(1) Could you tell our readers about your band (PETERIFIED)? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.?
Certainly! Peterified started in early 2023. I was in a band called Magasin 99, sort of a blend between punkrock and singer/songwriter influenced music with swedish lyrics, between 2020-2022. We disbanded in early 2022 and me and longtime friend and guitar player Mikael wanted to continue to collaborate musically. We know each other well both on a personal level and a musical level since we’ve been playing together in various bands and musical projects since our teens. After a few months of soul searching I came to the conclusion that I wanted to record some solo stuff. I’ve always been a creative part in all the bands I’ve worked with over the years, but I’ve mostly written with another singer in mind but myself. I’m originally a drummer, but I’ve also fronted a couple of bands over the years and also play a little guitar and keyboards, mostly for songwriting purposes. I had a bunch of leftover songs that for one reason or another never quite fitted my previous bands. I made a bet with myself I would have a soloalbum finished and ready for release by the time I hit 50. That’s a year and a half ago, so I missed that goal by a loooongshot *ha ha ha*
Besides Mikael I also involved keyboard player Mattias, my oldest childhood friend, early in the process. After about a year of trying out different songs and bouncing around different ideas I contacted guitarist, songwriter and producer Victor Olsson from Saffire and Gathering Of Kings and drummer Anton Roos who recently played with Seventh Crystal. They are both friends of mine and were both really enthusiastic about Peterified. I also contacted another old friend and previous bandmate Johan who is a brilliant bass player and musician over all to record bass.
People tend to wanna box Peterified in the AOR and melodic rock category, and I can understand why. The music is very melodic and built on a foundation of rock obviously, but there’s also a bit of singer/songwriter influences and a dramatic, flamboyant side to the music as well. Since I also work a little on the side as a music journalist for Rocknytt – a swedish webzine for all things rock and metal – I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the music industry over the past decade. As soon as Trial By Fire was mastered I sent a couple of tracks to about fifty people. Musicians in different established bands whom I consider friends, journalist colleges, A&R people, promotion agents, music producers and a few close friends who are not musicians or associated with the music biz. I asked them for feedback and help in picking the singles and, most importantly, what kind of bands and artists they could hear in the songs. The bands that were most frequent in their feedback was Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Journey and Queen. Even though the songs are inspired by a whole bunch of other bands as well, I think that’s a good way to sort of sum up what Peterified has turned out to be:-)
(2) Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
My sister, who’s four years my senior, listened a lot to ABBA when I was a little kid. An older brother of a childhood friend was total and all into KISS when I was about five, six years old so those bands are my earliest musical memories, apart from lullabies and children’s songs, and I still listen to them to this day. When I was about ten, eleven years old I discovered music on a larger scale. I was really into everything from Michael Jackson, Eurythmics, Alphaville, Depeche Mode, Madonna, Kim Wilde, Rick Springfield and Howard Jones to Twisted Sister, Mötley Crüe and W.A.S.P. A couple of years later I discovered the likes of Queen, Slade, Europe, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, Poison, Guns’n Roses, Whitesnake, TOTO, Danger Danger and Warrant. In my late teens I listened a lot to Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Swedish bands like Atomic Swing and Electric Boys. I also discovered metal like Judas Priest, Dream Theater, Metallica and Queensryche around that time. There’s many more, but all these bands listed have shaped me and influenced me as a musician and songwriter in one way or another.
(3) Who came up with the cover art for the album (Trial By Fire)?.
My good friend Oz Hawe Petersson from Osukaru and Oz Hawe Peterssons Rendez Vous helped me with the cover art for all three singles, the album cover and CD booklet. All the artwork is based on ideas we’ve bounced off of each other. The inspiration is a mix between my experiences of growing up and coming of age in Mölndal (Mill Valley), a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden, so the artwork reflects my life experiences combined with a tribute to the historic heritage of Mölndal being an old mill town, a hub for textile production and paper industry.
(4) Who wrote the lyrics for your new album, how did they come to be?
I’ve written all the lyrics (and music) for Trial By Fire. The lyrics are inspired by my experiences with coming of age, adulthood, going through a divorce, having a daughter with autism, experiencing loss, grief and heartbreak and finally clawing my way out of heartbreak and confusion, reclaiming who I am and finding a way home both mentally and physically. Some of the songs dates back a long time. Stole My Heart away is an example. I wrote the embryo of that song around the time I was twenty in 1994, On My Own I wrote in 2014 shortly after my divorce, Weekend Lover also in 2014 when me and my then girlfriend, who I now have a life with, were living in different cities and could only spend time during the weekends. Songs like Dangerous Curves about my narcissistic ex wife, Never Mind about being heartbroken but not really wanna admit it to anybody else, least of all yourself, and Mill Valley (Coming Home) about rediscovering yourself and your origins, are newer songs written with the album in mind. One of the more dramatic songs, Point Of No Return, deals with my divorce and the associated feelings of anger, guilt and frustration. Also written just prior to the album.
(5) Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics and the website?
The logo is based on ideas I had and refined with a little help from AI. The sword in the letter R was originally intended for the letters T and I in Peterified. The graphics on my socials is all made by me (and Oz apparently).
(6) How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (Venues or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
All the members of the current line up of Peterified are all seasoned musicians with a lot of experience of playing in various bands and musical outfits both live and in the studio, including myself. Peterified has up until recently strictly been a studio project. The first proper gig we’re gonna play will be the release party in Gothenburg (later tonight as I write this), so that’s gonna be exciting and a whole lot of fun being able to try the songs live in front of an audience for the first – but probably not the last – time;-) It would be fantastic to play a festival gig in the future. I love the vibe of festivals, there’s always cool people to hang with and new bands to discover.
(7) What is your songwriting process?
I tend to write at best when I’m angry, sad or really happy. There’s generally no inbetween, but my brain is constantly in a state of creating. Suddenly there’s a melody in my head that desperately needs to be ”captured”. It’s hard to explain, I don’t know where it all comes from. Melodies are constantly in my head and my job is to try and channel them through my fingers down on the keyboard, or the fretboard of a guitar and through my throat *ha ha ha* Inspiration strikes when I least expect it. Sometimes it turns out pretty good and effortless and the song writes itself more or less, and sometimes it’s a painstaking process that takes a lot of time of bouncing ideas around until I’m satisfied. Nine out of ten times the melodies come before the lyrics, but sometimes a cool sentence of words can inspire an entire lyric and then I write the melodies around it.
(8) How would you describe your band’s sound?
Peterified live during rehearsals has been another beast then the recorded songs. It’s a bit rawer and heavier, but I guess that’s what often happens when you play live for real, and this is definitely a really skilled liveband. Everything you hear is live, all the vocals and all the instruments. No music or instruments on files.
(9) What are the main themes or messages in your lyrics?
Trial By Fire is the most personal pieces of music I have ever created. It’s definitely autobiographical and deals mostly with my experiences with the opposite sex, the women in my life and relations in general.
(10) Do you have endorsements that you want to talk about or share?
I’m one of those musicians that play whatever instrument is available, at the moment I’m not endorsed by any particular brand. As a drummer I like Pearl and DW drums a lot, Zildjian and Sabian cymbals. As a keyboard player I like KORG and Yamaha. I also got an EVH guitar for my fiftieth birthday, black and white. Eddie Van Halen was and is my biggest musical hero.
(11) Would you like to share any shows or festivals coming up?
Tonight is the release party at a place in Gothenburg called ”The Potato”. After that we’ll see what happens. Everybody in the current line up is really enthusiastic so we’ll see what the future holds. Hopefully there’ll be more live gigs in a not so distant future and more music to be released. There’s loads of new songs just waiting to be recorded:-)
(12) How and where can your fans contact you? What about you and social networks?
I run all Peterified’s social media by myself so I’m available on Facebook, instagram, YouTube and of course also through my fantastic partner in crime Scream for existence music agency. The music is available where ever you stream your music. You can also buy a digital copy of Trial By Fire on Band Camp or if you want a CD you can get it at Pride & Joy music shop online. There’s also gonna be a vinyl version of the album available for purchase shortly. Follow Peterified on Facebook, instagram and YouTube to stay updated on all things Peterified. You can be rest assured there’ll be more music and videos coming soon.
