Interview: Dia Psalma
When the legendary Swedish punk rock band Strebers decided to call it quits after the tragic death of drummer Johnny Rydh in 1992, most people thought it do be the end of an highly influential punk rock era starting with the major breakthrough of Rågsveds' Ebba Grön. Few could have guessed that Ulke and Ztikkan would continue to play an important role in the development of the Swedish punk rock scene during the first half of the 90s. Out of the ashes of Strebers came Dia Psalma; a hybrid of furious punk rock and classic Swedish folk music. Dia Psalma created a unique sound, and together with the special voice and lyrics of Ulke, they went on to sell large quantities with the debut album "Gryningstid" (more than 100,000 copies until now) and the following "Efter allt" as the crownjewel.
But success has its price, or so they say. The wheels kept on turning and eventually everything collapsed. Exhausted and stripped of enthusiasm, what was supposed to be the best of times became something close to "just work", so Dia Psalma decided in 1996 to take some time off to recharge their batteries. What was intended to be a short break lasted for ten whole years, but they where not forgotten by their fans. Strebers did a cherished reunion tour in the beginning of the new millennium, and as a result, people started to hope for a reunion of Dia Psalma as well. Nothing happened.
Until 2006. Finally the time as right and the conditions perfect for Ulke, Stipen, Pontus and Ztikkan to once again head down to the rehearsal space and dust of the old equipment and the old songs. Shortly after they embarked on a festival tour, playing all the major festivals in Sweden. The fans were more than delighted, everywhere they went they where greeted like kings, the gig at Hultsfredsfestivalen being one of the more memorable. Now, 2007, Dia Psalma has released a new studio album, "Djupa skogen", and are on tour once again. I caught up with them in the town where I grew up, Skövde, while, very conveniently being home for my middle school ten-year reunion, to talk about the past and the present.
- Christian Stenbacke
U: Ulke
Z: Ztikkan
P: Pontus
S: Stipen
Ok, as starter, the gig at Hultsfredsfestivalen 2006. Comments?
Z: Technically... it was quite awful. Perhaps one of our worst gigs ever. But the response from the audience... What can I say? It was amazing.
Nerves?
S: I think it was combination of lots of things.
P: Yeah, we got quite surprised to say the least. This was our second show together, since we decided to start playing again, and it was like one o'clock in the afternoon, and the place was packed. I mean, people couldn't even get in in the end, they had to stand outside of the tent. That's enough to make anyone a bit shaky.
S: It was just amazing, but it also tends to get one fired up, a little bit too fired up. As a result you tend to play a little bit too energetic and intense instead of just taking it easy. But considering that we hadn't played together for a long time, ten years is quite a while come to think of it, one couldn't expect to get perfect results right away. So our own performance was a bummer, but the gig itself was something special. Definitely the best gig that summer.
Z: We where a bit surprised to see that so many people showed up. At first we didn't think that we where going to play at all, Rockparty [the people behind Hultsfredsfestivalen -ed.] decided to book us just a couple of weeks before the festival started. And hence we didn't have time to do lots promotion, you know, hanging posters and stuff, so we didn't really expect anything. That's why it came as such a big surprise.
P: We also played at Arvikafestivalen, they decided to move us to the grand stage when they realized, after the gig at Hultsfredsfestivalen, that lots of people really wanted to see us. Sure, we did get some steam up that summer, but I feel that it was during this tour this spring, in like April, that we really got things going again. We had by then written most of the material of the new album and we had had more quality time together. Those gigs where quite different from the ones last summer.
Ten years has gone since you guys where in the game for real, what's the deal now?
S: Well, Dia Psalma never broke up, we just took a really long vacation, so now we're mearly pickin it up from where we left of.
Z: We have plans. First we're going to tour on the new album, "Djupa skogen", this fall and winter.
P: The plan is to try to record another album this coming spring and then release it the coming fall, but it's only a brief sketch so to say. We're also hoping to get to play a couple of festivals as well, if they let us that is.
It must be quite a difference to release a record and go on tour ten years ago compared to the same in 2007? Can one live on music nowadays for instance?
P: We don't know yet.
Z: During those months you're out touring, you can make a living. More or less. But you can hardly tour all year around. Then we'll end up with why we had to take a break in the first place; exhaustion. The conditions has also changed here in Sweden, you can't play every Friday and Saturday, you'll have to play all over the world to do that.
P: Ten years ago we could fill the weekdays with gigs at youth centers and music communities, local organizers that could get cultural fundings and such. Today all such fundings have been withdrawn. I get kind of bitter, or angry of myself when thinking back, that I didn't make better use of the things we had going then. Because, after ten years of working shitty jobs, you realize what you really want to do in life. If I can do this, and still pay my bills, it doesn't get any better than that. Time will tell I guess.
And now you have your own record label?
P: 1994-1996 things where going great, we had a kick ass records label and everything. But things change, now, more then ten years has passed, and of course no one where ready to sign us to their label, it was too risky. So we borrowed some money, recorded a record, and formed our own record label (Kaos & Skrål Records).
Z: Then we got some distribution. If you cut one middleman, it's bound to get easier. Especially when you sell so few records nowadays, it's easier to actually make it work. So, now we've tried it, stepped on some mines and had to redo some stuff, but now we know how to do it right next time. We learn new things all the time. And it's really nice to get to call all the shots ourselves.
The reviews of "Djupa skogen" have been harsh, did you really expect anything different?
Z: To be honest, no.
S: We're always going to have to accept the comparison with the new record and "Gryningstid", its fine by us. But I get really pissed when people who don't really have a clue what we're about, who's top five all time includes Pink Floyd, Jerry Williams and Eva Dahlgren, reviews our record. Of course they won't like our record.
P: Yeah, it's usually like that, if they didn't like us before, then they won't like us now either.
Z: It's usually like, "there's no violins, where's the folk music, it doesn't sound like before...", no, I just don't get it.
P: The thing is, we where in a bit of stress, having borrowed money for the record and all. When it comes to the violins we simply didn't have time or money to hire people to come in and put down the tracks. On the other hand, it was quite a nice feeling to make a record in one piece like that, from the start to the end without any distractions. With that I'm not saying that the next album will be like this one.
Z: For the same reason we didn't have as many instruments on "Djupa skogen" as we did on "Efter allt", where we had like a million. And that affects the sound, naturally. But the folk music might be back on the next album, who knows?
Where did you get the name "Djupa skogen" from anyways?
P: It was a work title that just stuck.
U: It's a place in Strängnäs where I grew up. And Ztikkan too, or almost anyway.
S: Now it's our theme and everything. You know, trees, bushes, wild animals... and nature.
Z: What's in there?! What's in the "Deep forest"?! ["Djupa Skogen" -ed.]? (laughter)
P: But I think it's kind of rough though. Almost scary. It's not like it's all about ghouls and goblins.
Yeah, the sound of the new album is kind of rough, cold or naked one might say. Kind of metallic.
U: It almost sounds more like Strebers than Dia Psalma, both when it comes to the actual sound and the songs in general.
Z: Yeah, we did have "Kallt stål & varmt blod" [Strebers EP -ed.] as a reference. We wanted the speed and the attack.
One thing I find amazing is the regrowth of your fan base, even though you have been away for ten years. There are just as many old geezers as there's pubic kids buying your records and going to your concerts.
S: We did a show in a record store recently where you could really see just that. The little ones in front, and the old battered veterans in the back.
P: 13, 25 and the 45 year olds, in that order (laughter).
Z: We try to stay in touch with our fans, we recently launched a new website for instance, so that people feel that we're still hanging around. I try to reply to as much e-mail as I can, both on our website and on MySpace.
S: Yeah, that's really important to us, to stay in touch. We have fans who we almost have daily contact with, truly hardcore fans. They're usually even more updated on our whereabouts that we are ourselves! They can tell where we're going to play tomorrow while we ourselves don't have a clue!
Z: I think it's, well, not unique, but very rare to have such an age difference in ones fan base. I guess we have managed to create something that's appealing to lots of different people, in lots of different ages, call it something timeless.
LINK: http://www.diapsalma.net/
LINK: http://www.myspace.com/diapsalma