It’s a fair guess that any Australian music fan with a taste for skate punk would’ve caught Millencolin live by now. Over the last couple of decades, the Swedish foursome – led by vocalist/bass player Nikola Šarcevic and guitarist Mathias Färm – have visited us so frequently that Tony’s probably considering granting them an honourary knighthood.
OK, perhaps that’s a touch unrealistic, but ever since the band’s now-legendary album Pennybridge Pioneers danced up the ARIA charts back in 2000, Australian listeners have been unflaggingly besotted.
“Australia has been special for us,” says Färm, “because we’ve been doing really good in Australia and we usually tend to travel there when you have your summer and it’s winter here. So it’s always special memories for us.
“It was the first country where we got bigger than the punk rock big thing,” he adds. “We went gold on Pennybridge Pioneers and it was probably the first country where the recognition was a bit more mainstream.”
While the impact of that record still lingers, Millencolin didn’t respond to their success by shutting down their creative engines. The band kept on chooglin’ for the remainder of the decade, adopting a mature rock sound on 2002’s Home From Home, before returning to full-tilt punk rock on 2005’s Kingwood and venturing into cleaner, poppy territory on 2008’s Machine 15.
However, since Machine 15, things have been quiet on the release front. After 20 years and seven full-length albums, it’d be understandable if Millencolin decided to bow out of the record-making game. But the gracious farewell speeches will have to wait, as Millencolin have just about finished recording their eighth LP.
“We wanted to find the essence of Millencolin and try to do something that really sounds like Millencolin,” Färmsays. “It’s a little bit more old-school. It’s more punk rock than it’s been for a long time; it’s much faster too. It’s been a fun process. It’s been kind of long, too. I’m very excited to put this out – we’re going to have at least one new song out before Soundwave.”
The promise of fresh tunes is an exciting prospect, but never fear – Millencolin’s Soundwave tour setlists will still be bursting with old favourites.
“We know what songs are the most popular songs and it’s a good idea to play them live,” Färmsays. “There’s some songs that I’ve played live 2,000 times but if the crowd are getting into what our band is doing and seem to enjoy it, it doesn’t really matter what song I’m playing. Of course, there’s songs that are more fun to play than other songs, maybe because they’re easier to play or they have something special that I like, but it doesn’t really matter. As long as people are going off, I’m good.”
Drummer Fredrik Larzon and guitarist Erik Ohlsson join Färmand Šarcevic to complete the band’s lineup. Somewhat miraculously, Millencolin have kept the same lineup throughout their entire history. The band is now 23 years old – with the individuals pushing 40 – and Färm’s pretty chuffed about how things have turned out. “The way I am, I’m still 20,” he laughs. “I still do the same things I’ve been doing my whole life. But of course, if someone would’ve told me when I was 17 that, ‘In 23 years, you’re going to be talking to an Australian about the same band you’ve been in for 23 years,’ I would probably have a hard time believing it. I’m still living my dream and this band has been my only job in my whole life.”
Catch them atSoundwave Festival 2015alongsideFaith No More, Soundgarden, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Slash and many more atSydney Olympic Park onSaturday February 28 and Sunday March 1, tickets online.
