Royal Republic brought their fifth studio album «LoveCop» to Switzerland and performed their biggest show in this country to date. Ahead of the gig in Zurich, guitarist Hannes Irengård explained the bands 80s influence, talked about their growing success and the creation of their records as well as the complexity of coming up with their catchy, yet sometimes stupid lyrics.
Indiespect: The 80s influence got even bigger with the current record. You were all born in that decade. Did this inspire you to go into that direction?
Hannes Irengård: I think it did, or I know it did, but not in a conscious way. It was never like we sat down and said, let's do 80s music. It just happened organically, it grew by itself. We were making music, trying to write songs, and all of a sudden there's this chorus guitar, and then we're like: oh yeah, that's new. But hey, why not? We just fell into it. But like you said, we are kids of the 80s, so it's in our DNA, obviously. We grew up listening to this kind of music and we've always had a love and fascination for it. The 80s were awesome, music wise. Everything was so extravagant, huge and over the top. We've always been fans of doing that, taking things a little too far.
It was never like we sat down and said, let's do 80s music. It just happened organically, it grew by itself.
Indiespect: Do you all share the same taste in music?
Hannes: Yes and no. I mean, obviously there are a lot of things that we enjoy as a band, but we also listen to very different things. I grew up listening to singer songwriter stuff. Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and so on. Jonas is the metalhead. The harder, the better. Adam is into both stuff. Per is a classically trained percussionist. He was in a symphony orchestra playing triangle and timpani and whatever you call it. We have a very broad musical inspiration palette to draw from, which is good.
© Jonatan Rennemark
Royal Republic: Jonas Almén, Hannes Irengård, Per Andreasson, Adam Grahn (from left to right)
Indiespect: Talking of a broad musical palette. You don't have any musical boundaries.
Hannes: We've always hated that. If you talk to management or a record label, they're going to be like: So what are you guys? We need to promote your song and we need to know who to turn to. Do we go to this rock magazine or do we go to this disco magazine? Do we go to an 80s radio station or where do we go? They want to put you in a box and I get it, because how else are they going to promote you? But for us, we've always hated that sort of thinking. We did whatever we felt like doing and we always believed that that was the right way to do it. If you try to do something for someone else, even for fans, people are gonna see through. It's not going to work. It's gonna feel like a fucking theater or whatever, you know?
If you try to do something for someone else, even for fans, people are gonna see through. It's not going to work.
Indiespect: I think that could even be your your main advantage. Like that you are able to reach the rock audience and people that don't normally listen to that kind of music, just because of your energy and your positive vibe.
Hannes: I think so, too. We took something that was sort of an issue from from the beginning and turned it into an advantage, like you said.
Hannes Irengård in action.
Indiespect: Five years ago at Openair St. Gallen you told me that you change labels for every record. Then it was Nuclear Blast and were optimistic that you might stay there a bit longer.
Hannes: (laughs) Yeah. That's the truth. We got fired from every record label we were ever on. We had a good relationship with all of them, but again, we're a difficult band to work with. Not personally, at all. We had a very good relationship with everyone, but business wise, like, what do we do with these guys?
We got fired from every record label we were ever on.
Indiespect: Because you're resistent to take advice from anyone outside of the band?
Hannes: We take advice and we consider it, we think it through. But in the end, we're always gonna stick with what we think and feel the most.
Royal Republic are the same four guys since the beginning.
Indiespect: Have you produced your album «LoveCop» on your own as a band? On Spotify it reads «Royal Republic under exclusive license of OMN Label Services».
Hannes: This album was produced by Adam and Michael Ilbert in Berlin.
Indiespect: You also said that making the albums is the hardest part of being in Royal Republic. I could imagine that it got worse even with that.
Hannes: Yeah, it sucks all the time, up until the point where we arrive at something that we all agree on being awesome. The funny thing is, we never speak about it that much. We know when we have arrived at something. And still to this day, we can't put our finger on what exactly that thing is, that makes Royal Republic. But when it happens, we all know it. There's like a mutual agreement on: this is it, without saying a word.
Still to this day, we can't put our finger on what exactly that thing is, that makes Royal Republic.
But when it happens, we all know it.
Indiespect: Was it ever close to someone of you saying: fuck you, I don't want to work with you anymore?
Hannes: No, not at all. I mean, it's hard. We fought in the studio, we cried in the studio. We had every emotion there is. But, no, it's never been like, fuck you or I'm out of here or anything like that. Even when we were not getting along musically, we all knew that even though we have two completely different opinions on this. I know that you are doing this for the best of the band. And I am also. We have never been even close to breaking up. We've never had anyone saying, I think I'm done. Not at all. Quite the opposite. We're in for the long run. We want to keep doing this for as long as we can.
Royal Repbulic are able to please any crowd.
Indiespect: You are a hard working band that puts everything into this project to maintain their fans and gain new ones. On this tour you played sold out shows with venues that have a capacity of 4000 people. Do you feel, like you've reached a new level?
Hannes: Kind of, but at the same time we have been growing organically throughout our career. We never had a lucky strike, where it was just like, bam! We've been touring and touring and the angle of success has been slow, but very steady. So yes, there is an increase of people coming to see us. The venues are getting bigger and bigger, but it's never been overwhelming because of the fact that it's been growing like this. We never went from playing 100 people to 5000 people. It was more like 1000 people, 1200 people, 1400 people.
We're in a place right now where we are super grateful and just happy to be able to do what we do for a living.
Indiespect: Were you always patient as a band? Or were you sometimes thinking, we want this big hit to blow up?
Hannes: Now, looking back, we're very thankful that it happened this way because, like you said, our fans have been with us for a long time, they're super loyal. But obviously there have been times where we've been thinking, what the fuck? Why can't we get a proper hit single? Why don't we get loads of airtime or radio plays and stuff? I mean, we're on radio, but we never had a smash single. But again, in the long run, I think it is the way to do it, at least for us. We're so fucking proud of what we did. Because we did it for almost 15 years now. We're the same band, we're pretty much the same crew. I wouldn't want to have it any other way. But of course there are times when you're like, oh, imagine getting like a proper fucking hit single (laughs). Who knows, might happen, might not. Either way, it doesn't really matter. We're in a place right now where we are super grateful and just happy to be able to do what we do for a living. It's incredible.
The crowds for Royal Republic are getting bigger and bigger.
Indiespect: You guys rock. But with your leather jackets combined with pearls, you show that you don't take yourselves too serious. What do you think of you Swedish colleagues like The Hives that declare themselves as people's favorite bands? Is this just not your cup of tea?
Hannes: No, it's just not how we do things. We never had a strategic meeting where we went like, okay, so how are we going to promote ourselves? What you see is what you get. The four of us, we are who we are. Whether you like it or not, we're not trying to be anything else. But with that being said, I'm a huge Hives fan. What they do with their whole: we're your favorite band thing, I think it's fucking kick ass. It's so cool, great and funny in its own way. I have nothing but respect for those guys.It's just about finding your own niche. We do it our way, they do it their way. And it's all good.
We need to stick to one or it will break the budget for the entire tour.
Indiespect: You once said that each one of you has only one leather jacket. They must be really smelly because it's hot and you're sweating during your show. How do you avoid fainting on stage because of this?
Hannes: Maybe tonight's the night, we'll see. Oh, it is horrible, seriously. Now on this tour, we have what we call a stink room. Katy from our team is the first in the venue and she finds a stink room. Which basically means that this is the room where we hang all the smelly stage clothes. We dry them up there. You don't want to go in there, it's horrible. The metal things we have on the jackets, they're all rusty. It's insane and disgusting. But those things are fucking, expensive, man. We need to stick to one or it will break the budget for the entire tour. (laughs)
Hannes Irengård is like a wild animal on stage.
Indiespect: Do you intend to keep this look for the future? I saw that you crew has nice gym suits which are really cool.
Hannes: Yeah they're awesome. We all put them on and we're like: imagine doing the show and this. Be so easy. Oh man, that would be like fucking spa day. We'll see. We're doing this now and then we'll see what happens in the future. We, we don't know.
He is one of those few singers that he can fucking do whatever you ask him to do.
Indiespect: When I first heard your song «Lazerlove» I thought someone else than Adam is singing. Did you approach that one differently? Or was it just in a pitch that he never sang before?
Hannes: It's funny that you mention this because I heard it quite a few times. Is that really Adam? For me, it's obvious that it's him, but that might be because of me knowing Adam and his vocal range and capabilities. And obviously because I was in the studio all the time when he was putting on the vocals. He is one of those few singers that he can fucking do whatever you ask him to do. He'll do growling, he'll do metal or he'll do crooner stuff. It's just amazing. What we always do and what Adam does, is, he makes sure that he does what serves the song. It's never like I'm not going to sing it like that because it doesn't sound like me or what I usually do. It's always been song first. If the song requires this kind of thing, then that's what I'm going to do, because the song is number one.
Adam Grahn sounds very different in «Lazerlove»
Indiespect: Which song of yours is the hardest for you to play?
Hannes: In the set right now, LoveCop has been quite a ride. That's difficult because there's a lot of singing, a lot of harmonies all the way through. Me personally, I usually don't have a problem with the singing itself or with the guitar playing itself, it's the combination of things. When you're supposed to play a certain kind of riff and sing at the same time. And then there's all the switching on the pedalboard, which has to happen while you're singing and you can't really see what's going on down there. So it's like fumbling in the dark.
For every album we put out, it gets more and more difficult.
It's the combination of the three that makes it difficult. LoveCop is definitely one of those songs. Freakshow was difficult as well. That's a heavy one, but it's really working out. I was thinking about it yesterday, actually. For every album we put out, it gets more and more difficult. It used to be like, okay, here's the rock chord, here's the power – go: da da da da da da. Okay, we're good to go. But now it's more difficult. But so far so good. You'll have to judge for yourself tonight.
A singer with an impressive vocal range: Adam Grahn.
Indiespect: One last question. it's no secret that your lyrics are not meant to be Shakespeare level. But nevertheless, even though you have funny and sometimes nonsense lyrics, it must be kind of hard to come up with them.
Hannes: Yeah, it is. As funny and as stupid as they are, it's still very important to us. It needs to sound like Royal Republic and it needs to be funny in the right way. It's not supposed to be stupid. There's a lot of rules that aren't really outspoken, but we know them. When we have arrived at the place we know this is the right amount of everything. I mean, here we are singing about don't stop moving, baby and stuff, but we actually – it sounds so stupid (laughs) – we actually do put a lot of effort into our lyrics. That's crazy. I didn't really think about this, but we do.
We actually do put a lot of effort into our lyrics.
Indiespect: It's perfect to sing along and that's a big achievement.
Hannes: Yeah. And that's a big part of it as well. Getting the syllables right and that kind of stuff. We're really picky, even though the end result might not show it. (laughs)