[avatar user=”Lara” size=”30″ align=”left” /]A while back we had the pleasure to review Kamchatka’s new album Long Road Made of Gold (you can read all about it here), now we fired up some questions to Thomas Juneor Andersson.
The band has been really busy promoting Long Road Made of Gold, an album well worth a listen in my opinion. Here’s what Thomas Juneor Andersson had to say to Moshville Times.
MT: Would you like to introduce yourself to our audience and tell us something about Kamchatka for the people that are not familiar with your music?
Thomas: Yes, my name is Thomas Juneor Andersson and I play the guitar and sing in the Swedish rock trio Kamchatka. To describe our music from my point of view i would say classic blues flavoured rock in a three piece suit that tries to add something new to the table.
MT: You changed your name from Shrimpmoney to Kamchatka…what’s this all about?
Thomas: Our record label at the time (Grooveyard Records US 2005-2008) didn’t like Shrimpmoney as a band name, so we changed to Kamchatka.
MT: Long Road Made of Gold is your sixth studio album, what were your intentions when you started composing for this album?
Thomas: Just kept writing music after the release of our previous album called The Search Goes On and started recording this new album in between tours during 2014.
MT: What are your feelings on this release and how does this album compares to your previous ones?
Thomas: This release has been great for the band with loads of great reviews and more attention to the group.
MT: Any special memories from the recording sessions? Tell me about the ‘Kamchatka shelter’…it sounds like a cool place to hang out…
Thomas: We worked focused as all ways with the recording and had a lot of fun to. The ‘Kamchatka shelter’ is not as cool as it sounds, it’s a old concrete shelter without windows and air circulation so after working in there for 12 hours you get kind of weird in the head.
MT: What sort of music inspired you to become a musician?
Thomas: It was the blues music that got me going as a 7 year old boy and I kept playing the blues up until we started Kamchatka in 2002; with Kamchatka I started to learn about other types of music like metal, punk, jazz and all kinds of cool stuff so today my playing style is a blend of these elements but with a strong undertone of the Blues.
MT: Which bands do you think have had the greatest influence on your own music, individually or as a band?
Thomas: Long list to name all but Soundgarden, ZZ Top, Hendrix, BB King, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Clutch, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Judas Priest, AC/DC …..to name a few.
MT: What is Per Wiberg bringing to the band having now officially joined it? It sounds a bit rockier I believe…
Thomas: Correct, Per brings more rock to the Kamchatka table and he is a great producer. His way of playing and singing really makes the band sound more like a rock group. We like rock ;)
MT: Can you tell me a bit about your writing process? I believe you (Thomas) and now Per do most of the writing, how does it work out for you? What inspires you?
Thomas: I write about things in life that I go through as a person both good and bad. We take inspiration from the road and from listening to other bands and all kind of different genres.
MT: You have few covers on your albums do you play them live too?
Thomas: Yes, at the moment we play the Devo’s song “Outo Modown” and “Space Girl Blues” and maybe we will add some of the other covers as well on the next tour.
MT: You will soon play some dates in Europe, are there any plans for a few dates in the UK and perhaps in Scotland?
Thomas: We have a lot of tour planning at the moment and we will come back to the UK but there are no dates set just yet. Scotland is also a wonderful place that we would love to play in.
MT: I know you now have your own signature Ibanez guitar, could you tell us about the specs and highlights of the ‘Beard Bender’? Why did you feel the need to design a signature guitar, was there not an off the shelf guitar that you liked?
Thomas: ‘Beard Bender project’ started when I got a fine scholarship from the Swedish Royal Music Academy in 2011 and was asked by Ibanez if I would be interested in designing a Thomas Juneor model. I said yes and the result became the Beard Bender. A hollow body in maple whit a hum-bucker pick-up in the bridge position and a single coil pick-up in the neck position. I play other types of music when I don’t play with Kamchatka, like Swedish folk music and blues music and I was on the lookout for a guitar that could work in all those fields, it really worked out and now I always play on my Beard Bender guitar :)
MT: What’s your on stage set up (i.e. amps, guitars , pedals etc..) when touring to promote Long Road Made of Gold ? Is this the same gear you use in the studio?
Thomas: We use the same gear live as in the studio and for me that includes Fender amps of different types, Beard Bender guitars and Ibanez tubescreamer + Ibanez delays.
MT: What are you working on at the moment?
Thomas: New Kamchatka music, new folk music and some new blues music for a future blues project.
MT: Will we ever see another album from King Hobo? Given Per Wiberg is already in the band I am here hoping…or was it a one off project?
Thomas: There is one more King Hobo album already recorded but I don’t know when or if it will be released.
MT: Do you remember your first live performance? How did it go?
Thomas: Yes it was back in 1983 and i was 8 years old, the band played covers by Chuck Berry, AC/DC, and some others which I can’t remember right now, but it was awesome and the first show took place in my home town called Varberg here in Sweden.
MT: Is there another big passion aside from music?
Thomas: Family and friends, horror movies, sea food and beer.
MT: Do you have a message for all your fans out there who are thinking about coming to one of your shows this year?
Thomas: Yes! I hope to see and meet new faces at our shows and if you dig Rock, Blues and jams in a modern way come visit a Kamchatka show, we will not disappoint you ;)
MT: Thanks for your time and hopefully we will catch up soon at one of your shows.
Thomas: THANK YOU!! \m/
Kamchatka: official | facebook | twitter | instagram
