingrooms, parties, streets, squares, fountains, towers, mountains. You name it! :)

Why do you make Music and what does it mean for you?

It's a way to put down your creativity on paper. To create some kind of discussion, interaction, feelings and emotions for the listener. But sometimes (most of the times) you write something that you, in the end, only keep to yourself, or throw in the garbage bin. And some songs you want to share with others, and then you record those songs and play them live. Sometimes songwriting actually feels like a strange kind of compulsive behavior too...

It's fun to write songs. It's like when you painted pictures when you were a child. It felt like you did something meaningful and good, and you could use your imagination and create what ever you wanted. It's kind of the same thing.

What's your favourite artist and song?

Wow. That's too hard to answer! We'll get back to you in 50 years. But for now, let's say: Eros Ramazzotti - Quanto Amore Sei

What genres and artists did influence your music?

Bluegrass/Folk/Americana/Blues/Rock'n'Roll/Grunge/Indie/Pop/Garage/Funk/Hardrock/Pop. A big mashup of every genre that contains good songs (which probably is every genre in the world. Except Eurodisco! Haha)

We've seen that you often play acoustic version of your songs (such as "I can't find it"). Can we talk of two different souls of killerball? An electric one and an acoustic one?

Killerball on Spotify

Yes that's true! We played rock clubs for many years, we are very influented by the 90s rock scene, and it is so much fun to headbang and ROCK OUT in the rehearsal studio, but after we'd recorded our first EP, we wanted to go on a tour through Europe. We were very late on booking gigs, and all the venues in Europe were full booked, so we decided to take our acoustic guitars, and a box for the poor drummer. And taught ourselves how to sing in harmonies. Then we packed our car and did a European tour without any booked concert, but only on the streets. We sold out on all of our CDs and could pay for the whole trip only by playing! Yeah!

Talking about "i can't find it", we've seen on youtube an awesome video taken in Salinas, Spain in which you play that song for an Old couple: do you remember that episode?

Yes that was at the last destination of our EU-tour, and we lived in a house with some friends from Sweden who were visiting. One of them is a good journalist and photographer, and he talked us in to do a "random-spontaneous-surprise-walk-straigh-into-unknown-peoples-house-music-video" and so we did, and that video is the result of that. We had never met the old couple before, so it was as amazing to us as it is for the people who watches the clip!

How much the live element matters in your Music?

Very much. We record everything live. We want everything to sound like it's actually played. No Macbooks and overproduced effects. Just good and true. If it sounds good on the street or in our livingroom, it's gonna sound good everywhere! 

What do you think about Music industry nowdays?

It's very different from a couple of years ago when people actually bought CDs in the record stores. Now the possibilities are million times bigger to reach many people, but the competition from other bands is also a million times bigger!

You have to find a smart way to reach out to people. And to reach out to the music business. 

Jonathan, our drummer, started for instance studying music business to learn how the music business really works from the inside. And to get a good network. That has really helped Killerball to slowly get the big wheels to start turning in the pursuit of a ROCK STAR LIFE! ;)

Also the street shows are very appreciated and helps Killerball to grow a steady fan base.

What is the message that you'd like to express at the people Who listen to your Music?

Killerball web-site

If a song is good, it will be good in every clothing. We have chosen to un-mask the music and play it / perform it in a simple way. But with a lot of heart and soulful vibe. 

Who do you think are the most relevant musicians nowdays? We've seen you covered some artists such as Mumford &Sons and The Black Keys..

We love Mumford and Sons and The Black Keys. They seem to do music that they like themselves. And they write very good songs without focusing on being too over inventive, and weird. Just keeping it pretty simple and down to earth. We like that. But still: they are DAMN GOOD musicians. But as we said earlier: we like A LOT of bands! From all genres. And from all times.

What is your favourite book and movie?

The only things we read are the subtitles on the only movies we watch - "Rockumentaries".

How and where do you see yourself in ten years from now?

Still hanging out, and writing as good music as we can! And hopefully we have some people that like what we do and pay to listen to it, so we can pay our rents from that.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

The Rolling Beatles. Of course!