It just doesn’t get more rock’n’roll than HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, dude! The Swedish mad sonic geniuses who had the courage to marry two genres born to hate each other – sleaze and thrash – are going to shake 2013 to the core with a new record.
„Come Take On Me” is the band’s latest creation and will be released this spring, on March the 1st. The 12 track rock-bomb promises to become a collage of party hymns which will serve as the perfect soundtrack to your inner rockstar’s adventure.
We tracked down Jocke Berg, the ever-so-charismatic lead-singer, and questioned him regarding the new material, musical influences, future plans, being a dad and the courage to overcome the hardships which might occur while trying to become a legend.
MRM: Judging by your latest single, „One More Minute”, Hardcore Superstar seems to have gone back to its roots, with the song displaying clear references to bands like Motley Crue, L.A. Guns, and even some…Guns N’Roses? Would you say that you’re done with experiments and have found the ultimate direction you want to stick to?
Jocke: The direction we have now is really good, if I may say so. But still, we are always trying to improve ourselves! So I guess you will have to wait for the upcoming records to decide whether we did in fact stick to this direction!
Production wise, the song sounds FUCKING KILLER, and I’m sure the whole album does too! Tell us a bit about the process. Who, what, where and how did everything go?
The songs were recorded and produced by ourselves. We rented a studio in Gothenburg, called the Brew House, for five months. This is where all the recordings were made. When the files were finished, they were sent to the US. The mixing was then done by Randy Staub, who has also mixed albums for Metallica, Mötley Crue and Bon Jovi. Everything that happened was above our expectations. I can only recall one big mistake, done by Martin when we accidentally erased Adde’s drum tracks…Adde had spent a whole night to record these tracks, so to calm his conscience, Martin bought him a bottle of Whiskey.
In an interview, you said that the cover of your new record, „Come Take On Me”, was inspired by the combination of sex and bruises. The cover depicts a girl crashed on a drum-set. What exactly makes this combination between the intimacy of sex and the aggressiveness of metal so alluring?
I don’t know if it’s so much about sex, actually. I think it expresses the idea of a really good show which ultimately ended in chaos.
You have also released a brand new video for „One More Minute”. We’re dealing with a performance video that delivers a whole lot of energy. Do you think that videos with a lot of plot, stories, cinematography, are detrimental to the general message of the song? Do you feel that, sometimes, a very epic video makes it hard to focus on the music per se?
At first, we wanted to do an animated video, but it was too expensive. So we stuck to what we do best – to a live performance. No, I do not think that videos with a story are less good; just look at Mastodon´s latest video: it’s all about the plot and the band members aren´t in there at all.
There are 12 songs on the new record. Can you maybe give us some spoilers and tell us which ones are your favorites and why?
„Are you gonna cry now” is one of my favorites, because it’s hard and right in your face! Then we have a more mellow song called „Stranger of Mine”, where you can find influences from Stone Temple Pilots. Thats a new contribution to the songwriting of Hardcore Superstar.
March 1st 2013 is the release date of the new album. I imagine that after the release, there will be extensive touring. Do you have any special rituals before you start life on the road? Work-out, dieting, vitamin supplements etc, seeing as you are an extremely active lead-singer, and not a boring couch-potato?
I always try to stay in shape, so it does not matter if it’s time to tour or not; I always exercise. I do not think I have any special rituals before I go on tour. The only ritual I have, is the one I share with the band. Before we go on stage, we always take a shot of Jägermeister.
In an older interview you said that your daughter, Vilda, bragged about you being her daddy at school. How does that make you feel, that your little girl is so proud of her father? When she’ll grow up, would you like her to have a rockstar boyfriend?
Of course I feel good when I hear that she´s telling her friends about me and my band. But you know, at home I´m just a normal dad, one day she hates me and the other day she doesn’t. I hope that she finds herself a good and decent boyfriend, if so I do not care about his profession. I now also have a son, called Vegas, who is 16 months old, and who’s also into his dad´s music. He hates to go by car without our albums playing. I take that as a good sign!
Hardcore Superstar is not one of those bands that appear out of nowhere, and then just disappear. You’ve built a steady career in many years of hard work. Looking back, was there ever a time when you questioned the band’s fate, and your job as a musician? Were you ever tempted to screw everything, and just become an accountant?
It was just after the „No Regrets” tour that we felt that we needed to take a break. The break lasted for 12 months, and we almost didn’t talk to each other during that year. Everyone needed some space and time to reflect whether Hardcore Superstar had a future or not. After these months passed, we had a meeting, and we discussed the future of the band; if we should do another record or simply end Hardcore Superstar. As you can figure out for yourself, we chose to keep going. That was the only time when this question arose. From then, we have always been sure about the future of the band.
What are the bands that you’re listening to right now AND what are the bands (they can be pop-acts, electronic acts, whatever) that you absolutely hate?
I listen to Lamb of God, Devildriver and Foxy Shazam. Since I love music, I cannot say that I absolutely hate a band, but I must admit there are bands out there that really suck…but I won’t name them (laughs).
Describe the new record in a few words and tell us why it will blow us away.
In „Long time no see” you can find influences from Mother Love Bone, for example, and, as I mentioned, „Stranger of Mine” has some touches from STP. In „Are you gonna cry now” you get to experience a tune with a really raw attitude! Along with the other songs on the album, you can taste a killer cocktail of sleaze/thrash and grunge. Simply, the new record is a full-blown party album! You can put it on repeat at both the warm up party, the party and the after party! You will never get bored, only drunk! Cheers!
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