Agusa have proved that music can move forward having both feet in the past. Their debut “Högtid” and their second album “Två” are the ideal evidence for this claim and their upcoming concert in Athens with Methexis has set our expectations high. Members of Agusa shared with us many interesting things concering the band, the progressive rock genre and music today in general.
Questions: Ilias Goumagias, Dimitris Kaltsas
We are particularly joyous about this interview, not only because we love the music of Agusa, but also because this is taking place only a few days before your live show in Greece. If I am not mistaken, this is your first live in our country. What are your expectations?
Yes first time! We are very happy and grateful for this opportunity to play in Greece. We are very much looking forward to it! No expectations really, we are just going to enjoy the moment and play our best.
Your music showcases a particular jamming character and a sense of freedom, both of which seem to strengthen rather than dilute the composition, strictly speaking. How do you manage to do this? And what is the creative process behind an Agusa track?
We try to balance the structured parts with bits of jamming inbetween. It is a matter of getting a feel for the composition. The flow of it all. Playing together and really listening to each other. Developing the “group mind”. That is really what the back- to- 70´s- vibe means to us. Getting it together as a group of individuals playing as one. Telepathy in a musical setting.
Do you still visit the area of Agusa, from which you got your band name?
Not really. We only went there because Dag our former drummer used to live there. And since he quit the band we have not seen him much. And now he has moved someplace else.
Are you classically trained, jazz trained or self taught?
We are self taught by and large. Though Jenny has studied Swedish folk music for some years.
Your debut, “Högtid” was voted by the staff of ProgRocks.gr as the best album of 2014 (link). Plenty of time has passed since it was released. Based on the reception both by the listeners and the reviewers, would you be able to picture this album as a “prog classic” after a few years?
They don’t make “prog classics” anymore! In the seventies they did, but now? Not likely. We just hope it will pass the test of time gracefully. And that we can feel proud about our music any number of years from now.
In our lists for the best releases of 2015, the top album ended up being the excellent debut of Hooffoot (link), who feature your guitarist, Mikael Ödesjö. Progressive rock and psychedelic music seem to be thriving in Sweden and Scandinavia in general, and this particular music scene may very well be the most interesting one globally. What prompted this boom and which are the Scandinavian bands that stand out for you?
Nostalgia is very big in the world right now it seems. The resurgence of prog rock is part of this trend obviously. But will it last? Or is it just another fad? In Scandinavia we catch on to new fashions very quickly and diligently. So there are a lot of bands right now. Of varying quality. But absolutely no money! Which is a bit of a mixed blessing. At least it keeps the golddiggers away! Anyway we like “Den Stora Vilan” from Sweden and “Death Hawks” from Finland. But there are hundreds more.
The folk elements of “Två” were obviously more prominent in comparison to “Högtid” and the references to the glorious 70s prog/folk scene of your country (and generally the Scandinavian scene) and we had the pleasure to hear once again a melody that we had first heard from Kama Loka in 2012. Which albums would you hold most highly from the 70s scene as the most influential for the music of Agusa?
Kebnekajse: Blue album, Mikael Ramel: Till Dej, Fläsket Brinner: First album, Trettioåriga Kriget: First album; Krigssång, Kvartetten Som Sprängde: Same title, Arbete & Fritid: Album 1973, Bo Hansson: Sagan om ringen.
What should we expect from the third album of Agusa? Is there a possibility of your incorporating lyrics in a future release of yours? And if so, in which language?
When we started out no one wanted to sing so we turned to instrumental music out of necessity, which was fine for us really. It allowed us to concentrate on the arrangements and to be spontaneous at the same time. Now Jenny says she would like to sing so we are considering vocals in the future. Possibly in the Swedish language. But nothing is decided yet. The music has been developing since we recorded it and some of the tunes have changed considerably so we are considering a live album as our next release.
The sound of Agusa mainly covers the early 70s period. Are there things besides the 70s that you listen to and consider to be influential?
Everything around you will influence you in one way or another, wheather you like it or not. But the early seventies was a time of greater freedom it seems and we keep looking back to gain the strength we need today, in these dark times.
How to you view the global blooming of the underground over the last few years, which have rendered the independent labels in the majority and the large record labels enfeebled? To what extent does this help you?
It is hard to tell if it is for the good of music or bad. It is easier to release a record now but it is difficult to get anyone to listen to it. There is just so much out there! Maybe only time can tell what good, if any, there was. We have benefitted of course since Tobias has his own label and releases whatever he likes. But a record requires promotion and that costs money. Something we do not have at present.
Do you believe that everything in music has already been played?
No.
Daevid Allen, Chris Squire, Edgar Froese, Lemmy, David Bowie. Five important losses of people who were 70s giants. With whom of the aforementioned five would you most have liked to collaborate, had you been given the opportunity, and who would you have avoided?
They all made their best work in the early seventies of course. Culture has been in a steep decline since then. But Agusa would have liked very much to collaborate with any one of these legends. It would have been an honour!
What is the legacy that you would like to leave as a band?
We are keeping the communal and revolutionary spirit of yesterday alive and bring it on to the next generation. We hope. We are trying anyway!
Prompted by your visiting Greece, what is your relationship with the Greek progressive rock/psychedelic scene?
We like Socrates, Axis, Iraklis, Nostradamus, Aphrodite’s Child…
We will be very pleased to see you on the stage of six d.o.g.s. on the 12th of February along with Methexis (link). Any closing remarks from you?
We are all really excited! It is going to be wonderful. Thank you for taking your time reading this. See you there!
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