The Art of Prog

NOTE: Bill Murphy interviewed Diablo Swing Orchestra guitarist Pontus Mantefors in July of this year.

Bill: Hi, Pontus. This is Bill Murphy.

Pontus: Hi, Bill.

Bill: How are you? ProgPower USA calling.

Pontus: Hi. I’m good, thanks. How are you?

Bill: Good. Did I catch you at a good time? It’s 8:00 there?

Pontus: It’s 8:00 exactly. It’s one minute past. But I’d say that’s exactly.

Bill: [laughs] Good. I like to be punctual.

Pontus: Yeah, that’s excellent. I was just sitting and waiting for your call, actually.

Bill: Good. Well, I appreciate your time today. It’s a pleasure to talk to you.

Pontus: Yeah, the same.

Bill: Let’s chat. There’s a lot of ground to cover here. It’s really cool to listen to your music because there’s so much going on in each song. There’s a lot of different styles. But before we talk about your previous album, let’s talk about your new album that’s coming out.

Pontus: Yeah?

Bill: What was different about recording it, and by the way, it’s called Sing-a-long Songs for the Damned and Delirious. Who came up with that title?

Pontus: Oh, I think I’d have to take partly credit to that.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: It was a bit of a brainstorming, but I think I came up with the final title.

Bill: Really?

Pontus: Some of the elements from that title were in earlier suggestions as well, but yeah.

Bill: [laughs] Well, it’s just a great title. It’s definitely catchy. Tell me about making this album. Compared to making your first one, what was different this time around?

Pontus: Well, for one, the first time around, most of us in the band didn’t really have a set idea on how we wanted to sound individually and as a band. I mean, it was a bit of a gamble to incorporate a cello with distorted guitars and everything. We wanted, I mean, for the first album, we wanted cello to be an instrument that could be heard, but that can sometimes be hard to make a reality, depending on how you write the songs and all that. And that was a big difference until, with the new album, since we wrote most of the songs thinking of all these things specifically. And also, all of us pretty much knew more of what kind of sound we wanted individually and as a band. That’s probably one of the major, major differences.

Bill: How about, and those are good differences to remember, but is there, how about in the producer? You worked with In Flames’ producer this time around. How was he different from who produced your first album? What did he bring out?

Pontus: Pelle Saether was the producer for the first album, and Roberto Laghi was the one for the new album. Well, of course, everybody, I mean, everybody on this planet probably has a different approach to music.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: Of course, Pelle and Roberto have slightly different approaches to recording and how to reach a goal, so to speak. I mean, it feels like Pelle is a more traditional metal producer, while Roberto has done a lot of punk things, hard rock things, and other stuff like that as well. And he’s done a lot of metal. But hard to say, really. I’d have to give Roberto a huge credit for being an incredible communicator and he also had a lot of ideas going into the studio. It was really great working with him.

Bill: How about the cover art? That cover art is amazing. How did you hook up with Peter? Did he listen to your music and then make that, or did you pick that from his?

Pontus: Well, I think it’s, Peter is an old friend of Andy, our bass player.

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: And Peter actually made the first cover as well.

Bill: Oh did he? Really, I never would have known that. Yeah.

Pontus: Yeah, he’s done both of our covers now. So basically, I think he might have heard some of the pre-production stuff, but it was a lot of, I mean us in the band discussed a lot of what kind of feeling we want to get out of the cover and what, it was basically an order of what we wanted on the cover, and then he pretty much made it a reality. And made it much better than we all ever anticipated. It was, we basically said what kind of elements we wanted in the picture.

Bill: Well, it’s a fantastic cover.

Pontus: He came very close on the first sketch. Perfect. [laughs]

Bill: Really? [laughs]

Pontus: Yeah.

Bill: That’s great.

Pontus: Have you heard of an American artist called Mark Ryden?

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: It was, we just once in the process said his name and we were on the same wavelength already so to speak. He was all ready, yeah.

Bill: Yeah, it’s striking. It’s a memorable cover. That could be one of those covers of the year that everybody talks about for many years to come.

Pontus: That would be fun, yeah.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: I think it’s an excellent cover. I think it illustrates what’s on the album as well, quite well. I don’t know if you’ve seen the backside of it, because I mean, basically it’s a pretty big painting, the entire thing. And the amusement park goes around the back of the cover.

Bill: Oh, no I didn’t. So it’s like a gatefold, so the entire backside of that cover opens up to be one long sort of mural or painting.

Pontus: Exactly.

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: And I mean, the backside of it goes darker and darker.

Bill: Really? [laughs]

Pontus: With less and less color. So the front side of the cover is all happy, well, happy in a dark way, but still.

Bill: Yeah.

Pontus: And the backside is more dark with small amounts of colors.

Bill: How were you familiar with Mark Ryden? I’m looking at some of his art right now and it’s very Alice-in-Wonderland with sort of a Tim-Burton twist to it. [laughs] You know?

Pontus: Yeah, that’s a good explanation for it.

Bill: Yeah.

Pontus: I think Mark Ryden’s done some really amazing stuff. I like the feeling of, there’s a darkness and a big scoop of I mean, amusement in it at the same time.

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: And that’s something that really attracts me.

Bill: Well, let’s talk about the origin of DSO. I’ve read the MySpace synopsis. I’ve heard reports, I’ve read your Wikipedia entry. That whole story about your history and how you guys came together…that’s a work of fiction, right? [laughs] I mean, it’s a brilliant piece of writing. But that didn’t really happen, did it?

Pontus: Well, I don’t know. You’d have to look into the history books to be sure. But I mean, [laughs] of course.

Bill: [laughs]

PM: But it’s a pretty good story, though, isn’t it?

Bill: It’s a fantastic story, Pontus. [laughs] That’s great.

Pontus: I’m glad you enjoy it.

Bill: Well yeah. [laughs] Well, let me put it to you this way. Who in the band put that story together?

Pontus: Mostly the writing has been, no matter if it’s music or lyrics to the music, all that kind of writing is mostly done by Daniel.

Bill: Oh really?

Pontus: He’s the main lyricist for songs and stories so to speak.

Bill: So he has a fertile imagination?

Pontus: Yeah, I’d say so.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: I tried to contribute, but yeah, he’s by far the one that writes the most.

Bill: Well, it’s a fantastic story, and a very cool band. How did DSO come together? Can you tell me how you guys found each other?

Pontus: Well, oh, it’s, well there’s a, it’s a bit of a scattered story.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: I think we all have different stories that are kind of linked in different ways, where some of us know each other from way back, and some of us just met six or seven years ago. Well, we’ve all played together, well, some of us have played together in different combinations way back. So the actual DSO project started with me and Daniel. What year was that? Must be 2002, 2003.

Bill: Yeah, in your Wikipedia entry it says, “The band was formed in 2003.”

Pontus: Yeah, that’s it.

Bill: So you and Daniel are just kind of bopping around, you ‘re playing music. Did you just think, “You know what, let’s put together a really cool band, and we need these kind of people?”

Pontus: No. We kind of, mainly, I mean what kind of things make us tick? You know, what kind of instruments do we like, what kind of songs do we like, what kind of vocals do we like? And I mean, at the start, Daniel had a couple of songs put together where cello wasn’t really a thought-out part of it, but we kind of stumbled on Johannes. Because I knew him since quite way back, from where we grew up. And it just felt perfect when we tried it out. And, I mean, upper vocals, it was something that, at the time, we had never heard of, to tell you the truth, we had never heard of anything called opera metal until we actually thought of the idea. I mean, we’d heard Muse, both of us, and thought that, “Yeah, that sounds pretty cool.” He sings slightly operatic in some way, it felt, sort of. And we actually, I mean, Daniel’s grown up with opera vocals, I think his mom was a singer.

Bill: Oh really?

Pontus: So he probably thought most of mixing that, from being quite young, mixing that with hard rock elements, and spinning it together. It was actually after we recorded the first couple of demos that we heard of bands like Nightwish and bands like that.

Bill: Yeah. Those are the bands that like, if you look at your YouTube videos, a lot of people comment like, “Well, Annlouice sounds like Tarja.” Or, “Gee, she sounds like Floor Jansen.”

Pontus: Yeah.

Bill: When I listen to your first album, I hear that you’re combining things that you don’t normally hear. Like the Big Band Swing and metal. Or Spanish classical guitar and metal. Or this didgeridoo thing and sort of a Middle Eastern vibe. How did you guys decide to put all that together? Is that just the kind of music you enjoy listening to on your own?

Pontus: Well, I think it feels like a double question.

Bill: Yeah.

Pontus: But I’ll try to answer one part at a time. When it comes to inspiration, for me, I find most of my inspiration for this band in music and in genres that are quite far away from the band. Most of us in the band are probably like that. Of course, most, I mean more than half the band listen and have historically listened a lot to metal and those type of bands, but lately found more inspiration in swing bands or oriental and alternative bands, that kind of music. But when it comes to actually deliberately mixing, for me, I’ve, as long as I can remember, I’ve found a lot of interest in bands that have mixed genres. Subtly, I mean, in very small doses and in high doses as well. I can’t come to think of any examples right now.

Bill: Well, Opeth is a band that mixes a lot of styles, you know, from—

Pontus: Yeah. That’s one pretty popular band in this, but most also in the band feel it is a very interesting band. But historically I know I’ve listened to a lot of bands I’ve found to be very interesting, just because they’ve started to mix genres and in some way started a new genre just by doing that.

Bill: Well yeah, I know what you mean. I can hear that. You guys have a very fresh, unique sound. It’s fun to listen to. Tell me about your background. Is this your full-time job, by the way? Is music your full-time job, or do you have the so-called day job?

Pontus: Well, I have the so-called day job that’s kind of pretty closely, close to music. I work in a guitar shop.

Bill: Oh really? That’s great. [laughs]

Pontus: [laughs] One of the bigger guitar shops in Stockholm at the moment.

Bill: Do you get paid in guitars, then? Like a lot of people, when they work in a shop with the stuff they like end up spending all their salary on the merchandise. [laughs]

Pontus: [laughs] Unfortunately, I don’t think I could afford getting my pay in guitars. We don’t have enough gigs with Diablo Swing Orchestra yet to be able to do that. [laughs]

Bill: Yeah. [laughs]

Pontus: No. But it’s been a great contribution to my guitar playing, and I just, before this album, the shop they have is basically both acoustics, electrics, and we also have four luthiers, working, and building, repairing instruments.

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: And just before the new album, I had a custom-made guitar made specifically.

Bill: Oh wow.

Pontus: Baritone guitar, just for this album, which I’m very pleased with. He’s an amazing guy that does it for me.

Bill: Oh, that’s fantastic. Do you have sort of a level of fame to where people walk into the shop and say, “Hey, aren’t you that guy in Diablo Swing Orchestra?” [laughs]

Pontus: No, it’s quite far from it, actually. In Sweden, we are practically unknown. It happened, ok, it happened maybe five times since I started a year and a half ago, that people have commented on the band in some way or a couple has recognized me. But no level of fame whatsoever.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: [laughs]

Bill: How long have you been a guitarist? When did you first get involved with music?

Pontus: Well, for me it was, I think I was 10 when I actually started to take lessons. It was like classical guitar for a couple years. My dad’s a kind of a troubadour guitar player, so I probably started playing a lot earlier than that. I mean, sitting on his lap just strumming the strings while he held the chords and stuff like that.

Bill: Oh really? [laughs]

Pontus: Yeah.

Bill: That’s great.

Pontus: I have some faint memories of doing that. But I was 10 when I actually started taking lessons, and I did that for about three years. And after that, it’s mainly—

Bill: Self-taught?

Pontus: Taught myself.

Bill: Yeah. Well, what is your goal as a band? Do you guys have the sky as the limit? Do you want to just tour the world and sell millions of albums, or would you be happy just kind of selling a few and living a comfortable life in Stockholm?

Pontus: Well, I think all of us in the band of course want to play more and expand in some ways. I think all of us looked very realistically when it comes to what visions we have and what goals we have and what goals we put out. All of us, well, almost all of us have daytime jobs or a couple of us study. I mean, so it’s something that you have to combine with this, and therefore you have to be quite realistic.

Bill: Oh yeah.

Pontus: And also, I mean, of course plan ahead quite a bit. So of course you have visions of expanding, but it always has to be somewhat realistic.

Bill: [laughs] Yeah.

Pontus: We are not 18 anymore. When you’re 18, you can probably leave everything and just go.

Bill: [laughs] Yeah. Well, how old are you now?

Pontus: Well for me, I’m 28. The band is around my age, plus or minus five years.

Bill: Yeah. Well, you’re still plenty young to [laughs] do what you want to do. You know?

Pontus: Yeah, definitely.

Bill: Tell me about your first album. It’s been around for quite a while now, two, three, about almost three years, I guess. Everybody’s kind of familiar with it. So I always like to ask musicians I interview to tell me what they remember most about recording each album. So, for your first album, what do you remember most about putting this album together?

Pontus: Well, it was memories from that time is for me, going in a car on and off from Västerås to where I lived in Hultsfred, a couple hours south of Stockholm, so it was like a four-hour drive.

Bill: Wow.

Pontus: I just met my wife, we weren’t married at the time, but we just met a couple of months prior to us starting to record, and she moved down to where I lived, just at the same time as we were gonna start recording. So it was basically she moved in, and I moved out, and then for close to three weeks, it was like, “Hi honey, bye honey, see you in a couple weeks.” [laughs]

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: But apparently, it worked out fine, because she’s—

Bill: Still there, huh?

Pontus: She’s still here.

Bill: [laughs]

Pontus: And also, yeah, it was also some fun at that time. Daniel did a lot of driving as well. We were probably the ones that spent most of the time in the studio on that album. And Daniel lived in Stockholm, which is like one hour away. So he worked daytime and after work, he’d go to Västerås and spend a couple hours in the studio, go back to Stockholm, get up in the morning, go to work, and do that for quite a while.

Bill: When you think about putting that album together, recording the songs, was there one of them or a couple of them that gave you the most trouble, that you were just absolutely sick of [laughs] by the time you got it laid down? Or did they all come together pretty easily?

Pontus: Well, on the first album, you mean?

Bill: Yes.

Pontus: Yeah. Well, we have a couple. We had a lot of trouble with the lyrics on “Zodiac Virtues.” The verse was practically not finished until last possible moment.

Bill: Really?

Pontus: I mean, you always, for me I think there’s always been, you somehow go through that phase, and most of the songs there’s been at some point you…

This ends Part One of Bill’s interview with DSO guitarist Pontus Mantefors. The complete interview can only be found in the official (printed) ProgPower USA program given to all attendees. If you want to read the entire interview, you have to come to the show!

Final Note: All photos/images used to illustrate this interview are used in compliance with the principles of Fair Use. They illustrate reviews, opinions, and interviews with the band members who created the albums and on whose official web sites and MySpace pages some of these images reside. The photos of the band were e-mailed to Bill by Pontus Mantefors. Many thanks, Pontus! No copyright violations are intended.