Hi Erik. First of all allow me to congratulate you for your exceptional new album “The Continuation”. It was chosen as the Best Album of March on Grande Rock! Well-done!
E: Thank you very much. We are deeply honored that our album was chosen as Best Album of March.
Since it’s the first time we speak, tell us how it all started back in 2001.
E: It was initiated by our keyboardist who wanted to form a project with self-composed music as he was getting tired of playing other peoples music in different cover bands.
He had this idea of doing somewhat back to his roots prog music which was what he and many others in the band grew up with back in the 70s. By 2001 he had managed to find people who had the same idea of what could be fun and who were dedicated.
It was just meant to be a non-committing side project to other bands, but it soon took over from all the others as progress started to show quite immediately. From then on it’s just continued.
It almost took you 9 years to release your debut album “To Be Continued”. Why’s that?
E: Part of it was the explanation mentioned above, that it was initially just a side-project for fun. We didn’t really think about recording anything until some years later. Even then we just thought of recording demos for our own sake and for the fun of it. After a couple of recordings we got some feedback from people who heard it, and we also started to play with the idea of maybe releasing something. It would be nice just to have a CD with our own music in our collection, and we did not anticipate any large sales.
We all keep normal day jobs in order to live, so all the recordings and rehearsals had to be done during evenings and weekends. Add the fact that our guitarist at the time who had rehearsal venues and the studio, lived one hour and 20 minutes away from the rest of us, so after finishing work in the afternoon, we had to jump in the car, and drive for over an hour just to get there. So then we had 2-3 hours during the evening for productive recording before driving the whole way back to get some food and sleep before repeating the whole thing. Combine that with a family-life and you have a well working recipe on how to ruin everything. So, we decided that once a week in addition to a week end every now and then, was enough for recording purposes. We never had any time limitations to consider either, so it was entirely up to us to decide when the project was considered to be completed.
On top of that we occasionally encountered technical problems, like one time when the whole file containing the near finished song “In Hero’s Life” including the backup was lost. This is a 21+minute song, and that sat us back almost a year.
So all in all it was a very slow process, who I’m sure would have killed lots of bands, less dedicated and patient.
You did promise that a new album was on the way and you kept that promise. Now with the release of the “Continuation”… what can you promise to your fans?
E: We can promise that it is in fact the continuation from the debut album. We have tried to keep up the typical The Windmill sound at the same time as we have tried to take it a bit further quality wise, and songwriting wise. So far, when reading the reviews that have started to come in, it seems that we have succeeded in just that.
What are those similar/different elements that your debut and your new album have?
E: Let’s start with the similarities. The first and the obvious thing is the title cut which is also the first on the album, is in fact fading in where the last song faded out on the first. So if you think you’ve heard it before, that is correct. It then builds up from there.
Another thing which I’ve already mentioned must be the sound. No-one should be in doubt that it’s The Windmill playing. We are the same composers and even if we have had some changes in the line-up since the last time, we are basically the same band.
For differences we hope that people will appreciate the rise of quality all over. We have tried to include more vocal parts on this album, and we feel that we’re having more fun. We feel that this album is more relaxed, without letting the nerve and the spirit disappear. A huge difference and maybe the first thing you notice is the cover art.
We have used the same cover artist as the last time, but now she’s been able to paint new pictures for every song, and the whole album from cover to the music seem more like an overall whole product instead of just different pieces put together.
What does the “The Continuation” proclaim?
E: I don’t know if it proclaims that much. If people find anything there that we seem to proclaim that’s fine, but we do not have any political, religious, or moral messages to proclaim. For us it’s all about trying to make music that people may listen and relax to. No hidden meanings or anything.
Please give us a hint about each one of the songs…
E: “… Continuation”: It’s just what it says. The continuation from where the former album stopped.
“The Masque”: It’s a song that tells people that sometimes you need to put on a kind of mask in order to do something outside of what you normally would do.
“Not Alone”: This is really about a child just being told that his/her beloved stepfather is moving out due to some controversy with the child’s mother. Of course a little child is not expected to see things from the same angle as grown-ups, so they tend to ask why. This is the stepfather trying to tell the child that it will all be all right.
“Giant Prize”: This was really meant as kind of a joke, and to break up the little sadness in the album so far. It’s the eternal optimist, slightly naïve, who plays the Lotto every week convinced that next time it’s my turn. Of course sure that the lottery company has lost the telephone number, and that’s why they never call, and also quite don’t get the fact that you can’t use a copy of your lottery ticket as a security for a loan in the bank. But just as happy as ever!!!
“The Gamer”: Is the story about a youngster who has become addicted to PC-games on the Internet. His parents are getting worried and are trying to talk him into get out and see the world for real, not only through cyberspace. He finally understands it, after lots of arguing and bad mouthing.
Where did the recordings take place and who’s responsible for the production? I must confess that you did a great job on that part as well.
E: We started the process by recording the drums and Hammond organ in our rehearsal venue. Then we moved into a small little studio owned by our multi-instrumentalist, Morten, called The Progshack studio. There we did all the rest. Bass, guitars, keys, flutes, vocals etc. The keyboard player also did a fair amount of the keyboard recordings in his living room with his own studio equipment there.
Finally the mixing process was done by our collaborator David Johansen in his studio.
He is a professional who does this for a living. He mixed our first album as well, and we have a good dialog with him, and he never decides on anything before he has sent us a copy to listen to and receiving our approval. If we find that something should be adjusted,(as we normally do) we send it back with our comments and he fixes it. It’s been working great for both our albums so we will continue to work with him.
Then it was sent off to mastering at Sterling studios in New York. They are pros, and are used by lots of big names in the musical industry. They are really good and fast.
The production face involves the whole band. For setting up the drum-microphones our young guitarist Stig André was responsible for that. He’s still got the patience to read and learn so that’s great. But everyone’s voice is heard (within reason) when it comes to the production, and most often the composer knows in advance at least kind of, how it should sound.
What are the band’s major influences? Can you say that you’re influenced by the “classic” late 60/early 70s prog rock movement as well as the 80s neo-prog one?
E: That must be the classic prog bands from the 70s, as Pink Floyd, Camel, Yes, Genesis, but also more straight rock acts like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Uriah Heep. There are plenty of others of course, but these are the ones that come in mind right now.
Yes I think we must be influenced by at least the 70s prog rock movement, as many of the guys grew up with that.
How do you see the future of the prog rock scene nowadays? There’s a big bloom in the last years but where does this all lead?
E: I think it’s great that there are so many new talented bands and not only pure prog, but all over, and of course it’s nice to see that the prog rock scene is growing worldwide. Where it all will lead is impossible to say, but I hope it will open up people’s eyes and help the ordinary music listener/lover to widen his horizons a bit, and listen to more than just radio-hits. But if that will happen really is much up to radio stations worldwide daring to let prog-rock be a part of their daily broadcast.
The album was once again released by your very own Windmill Records. Do you think it’s better to do it this way and have a total control of your work or the labels’ offers nowadays are not very attractive for new bands?
E: Actually we like it this way. As you say we have full control of our own work, and we are free to decide what to do with our music. It means that we have to deal with everything ourselves, which occasionally can be pretty much, as we experience nowadays, but as you say the deals that labels are offering are really not that much anyway. You normally must do about everything yourself anyway, and in the end you are just in the pockets of greedy and not caring companies who want most of your money. There must be exceptions, but I’m afraid those are few. (i.n.: Yeap, that’s the case more or less…)
“I’ve written: “…This album was crafted with the finest 70s & 80s prog rock elements…”. Do you agree with that?
E: Well, thank you for that. It was the intention, so if you think so, we must have succeeded, don’t you think? (i.n.: I do!!)
Are there any plans to give some live gigs in the near future?
E: We have some gigs coming up, mostly over here in Norway. But we are open to any invites from all over the world.
Although Norway is mostly known for its black metal scene, it seems that there are various bands from all the music genres that have been coming from this country for the last decade or so. Is that right or was it always like that?
E: I think Norway have always had lots of good bands in lots of different genres, it’s just during the last decade that we have had Internet helping to promote us.
How do you see all this “free download culture” of our time? Do fans/downloaders have the right to claim that if a band wants to make some bucks it must go on tour while it’s their “right” to download the albums for free? What must be done to get people to buy the actual product in the end?
E: That is a double edge sword. I don’t personally like the fact that people can go in and steal our songs, which we have worked hard and paid lots of money to record and distribute. But having said that, I guess the music industry must take most of the blame themselves. When Internet became available the industry just dug their heads in the sand and told themselves “This is not happening” and just sat put and waited until it passed, which didn’t happen. They woke up 10 years too late and the damage was already done.
In a way it’s great to get artists out on the road, to prove that they really are able to perform the music otherwise easy to fake in a recording studio, but there is only a certain amount of gigs you can do in a small country like Norway, before people stop coming to the shows because they’ve already seen you several times the last year.
A positive trend for the time being is that more and more young people have become good at supporting their favorite bands by ordering the CDs from their websites etc. More people these days, at least the ones who care for good music, starts to realize that if the artist is just going to give away the music, there won’t be anything more produced.
But people must be made aware again that MP3 quality is nothing like CD quality, and they must be told that good music is worth paying for, so it can continue to grow.
For the time being we see that loads of websites offers free downloads of our music. We can’t do that much about it, we can just hope that some of the people using these sites will come to our shows, or maybe if they like what they hear. They will order the CD and get a copy with really good sound quality eventually.
How did iTunes, Spotify etc. make people get used to Mp3s and other files with low sound quality? Do you think that’s good?
E: I think I answered this partly above, so I just say it’s OK if you want to bring your music around easy. But if you really want to sit down and listen, crank up your CD or record player and listen with a decent pair of speakers or headphones, and you’re in for a different treat. (i.n.: That’s the right way to listen to music…)
Okz time for our “Strange Questions”. Why did you call the band The Windmill in the first place?
E: That was our keyboard player driving from Belgium to Norway in his car, his family all asleep and he was listening to the album “Moonmadness” by Camel when he came over this top in Lûbeck, Germany and saw this massive windmill-park. The blades where turning in synchronicity with the music and according to him it was deeply magic. There and then he decided to create a prog band and call it The Windmill. Just so easy.
Do you believe that all those incidents in the Norwegian black metal scene in the early 90s caused problems to other music genres or generally helped the scene to become more known all over the world?
E: I have no idea. Nothing that have taken up the slightest bit of my thoughts before.
Put the best prog rock band together… (vocals, guitar, keys, bass, drums)
E: Oh that one is difficult. You already have so many strange and good constellations. Take for instance The Flower Kings with the Transatlantic and Agents of Mercy, and throw in Steve Hackett. There you have a combination which is going on more or less for the time being, but I feel that for me the biggest thing would be Genesis with Hackett and Gabriel. Yes they have already been around, but why split a winning team?
Name 3 top prog rock album from the 70s…
E: “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd
“Selling England by the Pound” by Genesis
“Moonmadness” by Camel
Now name 3 top (neo) prog rock songs from the 80s…
E: IQ – “Outer Limits”
Marillion – “Kayleigh”
Pendragon – “The Black Night”
Which is the record you wish you had written and why??
E: “Selling England by the Pound”. It’s just so fantastic.
Were you obliged to give just one album to extraterrestrials that would represent the whole human music evolution, which album would it be and from which band/artist?
E: He-he, Must be “The Dark Side of The Moon” by Pink Floyd. That would not embarrass the human race, and at the same time it would be perfect as a gift to extraterrestrials.
Which is that band that has influenced more bands & musicians since rock music begun…?
E: I think the only answer to that must be The Beatles.
If you could go back in time and see any band live in their prime & open for them who would it be and why?
E: Genesis with Steve Hackett and Peter Gabriel.
Which is the most overrated band today?
E: I have no answer, simply because I have no idea.
If you could be a member of another band… which one would it be and why?
E: For the time being I wouldn’t want to be in any other band than The Windmill simply because I don’t think there is a better band to be in.
What are those things that you do not like in the music industry nowadays?
E: Oh you could keep me going for ages there, but Rap groups and their so called gangsta crap mentality is one for sure. All the radio artist hip-hop or pop seem to all both look and sound the same. They have no spirit in what they are doing. There are some decent pop artists out there, but way too many “singing” deodorants with a lack of soul. (i.n.: I totally agree…)
Which will be the best soundtrack to play in the day we will be forced to evacuate planet earth?
E: “The Coming of the Martians” from Jeff Wayne’s “The War of the Worlds”.
If you had the chance to travel in time… where would you choose to go? To the past or the future and why?
E: Both would be interesting. But it may be just as good not to know anything about the future, so I guess I would have gone back maybe to the 60s when rock music really started.
Imagine that your wife/girlfriend is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
E: No, I can’t imagine that… I wouldn’t date a girl who could be so cruel.
Well that’s all for now Erik. Close this interview in your own way… Thx for the music… Take care!
E: Well thanks to you, and I wish all your followers a prosperous continuation of the year 2013, and hopefully we see some of you around.
