Last Days Of April always fascinated me live and on CD. The charming effect of their music and the voice of Karl Larsson are uncompareable. Now in 2004, to be correct in February, this band is gonna release their brand new record which will be called "if you lose it". Reason enough for me to talk with singer/songwriter Karl about the status of Last Days Of April in these days and, of course, about the new record on Bad Taste Records.


SJM: How and where did you spend New Yearīs Eve? Did you came save into the new year?

Karl/LDOA: We spent new years eve in Stockholm, partying with our best friends. The very typical new years eve, I guess. But it was fun.

SJM: Could you please introduce yourself and tell us which part you play in the band.

Karl/LDOA: Hello, Iīm Karl Larsson and I play guitar and sing in the band. I also write a lot of songs for the band, some good and some not so good.

SJM: Whatīs important to know about the history of Last Days Of April?

Karl/LDOA: I think that we maybe started releasing albums too fast. Our first release was a 7" and it was released in 1996. We were quite young then and should probably kept it as a demo. I like it very much though since then the sound has changed more than a couple of times. And it wasnīt until Angel Youth/Ascend to the stars, we sort of found the sound. The records before them sounded so much different from each other. Itīs not necessary a bad thing, just that it doesnīt feel like itīs yourself playing and singing on them. But itīs fun to have your own musical development on CD, itīs like a photo album.

SJM: What happened after the release of "ascend to the stars" until the recordings of "if you lose it"?

Karl/LDOA: We toured quite much for about half a year but then it sort of cooled off. Last year I think we did about 4 shows. But from September 2002 to August 2003 I was recording demos at home, in Sigtuna where I lived then.The demos that became If you lose it.

SJM: I heard that your records can be bought in Australia, Japan and the States now. How would you describe the status of your band and its development?

Karl/LDOA: Itīs very exciting that people in different parts of the world want to release the songs you write at home on your acoustic guitar. Itīs also very nice of people all over the world to buy our records. We get a lot of cool emails from all over the place with people saying the nicest things, just as you did at the beginning of this letter. So Iīd say that the status is excellent and seams to be getting better and better as time goes on.

SJM: In my mind the music (the style) and also the sound changed drastically with "ascend to the stars" an "if you lose it". While "rainmaker" was more Indierock and "angel youth" more Rock than the new record, which I would refer to as melodic Indiepop. Was this a decision you made to change as a band or was it a natural development?

Karl/LDOA: Iīd say that weīre getting closer to our sound we want to have with every record but we could never decide how our albums should sound in advance. I mean I can only write the songs that I write. I am today very satisfied with If you lose it. I can even listen to it myself which I normally donīt do. So itīs by far the ultimate LDOA record.

SJM: How would you personally define the style of Last Days Of April?

Karl/LDOA: I would go with your melodic Indiepop.

SJM: What do you personally favour: A tour with Germanīs Sportfreunde Stiller for 3 weeks or making a headliner tour with your labelmates Logh? Despite the fact that you will be seen and heard by more people on a Sportfreunde Stiller-Tour.

Karl/LDOA: Headliner is allways the best. Sportfreunde was very nice but the venues was just too big. I would much rather play in front of 100 LDOA fans than 3000 Sportfreunde fans.

SJM: On this tour you just played 5 or 6 Songs before Readymade and the S.S. entered the stage, but Last Days Of April made me feel like I was kind of in a film for 30 minutes while they played. How do you integrate this specific atmosphere in your music? I think atmosphere is quite an important topic while talking about your songs…

Karl/LDOA: Once again a reign of nice words from you. Thanks! Readymade was only doing that one show on the tour, thank god (no, weīre not christian)! The other shows we got to play for about 45 mins. I didnīt think we created an atmosphere, even though itīs always sort a goal with our shows. Itīs should be for every band. Itīs always a goal when writing songs. You should almost see a place or a situation when hearing a song, at least I do when writing one.

SJM: What reasons did you have to record "if you lose it" with different producers. Why on the one hand side Pelle Gunnerfeldt and on the other hand side Mathias Oldén from Logh? Did you make different experiences worth mentioning with these two producers?

Karl/LDOA: Producing it ourselves together with Mathias helped putting the songs in focus more then ever. We tried to get the songs to sound like the Demos, just with better sound quality. But there was never a question about not having Pelle Gunnerfeldt involved in some way. The manīs a genius when it comes to music.

SJM: For the people who donīt know Last Days Of April and "if you lose it" yet. What can they expect from your new record?

Karl/LDOA: Oooh, very hard to say. I think that if you want to find a new indiepop album that sounds like an old 90īs Indiepop album, you might like it.

SJM: A famous question in these days: What are your personal Top-5-Album Charts of 2003?

Karl/LDOA:
1. Bear Quartet - Angry brigade
2. Jay-Z - Black Album
3. Logh - Raging Sun
4. Hard-Ons - Very Exciting
5. Danko Jones - We sweat blood

What else was released last year??? I canīt remember…Sorry.

SJM: What about future plans? What can we expect of your Band in 2004?

Karl/LDOA: Lots and lots of touring…

SJM: The last word is yours. Any comment or statement to your fan base?

Karl/LDOA: I hope you like the new album cause I do.


SJM: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions.

And so do I. Everyone should check out Last Days Of Aprilīs "if you lose it" which will come out on Bad Taste Records on the 23rd of February. I canīt await to see the band live once again in 2004. Check out the tourdates for more info. Let me tell you: Theyīre fascinating as hell.

(Dennis Grenzel)