Destination somewhere between

“England is hell”: Mando Diao and their Unplugged-Album 

Together with all sort of big celebrities like The Kinks leader Ray Davies, the Swedes are waiting for the release of their unplugged album and are as stubborn as usual: “We listen to the feedback from the fans. But we don’t listen to people who make money on us”.

Mando Diao allowed to invite themselves to one of the unplugged sessions by MTV. The Swedes use the possibility to play a refreshed mix of hits and more rare songs in alternative arrangements. How does one get prepared to that? “We’ve been asked that often but there is no good answer”, says bass player Carl-Johan Fogelklou in the interview with APA in Vienna. “It simply happened. We haven’t thought through anything special, just played the songs. The result came out to be something special”.

The album “MTV Unplugged: Above And Beyond” (Universal) is released on November 12 and gives a good overview of the career of the Swedes. Along with the popular items, Mando Diao play the b-sides and songs unreleased until now. No one wanted to release an acoustic “Greatest Hits”. “When you have only hits on a record, the dynamic is lost”, explains Fogelklou. “We have learned that you have to experiment more between the radio songs”.

“It happened”

 

The task didn’t seem difficult to the band at all. “We have played acoustic and electric sets our entire life”, says singer and guitar player Björn Hans-Erik Dixgård. The unplugged versions have emerged from sessions before the recording. “In creative art you don’t give it a big though what you’re doing right now. It just happens”.

Besides others, Mando Diao received support for their MTV performance from Klaus Voormann, designer and team-member of the Beatles. Dixgård: “Some times back Carl wanted to have his bass painted by Klaus. And he got it. Then we invited him to concerts and became friends. It was obivious to ask him”. So Voormann prvided illustrations for the evening. Another participant was Juliette Lewis (“an idea of the record company”) as well as Ray Davies of The Kinks. “We were thinking which established colleagues we’d like to work with. Davies was in the top five”, says Fogelklou. A US newcomer Lana Del Ray lent her vocals for the jazz item “Chet Baker”. “She had this voice of the Marilyn Monroe type. As sugar”, says Dixgård admiringly. 

“Touring in England is scary”

 

In general Mando Diao feel very comfortable with their status in the moment, revealed both musicians in the conversation. Despite the pressure of waiting, it is easier for them to work now than earlier. “Because we have more control. We have the necessary experience in the studio”, said Fogelklou. And his friend added: “The heart and soul of Mando Diao is in all our albums. But the first albums were a war until we could accomplish all our ideas”. “We listen to the feedback from the fans. But we don’t listen to people who make money on us”.

In many European countries the band is among top acts. In Great Britain on the opposite, very little is known about Mando Diao. “We will never make it in England”, says Fogelklou, “because we don’t want to go there any more. The country is hell. Touring in England is scary – everything is dirty, the food is bad, people are wicked. The south is ok, the rest of the country is scary”. Dixgård adds: “There is good culture coming from England, the tea tastes good but touring and music industry is the worst ever”.