Laif

Laif nr3 2013







Translation (thanks to marii of PFWW)

I couldn’t wait till this interview mainly because Time is money lyrics “with Jesus marching on before”. Are those words a result of Brian’s spiritual transformation?
Yes church plays an important role in his life. Christianity has always been a good source for metaphors and allegories and has been quoted by pop culture very often. It’s just another chorus which confirms that.

Can you identify with those lyrics?
I grew up in Sweden, very secularised country. I did not have religion in school, no one from my family went to church but I’m fascinated by a role that church played over the centuries. It inspired many artists. Jesus was of course central figure. He had a huge impact on people. But for me, to be honest, he’s not that important

LLL is your first album after quitting drugs. It was hard to ignore it while writing new material, we can hear it for ex. In Purify
Writing stories based on your own experience, which Brian does, is the most valuable. I really hope many artists and songwriters do it the same way because it’s how contact with listeners should look like. Lyrics need context with which people can identify themselves and relate to it their own experience.

Album has two chapters, first one is really rock like from BMM times or recent BFTS. Second one recalls experiments from SWG times, when you mixed rock with electronics so well…
Yes I thought so too. First part of the album indeed sounds like a session of rock band that plays in small room and prepares good tour material. Second part is focused on lyrics, on searching new musical possibilities, especially within the electronic music, which is a really good promise for the future. This is a complete album. In works on SWG we worked with Jim Abbiss, producer with huge experience with electronic music. For me that was the best album, great mix of rock and electronics. It’s great if you can see similarities .

You have a talent for writing hit songs in your blood, a proof for it is Rob the bank with catchy bass lines. Can you tell us something more about the creation process of this song
It’s funny because you are the second journalist from Poland who asks me for details about this song as it happens that we’ve chosen it for a single for Poland (laughs). Rob the bank can be taken as a commentary to economy crisis but it’s only superficial meaning. It’s a song about sex after a really hard day, at least it’s how Brian explained it to me (laughs). Lyrics are about a list of things that are treated as illegal: burglary, robberies and sex. This is Brian, his lyrics are not obvious, I have to guess or ask what he meant and as you can see he still surprises me. I really appreciate this way of writing lyrics where you can search for other meanings.

The beginning of your carrier was very sharp, you lived intensively. You smashed guitars and fell into alcohol. Did you feel that you were pushing it, that all that experimenting with drugs may have a tragic end
When I think about what I did in the past I can tell you that I should be already dead. I did a lot of harm to my body and it seriously could end too early. When you feel like you can do everything and world is open in front of you, you try to become someone else. Yes it was a crazy time

Young artists think that the best ideas come to you when you’re on drugs. Your new album proves that more important is experience and passion to create new songs
Drugs give you a feeling of isolation. The truth is, you can write most songs without drugs, but when you’re on drugs you know how much you know, how much you can really do, when you start to feel and see more, when your imagination grows. It’s an interesting experience but very dangerous one. It’s very easy to fall to the bottom. Of course it can make you a great artist but what good comes from it if you’ll be dead.

I’ve always admired your courage to express emotions on stage. I’m curious how you are off stage, do you have other passions?
Outside the band I’m an ordinary guy who does not fly planes or go canoeing down the waterfall. I prefer to rest at home. After a loud day filled with sensations, concerts and music the only thing I look for is peace. The band gives me all that I would not experience without it so I use the remaining energy on composing at home studio. It’s enough for me.

If you could turn back time would you change anything? Would you like to meet Brian Molko? Would you like to live everything with Placebo again?
A lot of time has passed, on my way I had really tough moments and even though I did not recover completely I would not like to change anything. Life is a journey full of adventures and we should discover as much as possible and be grateful to fate for all experiences and for what we have now.