Interview with guitarist Jon Bålefalk, Evergrace (November 29th 2006)
Hi, first off all I just want to congratulate you on your debut album. Are you satisfied with it?
Jon - Hi and thank you! Yes, we are very satisfied with the album and the response it got from you guys!
Way over our expectations.
 
How did you get your name, Evergrace?
Jon - Well, Evergrace is actually a complete rip-off from the Playstation 2 game with the same name.
Johan, our singer, is a “video-game geek” and he presented the name without saying where it came from.
We decided to take the name and a couple of months later he told us where he got the name from.
But we decided to keep the name anyway and we’ve been Evergrace ever since.
 
In what words would you describe the music and moods of Evergrace for someone that has not heard you yet?
Jon - Well, I guess it some kind of melodic mid-tempo heavy-metal with a melancholy mood to it, 
and our lyrics are mainly about how twisted our world is.
I guess we’re some mixture of bands like Morgana Lefay, Tad Morose and Nocturnal Rites which also are our main influences.
 
My favorite songs on your album could very well be the album opener, “The Escape” and “Alive”!
- Are there any songs on your album that are special to you?
Jon - Every song is special in some way so it’s really difficult to choose just one.
Hmm…I guess my personal choice would be “Enough is enough”. But I could really choose any song on the album.
Hahaha, guess I’m a bit partial.
 
Do you have any gigs or tours planned at the moment, perhaps to promote the new album?
Jon - Well, we’ve done a few gigs already but there will be more.
In April we’re going to Switzerland for a festival gig.
And there will be some yet unannounced gigs. Check out our webpage for updates.
 
Let's speculate - you have been granted a free slot on a tour of your own choice - who would be your ideal touring partners?
Jon - Well, I have to give you an answer on this one from a personal view.
Even though our music is completely different from In Flames music, I have to say them just because they are my favorites.
A tour with them would be pretty awesome!
 
What are you doing besides Evergrace, job wise as well as hobbies?
Jon - We’re all working more or less and most of our spare time goes to the music. 
What albums or bands do you believe have had the greatest impact on the history of Metal?
Jon - Black Sabbath, no doubt about it, has got the biggest impact on metal generally.
I mean they are the grandpas of metal.
As for our genre I believe Judas Priest and Helloween have made a great impact.
In my opinion Judas Priest albums Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin after Sin, and Stained Class really made the standard for today’s heavy-metal.
They played faster than everyone and their guitars had got the “metallic” sound to it.
 
Let’s end this interview with some very silly questions, shall we?
1. – If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
Jon - Absolutely! Three wishes...
hmm… More love, less hate in the world, a gold record and getting the opportunity to make a living out of the music.
 
2. – If you could swap lives with anybody in the world, who would it be?
Jon - I would have to choose Zakk Wylde or Slash. I really think their way to handle the guitar is pretty awesome.
They also make some fantastic music.
 
3. – If you were offered the chance to play any part in any movie, what would part it be?
Jon - I believe I would have played Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow.
He’s really an awesome character and I believe the credit should go to the phenomenal Johnny Depp.
He’s really one of our times absolutely best actors. Another character I would like to play is Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction.
Probably the best film ever made and Samuel L. Jacksons "Ezekiel Speech" really makes his character to one of the coolest in Hollywood history.
 
Thank you very much for participating in this interview and sharing this information and your thoughts with us!
So, finally - any words of wisdom or funny facts about the nearest future you want to share with the readers?
Jon - We’re currently working with some new songs for a new album. There’s no release date yet but hopefully it will be out next autumn. 
 
Cheers, Jon

Interviewed by Peter

Evergrace - Evergrace

Album available on
Ulterium Records.

For more info on Evergrace - click on the album cover.