Swan Hellion is the singer and main musical architect of France’s iconic sleaze band Blackrain, Hot on the heels of the bands announcement of their new guitarist we caught up with him to discuss the state of the music industry, Rock N Roll, and the past, present, and imminent future of his band and their music.
Rob: Good evening Swan! How are you this evening?
Swan: I’m good thanks, you?
Rob: I’ve got coffee, it’s raining outside, and I get to interview you. Life is good !
Swan: ha-ha, I’ve got red wine but the clock isn’t the same here.
Rob: Yeah, You’re in the future compared to me. Cheers man!
Swan: Yeah, that’s crazy actually, cheerz! Coffee is my only addiction I must say.
Rob: Your most recent news is that you have a new guitar player in the band, Jerem G. That video of him shredding on “resurrection” is absolutely insane, Is that track going to be on your upcoming album?
Swan: Yes, Resurrection will actually be part of the album. It’s an idea we got a while ago, Since Jerem is a huge fan of Eddie Van Halen we thought it would be cool to record something like Eruption for the album. It’s not so common nowadays I believe. And thanks for the compliment, Jerem really is a good guitarist.
Rob: You’re very welcome. There really is a lack of that explosive guitar solo track these days, I think there’s loads of really talented players in the modern scene but I don’t see a lot of solos like that. And if you go off of what Nuno did on “rise” from the last Extreme album and how that got everyone talking I think there’s a real market for that sort of showcasing of ability, So that solo Jerem did really blew me away.
Swan: Yes, There is a lack of too many things due to the market. Everything has to be under a certain format, Not too long with an easy structure, It is kinda hard to do what you really want I think. For instance, I don’t see any instrumental tracks anymore, such as Orion by Metallica. So it’s cool when you can get a bit out of line, So to speak.
Rob: I definitely don’t see many that stand out these days, In recent years the only ones I think of are Ghost and Opeth in terms of memorable instrumental tracks. Do you think that labels not having as much of a grip on artists give more creative freedom to do things like that or is it still a matter of marketing and maybe the attention span of music consumers in the age of rapid fire entertainment stimulation?
Swan: It’s a tough question but mostly it is the way people listen to music today, Not many take the time to buy a record and sit at home while listening to an entire album. I think today, Especially young people do not listen to that type of music anyway. They listen on their phone with a shit sound and need to get easy listening kind of stuff. What I often say is that the heavy metal crowd is dangerously aging, and because of my work as a tattoo artist I can tell there is less and less young people listening to hard rock. So, Obviously you can always play instrumental songs and original kind of things, But it will make it even harder to get people to listen to you and to give you the opportunity to keep doing more music. And that is on a negative point of view. In a more positive way I could say that more and more people attend concerts for example, So there is still a need for live rock music.
Rob: That’s honestly a reality I’m seeing as well going to shows and doing Facebook groups, There’s a lot less young people around. But I will say that I’ve taken people in their early 20’s with me to see hard rock shows that normally don’t listen to it and they really get hooked on the experience and want to do it again, I just think it hasn’t been on their radar because it doesn’t get mainstream support outside of the big legacy acts.
Swan: Yes, That is a reality. The discussion at this point comes to the paradox of should rock music remain underground? The thing is… For a band, If you don’t get enough fans you won’t be able to pursue your dreams because you won’t get enough money to do so. So somehow you still need rock music to remain a bit mainstream, Otherwise it would almost disappear. Heavy metal has been a trend, It will probably become a trend again, But it’s a tricky question because it has a lot to do also with society and the world we live in in general. I think we have a problem today with disposable music and disposable things in general, Nothing is made to last.
Rob: To that I would say it’s complicated. On the one hand you could argue that underground music is generally better and most bands do their best work before they get really successful, But on the other hand I think if you want a sustainable market that continues to support and develop the artists or style of music you love then it needs to be in the public eye with some good push behind it. Me personally, I do what I do as a writer because I want to help the artists I love be more successful in any way I can. If you call yourself a real fan you should want the bands you love to be successful. I think one of the big issues facing hard rock is people living on nostalgia. It’s crazy to me that people still think rock is dead when there’s so much talent out there and a band like yours is out there killing it and recording great music, I think because there’s not a localized, Concentrated scene that people can’t really see that the revolution is happening that many have waited for. Do you think the lack of a ground zero so to speak for rock music is a disadvantage or do you think that even matters in the age of streaming?
Swan: hmmm… You could say that just like a nation where people don’t make kids anymore, with a lack of natality that would be by definition a dying nation. I would compare that situation to Rock music today. The consequence to my eyes will be much less bands, Record labels, and everything around this business. The thing is, People like us, People that are really touched by this music will always remain. So rock cannot die, But it could be harmed kind of. Anyway, I don’t believe in the death of Rock n roll. Like i said, and you mentioned it too, People love that live vibe at least and they just need to know that it exists.
Rob: How do things seem to you in the hard rock scene presently and where do you see the future of this going?
Swan: I’m curious about the future. Since nothing seems to be made to last i do not see any bands like AC/DC or Metallica anymore, Who will be remembered as they are? In the age of disposable music, I wonder… The only exception I see could be Ghost. Once again, The positive point despite the way people consume music is the fact they keep going to shows. Everything changes. We keep making music we like, As long as we can, then we’ll see.
Rob: Blackrain has been around for quite awhile, You guys can be counted among the first wave of what some of us call “the new breed” which are the bands that resurrected hard rock in the early 2000’s, what was the scene like for you back when you put out License To Thrill?
Swan: Back in the early 2000’s it was indeed a trend, So we had the chance to experience this and it was crazy. I still remember, Or not, The wild parties in Stockholm. every Fridays at Crazy Nights everybody wore make up and big hair, It was insane. The trend lasted a few years and then went down in flames as fast as it came almost, But the feeling back then was really special, We were all trying to live like in Motley Crue’s The Dirt, Without the money though.
Rob: The dream of every hard rock band and rock musician.
Swan: I’m glad we were there, We’re the Myspace generation. But it is also the proof that if you feed people with Rock n roll, It works just as great.
Rob: I think that goes back to my point about a lack of a ground zero for rock music, That time might’ve been a trend in a more localized environment but I can rattle off a LONG list of great bands that are putting out incredible hard rock music, You guys included. There really hasn’t been a better time to get into this genre ever in my opinion, At least the best I’ve seen since the early 90’s. It just isn’t a concentrated scene in one city the way things were in the 80’s.
Swan: Yeah, I totally agree. I just think it’s sad to see that so many bands from this era have given up, But that’s also because compare to the 80s the money was not there and soon enough life catches up with you.
Rob: I always find it interesting how bands from different countries have their own sound, even if it’s in the same genre as bands from another country. I think one thing that sets your band apart is there’s a bit of Queen in your sound that gives it a sort of melodic flamboyance that I don’t see in the sleaze bands of Scandinavia. I understand you reside in Sweden these days, But is there something that comes from originally being from France that helps form a different sound? Or does that just naturally come from your musical influences?
Swan: I’m kinda surprised to read this, But if you think some of our stuff sounded like Queen wait for the full new album to be out Hehe. I couldn’t tell you what France brought into our music really, if it is the bad English and Frenglish in general! I think we’re better at creating Black Metal in France, Or extreme metal. Personally, I’ve always been attracted to melodies. Somehow, Scandinavian melodies are the best in my opinion.
Rob: I’m really excited to hear the new album, You guys posted that the mixing on it is completed. Is there a date set and what can you tell us about the album?
Swan: We’re working on it. The album is finished, We’re trying to plan the release and its gonna take time. Due to the way people consume music today we made the decision to shoot a lot of music videos, To release as many singles as possible. We realized quite a while ago that if you just release an album like that it basically goes to trash… So you’re going to get a small amount of new stuff in a long period of time, and then the whole album will be released. I cannot say much more right now but we’ll give more info very soon, I can say the first single will come in early June.
Rob: Did you produce the new album or did you work with anyone on it?
Swan: We did record all of it at home and used Hannes Braun again for the mix and master.
Rob: How is it to work with him? I’m a big fan of Kissin’ Dynamite.
Swan: He’s the best I know of and he’s a good friend as well, it’s really easy for me to work with Hannes, we barely need to talk anymore actually. I just send my files and most of the time he just sends back exactly what I expected him to. We play similar types of music so I guess he knows what I’m looking for.
Rob: How do songs usually come together for your band?
Swan: I’m usually making pretty advanced demos and then I send it over to the other guys, Everybody adds in his little touch and we get our tracks done that way. This is one of the best sides of modern technology, It allows you to work with folks despite the distance, A big gain of time.
Rob: I imagine compared to working in a recording studio this allows you to both save money and have more time to achieve your vision, Is that the case?
Swan: Yes, Of course. There aren’t any time limits. My drummer can record his drum fills as many times as he wishes, Same for me with the singing, It’s much more comfortable and less stressful. You can create things, Leave it be for a while and get back at it whenever you feel like it. It’s pure luxury but also the only way for many to be able to make music today.
Rob: Most artists I speak to record remotely these days, it’s rare I speak to an artist who uses a recording studio.
Swan: Once again, Not many can afford it anymore. and even though it could be quite an investment to get the right gear to record an album you surely get that money back super quick. I guess recording in a studio has its positive sides, But it’s hard to beat the home studio comfort I think.
Rob: You’ve been an active artist for a couple of decades now, what does doing this mean to you at this point in your career verses when you started out? And what’s the best thing you’ve learned from your career?
Swan: I’m not sure what is the meaning of it all, it’s probably the thrill of creating music, Playing this music and seeing that people respond to it. We started like many others in the early 2000’s believing we would become rich and famous, The difference between us and the others is we didn’t give up when we realized that we would probably never make a decent living or a living at all with this music ha-ha. We just keep going because we’re like that and because we see there is a positive evolution. The only thing we learned is “It’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock n roll”
Rob: I’m sure you’re probably tired of being asked this question but you really do have one of the most recognizable voices in the modern hard rock movement, How do you hit such high notes? And what do you do to maintain your vocal range?
Swan: Well, I’m not that great of a singer, But thank you once again for the compliment. High notes are kind of easy, But it’s another story when you gotta keep doing those for 2 hours on stage, Then you need some discipline and technique to be able to withstand a whole show. I don’t think i hit higher notes than others, I’m the average I’d say. Though I have a very distinct tone, It can be good but also annoying i think.
Rob: Don’t sell yourself short, You are a great singer. I personally love your voice, You have a style all your own and that’s a really cool thing to be able to say. There’s a ton of melodic rock bands with singers that all sound the same so I appreciate someone who brings something different to the table.
Swan: Thanks, I appreciate it. That might be a French thing, Who knows? But I agree with you as well, For example, I think most of Swedish sleaze singers sound very much alike.
Rob: Speaking of Swedish sleaze singers, There was a tribute album honouring Dave Leppard many years ago and you guys did a great cover of one of my favourite unreleased Crashdiet songs “Lost Horizons” when did you first hear that song? And what about it made you choose to record that? To my knowledge that’s the only version officially released as the original lives entirely on YouTube.
Swan: That’s right, I can’t remember exactly the circumstances but Lost Horizons was a personal favourite. I think i heard it on YouTube first and I really wanted to record a cover of it, I think we did record 2 versions, I can’t say if we did release both or not to be honest. Dave Lepard was a real genius, The songs he made still make me feel like Appetite For Destruction by Guns N’ Roses did, There aren’t too many like that. Deeply wild and true.
Rob: To me, Rest In Sleaze is up there with Appetite For Destruction in the greatest hard rock albums ever recorded. Dave was incredible. Was that band an influence on the direction you went on License To Thrill?
Swan: I’m not sure we really knew about Crashdiet back then when we started writing License, I think we had just heard about the band but hadn’t really listened to them. It was the time when we discovered all the 80’s super bands like WASP and Motley Crue, That was the real lighting strike for us.
Rob: Do you guys have any shows coming up or anything you want to tell our readers about?
Swan: We’re exited about Wildfest coming up in 2 weeks in Belgium, otherwise we’re focused on promoting and releasing the singles and shooting videos. The concerts will come next year. Keep an eye on us, We’ve got loads of cool new things to share…
Rob: At The Rockpit we close out every interview with a couple questions, My first one is a two part question: If you could be there to witness the recording of any album ever recorded what would you pick? And why? In this case there are two: One pre millennium, One post millennium.
Swan: Well, tough one. I could say Appetite For Destruction because it influenced my life in so many ways and because it was recorded and made the old fashion way. The whole band together, The atmosphere, Alchemy, The magic between incredible musicians. Post millennium, I would say St. Anger, just to be in the studio and understand how such musical prodigies can deliberately decide to go down that way and make so many bad decisions about an album, Even though I guess I got an answer.
Rob: Hahaha! Yeah, that record is truly awful.
Swan: I think so yeah, and I love Metallica.
Rob: Last question: What is the meaning of life?
Swan: I’d love to tell you about that but I’m just like millions of others, Still looking for an answer… At least, I think if we’re here it’s not to harm others or kill the masses. As cheesy as it may sound, We’re surely here to do as good as possible, I like to believe there is something after death. And so, There is somehow payback time.
Rob: Good answer! And a point of view I think the world really needs right now.
Swan: Thank you very much! the world is always fucked up somewhere, sometimes we’re more part of it and sometimes less.. Anyway thanks for the interview, I’m thankful for your interest.
Rob: Swan, Thank you so much for your time. I love your band and it was a real pleasure getting to talk with you. Hopefully we can do it again around the release of your next album. If you ever play America please play Las Vegas and I’ll definitely be there!
Swan: No problem, This was my pleasure. Just hit me up if you’d like to do one more! Cheerz!
