Interview:


For a short period of time, in 2001, you helped Vintersorg as live-guitarist, and now, on your debut album, the main man in Vintersorg, mixed and mastered it, not to mention Gravisphere where you guys play together, so you seem to have a pretty strongrelationship. How come you were never part of the band's line-up (I'm referring to Vintersorg, of course)?
Thats right, I got the opportunity to help them out from say - 99 to - 02 handling the session guitar in the band. I think we played more than 60 gigs during those years, mostly in Europe. It was really great to be a part of those tours and the whole band had a lot of fun!
Me and Mr. V has known each other for more that 20 years, so yea we are long time friendsI felt just natural to ask him to produce Blinda Dödens Barn. Both considuring that we are long time friends, and  that Mr. V is a really great muscisian and producer so he really helps when it comes to realize the vision of HarmDaud.
Though, to answer your question more directly, Vintersorg already have two exxelent guitarrists and my or the bands intention back then was never that I should join as a full member. It was all about
a bunch of friends coming along and playing metal together around the world!
Gravisphere is still very much alive as well and we plan to pick that up sometime in the future. We have a lot of really interesting songs ready.

Harmdaud means sorrows' death in proto-norse language, your lyrics are also about sorrow, and somehow the cover is also related to it. How come everything about Harmdaud surrounds this topic? Would you say this is a rather sad project overall?
Well, the short answer is no.. Or, not only. I would say that the meaning and the essence of the band is dual. In a way the lyrics are about sorrow, but they are also about coping with sorrow. You know, sorrow, sadness and happiness are apart of life, as well as a day is about light and darkness.
But sure, the music have a melancholic touch, but that is the way I like it.
03. Talking about this debut album, what's the main idea behind it, what would you like a regular listener to "get" from the audition, or better said, what have you tried to transmit through it?
This connects a bit to the question above. I like the listener to be engaged throught the whole album. Every song says something different and, the listener should be able to come back to the different parts to be able to connect to the feeling get the first time they listen to it. The lyrics explore the dynamic between emotions among other things. The music does that as well, there are slower melancolic parts as well as the other faster stuff. All in all, I write what feel and that is the thing about HarmDaud. I hope the listener enjoys that diversity, and to listen to some quality black/death metal of course!

Would you say you have more freedom, or on the contrary, you're less inspired by playing on your own? Is it frustrating not to be able to present the album material live? Have you thought of finding guest musicians and play it live, too?
Where I am in life right now with family and children it is easier to find the time if you only have your own schedule to think of so to speak. Late nights when the children and my wife are asleep is normally the most creative moments. Haha!
So, yea I feel that I have more freedom during the writing process , it that fits om how HarmDaud works for the moment.
There will be a cooporation between me and Mr. V as the producer/audio mastermind for the next album as well. Meaning, when I have enough songs we finish the process in Waves Studio. So, HarmDaud is in one way a solo project when it comes to writing, but the finalizing of the album is a two man effort.
I sing in another band called TME as well, and there we write the music together so I feel fine with both artistic ways of working.
I have a plan of putting together a session band to be able to do some live shows in the future!

What does Blinda dödens barn means and why have you chosen Swedish for your lyrics and not English? Does your music have also a Folk-ish side to it?
Directly translated, Blinda Dödens Barn means something like The Blind Children of Death, or Deaths Blind Children. I have a little folkish stuff on the album, but not that much. I intend to explore that a bit more on the next album though.

You're a part of the scene for a long time now, in your opinion what are the main challenges an underground band faces now rather than 10-15 years ago?
The vast majority of music presented on digital platforms I guess is the big challenge for the underground scene. It is quite easy to both record and release your own stuff now compared to 15 years ago meaning that more and more people do it. And, that is both a problem but could also be a opportunity for a young band. Though, as I said it is hard to be seen. Just a facebook page among millions of others is not enough. So, I tip I would give is to make sure that you stand out, are active in your communication towards the fans and if you can, do gigs!! Because Metal and the underground have never been about one hit wonders on youtube, it has always been about heart, dedication, headbanging and the fans. And, that I think will prevail.

December 2017


harmdaud.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/Harmdaud/