BJORN LODIN OF BALTIMOORE INTERVIEW

24th May 2009

 

 

Wasting little time in resurrecting Swedish rock legends Baltimoore since leaving BALLS in late 2008, band leader and vocalist Bjorn Lodin has just finished up writing, recording and producing in his home studio the eleventh Baltimoore album - Quick Fix.  We caught up with Bjorn to get the lowdown on the new album, new band members and how he is able to keep the flame of inspiration alive - enjoy.

Hi Bjorn, another year, another album.  What keeps the hunger alive?
Hello Andy! Yes, and on schedule even J Oh, I crossed that line years ago. I just know that this is what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life. It’s the best therapy there is!

Ok before we get onto the new Baltimoore album “Quick Fix”, you released an album with Balls entitled ‘Chameleon’ which was promising then you quit the band, what happened?
Not much to say, really. It seemed like a good idea at the time…

Well you’ve wasted little time in writing and recording “Quick Fix”, you’ve assembled a new band and written 10 great new tracks.  When did the writing take place for the album and what were you looking to achieve musically/lyrically with the album?
Thanks! Well, I had no BALLS to scratch but felt the itch… so, in December I got in touch with Örjan Fernkvist, my favourite Hammond player, to see if he was available for a Baltimoore project. Lucky for me he was. We got together and tried out some ideas and decided we’d go for it. Björn and Robban, from BALLS, came on board and soon we’d found a guitarist – Emanuel Hedberg. After bouncing ideas for a few months the album was ready to cut.

There is a nice variety on the album from some kick ass rockers, to some more mellow tunes and some stuff that verges on experimental rock plus a highly commercial number.  Is it variety for varieties sake or was there a greater force at work?
These songs are what came out this time J and having organ back in the band was very inspirational!

To these ears the album takes a pinch of everything from the different slants heard across Baltimoore’s back catalogue, yet avoided the full of metal histrionics of the Nikolo Kotzev years.  In 2009 what does Bjorn Lodin see as the Baltimoore sound?
I think Quick Fix is very representative for what Baltimoore does… we go for it. We don’t follow trends and we keep trying new things. At the age of 44, I feel very comfortable about where Baltimoore’s at and exited about where we got left to go.

Bringing back Örjan Fernkvist on Hammond has brought back a much earthier sound than the dual guitar approach heard on the last 3 albums, had you taken that twin guitar sound as far as possible at this point in time?
I love guitars and I always write on guitars. I’m sure there’ll be more twin guitars in the future – acoustic for sure!

You’ve also got some smoking Swedish youngsters in the band as well, where did you pluck these guys from and what do you think they have added to the band?
Yeah, these guys have a great future! Well, I saw Björn and Robban playing at a local festival and asked them to join the BALLS project. When auditioning guitarist for Baltimoore, Björn recommended Emanuel… Björn and Emanuel both co-wrote tracks with me - “Tell me who you wanna be today” and “Shoot the dark” 

Some fans may initially seemed concerned about a lack of a Thomas Larsson or Stefan Bergström on lead guitar yet new six stringer Emanuel Hedberg certainly holds his own.  Where you concerned about the perception of going out with another line up change?
Na, I don’t worry about that. If fans haven’t learned the pattern by now it’s about time ;) This is a highly unpredictable band – line up wise as well as “style” wise, both Thomas and Stefan might turn up again down the road…

Lyrically the album seems to tell a collection of stories written from different perspectives and situations.  The albums artwork and inlay work also suggests a general theme for the album, what do the lyrics mean to you and are there any you are particularly proud of?
The lyrics are very important, of course. They’re what make the song what it is. I’m proud of all of them J

The band is certainly firing on all cylinders on the album and you’ve given listeners a rather unique 10 bonus tracks in the guise of the bare instrumental tracks for each song as well, what’s your reasoning behind this?
Hopefully, people will enjoy them on their karaoke nights J or use them to record their own lovely voices… put it on YouTube and just have a laugh with it… or make new vocal melodies and lyrics… or just enjoy the absence of me… I’d love to hear someone else belting it on these tracks in any shape or form!

You’ve released 7 Baltimoore albums, a live DVD, the aforementioned album with Balls along with several Swedish language radio singles since the turn of the 21^st century.  What exactly is in the water up there in Sweden to encourage and inspire this sort of recorded output?
Haha, well I’ve been at this since I was 14, that’s 30 years now… writing songs has always been a part of how I “do music”. I’ve probably written and co-written 50 songs these last 14 months, some released by me and some by other artists and some waiting to be released in the fall. As long as I’m focused - and have food on the table, I seem to be able to write songs. It’s not brain surgery, you know! You just gotta wanna take care of whatever comes out of the tap ;)

You toured on the back on the previous Baltimoore album “X”, are there any plans to give live audiences a “Quick Fix”?
Yes. We’re putting a set list together now and will rehearse this summer. Lets see where it will take us.

What’s next for Bjorn Lodin and Baltimoore?
I’m recording and producing a female singer/songwriter album for another month and a half. Then we start rehearsals with Baltimoore.

Bjorn many thanks for your time and we wish success with “Quick Fix”
Thanks for having me mateJ Always a pleasure!

OFFICIAL WEBSITES
http://www.baltimoore.net/
http://www.myspace.com/baltimoore