Sandy Mouche ... and poems for the unborn (III): Baby can’t stop (new single)

New Swedish radio single

Baby cant stop" is the latest radio single from our second album. Its now spinning on Swedish radio charts. To buy it: simply buy the album.

Martinique Josefsson - Sandy Mouche

Helena Josefsson's Dynamo at AGM (II): Per Gessle thinks her album will be a hit

Last week Helena Josefsson celebrated her 28th birthday in the Aerosol Grey Machine Studio, recording her first solo album. According to an interview in TDR by T. Evensson, Per Gessle thinks the new album will be a hit.

LJdM

Other Swedish acts ready to break onto the international stage?
Helena’s new solo album will kick a##!!!

Per Gessle

After reading the messages from the fans in my guestbook, it became an even better birthday!!! Thank you Sara, Emma, Maja, Stina, Johan, Dom, Elin och David!!! I have such a bad memory when it comes to birthdays, do I really deserve this? Moved :o)! BIIIIIGHUUUUG !!!

It was really fine, I was in the studio and I had made some food and a cake for everyone! :oD Have a wonderful day!

Helena Josefsson - H.J.

Plumbers around Europe (III): : from SOAP to ROX

Per Gessle is promoting the album "Son of a Plumber" around Europe.

EMI told Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson to do some new songs for a Roxette's Greatest Hits. Aftonbladet adds that they will go to Christoffer Lundquist’s Aerosol Grey Machine studio in June to record “a few new tracks.” No plans for a real Son of a Plumber's tour yet. It could mean a full stop for SOAP project.

LJdM

It will be really great to go into the studio with Marie again. It’s been a fantastic journey and I’m so happy to continue it together with her. Twenty years, it feels like yesterday. Time flies when you’re having fun! It feels like we are not really finished with what we’ve started yet.

Marie Fredriksson looooved Son of a Plumber’s album, she started crying when she heard one of the songs! She really liked it. This is something all artists should do… personal, part of who you are, of your childhood, and I think Marie realized that. Marie should do an album like this. It would be fantastic!

Marie's fine, she's off medication and she is much better than she was. What she's gone through is terrible, she's a changed person now, but at the same time she looks as before. She's a happy person, now we'll do these recordings this summer, I'm really happy, pleased she wants to do that. For me it's a good sign she's coming back.

There will be a couple of songs to celebrate Roxette’s 20th anniversary, which will be included in a Greatest Hits to be out this fall. And then something called 'The Rox Box,' which will be three CDs with the best of, and also alternative takes, out-takes, live recordings and unreleased tracks. We are also trying to get the Unplugged concert released on DVD.

EMI wants to release this Greatest Hits for our 20th anniversary, but if these songs work out fine, I can definitely see myself doing another Roxette album, there is no rush though. I'm busy with SOAP right now.

Best song ever… shit! I don't know… maybe 'The Look,' the more simple it is, the harder it is to write, certain songs when you write them you know they will be a hit, like 'Joyride.' Can't help but like the chorus! Other songs I love other people don't like much, like 'Queen of rain.'

20 years! It feels excellent even though we’ve slowed down some these last few years. The best thing is of course the huge response from our audience, everywhere on planet Earth; different religions, skin color, political values… they all like ’The Look’ and ’It Must Have Been Lunch’. Amazing. The worst things are that time passes so fast… and that I never learn how to play solos.

I’m also (of course) under the impression that Roxette’s music is very special, and my gut feeling is, yes, WICF (and more songs for that matter) would have been bigger hits under different circumstances. However, the US market is extremely complicated and Rox can’t really offer what most companies demand; heavy touring, endless promotion and preferably a change of passports! All these issues make it tuff for these two geezers from the south of Sweden to work that part of the planet properly.

I hope Roxette get lots of ’80s and sounds of sunshine at Aerosol Grey Machine studio this summer. It’s gonna be fab to get together with MF down there. She’s gonna love it. We’ll do our best to make the songs extraordinary. If only I could find my rhyming dictionary…

Per Gessle

Plumbers around Europe (II): SOAP promo ... with Martinique, Plumber for a day

Son of a Plumber is doing some promotion around Europe: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, ... No real tour for the plumbers. Per Gessle goes this time alone and just have some play-back gigs with his band, like the last one in Germany.

On 14 March, Son Of A Plumber performed the song Jo-Anna Says live for the German TV-show 'Chartbreak Hotel' at Europapark, Freiburg. It will be broadcasted on 13 May 2006 by the German television station SAT1.

Martinique Josefsson, from Sandy Mouche, was this time in the SOAP band. It seems it is only a performance: Martinique was the substitute for Chris Lundquist!

Anders, from Junk Musik, explains the reasons:

Now who do you think is having the hardest time? My bet is Christoffer. These days, even mega-producers have to have a passport if they want to go to Basel. This information hits our dear friend like a brick as he is standing at the airport in Copenhagen 8 o’clock in the morning. He was sent home again & Martin from Sandy Mouche was called in.

Jens Jansson also writes in Junk Musik about the TV show:

We arrived at a replica of Colloseum and were put in a room full of bockwurst & pizza. Ten minutes later, we stood on a stage covered with sand, with plastic palm trees all around.But we were not alone. On the stage, we found a bunch of german girls with hula-hula outfits and drinks in their hands. When we started the song (”Jo-Anna Says”), they all begun to dance hysterically. It was very strange. After the song was over, we were sent back into the bockwurst-room, where we watched the next guest: Suzi Quatro. The hula-hula-girls where still there, but now they had ”cool” sunglasses. The drinks had been replaced with fire, bursting out from all parts of the stage. We left. I guess tv is different in all countries.

LJdM

I'm really pleased because people like the record a lot! I let EMI choose which single they wanted to release first. In Sweden it was 'Jo-Anna,' and I think here it is 'Jo-Anna' as well, but other countries chose 'Mr DJ.'"

Retiring? What does that mean? Never heard that word!! I can't! I'm gonna sit there till I'm old doing records nobody will listen to, but I will make my records! Can't do anything else, that's the way I am. The writing process is always crucial for me as a person, can't really stop that, it's part of me. And there are many things I'd love to try, music for films… instrumentals. We'll see what happens. I have no plans, but it was interesting to make the ones on the album, or even 'Making Love or Expecting Rain,' which is a combined thing.

Being a plumber? No! You see, my brother is a lawyer, we are the worst craftsmen you can imagine! When there's a tap leaking or anything broken at home, my wife has to fix it, my father is surely revolving in the grave because he was great. He even built one of our houses… and I am… nah, that's not a good idea!

No plans for a Son of a Plumber’s tour, but I could see myself do it, would love to play the album from A to Z, but the release dates are so different so it's hard to arrange something. Then it should work. I can't spend three weeks touring unless somebody is willing to come to the shows, so I don't know, I love to tour these days, so I would not have a problem. But maybe, I'm sure there will me more Son of a Plumber in the future, then maybe I will also tour, then I know people like it.

Per Gessle

Our massive attack on MySpace has begun.

As you can see, Brainpool and Metro Jets are our first troops to land behind enemy land, but they have back up from our friends in Sandy Mouche who are well trained in close combat. Other troops will land soon. The war will be won before Christmas.

Anders Mildner

Junk Musik

Plumbers around Europe (I): SOAP videos, promos, junkies and cardigans

News from the Plumbers. Per Gessle releases today a new song of "Bad Hair Day": Jo-Anna says demo. Daniel Börjeson has finished the video of Hey Mr. Dj, that will be premiered on Nyhetsmorgon on Sunday. He has also edited together a video for “Jo-Anna Says” with footage mainly taken from the short film.

In Spain, EMI has launched a Spanish Son of a Plumber website that only hosts the same promotional material that has already been published in English.

Some of the "junkies" (Magnus Börjeson, David Birde and Jens Jansson) are taking part in The Cardigans' Tour. Read about it.

LJdM

Liar! Yes, I know… but I thought I told the truth when I told you I didn't have any more demos from the SOAP-project. But look what I found! The first version of Jo-Anna Says with a totally different verse (Clarence hated it!). I re-wrote just in time for the real recording… Sorry ‘bout this f##k-up… but better late than never…

All of the band is in the video of "Hey Mr. DJ", except Jens Jansson who was sick. Gabriel and his friends are in it too, they play strings and horns in some sort of orchestra. The video tries to capture the spirit of the “Party in My Head” sequence of the short film. Christoffer wears a top hat for instance. The whole setting is a freak show, there’s a knife thrower (me), Clarence is a weight lifter, Helena is a puppet on a string, kinda cool really.”

Cheers from Sthlm,

P. (no brains left…)

PS. By the way, just came home from a couple of days of promo in Germany & Switzerland. I had a blast. Great day yesterday, I did 14 (!) interviews in Zurich and Jo-Anna is happening on the radio!!! Hallelujah!

Per Gessle

Magnus Börjeson ("Metro-Magnus") has joined The Cardigans on their tour. We all hope for some tour-blogging. We can’t see the gigs – they are all sold out.

Junkies are no strangers to Cardigans. Jens Jansson ("Brainpool-Jens") has played with both A Camp & Righteous Boy. He’s also responsible for the band’s latest DVD.

Ok, so who´s here? There are a lot of famous people hanging here in the back stage area. Well, some at least. I see the singer from Kent, a well known sports-writer & record label guys. But I’ve always been a mingler from hell. It just doesn’t come easy for some of us. These days, it’s not a problem. I’m happy standing in a corner, drinking a beer and talking to people in a slow pace.

Metro-Magnus (Magnus Börjeson) came to Stockholm yesterday to play with The Cardigans. Because of that, I find myself standing next to the famous sports-writer & Swedish journalism award-winner back stage. Of course, I could have said, Hey, we write for the same paper! But I’m kind of scared of big guys with baseball caps, so I didn’t.

Anyway, The Cardigans did a very nice show, and it was great fun seeing them play. The ending, with ”Communication”, was brilliant.

Me and Pelle were both impressed by the lights, which suited the band soooo good. I tried to take some pics with my mobile, but it can’t handle concerts. I have a bunch of pics taken at gigs, and they are all so bad you can’t even see who the artist is. Thumbs up for Cardigans. And we have some more Junk/Cardigans news coming up soon. Guess who will be playing support when their tour hits Europe? Florian with Mom & Dad (Jens Jansson and David Birde).

Anders Mildner

Junk Musik

Magnus Sveningsson (a.k.a. "Rigtheous boy") from The Cardigans wants to say hi to all Junkies with this take on the classic Daddy Cool. Munich disco never sounded better. Or had better lyrics! Enjoy!

Magnus Börjeson - Junk Musik

I think The Cardigans' "Long Gone Before Daylight" is one is one of the best albums ever made in Sweden. Terrific stuff! The new one is not up to that standard to my ears. However, I consider myself a fan. Peter S. is a stunning guitarplayer.

Why the Swedes musicians are so successful? I think it's a mix of different factors;

1. The English language, you don't have all these films and series with subtitles, we grow up listening to English for hours daily. Like my son, he is eight and he listens to English most of the time when he watches TV.
2. The whole Swedish music scene exploded at the end of the '80s, beginning of the '90s, when everything turned digital. Everybody used the same machines and you could not tell anymore where an album was recorded. It could be London, New York or Stockholm. Then all these like Max Martin, appeared, started to make music for Britney, Backstreet Boys…
3. We have a long tradition with folk music, we are very musical.

It must be this, it can't be all luck, must be something, I'm always amazed with our success, some didn't even ever record anything in Swedish, like the Cardigans.

Per Gessle