Page 59 - Black Velvet Issue 91
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                                                                                           BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 59




































                             A (Musical) Note From...

                                 Björn Wennerborg (Animan)


                  Dear Black Velvet Magazine readers!  (and perhaps a little lucky) bands manage to  When we wrote the latest Animan album -
                  This is Björn of the Swedish alternative  achieve. But writing songs with Thomas truly  ‘The Unholy’, we were totally clueless about
               metal/rock band Animan speaking. There's a  was a new beginning. Since then and up until  trends and charts or if the sound was not mod-
               million different topics to choose from in the  today  we  are  constantly  striving  towards  a  ern enough and so forth. We created the music
               exciting world of music and the choice is hard.  new, united, musical goal. We contribute to  because we love it, trying to squeeze out every
               I'm gonna give the slightly worn topic ‘indepen-  each other’s ideas while we never interfere  little drop of potential from every song, not car-
               dent’ another go. Everybody knows the term –  with the other's creativity unless it's necessary.  ing if we get signed or if we earn any money.
               but what does it really mean? Or at least, what  Even  if  we  share  the  role  of  frontman/lead  To me, that’s about as independent as it gets!
               does it mean to me and Animan?     singer the focus is always on what's best for  We still depend on loads of stuff of course.
                  Here's my point of view. I guess it started  the song. It doesn't matter who wrote what. If  We really do want people to hear the music,
               out like it does for so many others. A young  a part or the whole song is more suitable for  listen to it and enjoy it. To reach out to people
               adult, rehearsing with my band/my best friends  one of our voices – that's who's going to sing  we depend on the internet, musical platforms
               as often as I could. We were chasing a record  it.                   like iTunes & Spotify, social media, etc. We
               deal and the dream of the band making it big  Thomas' and my collaboration has brought  can’t change the world in that way, but we can
               – everything else was considered a complete  me freedom in writing music. His liberating phi-  change our own little world of music, I guess.
               failure!                           losophy and ideas about being in a band had  Creating a healthy environment for ourselves
                  In  the  process,  I  was  putting  a  huge  me realize that perhaps you don't have to work  to explore and use our creativity in the best
               amount of pressure on myself since the only  a full-time day job to be able to live off of it.  possible way.
               future I saw was to write and play music. We  This insight also took some of the pressure  It's a hard thing to combine business and
               struggled, but never really got the response we  off. A famous Swedish writer once said that  art. You often hear: “You've got to create con-
               were striving to achieve. I was frustrated, anx-  “work is the opposite to inspiration”. Although  tent,” or “You need more followers on social
               ious and feeling like crap throughout too many  that might not be the definite truth, I for one  media,” for instance. Sure, not every part of
               periods of time.                   can really adapt it to my life.   being an artist can be fun and inspiring. Social
                  This was NOT independence at all! Sure,  Music is very time consuming and that has  media can be a great thing – I totally get that.
               I was an independent artist by definition, but if  also been a frustration throughout the years.  But if I'm supposed to post meaningless crap
               you're a slave to your self-made pressure, mis-  Sometimes it feels like ages before I can finish  on  Youtube  and  Facebook  all  the  time,  I'd
               guided thoughts and ideas about ‘success’,  something up and I wondered if everybody is  rather do something else than music. Although
               you're not that free and independent, are you?  this slow? Well, of course not. But to me, this  that might sound bitter, I'm not, to me it's just
                  I wish I knew back then that there were op-  is the way it is. If I don't dedicate time and en-  not worth it.
               tions – and plenty of them as well! Years went  ergy into my projects then I might as well not  So, if I should try to come to a conclusion
               by and members of the band left or were re-  do them. It was a huge comfort to realize that!  of  some  sort...  to  Animan,  independence
               placed. Changing lineups, finding new areas  Money. You can have different approaches  means freedom and that we managed to reach
               in music and evolving the sound. For a period  to it – by force, luck or by learning to change  a point were we don't have anything to lose,
               of time, Animan (back then named Backwater)  how you see it. Money will still affect us some-  no matter what. We'll stay on this journey as
               was a trio and we felt that we missed some-  how. You do need money, but perhaps you  long  as  we  find  the  joy  in  creating  heavy
               thing - an extra layer of sorts. As we were re-  should try to separate it as much as you can  music, yet with harmony and soul. And ‘The
               ally into another local band called Pillowman  from the music that comes from your heart and  Unholy’ is just the beginning of everything!
               we gave their frontman, Thomas Kihlberg, a  soul? No disrespect to the amazing pop song-  Cheers,
               call. He joined Animan and basically that was  writers and artists that are topping the charts  Björn - Animan
               the start of a new era. This was almost ten  today; neither am I saying that they don't have
               years ago.                         their heart and soul in their jobs. But still, their  In a band? Want to write a one-off col-
                  At that time I guess we were still chasing  job is to  adapt to trends and the  market to  umn for Black Velvet? Get in touch. Email
               something that just a few really hard-working  make the music sell.  editor@blackvelvetmagazine.com.


                                                                                                          ANIMAN
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