Mando Diao will release their new album “Boblikov’s Magical World” on April 28th. Working on the record was special for the band, as singer and frontman Björn Dixgård (41) reveals in an interview with spot on news. “We didn’t have any songs left because we were recording so much during the pandemic. So we went into the studio and made it a point to write a song every day and record it in the evening. And we did that for 12 days and that was it finished the album. An absolute record for us.”
The band loves to “make up stories about the album after we’ve finished the songs,” he continues. “This time, our bassist CJ came up with the character Boblikov, a greedy man, the little devil that’s sitting on all our shoulders. He’s taken advantage of industrialism, now he regrets it and is trying to make things right.” The cover of the album features an image of the character created by an artist. “Björn’s son made a first drawing, the cover is based on this idea,” says drummer Patrik Heikinpieti. “There’s also a make-up and a costume, so Boblikov will also be on tour,” adds Dixgård.
The musicians released their previous album “I solnedgången” in Swedish in 2020. “Swedish is our mother tongue, English is more theatrical in a way, but we love both,” says Dixgård. When the Swedish album was made, “we had a concept when we got into the studio because we had the songs beforehand. This time they were made in the studio, we didn’t change them much, they’re rock ‘n’ roll,” says Dixgard. “On that day we had this mode and this mood, on another everything was different again, the songs reflect that,” says Heikinpieti about the diverse sound of the record. The song “Stop the Train” describes the desire to get off the fast train full of hate and greed and escape. “You only have to read the news to get that feeling,” explains Dixgård about the idea for the song. “But we are very blessed in this band because we can always stick to the creativity and the music. I would also recommend that to every politician around the world. Don’t forget the beautiful things in life, which are music and culture.”
The band togetherness has also helped the musicians through the pandemic period. “In a way, it was nice to take a break and hit the brakes,” says Heikinpiet. “We would never have taken them if the pandemic hadn’t come. That gave us the opportunity to record and write and be creative. Of course you don’t make the same money as on tour, but we were lucky that it still did had worked.” The pandemic has not raised any doubts about her professional existence. “I never really had any other job, except selling sausages at a racecourse when I was 16 and the boss called me useless,” says Dixgård with a laugh. “I was a music teacher, but that wasn’t for me,” says Heikinpieti. “I could at most be an outdoor guide, spending the whole day in nature and lighting fires for people. Mando Diao’s Crocodile Dundee (laughs).”
The band is now looking forward to live performances this year, especially here in Germany. “We love Germany and the people there, and above all the German culture,” enthuses Dixgård. “The venues, the festivals, are pretty impressive. In Sweden there are only a few festivals like Lollapalooza in Stockholm, so only urban ones. Unfortunately, my kids can never sleep in tents, camp and bathe in the mud. That’s a great thing in Germany .” Above all, they value the loyalty of the German fans. “We don’t take them for granted. As long as we remain rock’n’roll, we feel that we have a connection to you Germans,” says the singer. “I think we have the core fans in Germany,” adds Heikinpieti. “We have the people who follow us on all our tours around Germany and come to all the gigs. So we’re really blessed and grateful.”
For the German fans, the musicians like to go down other paths: Last February, they played for a radio station in a tram in Hanover. “It was shaky,” explains Dixgård. “We like to do silly stuff with the band, so it came at the right time. It was fun. I know Hannover inside out now (laughs).” The musicians, who are both committed to protecting the environment, also try to travel with the band in an environmentally friendly manner. “We do our best, try to avoid planes as much as possible and take trains,” says Dixgård, who sees consumption as a problem for humanity. “The plastic, for example, is so pointless. The supermarkets in Sweden are boasting that they now have paper bags and of course that’s good, but then you go into the store and there’s only plastic everywhere. It destroys the earth. It would also be at festivals Less plastic is a good thing.”
Mando Diao have existed for over 20 years, and the band has also seen a number of musicians leave the band, most notably Gustaf Noréns in 2015. “To be honest, all the changes have been good,” Dixgård looks back. “Gustaf’s departure was difficult on the one hand because we had a close relationship for a long time. On the other hand, we had grown extremely apart. Our current line-up is the best we’ve ever had and we’re sticking with it. The dream team.” For him it is the perfect cast, adds Heikinpieti. “Back then, Björn and Gustaf wrote the songs together, today it’s more open for the whole band to create something and be creative.”
Not only the line-up, but also the band’s rituals have changed over the years. “We used to drink rum and play some really bad shows,” explains the frontman. “I once had to apologize to our crew because I was so drunk and sang into CJ’s mic or started on the wrong song. Today it’s two beers or a glass of wine, that’s all. We need to conserve our energy and prefer to play video games. ” “Being drunk doesn’t work,” says Heikinpiet. “We don’t want to go out and disappoint the fans. We take it seriously. They pay a lot of money for the tickets.”
In February, Björn Dixgård released his first solo single “Higher”, the theme song of the drama series “Limbo”. “For me it’s just another forum for all the music we make that even Mando Diao doesn’t have enough space for,” explains the singer, who is planning an entire solo album. “It’s a side of me that I want to explore a little bit and see what happens.” However, this does not affect his band. For this he wishes “that the passion we have for creativity and music just keeps burning because it’s strong. And I hope that we all stay healthy, that’s the most important thing.”
