Scrit: I first heard Mammoth Volume back in either 1998 or 1999. And it was the audiocassette promo-single for �Seagull,� kindly included as a bonus in an ATH order I had placed. Man, was I in for a surprise. To date that�s one of my favorite tunes MV has written. Can you tell us a bit about that song?
Nicklas: �Seagull� is one of many MV songs with nonsense stream-of-conscious lyrics. You can usually read something into the lyrics anyway. It was one of the songs on our first demo tape, and it has stayed with us ever since, and it`s a great song to kick-off a show with.
Scrit: The origins of Mammoth Volume, could you say it was the brainchild of you and your brother J�rgen?
Nicklas: It started out as a loose project with me, Daniel, J�rgen, and Emir playing a couple of my songs. We didn`t think of ourselves as a proper band. We hadn`t played live as MV even after the first record had come out. We kinda felt like rock` n` roll frauds pretending to be a band on our debut album, LOL.
Scrit: Who was Emir Horozic, when did he leave the band, and why?
Nicklas: A great guy and a great drummer who played on about 50% of the songs on the first album. I had recorded the band he was in, so he did us a favor and played on a couple of tracks. He wasn`t what you`d call a core-member. He returned a favor, that`s all.
Scrit: What is the ratio of music you record in the MV home studio as opposed to a different studio? The band seems to do a fair amount of it on their own, in their own space. Can you tell us a bit about why? Is it control, finances, ease-of-use?
Nicklas: The Return of Mammoth Volume songs were all recorded in our home studios, and everything we`ve ever done is recorded on our own computers - no analog tapes I`m afraid. Single Book was mainly tracked in our rehearsal room. So Mammoth Volume has never recorded in a "real" studio, but doing it yourself gives you a lot of freedom, and as long as you`re not doing this for a living, we think this is the way to go.
Scrit: J�rgen is a big guy. How big is he?
Nicklas: He`s a mighty Viking of a singer.
Scrit: How much of the year is it snowing and freezing in Sweden? Does it drive you bonkers or merely drive you to create more music?
Nicklas: Thanks to global-warming our igloos are starting to melt a little. Kidding aside. Actually it`s about the same climate as in New York. The very north of Sweden is a different matter, we live pretty far down south though.
Scrit: There�s a certain unique poetry to your song titles; I think many here would agree. Is it one or all of you who have this flair for language?
Nicklas: Daniel likes to give his songs titles that suggest some imaginary program-music, although there`s rarely a direct link between the title and the rest of the lyrics. The fact that we`re writing in our second language might be mistaken for poetry I guess :)
Scrit: What were the details of the long break after the release of A Single Book of Songs? I know great distance ended up separating members.
Nicklas: Kalle and Daniel moved to Gothenburg to study, so there was no way to keep rehearsing as a band. I guess the last tour we did knocked the wind out of us a bit, although it was a pretty short tour.
Scrit: Speaking of that album, it really shook things up around here. Not to make you blush, but Single Book really blew everyone away, myself included. I love all your material, however that record seemed to be a corner turned. How does MV look back on that album in contrast to your others (now that it�s also been four years since its release)?
Nicklas: Without a doubt, that`s the record we invested the most time and energy in. By the time we recorded Single Book, we actually rehearsed the songs before putting them down. On the previous albums a couple of the tracks were constructed through overdubbing, and we had no idea what the end product would sound like. There`s a fine line between ambition and pretension and on Single Book, we might have unknowingly crossed that line a couple of times.
Scrit: How did MV hook up with The Music Cartel?
Nicklas: According to legend, MeteorCity recommended us to TMC. Thanks, I guess :)
Scrit: Do you plan to record the full-length follow-up to The Return of Mammoth Volume in your home studio as well? How is that process coming along? Are the members close enough together for long enough periods of time where you can really get into it?
Nicklas: The odds of the four of us being in the same room at the same time are pretty slim. But we`ve managed to create music through overdubbing in the past, and will continue to do so.
Scrit: It�s a trip watching your �Tour Diary� DVDs. But being a dumb American who can�t speak multiple languages, the conversations are all above my head. I dig your tour van though. Is MV planning on hitting the road for some further touring next year? You guys don�t venture into the central and southern parts of Europe much, do you?
Nicklas: Touring is out of the question at the moment, but the few tours we`ve done have all been in central and southern Europe. Oddly enough we never seemed to get any gigs in Sweden.
Scrit: In light of the difficulty playing consistently as MV, are you and/ or J�rgen doing any solo work or exploring playing with other musicians?
Nicklas: Yeah, both me and Daniel are working on solo-stuff, don`t know about the others though. I think Kalle is playing with different bands� and maybe Daniel too� next question! :)
Scrit: Are you going to press any more vinyl, or was Noara Dance our only shot?
Nicklas: There are no plans on releasing vinyl again, but who knows...
Scrit: There seems to be a disproportionate number of stoner-desert-psychedelic Swedish bands compared to virtually anywhere else. What�s your theory?
Nicklas: Hey, gimme a break, bro! I don`t know, sorry...
Scrit: What is it with the Norwegians and their Black Metal? I`m told it has everything to do with it being dark out 22 hours of the day during winter. Surely there are other places in the world like that though, who DON`T turn out church-torching grimsters. Only if you have an opinion on it...
Nicklas: Yes, that`s strange. I think it`s the same in Sweden (don`t know if we have people pushing over tombstones though). There`s a lot of death, black, dark, evil, AND smelly metal bands in rehearsal rooms around the country. Why you ask? I haven`t got a clue, man. Damn tough questions, mate! :)
Scrit: Who would you ideally love for Mammoth Volume to play a show with?
Nicklas: Tough one, man! There are so many great bands out there, for me it probably would be Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Pantera, Metallica (pre Black Album), R.A.T.M, S.O.A.D, or something. But I think Black Sabbath is our favorite �showmates."
Nicklas: Thanks so much for your time with us, Nicklas.
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