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Story about Illusion. Interview May 2023.

– Greetings to you Story about illusion. Welcome to Metal Health and thanks for being here. 

Thanks for having me.

– Congratulations on your new album ‘Perfect equilibrium’. And congrat’s on signing with Epictronic records last year. I love the track ‘The world is against me’. Musically it is a very interesting piece. The lyrics are powerful and thought provoking, and I can say for me, I relate strongly. 

Thank you very much. That means a lot to me.

– What does good mental health mean to you?

Good mental health for me is feeling comfortable with who I am and how I feel. It’s really important that you can be yourself when you are among friends and family. I shouldn’t have to pretend to be something else. Good mental health means a lot to me.

–  How is life for you off the road or when you’re not gigging? Especially after a tour or a big gig. Is it difficult to adjust back into life at home after time on the road? Or after an inspiring recording session? If so, how do you adjust/cope? Of course, covid turned the world upside down. How did you handle the worldwide pandemic shutdowns? 

Story About Illusion is just a few years old and I haven’t had the experience of touring yet. My first concern in that case would be to put an actual band together as I am now the only member. The recording sessions for the album were really intense. Since I played everything myself I was exhausted at the end of the day. You are most of the time really concentrated and that takes a lot of energy. But it gives a lot of satisfaction.

A part of the album was actually recorded during a lockdown. The studio was perfect for recording during the lockdown because it was just me and the engineer both in different rooms. 

My social life has been on hold for the last couple of years since my wife and I have two young children. The worldwide pandemic shutdowns didn’t affect me that much compared to other people because we were already used to staying at home. Family life takes a lot of energy and it’s difficult to write music at the same time.

-Yes, i think being a dad to a young family is full on – and also beautiful. What motivates you? What keeps you going?

Things that make me angry or sad are a real motivation for songwriting. I guess everybody struggles with their demons from time to time and I’m no exception to that. The challenge is to translate my anger, sadness and depressive feelings into music.  Music is therapy so it’s a self-sustaining process.

– Have you experienced any tough times personally that you’d be okay talking about? If so, how are you/did you get through this?

A lot of the songs on the album are really personal and I’m not fully ready to talk about every song but we can talk about ‘The world is against me’.

‘The world is against me’ is about the destruction of being addicted to alcohol. I have a family member who has a serious drinking problem and there’s nothing you can do about it. They have to see the light before they finally understand that they have to change their lifestyle. If they don’t see it or don’t want to see it, they just continue drinking. Watching someone you love who is totally destroying themselves is just awful and heartbreaking.

At the moment I’m fine and the family member has also stopped drinking, at least for now.

-Yes, i agree. It is heartbreaking. I wish that family member well. What does making music mean to you? Why do you do it?

Making music is one of the best things in life. It’s therapy. It’s a way for me to relax and process what I experience in life. Some men go fishing on Sunday morning and some men like to play sports. I play the guitar and write songs.

-When did you start making music? Was it like finding some buried treasure that you didn’t know you had, and how does making music fit in with the rest of your life?

I started at the age of 15. I remember the first time behind a drum kit. I was able to play a simple groove and it just felt awesome. Indeed, it felt like discovering a treasure. After that first time behind the drumkit I decided to become and drummer and took lessons. At the same time I got interested in playing melodies on the guitar. I started as a drummer but I would turn in a guitar player after a few years. 

From that time until in my mid 20s, music was a big part of my life and I spent a lot of time writing, practicing and performing. I was a guitar player in a band for about 9 years. After my graduation, I got less time for music because I entered a new phase in my life. Music was still there in the background. Nowadays it’s a challenge of keeping everything in balance. 

– How did you put the lyrics and vocal lines together? Do you have a whole lot of thoughts or ideas written down to draw upon, or do you wait to hear the music to get vocal ideas? I suppose it’s not difficult to find plenty to write about currently with lots happening in the world. What are some areas of life that are important to the you? I think this lyric ‘The more that I drink, the more that I fall’ is spot on. I know many people turned to alcohol and drugs during the pandemic. 

I usually write the music first and then the lyrics. It starts with a melody or a riff. Then I try which chords would fit to create the right atmosphere. The vocal line will evolve from one of the melodies. Most of the time I don’t know what I’ll be writing about. Sure, there is a lot happening in the world but I seldom start writing a song and knowing what will be subject. Each song has it’s own history. Sometimes I write a song in a really short period of time. Maybe just a couple of days. Sometimes a song stays on the shelf for years. The music for ‘The world is against me’ was written six years prior to the lyrics. I guess I was waiting for the inspiration for the right lyrics and in the end it was about addiction. The process of creating a song takes some time and you’re not in control of how long the process will last. There are also songs that end up in the garbage can.

Areas of life that are important to me is being satisfied with my relationship, work, mental health and of course my music.

– How important is it for the bass guitar and drums to be tight, or loose, and where do you see Guitars, keys, and Voice fitting in the groove?  

The bass and drums should be tight to have a good foundation for your song in my humble opinion. One of the most important things is to leave some spaces open for guitar, keys and vocals. It makes the song more dynamic instead of hearing just a wall of sound. Sometimes you have to play less to hear more.

-What was the recording process for Perfect Equilibrium? Did you record it live, or record an instrument at a time etc? Some tasty Wah wah guitar on the opening of ‘The world is against me’.

I recorded one instrument at a time. Perfect Equilibrium was recorded in three recording sessions. The first recording session took place in 2019, and then in 2020 I did another two recording sessions. Each session consisted of three days. The first day I would record the drums and maybe a little bit of bass. On the second day I would finish the bass and play most of the guitar. The third day was for details from other instrument, fixing flaws and the vocals.

Funny that you bring up the wah part at the opening. It was a deliberate choice to do this part with the wah effect. I had given it a lot thought.

-What are your plans?  Any gigs coming up, or more recording? Do you have any other projects you’re involved in?

No gigs yet. As I said before, I have to assemble a band first. But I am still writing and making plans for the next record. Maybe I’ll record a few songs later this year.

-Ok, last question. What would you say to fans who are struggling with their mental health, or finding life difficult at the moment?

There is absolutely no shame in reaching out for help. The first step is to recognize that you are struggling and that you can’t make it on your own. We all need help sometimes. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. I think there is still a taboo on mental health problems.

-Thanks  Story about Illusion for taking the time to talk with us. Good luck with the new album.

Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.

Band music links: You tube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgIbSs7IiYg

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/1AeMiH4WOnxQrV8sCk98fg