Talking with . . .   Clawfinger

Interview with vocalist Zak Tell
Clawfinger is one of the most underrated bands. Ever since they released their 1993's debut, Deaf Dumb Blind, they have been dismissed as a rap metal band of no significance. In reality this band has developed their own style and the lyrics of frontman Zak Tell are intelligent and controversial. They've released six albums to date, each have been released via a different label. The latest to take a chance is Nuclear Blast. Clawfinger's latest album is Hate Yourself With Style. This is one of the most consistent and unique bands you will encounter and you have to admire their honesty and intelligence. Here is frontman Zak Tell for an interview.

How's the response been in the States for the new album?
You're the second interview I'm doing in the States so far. Your guess is as good as mine. Just the fact that it's being released is good for us. As you know, we haven't had many of our albums released in the States. Music Cartel did the third one, Metal Blade released the first one but it was an edited version without the track "Nigger." We were so young back then, whatever was necessary to get it released. If it was today, I would say fuck you, if you don't release the album the way it is, you don't release the album. It is a topic that is much more loaded in the States and as always I say too much and that can get into problems. If you're honest, you can't go totally wrong. We're hopeful but twenty years down the line, we're not gonna get our hopes up. We've lost faith in the music business. A lot of record companies go wrong because they're doing it for the money and not the music. America is different, after all you're the number one capitalist country in the world.

With the president we have now, he's going to run us into the ground.
I think he's doing a good job... of running you into the ground I mean. He's not alone. If it was just him, it wouldn't be bad. Unfortunately he has a team of people telling him to d a lot of bad things, that's more scary than him just being stupid. We have to learn to deal with it somehow. I find it interesting to study people. Politicians try to get voters, with this guy you get the feeling he doesn't even do that. I think sometimes mix up Europeans hating your president and Europeans hating Americans. They are two completely different things. In the bigger cities people are usually more educated, but if you get into the Bible Belt their ignorant. It's like that in all countries. That's where you find the fundamentalists, the racists, the bigots.

Are you a Terry Gilliam fan?
Yeah, I haven't seen the last movie, The Brothers Grimm. I love most of his movies.

Do you own your own Sweden?
We have a studio together with Meshuggah. We don't own the building, but the place is ours. We build it up and improve it constantly. We're building a basement now so it will be twice as big. It's great to have a playroom. Being in a band is about being seventeen you're entire life. You get away from responsibilities. I'm sure most of my friends make more money than I do, but they don't have as much fun as I do. I'd rather have fun. I'd like to make tons of money but life's never that simple. We've had this studio for three or four years now. It's a good place to get away from things, when we're making a new album obviously it's a great place.

How did you come up with this distinct style?
My approach is different from the traditional style which has sold more albums than our way of doing it. Our approach hasn't been traditional hip hop beats with funky blues guitar riffs and lyrics about absolutely nothing. I can't drop band names if you want me to slag some of them off. We got lumped in with all those bands in 1993. Everyone called us Europe's Rage Against The Machine. I think they're a great band, at least their first album when I heard it, but I don't feel with have much in common with them or any of these bands. Our approach to writing is so different from these bands. I never thought we were a part of the rap metal scene, the nu metal scene or the crossover scene. We're a bunch of guys who like different music which results in what we do. It wasn't contrived, there's no master plan behind it. We're not smart enough for that. Some of these bands had one hit on M.T.V., sold a lot of albums, and then realized they had to work after that. Some of these bands are as phony as the Backstreet Boys. These big record companies don't get into it for the music, it's about the money. I want bands to mean something. I grew up loving bands like Dead Kennedys, the Sex Pistols, Pulbic Enemy, I like that brutal honest. The Sex Pistols couldn't be controlled.

Your band and your lyrics make people think.
Occasionally people think I'm doing it for the shock value, if that was the case I could think of a lot easier ways to get attention. We could have an image or a dress code if that's what we wanted. We're not even smart enough for that. We don't want that to be the focus. There's nothing wrong with liking clothes, but don't let that be more important than the music. In this line of work you have your ups and downs. You have to work to maintain your fans and gain new fans also. It's different in every territory. In Switzerland we play for 1500 people and then in Slovenia we play for 800 people, in another country we play for 200 people. As long as people are coming, we're going to give them the most. The travelling can be a pain in the ass and we can get on each other's nerves, but you get that in any job. In a lot of ways we get to act like kids even though we're pushing forty. I'm only thirty five actually.

Is there any discussion of bringing Clawfinger over in the States?
You better ask Nuclear Blast how their economy looks. Until some really crazy promoter finances it and decides to bring over an unknown band from Europe to the States, then I can't really see it happening. These are the first American intereviews we've ever done. I haven't met the Nuclear Blast America staff. We heard from the Nuclear Blast staff in Germany that they were releasing this there. We think it's great. We'd love to play for the American fans and play in a new part of the world. I have no fucking idea when or if it will happen. Nuclear Blast is an extreme label. Our music comes across soft compared to some of the bands they have. I'm sure they're trying to branch out but it's fair to say that Nuclear Blast is a conservative label within this extreme music. What's scary is that there are a lot of people who know nothing about music outside of mainstream radio. People swallow what they're given. It's even more true in politics.

Tell me about the lyrics to "Hypocrite."
That song is a dig at ourselves. What I'm trying to say with that song is that I mean everything I say but I try to say too much. It's not as if I live by my own rules. Some people think I'm a guy who takes the weight of the world on my shoulders and I try to make everything right. In some ways I am doing, but what I'm trying to do is say my mind without filtering everything through a censorship system. Lyrics should be from the heart without being twisted. I like lyrics to be easy to understand. Being in a band is a big ego trip. I've chosen a more controversial approach. I know there are people out there who appreciate it, but hopefully there's enough.

Final comments?
Music is an eargasm. It has nothing to do with chicks in bikinis on M.T.V. Music is something you should experience with your ears, not your eyes.

Discography:
2005... Hate Yourself With Style (Nuclear Blast)
2003... Zeros And Heroes
2001... A Whole Lot Of Nothing
1997... Clawfinger (Music Cartel)
1995... Use Your Brain
1993... Deaf Dumb Blind (Metal Blade)

Current line-up:
Zak Tell... vocals
Bard Torstensen... guitars
Andre Skaug... bass
Henka Johansson... drums
Jocke Skog... keyboards

www.clawfinger.net

TTM reviews of albums by Clawfinger:
	2005 - 'Hate Yourself With Style'