Nick: Hails from the dying forest mountains of New England! How are things in Mjölby, Sweden?
Björn: Hej from Mjölby! It`s getting more dark and cold for each day. Winter is upon us! [Either] way life goes on in a somewhat smooth way as usual.
Nick: I read you met drummer Tobias Larsson in 2001 and teamed up with Jocke Pettersson around 2002. What was the original intention behind the band?
Björn: Around that time I took serious interest in the doom history - checking out everything I could get my hands on and was totally hooked and inspired. I had some tunes and was looking for someone to try it out with. In some lucky way I met Tobias and later also Jocke. [Keep in mind] that this is a small, inbreeding town. We jammed - and still do [laughs]. The intention was mainly to have a good doomy time! And still is. Making songs, and maybe do some occasional gigs now and then. Nothin’ fancy!
Nick: I`m sure you`re sick of answering this by now, but for the unenlightened, could you please describe the concept of the "Ocean Chief"?
Björn: The ruler of the Oceans. The Almighty Ocean Chief! It’s really just a name that I think fit the music quite well. Some say it`s cheesy, but I disagree [laughs]. Originally "Ocean Chief" is a song from our first recording, which we also used as band name later on. It`s not a thought out concept, just something to lean the gear against.
Nick: Why did you decide to push forward as a three piece? Did you ever consider adding, say, a second guitarist?
Björn: Actually we have this guy Johan Pettersson on synth for the last couple of weeks, and the result is stunning. [He] adds that extra touch which we`ve only achieved when recording before. Now the rehearsal room is rumbling more than ever. Very nice. Extra guitar? Nah, not really... we`ll manage.
Nick: At what point did you decide to start adding keyboard parts? How does this work live?
Björn: On the recordings, we put them there ourselves to space up the listening experience at some parts. We`re doing our first gig with this weekend. Will be heavy.
Nick: How important are the lyrics? Are they solely penned by Tobias?
Björn: They are mostly based on dreams of Tobias, and his mind is on the hunt 24/7. He`s making up his own "Swedish limericks" and stuff like that. [laughs] But the importance is in the music. I rarely read other bands lyrics, and even more rarely actually care about what they’re saying.. In my mind vocals are just another instrument.
Nick: There`s some confusion over early demos and releases. What is Fluidage? What is Oden? And are there any other official demos or recordings?
Björn: Fluidage was the working title of our first recording. Our second recording was titled Oden and later also became our first released album (renamed The Oden Sessions. The first recordings was made in like ten copies, mainly for our own pleasure and interested [parties].
Nick: I understand The Oden Sessions was recorded over three days as an extended jam session. Where and how did that come about?
Björn: Yeah, it was pretty intense three days, but not [really as a] "jam session.” Of course we had the songs written and so on. The recording equipment used made its mark, but the result turned out quite cool. We just rigged up in our old practice room and plugged in and then just went for it. I really don’t remember much more than that. Time flies!
Nick: What was the goal behind those sessions?
Björn: Basically to hear what we sounded like.
Nick: I’ve read you went into a "real" studio for Tor. Did that change Ocean Chief`s approach to song writing or recording?
Björn: No. We recorded and mixed "Tor" in three days as well. [It was] even more intense than the time before. The songs were ready to go so we just went into the studio and played. We got a good deal, but couldn`t afford more time, so we recorded all day and got wasted all night! [laughs]
Nick: I`ve heard a leftover cut from Den Förste is going to be releases on the second installment of The Northern Lights splits. What’s the story behind the earlier song, “Gathering
Souls,” which appeared on the first Northern Lights?
Björn: “Gathering Souls” is one of two long opuses recorded in 2006. They were self-recorded, once again, and were simply how we sounded at that time. I know we worked on those songs for a long time before getting our shit together and got it on tape.
Nick: What`s the idea behind that split series?
Björn: I have no idea. Cheers to Haavard of Aftermath Music for making them possible though!
Nick: The first "Northern Lights was with Runemagick and the second is with Domedag, a band that shares members with Runemagick. What`s Ocean Chief`s relation to these bands?
Björn: Nicklas of Runemagick was hooked on Ocean Chief, and we were hooked on Runemagick. A few emails were sent back and forth and suddenly we had a split released. I still haven`t met him in real life though, which is kind of weird.
Nick: And the Kongh split? What`s the idea there?
Björn: Same there. Fans of each other’s music, and later also touring partners and good friends.
Nick: Tell us about the new record, Den Förste.
Björn: Well, not much to say. It`s how Ocean Chief sounds in the year of 2009. For us it feels a bit back to the roots, but I don`t know. It’s just three more songs made [laughs]. The recording session began in January [2009] using a borrowed portable studio. It turned out pretty decent, production wise, and I really like the songs. I`d had some contact with Jelle of Electric Earth Records earlier and he was down for a vinyl release. And we were totally cool with that. Cheers to him as well!
Nick: Like many Ocean Chief albums, this record is limited by format and number. Why are some CD-only, others vinyl-only, and most limited to short production runs?
Björn: Simply ‘cause we belong in the underground where labels often can’t afford multiple releases. And I`m cool with that, cause we can`t afford high-tech productions either. Working with small dedicated labels makes me warm inside. [It’s about] true fans of music.
Nick: How is a typical Ocean Chief song written?
Björn: Riffs are made when we’re alone and presented to the others to see if the vibe is right. Some are forgotten, some stay in mind. Then we jam to see where it leads us. After a few times [we’ve] got some idea on how the song should turn out.
Nick: What`s each person`s role in the process?
Björn: We all have the same role. If someone has an idea we test it to see if it’s good.
Nick: If I stuck my head in the practice space on any given day, what would I see?
Björn: A high roof, old classroom, packed with gear from three bands. If we were playing you wouldn`t see much ‘cause we like to keep it dark and moody.
Nick: You`ve played live in Scandinavia. What are the band`s ambitions beyond that?
Björn: It certainly would be cool to get to the ‘States. Especially to one of those cool festivals of doom you`ve got going so one can check out some other bands as well. But I guess we`re quite happy with how it is right know, with a few cool gigs every year. None of us have the ambition to conquer the earth. It`s all really about making music we dig and trying to get it out for others who might be interested. [It’s] as simple as that.
Nick: I`m trying really hard not to make a bad pun. I understand you all work in the jam industry. Tell us about that.
Björn: [laughs] What`s there to tell? It`s almost as fun as it sounds! It’s a way to make money like all other job, and in these days you`re glad you have one. There could certainly be worse. But sure it’s cool to have friends working there too!
Nick: Most reviews describe Ocean Chief as straight-up doom, that is to say, without a marked subgenre or niche. How do you see yourselves?
Björn: We are a little bit of everything, influenced by anything. Straight-up doom… I like that description.
Nick: In previous interviews you`ve described taking influence from Black Sabbath, St. Vitus, and others from the nascent days of the genre. What`s your appraisal of more modern bands?
Björn: I`m a fan of all music that makes me feel something. And there`s a huge range of various artists within that spectra. Jääportit`s Voimasuo CD is a good new release. Ereb Altor`s By Honour is another. But in the end ‘Sabbath is ‘Sabbath and shouldn`t be messed with.
Nick: Does Swedish culture, musical or other, inform Ocean Chief`s music in any overt way?
Björn: Since we are born and raised in Sweden I like to think so, yes. But in which way I don`t know; we`re just a bunch of Swedes.
Nick: What`s the band`s connection with Vikings and sea imagery?
Björn: The connection is that we have used old Scandinavian gods as song and album titles. [It’s] just to remark that this is some heavy shit, and to keep it short and simple. In a way, I find it fascinating how mankind has developed their beliefs [throughout history] and how it all works universally. In those days they praised Tor amongst others; in these days we still pray all kinds of things. It`s like science fiction [laughs]. In my mind all religion is based on a fear of death. But what`s to be afraid of? We all die.
Nick: Indeed. What`s next for the band?
Björn: We’re going by boat to Finland tomorrow for the fourth annual Amplifier Worship Festival. That’ll be sweet! We’ve got two more releases are in the works: Ocean Chief/Domedag’s The Northern Lights II CD on Aftermath Music featuring a leftover song from the new recording.
There’s also Ocean Chief’s Oden CD on 12th Records, a remaster of The Oden Sessions with added synth parts. Other than that we`ll just move on and make some new tunes. There’s a new chapter to write.
