Jammerzine Exclusive: An Interview with Easy’s Johan Holmlund

In today’s Jammerzine Exclusive interview we talk with the frontman for a band that I feel is a lesson in both staying power and musical evolution. That band is Easy and that frontman in Johan Holmlund.

With the imminent release of their upcoming album titled ‘Radical Innocence’, we not only get an in-depth first-person account of both the long and varied history of all things Easy, but we also get a sneak preview of the overall sound of ‘Radical Innocence’ courtesy of Johan himself with the next single ‘Day For Night’ as well as previews of the tracks ‘Golden Bird’, Shadow Train’, and the title track!

This is a detailed interview that will not only please current fans of Easy but make new ones as well. Enjoy!

Also, check out our review of Easy’s new video titled ‘Crystal Waves’ HERE.

About Easy

In the early 1990s, Easy was one of Sweden’s most notable indie groups. This year marks the 30-year anniversary of their highly acclaimed debut ‘Magic Seed’ LP, a critical success that spawned three alternative hit singles: ‘Castle Train’, ‘He Brings the Honey’ and ‘Horoscope’. The group also frequently toured Britain and Europe. While their ambitious ‘Sun Years’ LP (1994) had less of an impact, singles ‘Never Seen a Star’ and ‘Listen to the Bells’ clearly demonstrated that the band had taken several musical steps forward.

Easy suddenly disbanded in 1994, with members becoming involved in other projects. The mark they left was notable – when returning to Sweden years later, they found a new Indie scene full of bands inspired by their uniqueness and success, having toured all over Europe with bands like The Gun Club, The House of Love, Lush, The Charlatans, and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Easy had something special with elements from pop history – the perfect combination of Sonic Youth-like intensity and the sweet harmonies of The Beach Boys.

@easybandsweden [rotatingtweets screen_name=’easybandsweden’]

In 2010, the group reunited with the original line-up, consisting of Johan Holmlund (vocals), Rikard Jormin (bass), Tommy Dannefjord (drums), Tommy Ericson and Anders Peterson (guitars). The reunion spawned the albums ‘Popcorn Graffiti’ (2012) and ‘Swimming With the Beast’ (2014), marking a new era of inspiration for the band.

The ‘Radical Innocence’ LP is Easy’s first new album in a decade. It is also the band’s third release via German label A Turntable Friend Records, the first being the ‘Magic Seed’ LP reissue in 2017 and the 2018 release of ‘A Heartbeat from Eternity’, a user-friendly compilation of the two previous albums, along with the fresh new single ‘Ask the Sky’. The group played live shows in the UK and Germany.

With a songwriting-production cycle that began in late 2018, the band worked with legendary producer Pat Collier, who was responsible for many of their favorite records, at his Perry Vale Studios in London. Everything has come full circle with the band returning to the British capital, where they recorded their debut album 30 years earlier – kind of a new start on the band’s path towards creating perfect pop songs.

‘Radical Innocence’ is an 8-track offering and their most ambitious album to date. Here, Easy is being easy. The songs are coherent and more refined than on previous albums. This new album also involves a new member – Ingvar Larsson, Moog and keyboard master for post-punk outfits Camouflage and Dogsmile.

Working with Collier and Larsson helped the band to further refine their sound, achieving organic pop songs with sweet melodies, sharp guitars, impactful drumming, and clever lyrics.

LINKS:
https://www.easy-magicseeds.se
https://www.facebook.com/pg/SwedishindiebandEasy
https://easy-sweden.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/easybandsweden
https://aturntablefriendrecords.limitedrun.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0DjECvHwnn8WAvqMWflvB5
https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/easy/1305804296