On the computer’s windows there two of the four Starmen, singer, guitarist, producer and director Kristian Hermanson and bassist, designer, webmaster, Jonatan Samuelsson. Obviously, nobody does only one thing in this band and actually that was the band’s founder and leader Hermanson from the beginning: a band with four equal members, something that was achieved on this one, their third and best yet, “By The Grace Of Rock’n’Roll”. We are talking about their songs similarity with well-known rock anthems, influences, their identity, as well as the plastic productions that are all over Sweden’s exports lately. Interview: Yiannis Dolas
Rockpages.gr: Listening and comparing your previous albums I realized that there is a big step up for the band on “By The Grace Of Rock’n’Roll” as far as the production, the playing, the guitars. What do you say about this?
Kristian Hermanson: I think it’s kind of a progress going on. Hopefully we get better, we produce better and we write better songs. I am glad that you say that we developed in the right way and not the wrong direction.
Jonatan Samuelsson: Well, I haven’t been in the band for long, just six months. But, I think since I joined in the band, everyone is doing their part. Everybody sing some parts and it’s more like a band, I guess.
Rockpages.gr: There is also a lot of things going on, in every song. A lot of songs are different, one from the other. When you begin to listen to the album you think that this is a band that sounds like KISS. The singer’s voice sounds a bit like Paul Stanley. But, as you move along then you go back and forth from the ‘70s to the ‘80s, from classic rock to hard rock, to AOR, pop… then back again… it’s a lot of things but still sounds unified. What do you say about this?
Kristian Hermanson: My style of writing songs is that I like to do one ballad and when I am done with that I want to write something different. In the end, when we have all the material for an album there is a lot of variation in the material. I think that’s good, because my heroes, The Beatles and Queen have big variations in their albums. And I like that. Not that you have 15 songs that sound the same. So, I think that this is a strength actually, to have this variations.
Rockpages.gr: There are also some parts in the songs that makes your mind go to something else at once, when you hear them. For example, “Kashmir”… you listen to a song and you think “wait a minute, this is the melody of “Kashmir”, a bit later on the album there is a passage from “Gates Of Babylon” from Rainbow. Of course, if you listen to the album carefully you think that these guys are not naïve! Is there a hint there? That you take parts from well-known songs and put them here and there?
Kristian Hermanson: If you’re gonna steal, you’ve got to do it right! So, of course my youth giants are KISS, Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Def Leppard bla, bla, bla… Starmen are a mish-mash of the ‘70s and ’80s and of course you can hear that in the songs and that’s the way it is. I think it’s important to have an “own ID” in music, which I think we have. But, of course you can go like “oh, this riff sounds like Ozzy’s “Bark At The Moon”, or whatever, but you hear that I think in every music and every artist.
Rockpages.gr: Since you are coming from Sweden, I must say that I traced some elements of Talisman. What do you say about that? Was that intentional, or not?
Kristian Hermanson: I’ve listened to Talisman, but not so much. They are a good band, I think we are in the same classic rock box. It’s not my big influence.
Rockpages.gr: Do you think that it’s fair, when you are talking with a new band like yourselves to say “oh, this reminds me of this band”, “this reminds me of that band”. When somebody tells you that do you feel that you are copying somebody, or you are stealing from somebody, or do you think that it’s a compliment?
Kristian Hermanson: It could be both. I think it’s a good thing when they like it and when, as I said before, we have an ID, which is our own ID, but it sounds similar to KISS, or whatever. It’s not a good thing when you think that it’s a bad rip-off of something.
Jonatan Samuelsson: We have our own ID. The songs are “Starmen-ized”… They fit together, even if they are different, even if they remind you of something else. It’s a red line in all our songs.
Rockpages.gr: Do you have a “riff police” in the band? You know, when you write something and someone comes up and tells you “hey, don’t write this, because it sounds just like so and so”? In music in general, you might say that it’s natural that something reminds you of something else. Because, we’ve been listening to the same bands, the same songs, the same solos, the same guitars. So, something pops into your head, maybe somebody else played it 20, or 30 years ago, or even 50 years ago. You might not know it, haven’t heard of it. And then some wise guy tells you “you know what? This is a Greek band from the ‘60s”…
Kristian Hermanson: It can be like that sometimes. When I pick up a guitar and I say “wow, that’s a great riff, I made this” and someone two months later I hear it somewhere and go, “oh, it’s a riff I heard a year ago!” So, you have to be careful.
Rockpages.gr: So, what are your biggest influences, the bands and artists that you like?
Jonatan Samuelsson: Well, I think that all of us listen to different types of music. But, we all like classic rock and metal, melodic rock and metal. I am more to the ‘80s and I know that Kristian is more to the ‘70s. But, we all like this kind of music that we are playing in Starmen.
Kristian Hermanson: I am a huge Paul McCartney fan and the first record I ever listened to was “Abbey Road”, so I know the Beatles in and out and then in the late ‘80s I got into classic rock and thought it was fantastic. I love Whitesnake and David Coverdale.
Rockpages.gr: Have you met your heroes, have you met David Coverdale, Paul McCartney, KISS? Have you met someone that you admire?
Kristian Hermanson: Unfortunately, not in person. I hope one day, before they die.
Rockpages.gr: Well, that’s another thing, at some point our favourite bands will not exist any more, our favourite artists will die, that’s inevitable. But, also the fans of those bands are not going to be here any more. What do you think it’s going to happen then? Those people used to buy the records, pay the tickets, go to concerts, drink a lot of beers at the venue and party… what about the younger generations that is growing up listening to bands on YouTube, doesn’t have the same connection, is not accustomed to the physical product?
Kristian Hermanson: First of all, it’s so sad that the original generation of rock icons will pass away someday. I agree with you that the physical product, the vinyl for example is so good. The drama… the opening track many times, then the hardest tracks and they 2 and 3 are the hits and 5 is a ballad. You can hear 5 songs and then you flip on the B’side with a new opening track and here we go again… I love the vinyl. The new generation doesn’t know about it and that’s sad. And the pictures, you know? When I was 8 or 9, I used to look at the pictures of KISS and go “wow! This is fantastic”. So, we miss it, it’s not the same in the digital world of Spotify…
Rockpages.gr: Jonatan, what was that attracted you to Starmen and made you want to join the band?
Jonatan Samuelsson: Well, the make-up! (laughs) I work a lot with the band’s label, Melodic Passion Records, and I am also a member of Christian Liljegren’s band, playing bass. I knew about Starmen, even before they signed in the company. I liked what I heard, I thought it was cool that they were wearing make up, stars and all that. So, when Kristian asked me to join I said yes, because it’s a fun project. I like the melodies, the songs, the style and to be able to write songs together and have fun.
Rockpages.gr: What would you say that you bring to the table that maybe the band didn’t have before you joined?
Jonatan Samuelsson: Well, I also made the first two album covers as well. But, on the new one I thought about putting some more soul to it. I made a new website. And then, I started writing songs with Kristian and Andreas (Ed, Lindgren – the lead guitarist)…
Kristian Hermanson: My intention from the beginning was to create a band where the four members are equal, like KISS, or The Beatles and Jonatan has made this possible, because he is a song writer and he sings and made also the others, who were in a zombie-mode, Hrrrggg (he makes a funny soungs like snoring)… they woke up and thought “aah, we’re gonna do this! We want to write songs as well”. So, Jonatan brought energy in this band.
Rockpages.gr: You released two albums last year and this year one more and it’s still February. Are you afraid that you might burn out if you continue in that pace?
Kristian Hermanson: We are very busy right now and we are also involved in other bands. I can maybe say that we already have 10, or maybe 12 songs that are almost ready. They are pre-recorded in a demo form.
Rockpages.gr: You are also releasing a lot of videos, can you tell us about those?
Kristian Hermanson: We are making them very “Corona”… we built a black box in my studio with black sheets and we brought every member in, not at the same time, we are only two, when we are shooting a video. And then we edit it together to make a video. It’s in the same style, but it’s very “Coron-ish”! is it a new word?
Rockpages.gr: I hope that this situation doesn’t go any further. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t like this virtual kind of reality, or even the shows in the drive in cinemas, where you cannot come close to the artist…
Kristian Hermanson: I think everyone wants to get back to normal and go to concerts. This is a crazy situation, it’s very strange.
Rockpages.gr: Do you think that the pandemic might leave some “bad habits”, quoting your song? Like instead of going to gigs, people might want to stay at home and watch online in fear of mingling with other people, in case someone have the flu, or even Corona?
Jonatan Samuelsson: Maybe some people might feel cozy in the house and be comfortable at home. So, maybe that will stay for a while. Also, before Corona you hugged everyone and now you don’ even shake hands. I am not even shaking the hands of the other guys in Starmen since I joined, we only do this (he is extending his elbow). So, maybe people will become more careful, wash their hands more often and think about it for some time.
Rockpages.gr: One other thing I wanted to talk to you about is the production. The production on a lot of Swedish bands of the same genre sound plastic sometimes. It sounds like everybody is doing the same thing, in every song, in every album, so everything sound similar. I don’t think that this happens with you guys. Did you do something special about that?
Kristian Hermanson: The fact is that I am producing the albums, I am recording them and I am mixing them and I am not good enough… so, because I am not good enough it sounds like I wanted it to be! I don’t want to sound like Swedish bands, like Eclipse, H.E.A.T., etc. that you refer to as “plastic”. I think it is too. I don’t want to sound “updated”, “metal”. I want to sound organic. My references are Deep Purple 1976… the drums are going to sound like a drum kit, not like you are hammering on a pillow or something… So, my kind of limited ability does the trick. I am not good enough… so it sounds like ‘70s – ‘80s, which I like.
Rockpages.gr: So, if you had a “Spaceplane”, that not only could travel in space, but also time, would you go to the USA in the ‘80s, or in England in the ‘70s?
Kristian Hermanson: Hard question!
Jonatan Samuelsson: The ‘80s of course!
Kristian Hermanson: I would go to the ‘80s as well! It’s a fantastic decade, with all the fashion you know.
Kristian Hermanson: We wouldn’t have to dress up then!
Rockpages.gr: What is your most crazy dream about Starmen?
Kristian Hermanson: That we conquer the world! Of course, it’s kind of a goal for us to break grounds and have more people listen to our music and buy our records. That’s the highest goal for us!
