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Interview with
ANDERS FRIDEN
from
IN FLAMES

(25th October 2023)

Interview with Shaquira Hobbs and Dave Bruce

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Photos from Knotfest Australia by @outsiders.journal

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Dave – Hello Anders.
Anders – Hi.

Dave – My name’s Dave. This is Shaquira. We plan on asking some searching questions and get you through this thing relatively unscathed.
Anders – I’m ready.

Shaquira – All right. So you have some exciting news and upcoming tour. Can you share some details about it?
Anders – Yeah. I mean, I’m really happy with Kreator coming down there. I mean, first being together with Kreator is a dream line up to me because that’s a band that had a huge inspiration on the young version of me. I still really admire them. And they’re a great band. We obviously meet them here and there on the festival circuit. But we haven’t toured together since, what, like 1997 or something. So it’s very cool.

Shaquira – That’s a long time. Yeah. 
Anders – Yeah. So it’s awesome. And, you know, usually we come to Australia, if we’re lucky, once in a touring cycle, but this time we just been there in March. So I’m happy to be back within a year, so to speak. So can’t wait. It’s going to be a good night for sure. Good music. Good people.

Shaquira – How does it differ from home?
Anders – At that time when we’re in Australia, it’s snowing and it’s very cold in Sweden. So we’re more than happy to leave and enjoy the summer.

Shaquira – And touring is a massive part of your career. What do you enjoy most about on the road and performing live?
Anders – I mean, I love being on stage. That’s why we do this. I mean, otherwise I could be here in my house just throwing out music. I love being out there, meeting the fans and having shared that experience. But offstage, I like to go out and just enjoy wherever I am. Just taste the cuisine, eat food and taste drinks and go to vinyl stores and just enjoy myself. I know this is my job, but I try to use it as some sort of vacation in a way, which is awesome. If it wasn’t for this job, I would not be in these parts of the world. So I’m very lucky.

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Photos from Knotfest Australia by @outsiders.journal

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Dave – Did you take a break through COVID?
Anders – I mean, it was a forced break. So, yeah, I had to. I stayed home here, did music, built a studio and I was just missing everyone. But the good things that came out of COVID was that we could take a step back and look at ourselves and all that missed opportunities, all that anger and the frustration of not being part of this got into the new album. So, I mean, I was lucky that my family and people that I know, no one got hurt, really. I mean, people got sick, but not bad. So I was lucky, more lucky than a lot of other people. So, but yeah.

Dave – Was it bad there then?
Anders – For sure. Yeah. Yeah. Not as bad as some other countries. We were not in this heavy lockdown as some. We could still move around a little bit, but there were restrictions for sure. And I mean, you didn’t really want to mingle either because you knew what was around.

Shaquira – And is there anywhere that you’re excited to visit when you come to Australia?
Anders – I mean, just in general, just go out and have a good time. I always felt really well treated. And first time I came down there, I came back here. I said to my family that we should definitely a place I could move to. But you guys are a bit far away for me when it comes to that first flight to meet up with my buddies when I’m going on tour. Then Australia is not a perfect place for me. But who knows when I’m done and it’s not happening anymore, maybe I move down there. Because I do like the weather and I like the people. It’s like a mix between America and Europe. And people feel really relaxed.

Shaquira – Is there anything exciting fans can expect from your tour this time around?
Anders – I mean, it’s two great bands. It’s going to be a good night and the set list will be awesome, for sure. It will be stuff from early days up to more recent years. Hopefully, everybody has a good time and nobody leaves and say, oh, they should have played, or maybe they will. Some people will be like, oh, they didn’t play my favorite song, but we try to include most of it, you know. It’s definitely going to be a good night.

Dave – And a new TikTok dance?
Anders – No, I’m not even on TikTok, and I’m not really dancing, so I don’t know. Maybe someone will caught me on camera.

Shaquira – And as you mentioned, you’re going to be playing a couple of your new songs. Battles is undoubtedly going to be a part of the set list. Can you tell us a little bit about the significance of this track? 
Anders – Battles was a few years ago, and I mean, we might include a track or two, but I mean, the thing is, when you have an hour, one hour and a half, and you want to show everything that’s In Flames, you want to go back to the early days, to the roots, show people where you’re coming from, but you want to show people also where you’ve been and where you are right now. And obviously, more material will be part of the latest album Foregone, but I mean, there will be stuff from Battles, and from I, The Mask, and Clayman, and Colony, and Lunar Strain. I mean, we have 14 albums that there’s a lot to choose from.

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Dave – That’s mad. That’s mad. There’s a story behind each one of those, I reckon. If we had a few hours, we could probably get into what happened in each of those. That would be an interesting sort of conversation.
Anders – Yeah, yeah. There’s been a lot of things happening throughout, you know. And 14 albums, when I think about it, it’s quite insane.

Dave – Oh my God, you know, that’s mad. How long have you been going for?
Anders – I’ve been a part of In Flames since ’95. And when I joined In Flames, we had released one album and one EP. So I joined when we were writing for the album called The Jester Race. So I’ve been in the band since then.

Dave – That’s a long time.
Anders – And then I was in a couple of other bands before that. So I’ve been, this music has been part of my life for a long fucking time.

Dave – That’s a long time. And have you taken breaks in between? Like, you know, the Eagles took 14 years off. That sort of thing.
Anders – Not really. No, not really. I mean, then obviously, again, the COVID happened. So that was a forced break. But otherwise, it’s been a constant creating albums, releasing albums, touring albums and so on. And obviously, the later years, we tour more extensively.

Dave – And rehearsing?
Anders – We don’t really rehearse. I mean, there have been rehearsals, of course. But I mean, we don’t have a rehearsal space now. Whenever we write a new album and it’s time to, like the first tours, we always meet up and then we rent a rehearsal space. And we have a space down in Germany where we keep all our gear and stuff like that. So we tend to go there. And it’s this big warehouse. And we can just put up the stage and start, you know, jamming.

Dave – So you prepare there for a tour? You put on the show?
Anders – Yeah, in the beginning. Now, when we’re in the middle of… Now we don’t really go and rehearse. Now we just… Everybody rehearses at home and then we meet up on stage and we go from there.

Shaquira – Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Anders – Yeah. One hour before the show, I tend to warm up for 20, 25, 30 minutes. I have this routine that I use, like a tape, sort of. It’s not an actual cassette tape, but it’s a tape on my phone. You can call it that. And there’s scales up and down. And then I terrorize the other guys with my music in the dressing room and get everybody psyched up. And then I have a little shot of whiskey and then I go on stage. And we hug before. That’s something we always do. We have to hug in a certain order and then everybody go on stage. So if we don’t do it in the right order, we will fuck something up. OCD wins out. It’s a serious business.

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Shaquira – It is. If you could have any superpower during this tour, what would you choose?
Anders – Fly.

Shaquira – Fly? Why is that?
Anders – Because I don’t have to deal with check-in and check-out and waiting in line and first class or business class or economy or whatever. I can just go.

Dave – That would be amazing.
Anders – I can go anywhere really quick. It’s maybe a shitty use of superpower. I could have it better to save the world from all the shit that’s going on. But if we’re just talking about going from place to place, I think flying is a good one, especially when you’re on tour.

Shaquira – Definitely. Do you have a comfort food that you go to remind you of home when you’re away?
Anders – No, I don’t need that. I like to experience the cuisine from wherever I am. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to food and I like to try everything. I don’t need to be reminded of home via food or anything.

Shaquira – Come to try some kangaroo?
Anders – Okay. Is that a sensitive thing?

Dave – I don’t know. It’s just another meat.
Anders – I had a possum experience when I was in Australia once and it was not that great.

Shaquira – I’ve never tried a possum.
Anders – I had emu. I had that emu steak. I don’t know if I had kangaroo. Maybe I had. I don’t know.

Shaquira – Do you have any memorable moments from past tours with fans or the band?
Anders – There’s a lot of stuff that’s happening for sure that’s amazing and things that you don’t talk about in public. Every time now it’s awesome. Last time when we were at Knotfest back in March it was such a great experience. It was a very cool tour to be part of. Lots of people, probably lots of people have never heard us before as well. Now I want to cherish every moment more so than I did in the past. In a way I think you took things for granted. You write and record and release and you expect everyone to be there. Then we had this pandemic that everything disappeared for you. Now I think every moment is way more important. Every meeting, every show, everything is you. Personally I enjoy it way more. I want to remember it.

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Photos from Knotfest Australia by @outsiders.journal

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Dave – When you do tours, do you remember a front row? Is there regular fans that you go to in particular cities that you remember?
Anders – Yeah, for sure. Definitely people coming up that have seen you before. We become friends with some along the way. It’s difficult too because you meet so many people. Some go and say, hey, do you remember when we met? You’d be like, sorry. You feel like a piece of shit because you don’t remember. For sure, we see a lot of familiar faces.

Shaquira – In Flames has built a global following over the years. How does it feel having all those fans from around the world come together at your shows?
Anders – It’s insane when you think about it really. I’m kind of blown away that I can travel the world and play our music and share this experience with people. It’s awesome. As I said, I don’t take it for granted. We started in a small town in Sweden. This was before the internet. We were very locked in our own little world with a bunch of other bands. All of a sudden, you get noticed and you get to travel. People enjoy what you’re doing and care about what you’re doing. They have a saying in what you’re doing, which is even more insane. It’s fantastic. I love music. It’s great to be part of this world.

Dave – As you get older, the ego side of things drops a little bit. You become more present to a situation. You become more appreciative of this particular thing that’s taking place. It’s like you understand that it’s going to come to an end at some stage. Maybe not for everyone. KISS just came out and toured. It’s going to come to an end at some stage. You appreciate every time you get the opportunity of doing it. Especially in this digital world, where influence changes frequently and there’s a lot of new age acts that are coming up. Comedy and all this sort of stuff. To keep having that fan group that you go and visit. It must be really cool.
Anders – For sure. As I said, I’m super appreciative of what we can do. As you mentioned, in this day and age, I think it’s easier to get your music out there. But it’s more difficult to be heard. Because there’s so much noise coming. I’m grateful that we started in…

Dave – Flip, flip, flip, flip, flip (Dave displays swiping on a phone)
Anders – I’m grateful that we started in a time before all this. And we’ve been able to build a solid fan base that’s there for us through thick and thin.

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Dave – Which is fantastic. I think now you’re part of this. You live in this bubble of being in In Flames. But later down the line, when this is over and you look back, you’re going to be even more grateful. And think about the times in a glorious way. I get it. There’s an in-the-moment sort of acceptance. Before, anything could happen and you just didn’t feel it. Now, it’s like you see things, you feel things.
Anders – And also, you talk about trends and what’s there. And I think we are not a band that’s so tied to any trends. And we don’t need those. We do whatever we do. And every ten years, we’re maybe more hyped than the other years. But we will continue to do what we do, no matter what. I think, for a while, I don’t think it’s that much anymore. But journalists want to put us in certain trends. Where we’re like, no, we just do what we do. And we’re not trying to be this or that. It’s just what it is. So, I think we are not sensitive to what’s going on as much.

Shaquira – Did you ever think you’d make it this far when you first started out?
Anders – No, no. No, never, never. I mean, when you start out, you’re happy to have your first demo. And then you get that first album. There’s a new greatest moment ever that’s happening all the time. I have 14 albums out. Being in a band that’s been going for this long is just insane. And I don’t know if someone told me when I was young, you will do this until you’re 14 albums down the line. You’re this old or whatever. I’d be like, I get another job. But it’s just like, it’s so awesome. I keep coming back to say I’m so grateful. But that’s the truth. It’s the best thing ever. I get to travel the world with my friends. And share the experience, the music with people that are as passionate as you.

Dave – Like the fans.
Anders – It’s fantastic. I don’t want to have another job. I don’t want to do anything else. I will do this until the wheels fall off.

Dave – Fantastic. And is there a message you’d like to give fans who are eagerly awaiting your tour?
Anders – We are eagerly awaiting them too. I’m just happy to get down there again. And come to the show. It’s going to be awesome. Kreator is going to put on a killer set. And we’re going to do the same.

Dave – It’s a night we all need. We need to get away from the shit that’s going on in the world. We need to take a break.
Anders – And this is the perfect evening to do so. Come and share the experience. We’re going to have a good time.

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Photos from Knotfest Australia by @outsiders.journal

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Dave – Good stuff. We’ve got a few short questions to ask you to end it off. And these are searching important questions. Not really. Not at all. Just those short shit questions that are at the end. Tell us something about your favourites. Favorite album?
Anders – Alice In Chains, Dirt.

Dave – Favorite artist?
Anders – Trent Reznor, maybe.

Dave – Favorite movie?
Anders – Silence of the Lambs.

Dave – Favorite place to visit?
Anders – Very good. Do I have to say Australia? What’s going on here?

Dave – You don’t have to say anything. You’ve got to say what you’re going to say.
Anders – I don’t know. I love going to Japan. Because it’s a different culture.

Dave – You love going to where?
Anders – Japan. It’s such a different culture than what we have. People are super nice. The whole vibe in Japan. What you experience. It’s amazing. And the food. It hasn’t gotten worse like most places in the world either. The thing is with me. I try to stay away from politics. I just go into the country’s experience a little bit. And leave. So I get the best out of it. I guess we all have problems where we live. And different experiences for sure.

Dave – America has got their own special ones. And the Middle East have their own special ones. We’ve got a crazy world at the moment.
Anders – Sweden we have our special ones too. So it’s all over the place.

Dave – Favorite venue to play?
Anders – It’s got to be our home. Like indoor arena in Gothenburg. It’s called Scandinavium. We played last year. We finished the European tour. And it was 9,500 sold out. It’s just an amazing feeling. Because we played every club around Gothenburg. And we get to play this venue. It’s quite cool. And that’s the place where I went to see Iron Maiden. And Judas Priest. And Metallica. And all those bands growing up.

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Dave – And you obviously bought a Metallica t-shirt. Like everybody else in the world.
Anders – Yeah, of course. And a Priest shirt. And a Scorpions shirt.

Dave – Favorite food?
Anders – Damn, that’s difficult. Because I eat a lot of stuff. A lot of things. I do love a good barbecue for sure.

Dave – Really? We do a lot of that over here.
Anders – I know. I like it. That’s maybe why I like Australia so much. But I do also like Asian food. And different fusion type of food as well.

Dave – Asia would be a bit challenging. Because the problem with touring Asia is that you have to play all the time. You go in there to play. And if you have some bad food, it’s not very conducive to play.
Anders – I’ve been lucky. I have not had any bad experience. Maybe when I drank water in Mexico one time. Which was not the smartest move. And I’m going to Mexico in a week or so. And I’m going to go there a couple of days before we play. The reason I go early is because I want to go out and eat and drink. And have a good time. I love it.

Dave – Favorite drink?
Anders – It would be whiskey.

Dave – Favorite person in history?
Anders – As soon as you mention someone. I had an opportunity to talk to Desmond Tutu. He is an amazing person. It was a very cool experience. Something I never thought I would experience. Maybe that’s the one.

Dave – I don’t know. With most people. You get a media description of who they are. And when you meet them in person. And you talk to them for a while. You probably find that they’re completely different. To whatever the media said they were. Or did or whatever. He was a big character. If we go back 30-40 years. A lot of people don’t know who you’re talking about. To some degree now. But if you go back 30-40 years. He was a big character. In that African process.
Anders – And very influential. Very, very. Next to Nelson Mandela. And still has a beautiful heart. He wanted to talk to me. Which is just insane. It was awesome. But again. There’s so many good people. And I don’t want to exclude anyone. It’s difficult.

Dave – That’s it. We’re done. Thanks for your time today Anders and we hope you have a great tour.
Shaquira – Yes, thanks, and enjoy yourself down here.
Anders – Thanks very much. We are really looking forward to it.

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KREATOR and IN FLAMES
“Klash of the Titans” 
February 2024
Tour Dates

Tuesday 13th February ADELAIDE, Hindley Street Music Hall
Wednesday 14th February MELBOURNE, The Forum
Thursday 15th February CANBERRA,
Saturday 17th  February SYDNEY, Enmore Theatre
Sunday 18th February BRISBANE, The Tivoli

Sign Up to access presale tickets: HERE

Early Bird Presale begins Wednesday 25th October – 9am Local Time

General Public Tickets On Sale Friday 27th October – 9am Local Time

TICKETS

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AMNPLIFY – DB