Interview with Carl Johan Grimmark, Narnia (August 2009)

Hi, first off all I just want to congratulate you with your new album “Course of a Generation”. Awesome release in my humble opinion... but are YOU satisfied with it? CJ - Thanks!! Yes, I'm satisfied because we worked very hard and well and it's a strong album that people seem to love. On the other hand I don't want it to stop us from getting even better next time! ;) Who and what inspires you when you write a song? Walk us through the creation of a song? CJ - Tough question, hard to tell because I somehow feel that I always have music bubbling inside of me. Then of course any circumstance in life might make you write in different ways depending on mood etc. But, I'm not one of those who write more or better by feeling depressed...or maybe it's a myth that some do... Usually nowadays I usually come up with a riff or a melody and than start to build things around it. It can change a lot during the process. One example is the opening song "Sail around the world" which was re-arranged several times and got better and better. Germán came up with vocal melodies for three of the songs, and Andreas Passmark also contributed with parts on a song, so we tweaked some of it together as well. How long do you need to practice to feel comfortable with your songs before you record them? CJ - Usually the practicing for the CD takes place while recording, but then You need to get prepared to play it all live. This time we practiced for about 4 full days on our new set to get really comfortable. We play about 50% new stuff now, so it's quiet a challenge. Any songs scratched during the writing/recording process? CJ - No, no full songs - just bits and pieces here and there. I started writing some stuff but ditched it very early before it had turned into real songs. How has your new album been received by the media? CJ - Oh, it's been greater than ever as far as we can see so far. Many magazines and webzines have rated  us 9/10, 4,5/5, 5/6 and I even saw a 20/20 somewhere! It's a blast for sure!! Where do you see the main difference between your earlier albums and your new album? CJ - It's riffier, it's more aggressive and has more connections to modern sounds at the same time as the melodies are stronger than before. I feel it was a very successful equation. We tuned down our instruments for a darker and beefier sound and made the choruses catchier. I think by doing this we found a sound that is more unique than anything we've achieved before. Then of course we now have a new frontman/singer, and that changes the sound greatly. What are the plans for the band right now? Next album, tour, etc.? CJ - We're doing dates in Northern Europe during the autumn, and hopefully we will extend that into 2010. We're still waiting for the album to be released in Japan and North America in October, so we'll see what doors are opening. Next album - well, I have some cool new riffs on my early 80's cassette recorder, so we'll see what it turns into. If I were to peak into your CD player right now, what might I find playing? CJ - Probably Dream Theater's "Black clouds and silver linings". What kind of metal/music don't you like at all? CJ - Hmm...most styles have something, but I guess I don't really care for Punk, old-school death/black metal or so...and I'm not too much into most rap-stuff either...or rnb ala "Boyz II Men" :) I thank you very much for participating in this interview. Any final words you would like to round off with? CJ - Big thanks for the attention, it's an honour! I wish all readers the best and hope to see you soon!
Interviewed by Peter Laursen
	Narnia - Course of a Generation Album available on Massacre Records Website: www.myspace.com/narniaofficial