BACKGROUND MAGAZINE Interview: Seventh Wonder

Interview Andreas Söderin (Seventh Wonder)

“We all felt that we wanted to do something new”

(February 2011, text by Pedro Bekkers, edited by Peter Willemsen, pictures from the band)

Recently the Swedish band Seventh Wonder released The Great Escape, a brand-new album and another highlight in their career (See review). After that I got the opportunity to ask keyboard player Andreas Söderin some questions for Background Magazine regarding the album and concerning the request from Kamelot, a famous American band, to lend Tommy Karevik, Seventh Wonder's vocalist.

Congratulations with delivering another great album. I think the albums of Seventh Wonder set a standard in the genre of progressive metal and The Great Escape is no exception.

Andreas Söderin: “Well, thank you very much!”

Unlike the previous albums most of the songs on The Great Escape tend to a more popular kind of melodic power metal. Is this the path you want to go or just a coincidence?

“The five guys in the band have five different musical backgrounds like real technical progressive rock, power metal, pure rock of the eighties, and so on. We blend all these musical influences in our songs. Indeed, this time it just happened that the songs tended to be a little more power metal, but that wasn't done on purpose. It just ended up that way.”

Andreas Söderin

The thirty-minute title track is an epic based on Harry Martinson's saga Aniara. Would you please tell us how this song was made and what the story is about?

“We all felt that we wanted to do something new. We had a couple of ideas, but ended up with this 30-minute song. Andreas Blomqvist wrote the whole basic structure of that song. Then the other guys added their own personal touch to it. The story relates the tragedy of a spaceship full of people who fled from earth with the intention to begin a new life on Mars. After an accident, the spaceship loses control and remains in outer space. The people onboard the ship, try to live their lives anyway, but they know that there's no one to save them.”

How do you write songs in general?

“Well, someone in the band - usually guitar player Johan Liefvendal, bass player Andreas Blomqvist or singer Tommy Karevik come up with a basic idea. Then the other guys add their personal things to it. The final thing we do is writing the melody lines and the lyrics. Then we always have some changes here and there. Mostly our songs are incomplete until they have been recorded.”

Left to right: Johan Liefvendal, Andreas Söderin, Tommy Karevik, Johnny Sandin, Andreas Blomqvist

Is it possible for the band members to be professional musicians or do you all have jobs to finance the musical ambitions?

“I wish we would be able to earn a living from our music, but unfortunately that's not possible for a band like us. Therefore we all have daytime jobs.”

Are you going to take Jenny Karevik on tour? She has a nice voice. Will she be heard on future albums?

“At this time there are no booked gigs. Since Johnny Sandin left the band at the end of 2010, we're still trying out new drummers. However, everything is possible. Jenny has joined us on every album since Waiting In The Wings and we will surely continue to work with her on future albums as well.”

Why did you choose a major record label like Lion Records?

“One of the main reasons for choosing Lion Records is the musical and productional freedom we got. We decide everything ourselves concerning the music, the lyrics and the production.”

Tommy Karevik was asked to stand in for Roy Khan, the singer of Kamelot. Are you proud of him for being asked to stand in for their singer?

“Yes, of course we are. Tommy is a very talented singer and he will surely do a great job with Kamelot.”

Does the Kamelot-tour have any impact on the band or on the promotional tour for the new album?

“As I said before, at this time we have no touring plans whatsoever since we still need to find another drummer.”

Thanks for the interview, Andreas. I hope to welcome you very soon on a stage somewhere in The Netherlands. I will be there to see a great band perform live.

“You're welcome! We would love to play in The Netherlands again. Hope to see you all there!”

More info about Seventh Wonder on the Internet:
       Seventh Wonder Website
       Samples
       Review 'The Great Escape'
       Promo leaflet 'The Great Escape'