A Conversation with
Pain of Salvation’s Daniel Gildenlöw & Johan Hallgren

by Rita Bayer

I’ve to admit that we were a bit worried about how the show might could go this evening due to Daniel’s health-problems. BUT - no clue how he managed it – on stage he was in a brilliant shape as the other guys. We got a great mix of old and new material, the sound was good, the venue was more or less sold out – I think, this show was an all side success – The audience, the band, tour-manager as well as the guys from InsideOut were VERY HAPPY!

Rita: I’ve already heard you’ve a cold. How are you now? You both caught a cold?

Daniel Gildenlöw: I managed so far - but then yesterday I caught the cold running around the bus for a long time now. An issue that happens when you’re tired because of the long tour. Your body is trying to fight it for a long time and then it gives up.

me, Daniel Gildenlöw & Johan Hallgren

R: Why are you wearing sunglasses?

Daniel: That’s just to be cool. (all laughing)

R: How did the first shows go? How is the response of the audience on the new material as well as on Simon Andersson and did you get out of the release & tour what you expected so far?

Daniel & Johan Hallgren: It has been very good! (quick-fire answer :-))

Johan: I read some inlays in our guest-book and it says: ‘Keep Mr. Andersson’.

Rita: You don’t do meet & greets so that you have direct feedback?

Daniel: Yeah, we’ve done that too. Like signing sessions and stuff like that. The feedback has only been good. In the beginning we were all a bit worried when we went out there because Kris (Kristoffer Gildenlöw – ex-PoS bass player) was very popular. I thought: ‘I hope Simon won’t get a hard time now’. But we got a lot of support. Playing with him feels great.

Rita: When did you start with rehearsals?

Johan: About 3 weeks before we went on tour.

R: You recorded the PARADISO show for a DVD release last Friday. ( setlist: scroll down) do you plan to release the entire show on DVD or do you might cut things out?

Daniel: We don’t know yet. One week before the show they told us there’s going to be a recording. The first thing that we heard was that the Paris show should be recorded. Then they said it wouldn’t happen – maybe Amsterdam or maybe Paris, you know. Well, we’ll see. We have the recording – first we’ll see how it looks.

Daniel Gildenlöw / photo by Lars Ardarve

R: Do you plan to add any bonus material such as interviews, maybe material from the ‘making of’ of Scarsick?

Daniel: If we gonna make a DVD out of it we’ll definitely add some bonus material.

R: Are we going to hear the same stuff tonight or do you change the setlist every now and then?

Johan: We switch the songs sometimes but usually we play the same songs every night. Especially when you have a new guy coming to the band you don’t want to press too much stuff in there.

R: Referring to your separation with your former bass player Kris. In what way was the song writing process/ the ‘making of’ of SCARSICK affected by the current band situation?

Daniel: Not much. Basically it was the other way around. The songwriting process probably influenced the decision. - Much of the album has been in my head for a long time. When we started to - I wanted to do the machinery more open for this album so the other guys could see the process much more than on the previous albums so that they would see the changes the music went through as I was twisting and turning everything and then you really wanna everyone to be there. It was painful. It didn’t work out with just being 4 people. At least mentally you know - you’re taking out step and somehow you can come to a closure - thinking different ways.

PoS /Tour-bus

R: I don’t know if you plan to add Simon finally to the ranks – that’s not the point actually – I’d like to know if you plan to change your songwriting method - in the meaning of getting all band members much more involved already in the songwriting process in the future. I mean, you said once that you prefer to compose songs alone in opposite to other bands where the members write small parts putting all together. Their way of working can be very interesting but you think there is no whole vision then - it’s more an installation.

Daniel: No, I don’t think SO.

R: (laughing) Your words, I have it black on white, you told me once in an interview. (Johan bursts out laughing) So you think now all guys should be more involved in the future?

Daniel: There have always been contributes in the past. For instance Daniel (D. Magdic,) our previous guitar player who was playing on our first album – he contributed a lot of music and apart from that it’s kind of a slow process. Frederik (F. Hermansson – keys) had 1 song for the ‘BE’ album and it took him very, very long time to finish that song and I think he’s like me in that way that he wanted to make it on his own which I think was a good decision. He understood the song better than anyone else at that point but if I would write music in the same pace that he did we wouldn’t have released one album by now. I mean I can’t take responsibility for other people songwriting. I can take responsibility for my own songwriting. I throw away like 99% at least, of what I write, because I don’t think that it fits, that it’s good enough. Apart from that, it’s up to everyone else, what they wanna do.

R: Short time ago you participated in Danielle Liverani’s final chapter of his GENIUS trilogy once again. Singing the character: Twinspirits 32… what made this character/ this project so attractive for you?

Daniel: Actually it was a long time ago. (laughing)

R: But it’s actually coming out…I don’t know when you’ve done the recordings.

Daniel: Yeah, it was some time ago. I think he had some problems with Marc Boals who should do the vocals for the other leading part - in the end someone else recorded it. (Mark Boals sings the character ‘Genius’ in episode 1 & 2; on part 3 - D.C. Cooper takes the ‘Genius’ role)

R: Nevertheless, what made this project so attractive for you?

Daniel: (laughing) well, to be honest I was very flattered when someone asked me for the first part which was quite a long time ago. So at that point - both – being feeling flattered and the fact that I needed money….(laughing)

R: mhm, but you like what Liverani is doing musically or not?

Daniel: I like the songs I’m participating on. I mean musically it’s not exactly my cup of tea. It’s a bit too proggy for me or prog-metally. But still it was an interesting process – I always try to contribute something new with what I do so if someone asks me to be part of something - first off all, I want to make sure - if it’s ok - then I always try to do something extra with whatever I’m supposed to work on.

R: You wrote your own vocal melodies?

Daniel: Most of the vocal melodies were set.

R: Where did you record it?

Daniel: I recorded it at home and then sent the files to him.

R: Are there any other side-projects you recently participated in or lay ahead?

Daniel: No - now we have more PoS albums coming out. Actually I cut everything down because everything takes time. I focus on PoS, you know. Well, but if something interesting were coming up I’d still consider it though.

R: Your family situation has changed. You’ve a little son now – is it much harder for you to leave your home now?

Daniel: oh yes, he hasn’t reached the age now where you can talk to him on the phone.

R: well, but he is able to notice that you’re talking to him, maybe you should sing anything to him.

Daniel: (laughing) well, when I’m talking to him he usually tries eating the phone …..(we laughing) which is a good thing too. (Daniel still laughing)

R: I guess, you love your new role at home.

Daniel: Yes!!! It’s so cool! Nothing else matters so much any more.

R: Finally, do you want to deliver a message to your fans?

Daniel: (looking at Johan) Do you have anything good?

Johan Hallgren / photo by Lars Ardarve

Johan: I don’t care…(Johan and Daniel laughing)

R: ohohoh, that sounds not cool….(laughing)

Johan: No, no! Of course, without them we wouldn’t be here - so it’s all thanks to them.

R: Quite short message.

Daniel: Yeah, we love our fans and we hope that they will stay with us because I think the music of PoS is sort of a journey. We’re making the journey and I hope they keep on going the journey with us. That’s the only thing I can ask for.

Johan: Jump on board!

Please visit:
The Pain of Salvation Official Website
Inside Out Records Link
Inside Out Records at MySpace
Lars Ardarve's Myspace page

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Paradiso / Amsterdam, Netherlands setlist:

01. Scarsick (Scarsick)
02. America (Scarsick)
03. ! (Entropia)
04. Nightmist (Entropia)
05. Handful of Nothing (One Hour By The Concrete Lake)
06. New Year's Eve (One Hour By The Concrete Lake)
07. Ashes (The Perfect Element Part I)
08. Undertow (Remedy Lane)
09. This Heart of Mine/Song for the Innocent (Remedy Lane/The Perfect Element Part I)
10. Chain Sling (Remedy Lane)
11. Diffidentia (Be)
12. Flame to the Moth (Scarsick)
13. Disco Queen (Scarsick)
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14. Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
15. Cribcaged (Scarsick)
16. Used (The Perfect Element Part I)