Interview by Miriam Cadoni
From the lovely Växjö, located in Sweden, the hard rock band Frontback (sorry for the play words) comes back with their second album to date called “Don’t Mind the Noise” released via Black Lodge Records. This Swedish band has all the right cards to be the next big thing. Do you want to learn more about it? What’s really left is get into this interview!
Hi Anlo, welcome to Femme Metal Webzine, how are you and how life is treating you?
Hi there, I’ve been working today and so, I’m a little bit tired.
First of all, for those who aren’t familiar with Frontback, would you mind to introduce us a bit how the band got together?
We are a rock band from Sweden and we play a catchy rock’n’roll and we have a raw energy while we play live. So, in the formation we find me (Anlo) on the guitar and lead singer, Axel on the guitars, Christopher on the drums and Jonas on the bass. We got together about 5 years ago and right now, we are about to release our third album “Don’t Mind the Noise”.
So, in a way, you introduced a little bit of what I wanted to ask you: this past October was released “Don’t Mind the Noise” via Black Lodge Records. What you can share about the overall production and when did you start to collect the first idea for this release?
I think we have been working on this album for about 1 year. Everything started with just one song left from the “Heart of a Lion” ‘s session. We created the song together in the studio in the Växjö area. Yeah, it was really fun to do it [laughs] but it takes some time to come up with everything including the video and the drawing of the album cover which I ideated myself. It was really an enjoyable time.
As you have already mentioned the previous album was called “Heart of a Lion” and it was released three years ago by a different label which was Dead End Exit Records. What differences can you denote between “The Heart of a Lion” and this new full-length? How do you feel you and the band have musically improved?
I think that when you create new stuff and you come up with some new ideas, you are generally always improving. However, this album sounds more homogeneous, you can hear the same band playing in a much more playful way and in a modern touch on the production.
Additionally, “Don’t Mind the Noise” represents a new beginning because it was released through a new label, which as I have already mentioned is Black Lodge Records. How is the collaboration going so far and how was the first approach with them?
Actually, the events worked out in this way: we’re still part of Dead End Exit Records but lately they are also running our current label. The fact is that Black Lodge Records is bigger than the other one and allows our album to be widely distributed. So, I think it will be better and it feels good to be backed up by a bigger company.
For promoting “The Heart of a Lion” as a first single it was chosen the song “Back in Hell”. Which further information, would you like to add about it and about the video itself?
For us, “Back in Hell” is a traditional rock’n’roll song and we liked it because it was quite catchy. The song is mostly about experiencing hell and I’m sure you don’t want to get back there [laughs].
I have also learned that you obtained a diploma in Make-up Artistry and Clothing. As you know, we are a webzine that mainly focuses on front-woman and singer-songwriters. I was curious to know about the stage clothes that you are wearing on the promo shoots as I imagine it’s something you have ideated. So, how did you manage to create them and which meaning they have for you?
Yeah, thank you. I love to have my own style so I just wanted to have some special clothes. For example, on one of the jackets I have the lion from the cover album, originally I didn’t come up with that but I simply painted on the jacket. I create all my clothes all by myself, it might happen that I buy clothes and then, I subsequently add some details such as all that sparkly gold and other stuff which it will become a much more personalized outfit. Another example is the hat which I have completely ideated and created with golden inserts, for sure, it takes some time but for me it’s really funny to do.
The press release specifically mentions that the new album features “a more modern touch”. How would you like to comment on this and what do you think about it?
We generally think that “The Touch of the Lion” has a more modern touch due to its production. This time, we concede more space to the producer and this helped him to add his personal touch in the sound. Of course, it doesn’t mean that we have radically changed, we are always the same band, it’s just that new inputs were added.
I would also like to remember to our readers that Frontback performed at the Sweden Rock Festival and also, you participated in the nationwide competition “Sweden’s Rock Voice“. Which are the nicest memories that you cherish the most about these two events?
That day at the Sweden Rock Festival was really cool because we played at the same time as when Iron Maiden‘s gig was about to finish and we didn’t think that so many people would have been present. We managed to fill up the entire tent which was about 3000 people, there was a lot of energy among the audience and I had a lot of fun playing there. Instead about the competition, it was really re-invigorating for me to play because I’ve always played with Frontback and just our songs. In this case I sung a cover by Guns’n’Roses and Europe‘s Kee Marcello was present as juror which he really liked my performance and it’s really nice to remember, even after my winning.
Do you have any plans for an extensive European tour in support of “The Heart of a Lion”?
We are working on it, at the moment our management is working on it with the booking agent. I’m not so sure about its outcome but we’re working on it.
So, Anlo, we’re almost at the end of our interview and with this, please feel free to say hi to your fans and our readers. Thank you so much for this interview.
Hi, this is Anlo from the band Frontback. I hope you like our music and I hope you are having a good time.