Spiritual Beggars | website | facebook | twitter |
By: Gavin Brown
The Swedish juggernaut that is Spiritual Beggars have just released their latest colossal slab of rock with new album Sunrise To Sundown and it doesn’t disappoint. Gavin Brown got the lowdown on this new album from keyboardist Per Wiberg who gave him an insight into its creation and sound as well as filling us in on what he has got planned in the future with his other musical endeavours.
(((o))): Your new album Sunrise To Sundown is out soon. What can you tell us about it?
Per: For anyone familiar with Beggars I’d say it’s a continuation of Earth Blues, but with some new twists, especially regarding the production. It’s a pretty varied album with good dynamics, which to me makes it an interesting listen.
(((o))): Is the new album a departure at all from your last album Earth Blues?
Per: I think it’s a little bit different, especially on the sonic side of things. Staffan Karlsson who mixed and produced this album was involved at an earlier stage this time and had some suggestions for arrangements and song structures before we went in the studio. There’s definitely a different approach to the mix compared to Earth Blues. Musically I’d say Sunrise is maybe a little more diverse as well.
(((o))): A song like ‘Diamond Under Pressure’ on the new album has a big classic rock feel to it and a great use of the Hammond organ! Was that the kind of music you were listening to when making the album?
Per: It’s the kind of music we grew up on so it’s always gonna be there in some ways I guess. We all like and listen to lots of different music, but with Beggars it’s all about the love for playing and writing classic heavy rock together.
(((o))): The use of the organ is a big focus on Sunrise To Sundown, was that something you wanted to use more on the album?
Per: I honestly haven’t thought about that. Organ is what I’ve always played in Beggars and sometimes it’s more noticeable in the mix maybe. On this album there are hardly any keyboard solos and I tried to focus on the arrangements more than the widdly diddly stuff.
(((o))): How did the recording of the album go?
Per: Very smooth I’d say. Even though we didn’t have that much time in the studio I don’t think there was a lot of stress. We’re pretty focused and know what we want so it’s not that complicated really. We recorded it the same way we did Earth Blues, which is all of us together in a room concentrating on getting good takes on whole songs instead of cut and paste parts together. When we’re happy with what we got we add lead guitars, some additional keys and vocals. That’s it basically.
(((o))): What has the reception to the album been like so far?
Per: The majority of the people I’ve talked to seem to be very positive about the album, which is nice. The label is also happy with the finished thing, which always is a plus.
(((o))): Did you do the album artwork for Sunrise To Sundown like you have done for other Spiritual Beggars albums in the past?
Per: No I didn’t, it’s a guy called Costin Chironeau who did the artwork. He’s a fantastic artist I think and he’s done some more stuff for us in the past.
(((o))): What inspires you when you are doing the album covers?
Per: Usually the music I’m doing the artwork for. Sometimes people have a set idea of what they want and that’s cool as well. I don’t mind working within a framework, sometimes that can be even more inspiring than when people say “do what you want…”. The limitations can be a creative spark so to speak.
(((o))): This is the third album that you have done with Apollo, are you more comfortable together as a band in terms of coming up with ideas and carrying them out as opposed to when he first joined the band.
Per: Yes I believe so. It takes time to get to know each other musically and nowadays it’s easier for Apollo to know what we like and maybe expect from him and vice versa as well. He’s got a great voice for this type of music and it’s good to see that he’s relaxed and enjoys himself.
(((o))): Obviously the Spiritual Beggars sound has changed since you started. How do you feel about the term stoner rock being used to describe the band in 2016?
Per: That’s totally cool with me if that’s how people want to describe the band. It’s just a funny name on a genre that no one seems to know the definition of to me.
(((o))): There has always been a psychedelic element to Spiritual Beggars. Is that something that you are still inspired to add to the band’s sound?
Per: Yes definitely. It’s part of our sound and something we all like so that’ll be there as long as Beggars are here so to speak.
(((o))): You have been in the band since 1998. What have been some of the highlights along the way?
Per: The biggest highlight is that we’re still going I’d say. It would be a lot easier to stop doing the band since all of us are involved in so many things nowadays. I’m not a very nostalgic person and rarely think about Beggars in a past tense since it’s still an ongoing thing for me.
(((o))): With all the band members other musical projects, how do you decide when the time is right to do a new Spiritual Beggars album?
Per: We stay in touch all the time to see when there’s a possibility to get together and jam or just hang out. We’ve become very good at logistics and usually most of us know what we’re doing musically almost a year in advance so it’s not that difficult to single out a couple of days here and there to get things going.
(((o))): You are embarking on an extensive European tour in support of the album. Will you be making it back to the UK?
Per: Unfortunately there are no UK gigs booked at the moment, but I really hope we can come and play later this year. I’ve always enjoyed playing the UK with Beggars in the past and would love to do some shows again, hopefully in a not so distant future.
(((o))): What about the Summer festivals. Are you confirmed for any yet?
Per: Yes there are a few, starting with Desert Fest in Berlin in late April. During the summer we’ll play a couple of European festivals as well.
(((o))): You have supported the likes of Monster Magnet and Queens Of The Stone Age throughout the years. What would you say has been the most memorable tour that the band has ever done?
Per: Difficult to say, the majority has been good as far as I’m concerned. It’s usually very easy to get along and have a good time with most bands, popular or not. If I had to pick any tours I’d say the first Euro Tour we did with Fu Manchu in 1998 was a very good one for the band. Clutch in 2003 was also cool since it was the start of a great friendship as well. We did a tour with the late great Dio in Japan in 2005, which was a lot of fun. Impressive and humbling to watch a legend and a class act like him performing every night.
(((o))): What would be your favourite Spiritual Beggars to song to play live?
Per: It changes a lot, but I’ve always liked to play ‘Young Man Old Soul’ a lot. It’ll be interesting to see how the new songs work live and I’m looking forward to get a “new” personal live favorite.
(((o))): After you complete the touring cycle for the album, what does the future hold for Spiritual Beggars?
Per: It depends on what all of us have on the schedule I guess. I hope we can find time to record another album and possibly tour a bit as well. It’s not easy to say when this’ll happen, but we’ve been pretty consistent lately with 3 studio albums in 6 years and it would be cool to keep up the pace if possible.
(((o))): You have made guest appearances on releases from Arch Enemy to Greenleaf to Conny Bloom. What has been your favourite to do?
Per: Lately I’d say playing live and recording with Swedish band Switchblade has been a favourite of mine. I also enjoyed playing on a track on the latest Anekdoten album. I listen to many kinds of music and I’m very lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to play and record with so many different bands and genres.
(((o))): How difficult was it balancing your time when you were in Opeth with your work with Spiritual Beggars?
Per: Not so difficult as Opeth was my main priority. We only do Beggars when all of us have the time to do it, there shouldn’t be any pressure involved in doing Beggars since it mainly relies on our friendship and having a good time together.
(((o))): Are you still in contact with the Opeth guys?
Per: Yes I am, they’re of course a busy bunch and I’m too, but when we’re in Stockholm at the same time it’s always fun to hook up for a beer.
(((o))): Will there be another Kamchatka album any time soon?
Per: We haven’t started working on it yet, but we’re aiming for a release in 2017.
(((o))): After playing keyboards in bands for so long, is it refreshing to play the bass in a band like you do with Kamchatka?
Per: Yes it’s great fun and challenging as well. I’ve played guitar and bass in many bands through the years, but I understand most people know me from playing keyboards in bands like Spiritual Beggars and Opeth for example.
(((o))): Are you still playing keyboards on live dates for Candlemass?
Per: Since Leif Edling has been sick and haven’t been able to tour I’ve been playing bass for Candlemass the last year or so. I’ll get back to playing keyboards with Candlemass when Leif is back, but until then I’m playing bass with them.
(((o))): You toured with Clutch and did the King Hobo album with Jean Paul Gaster from the band. How was that experience and was it just a one off?
Per: I’ve played quite a few shows as a guest musician with Clutch through the years and it’s always an honour and a pleasure. They’re an amazing band and great people to hang out with. The King Hobo album we did was kind of an experiment that came out better than we expected I think. We’ve actually recorded a second album that will be released when we can find time to do some live shows.
