Interview: Anders Wendin/Moneybrother
Does Sweden's biggest rockstar of 2005 really need an introduction? After catching the tail end of Moneybrother's soundcheck for their debut US show at the Troubadour in LA, Anders, my friend Kelly and I all sat down at the bar in the front of the club for a pleasant little Q&A session.
Avi: Now that you've had such tremendous success with a #1 record, what's changed?
Anders: Since the #1 record?
Avi: Yeah, so now that you're a big popstar, what's different?
Anders: Well, I don't know if it's that much different. In Sweden I released one record two years ago which was really successful and of course some things have been changing a bit. I'm not working on anything else, just music now, for example. That's a big change in my life.
Avi: You get to concentrate on it full time?
Anders: Yeah, you know - Sweden's such a small country that you kinda have to tour Germany and all the Scandinavian countries.
Avi: So what's the best thing about being a popstar then?
Anders: Easy chicks and uh...(laughs) the best thing for me is being able not to work in an office or work in a restaurant.
Avi: Is that what you used to do?
Anders: Yeah I've done that all my life like just taking jobs whenever to get by. Y'know, so I could make music. I don't have to do that now and that's, I mean that's the best thing.
Avi: Have any interesting offers because of it then? Like to do any funny talk shows or whatever?
Anders: Yeah, in Sweden, a lot of that.
Avi: Anything in particular that stands out?
Anders: No, it's a big difference between being like a musician in a famous band or being a famous person and people like to know everything that's not to do with music in Sweden. Yeah, they've asked me if I want to sit in juries n stuff in pop contests and I don't do that.
Avi: Like Pop Idol?
Anders: Yeah stuff like that. And I mean I would never.
Avi: So you just say no to everything?
Anders: Yeah, yeah definitely. And Pop Idol at least has to do with music, but sometimes they want me to talk about sex or whatever. Like, why should I?
Avi: Right. So what a lot of people really want to know, are you really so unlucky with relationships?
Anders: No, there's a song called "My little girl's straight from heaven" that's not unlucky at all.
Avi: So does it come experience?
Anders: Of course, but it's not like a diary. Y'know I try to make some kind of Swedish soul music. And soul music's supposed to be about heartaches and pain n' stuff. Everybody's been through stuff like that and I'm just taking that particular day when it's the worst, y'know? I took that day and wrote ten albums.
Avi: So you have a backlog of material then? Someday if you become happy, what are you gonna do?
Anders: Yeah exactly, I'll get a real job.
Avi: You'll give up if you lose the inspiration?
Anders: Yeah, of course. If I lose the inspiration. I hope I will give up. I hope I don't become like just touring around singing old songs.
Avi: So you won't change to do something different instead?
Anders: I don't know, probably yeah. Moneybrother's not necessarily about unhappy love. I could write songs about whatever. When I wrote this album I wasn't thinking about much else.
Avi: Yeah, well "To die alone" is the title.
Anders: Yeah, it's kinda obvious right there.
Avi: You've worked with a lot of various musicians and lots of guests - is there anyone in particular that you'd like to work with?
Anders: The bass player Patrick Andersson is on all the tracks and is a great musician. I would keep him even if I fired the rest of the band. He's a good musician, he really is a great singer.
Avi: Anybody that with a dream...?
Anders: If I could play with the Wailers or Bob Marley or maybe the rest of the guys, maybe around 1975 or something. I would really like to do that.
Avi: You'd have to travel back in time...
Anders: Yeah, if I have to. That's the hassle of it.
Avi: There's nobody current that you'd be interested in working with?
Anders: Goddamn, that's sad. There should be someone around... um, I could consider doing a song with like Lambchop or something. I think they're a really good band. And there's a couple more around of course. Antony and the Johnsons I really love.
Avi: So now you've achieved this level of success, where do you go next?
Anders: To the States.
Avi: That's your next mission?
Anders: Naah, all my goals in music are already fulfilled. I don't really know, I mean now I'm just the kind of artist who they point to a country and I go.
Avi: You don't take much personal interest into the business side?
Anders: Of course, I'm interested in it, but when it comes to selling records I really don't want to have to deal with that.
Avi: You want to think about the music?
Anders: Yeah, exactly. That's why I have a record label. Otherwise I'd release it myself, y'know?
Avi: Right, right.
Anders: So when it comes to like setting up business meetings, I like to attend on all of them, but y'know I um... I don't know. Sometimes I call my record company and ask them if I could release a record in Japan or something, but that kind of thing hardly ever happens. I've been working with them for the last ten years, y'know.
Avi: Do you have various meetings set up while you're in the States?
Anders: Yeah, a lot actually. I can't really understand why. Or how it happened. I've been doing a few interviews and I'm meeting a lot of record labels.
Avi: So there are definitely prospects?
Anders: Yeah, there are.
Avi: Anything you can talk about?
Anders: It's like the major record companies, the big ones. And we're doing like private showcases and stuff.
Avi: Is that like you and an acoustic guitar in some guy's office?
Anders: No, I guess it's like the whole band in a studio in front of one guy.
Avi: Huh, interesting.
Anders: Yeah, I look forward to it.
Avi: So do you have any other artists from Sweden that you think should come over to the States? Like if you got a big tour opportunity, is there anyone that you would bring over to open for support?
Anders: Well, a couple of really small bands. A band called the Hip Whips I enjoy very much. I like CDOASS.
Avi: Anyone else you'd say is worthwhile to check out?
Anders: There are a lot of good bands, but I mean there's some good bands in the States as well. I don't know if they really need that many Swedish bands at all.
Avi: Right, that makes sense.
Anders: Yeah, I like Nicolai Dunger and those guys, but he's already here right? He's already releasing some stuff.
Avi: Yeah, he just played two sold-out shows in San Francisco with Joanna Newsom.
Anders: Yeah, I like his stuff. Of course, I'm good friends with (International) Noise Conspiracy and The Hives, but they already made it here.
Avi: Anything that you're planning on doing while you're here? That you're really looking forward to?
Anders: Um, I was really looking forward to looking at the Hollywood sign today, but I've seen that already and that's about it.
Avi: Kind of a let-down, isn't it?
Anders: Yeah, it's really small. I thought it was much bigger. The thing is I don't have that much time. The plan was for three gigs, but I've already got six now and it's just insane. But I'm coming back on vacation in September and I'm going to San Francisco. I'm gonna check that out because I've never been there.
Avi: But if you did have the time, what would you want to see while you're here?
Anders: The whole country?
Avi: Everything.
Anders: Well, I'd like to see Bo Diddly if possible. Maybe Al Green's church and the Grand Canyon. Maybe Graceland.
Kelly: Graceland is hilarious, it's like the most American place you could possibly go.
Anders: Yeah, I would love to go there.
Avi: I've never been myself.
Anders: I would love that. I'm a big Elvis fan.
Kelly: It's like a time capsule. You seem to like that backwards time kind of things. It's totally up your alley.
Anders: Yeah, I would love that.
Very possibly the nicest, most humble, down-to-earth rockstar ever. The reviews don't lie: "To die alone" really is one of the best albums this year and it only gets better on repeated listens. The live show is more icing on the cake. As mentioned above, there's no US release in the works yet, but it can only be a matter of time. If there's any justice in the world, it will happen.