DeadJournalist.com Exclusive Interviews
David and the Citizens
EXCLUSIVE Interview: David and the Citizens
Chuck Norton, DeadJournalist.com
03.12.07
After three full-length albums, several EPs, a Swedish Grammy nomination and a video, "Song Against Life," that topped MTV Nordic for weeks, David and the Citizens are setting foot onto the shores of North America with a hope of duplicating the success they band has had since forming in 1999.
David Fridlund, who has been joined by numerous Citizens over the years on Adrian Records and Bad Taste Records, got distribution in North America through Friendly Fire Recordings in 2005.
The band will being playing five shows at SXSW in Austin this week in support of the US release of Until the Sadness is Gone, their 2004 Swedish full-length and Stop the Tape! Stop the Tape!, their most recent Swedish album.
For more information on David and the Citizens, visit their Web site at www.davidandthecitizens.com or their MySpace.com page at www.myspace.com/davidandthecitizens.
DeadJournalist.com brings you this exclusive interview with David Fridlund of David and the Citizens.
How long has David and the Citizens been performing together? How did the band form?
DF: The band formed in 1999 when I moved to Malmö from Stockholm. I needed people to help me perform my music live and pretty soon I got a band together, consisting of members from another indie pop act First Floor Power. They moved to Stockholm shortly after though and I had to find new members again which I did. After that things just kind of happened by themselves.
How has the band's sounds evolved since forming?
DF: The first album For All Happy Endings was based on piano and acoustic guitar and a lot of trumpets. The second album Until the Sadness Is Gone was too, but better produced. I don't know if it's better then the first one, but it certainly sounds a lot better.
After finding success is Europe, the bad signed with Friendly Fire Recordings in 2005. How did that come about?
DF: I'm not really sure, it was mostly handled by our old label here in Sweden - Adrian Recordings - and I didn't have much to do with it. I guess Friendly Fire heard of us and liked the music.
What are the biggest challenges the band have facing since releasing Until the Sadness is gone last year?
DF: Well, sticking together as a band for one thing … we recorded our third album in the spring of 2006 and that took a lot of time and energy from us. In the process I had to let two of the guys go since I felt they really weren't interested in what was going on anyway. I guess the hardest thing when you start a band is to get everyone to feel the same level of commitment and to get every member to give the best. I always give at least 100-percent when it comes to my music, so anyone playing with me should be prepared to do the same.
What can an audience expect from a David and the Citizens live performance?
DF: A 100-percent pure energy and love for the music and people having fun on stage! Always!
Do you have any plans to tour in North America in 2007?
DF: I hope so! Well see what happens after SXSW, maybe somebody wants to work with us and if so - I hope to go on one of those long bastard tours!
The most bizarre thing that has happened to the band while on tour is ... ?
DF: We did a gig in a small German city once where the sound guy got so stoned when he was hanging out with the band that opened for us, that he actually fell off the stage as we were rigging before our gig. During the concert he couldn't do anything right and if I asked for more guitar in my monitor he'd give the bass player more drums in his monitor instead … not so fun at the time, but certainly a memory to laugh at now.
In 2002, we got robbed of all our instruments just two hours before we were supposed to go on stage at a festival in Gothenburg, Sweden. Somebody stole it all from our car as it was parked in a garage. That sucked kind of hard. We were able to do the show on borrowed instruments though and it actually turned out okay.
What artists have influenced you the most throughout your career?
DF: Elliot Smith and Neutral Milk Hotel. I saw both when I lived in Stockholm in 1998 and both shows blew me away. Elliot is my only hero. When I saw NMH I had never heard of them. They opened for Olivia Tremor Control and it went straight into my heart. In the Airplane over the Sea is one of my all time favorite albums.
I grew up listening to the Beatles as well so I guess they left an impact. And the Pixies as well as Swedish Bob Hund.
You have been an active blogger, how do you feel that has helped you stay in touch with/enlarge your fan base?
DF: It certainly is a very direct way of speaking to those who like my music. Once I got in touch with a guy from Iran! He seemed to think it was really amazing to be able to write directly to me, like I was a star or something … and I thought it was so cool that somebody actually listened to my stuff in Iran of all countries! I like blogging, even though I have been bad at it recently.
What were you listening to in 1997?
DF: A lot of Radiohead - Ok Computer
One Drink, One Movie, One Album:
Drink - White Russian
Movie - Big Lebowski ( just for the record: white russian was my favorite drink before I saw the movie)
Album - Headlights Kill Them With Kindness