Fresh off the release of their debut EP, Death To False Zamrock, Julian & Micael from Malmö, Sweden’s Fat Brain take time out to give some thought to 25 Questions from the Editor’s Desk of Rock N Roll Fashionistas. Enjoy!
Question 1: CDs, Vinyl or Download?
J: Since vinyls got hot again in like 2010 that’s been my main source of purchased music.
M: Vinyl for listening to full albums, otherwise download.
Question 2: First album you ever bought (regardless of format)
J: Pretty sure it was The Hellacopters – Supershitty to the Max!
M: Absolute Rock Classics, like a greatest hits compilation of all the greats.
Question 3: Most recent album you bought?
J: I bought “Get the Knack” by The Knack two weeks ago. Doug Fieger looked like Lionel Messi during that era and I find that very funny.
M: David Crosby – If I Could Only Remember My Name
Question 4: How did it come about that you first started playing music?
J: My dad is a great player and he taught me some chords and scales when I was maybe 6-7 years. At age 9 or 10 I discovered Sex Pistols and Ramones and shortly after some Swedish bands that made me interested in music.
M: My dad is a musician and so it was naturally implemented in my everyday-life. Why I chose the drums specifically, I can’t recall and neither can my dad.
Question 5: First song you ever played?
J: Can’t remember but I think maybe “Blitzkrieg Bop” by Ramones?
M: The first song I remember performing live at my public music school was “School’s out” by Alice Cooper.
Question 6: Do you ever perform cover songs and if you do what is your favourite to play?
Fat Brain is still live show virgins but that will change soon. There will probably be covers, something playable for a 2-man band.
Question 7: Do you both play all the instruments on your recordings? If not, who are you collaborating with and what do they play?
It’s only us, two brains and four arms.
Question 8: How did it come about that the two of you began collaborating together?
J: I’d been recording demos on my computer for some years but didn’t find the time and motivation to do something with it. I was at a New Years party and saw Micael, he looked badass and I was 100% sure he played the drums before we even said hi.
M: It was coincidental, we met at an New Years after party and started discussing music. Julian had a few songs he wanted to record, and here we are!
Question 9: Tell us a bit about your experiences being part of Sweden’s independent music scene.
J: Fat Brain is still very young, a rock n roll fetus. We have been in some other bands and projects before and Micael still is. But I would say it depends where you live. Stockholm is a bit tricky but Malmö, Gothenburg and Örebro still have the DIY mentality. It’s very convenient to play in a band in Sweden and especially in Malmö.
M: If you’re into music it’s often encouraged, and the access to rehearsal rooms, equipment and such has historically been funded by the government or at least subsidized. At least until recent years where a more rigid, right wing controlled government has reduced cultural funds and supports which is a sad development. The independent music scene is still very much alive though, and musicians are generally very competent and supportive of each other since Sweden isn’t that big of a country. But reaching out to bigger audiences is difficult for the same reason, not a lot of people live here lol.
Question 10: What is your favourite era of music and why?
M: Probably late 60’s – early 70’s because of the playfulness combined with competent musicianship. Bands like The Beach Boys, The Beatles and perhaps more out there acts like Frank Zappa really pushed the boundaries of how music could be composed and played, and were also allowed the means to do so. It’s an exciting era for music!
J: The Zamrock genre from the late 60’s to early 70’s has been a favourite for years. The 1970’s punk scene with bands like Adicts, Ramones, Germs and the Buzzcocks is also important to me. Nowadays I’ve been listening to a lot of Egg Punk with bands like Prison Affair, Snõõper, C.C.T.V and The Gobs. Punk rock is doing better than ever.
Question 11: When you’re writing songs, is it music or lyrics first?
J: Mostly just a guitar riff and then lyrics added on, but sometimes the other way around.
Question 12: How did you learn to write songs?
J: I wouldn’t say I know that. Wouldn’t blame it on luck but some decent ideas just enters my head every six months, then I gotta be quick as f*ck to record that idea. Then it’s followed by another 6 months of doing nothing musically.
Question 13: Velvet Underground, Beatles or Kinks?
J: Kinks
M: Beatles
Question 14: What are your thoughts regarding music streaming?
M: It’s a good thing and a bad thing. More independent bands get the opportunity to release their music on public platforms and it’s easy to spread it online. The bad thing is that the quantity of music on streaming platforms is so vast that it’s hard to stand out and make a noise. Also there’s the money problem of course, there really is no money in streaming for independent bands.
J: Without streaming no one would listen to us. But of course paying the artists 0,005 cent per stream while Daniel Ek is worth 10 billion USD is bananas. But that’s the definition of capitalism.
Question 15: iTunes, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Amazon or Spotify and why?
M: Spotify unfortunately, I think mostly out of habit.
J: Bandcamp. I’ve found a lot of good bands there over the years and I like the “community vibe” more. Brings back memories to the old Myspace days. But I also use Spotify daily.
Question 16: Do you feel a presence on Social Media is vital for your music to be heard?
M: Yes. It’s still the quickest and easiest way to reach out, a lot of people discover new music through social media, myself included.
Question 17: Social Media platform of choice and why?
J: Instagram, I follow a lot of cute dogs. But I miss the great memes from 2016.
M: Probably TikTok. It’s mostly brain rot, but sometimes the rot is really, really funny. I also find some good music on there from time to time, that I probably wouldn’t find on other platforms, since the algorithm is a bit more randomized.
Question 18: Does YouTube play a key role in getting your music heard?
M: No, at least not yet.
Question 19: What is the most beneficial platform for you to sell and distribute your music on: Bandcamp, Official Website, Record Company’s Website, iTunes, Spotify or other?
J: I would say no one at this early stage, starting a band is always gonna send you backwards financially. But selling our vinyl on Bandcamp, Big Cartel and in record stores helps reduce the loss a bit.
M: Still too early to tell.
Question 20: What is your biggest aspiration in music? What is it that you hope to achieve?
J: Our first mission was to release this EP. Next one would be playing some energetic shows and release more music.
M: My biggest aspiration is, in its most basic form, to make other people feel something. It may be a cliché, but having the opportunity to bring even just a little bit of joy to somebody’s night out, and make them feel something when watching/listening to me/us perform – that’s what it’s all about. When I’m on stage I want to give, and if the crowd responds and it also happens to be in a positive way, then I’ve achieved everything I set out to achieve. That, and of course playing lots of gigs and drink lots of beers.
Question 21: What are your thoughts on the relevancy of Billboards Top 200 Albums chart?
J: I have no thoughts about that to be honest.
M: No thoughts since it’s not relevant to me, and not to anyone I know either haha!
Question 22: Favourite latest music discovery?
J: Thee Deluxe from Virginia, classic lo-fi rock with a touch of Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees.
M: Habibi Funk Records! A reissue record label based in Berlin, dedicated to music from the Arab world, everything from Libyan reggae, soundtrack music from Algeria, Egyptian jazz and the like. Their official Spotify-profile has a lot of good playlists with a lot of great finds.
Question 23: Do you have any upcoming gigs, a tour or release party planned for your new EP?
M: A few gigs still waiting to be confirmed, since we’ve just started getting this thing on the road. Possibly an upcoming gig in Scotland if all goes well, and also a birthday/release party gig in April, at one of Malmös most local basement-scenes, located in a pizzeria.
Question 24: What is your dream concert to attend? Regardless if the band is still together or if the artist is still living, who would you like to see most and in what period of their career?
J: We Intend To Cause Havoc somewhere in Zambia 1973.
M: I’d have to go with Joe Cockers performance at Woodstock ’69. There’s something about the raw energy in Cockers voice, combined with Beatles’ lyrics in With A Little Help From My Friends that reflect the zeitgeist of the flower power/hippie-movement in a very, very beautiful way. In regards to the values, kindness and the general community.
Question 25: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
M: Thanks for listening to independent artists!
J: No war but class war!
/Julian & Micael