Olav Iversen (SAHG) Interviewed by Christian Montagna of SON OF FLIES webzine - for English Readers - _____________________________________________ 1. Hi Olav. I listened Delusions of Grandeur in its entirety and it is really fantastic. It made me happy and gave me chills. I thought of two words when I finished listening to this record: awesome reinvention…. Thank you for that! To us, it is certainly a reinvention. It took a lot to take the rounds, make the steps and find the new direction we wanted to take on this album. It was almost like going back to the beginning and start over with a new approach on things. We discovered along the way that we wanted to widen our expression and take a more spaced-out approach. It took us three years, but it was worth it. We enjoy the credit for that effort now. 2. This certainly was a new step for you. It seems like the writing process and the recording itself happened very slowly. III was released in 2010... Was that a conscious decision? It wasnt a conscious decision to spend three years, but it was a conscious decision to take the time it took to find a new direction and make the changes we thought necessary. The one thing that was clear after making Sahg III, was that we wanted to do something new and different from the first three albums. So most of the time was spent searching, finding and refining that new direction. 3. How did those song ideas come about? The album is influenced by a number of things, not only musical. Movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Metropolis have had great impact on the albums concept, atmosphere and aesthetics. Contemporary novels, like My Struggle by Norwegian writer Knausgaard, and the Astropolis novels by Sean Williams have inspired the concept contextually, along with the genuine delusions of grandeur and consequencial horrors of war and violence, today and throughout history. The concept took shape when we realized that many of the first lyrical ideas had a lot in common, and could fit into the same concept. The concept evolved further into a story about a person who lets his delusions of grandeur overpower him, and travels to an imaginary universe where he loses touch with reality, and eventually drifts off into the emptiness. Musically, we have turned to more modern influences than before, the 70s hard rock influence is always there anyways, we dont need to search to find that inspiration. We are inspired by a lot of Prog these days, modern prog metal bands like Mastodon and Opeth, and classic prog bands like King Crimson and Pink Floyd. 4. Whats your songwriting process? Each initial song idea is created by one of the members, and we collaborate and evolve them together into finished songs. It varies what level the songs are at when presented to the band, but we contribute to each others ideas with riffs, parts, drum beats, vocal lines, lyrics and so on. That way, all band members have an influence on each song. 5. Did that change in how you approached the vocals affect how you approached the guitar parts? Can you tell me anything about it? Yes, the new approach on this album has definitely made the different elements affect and change each other. For example, we discovered how heavy riffs combined with sedate vocals create a special, eerie atmosphere. In general, we experimented a lot with combining instrumental approaches in new ways to find unique expressions. I used a lot more different vocal techniques on this album than ever before, along with Tony contributing with his vocals as well. We did a lot of the same with the guitars, and put a lot more into trying out different guitar sounds and techniques. In total, I think this has contributed to rich dynamics and great variation on the album. 6. Getting your songs out there in front of people is the final and most important step in the songwriting process? It is the most crucial step, of course. You dont really know if you have created something good before you play it in front of a crowd. But when you get the recognition and positive response, it is a great pleasure. 7. Is the physicality of your performances just as important as the music you’re actually playing? The aesthetics and visual energy is a natural part of our performance. Its not an act that we put on when we go on stage, it is simply the way we learned how to perform when growing up. To say that it is as important as the music, is a bit much, but definitely an important part of the performance. 8. Do the lyrics on Delusions of Grandeur change up with the different songs, or is there a narrative? The music is pretty intense and emotional... also in the lyrics? The lyrics tell different parts of the story, but not in chronological order. We chose to put the songs together more like a movie that jumps back and forth in time, and let the musical expression of the songs decide the running order. But together, the lyrics tell a pretty complete story of the rise and decline of the delusional character. The lyrics express a large spectre of vibes and emotions, from the dark realism of dominance and psychopathy, to dreamy fantasy scenes. 9. Can you talk about the title of the record? It all started with the album title, in a way. The phrase had stuck with us for quite a while, and after writing a few lyrics that fit with the phrase, we started working with the idea of basing an album concept around it. It is a title with a lot of substance and content, and we also think it rings well as an album title, so there was really never question of what the album would be named. 10. It seems like a totally different kind of cover art, a totally different visual approach from your previous records... We wanted the artwork to reflect the more psychedelic and experimental musical approach on the album, and the cosmic aesthetics make a perfect metaphor of the album concept. We wanted to express the change and evolution that is represented on the album also through the cover art. So it was an ambition to make an artwork that clearly differed from our previous album covers. 11. What are your plans for 2014? The plans for 2014 are touring and writing the next album. We are preparing for a busy year. We intend to play a lot of concerts and festivals, and have the material for the next album ready by the end of next year. 12. Thanks for the interview! My pleasure, sir! ___________________________________________ CONTACTS: facebook/Sahgband
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 20:16:09 +0000