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Recently, we had the pleasure of speaking with Simon “Siirpo” Forsell of Pressure. Among other things, we touch on what he’s been up to during the lockdown, his newest music, his origins, and what he’s looking forward to the most once COVID-19 breaks.
Andrew;
Simon, I appreciate you taking the time today. How have you been holding up over the last year or so? What have you been up to?
Simon:
Thank you for having me! The last year has been really tough. No shows except for a few live streams. I really miss that and also the whole music business is struggling but well I sure hope we are at the final stage of the pandemic now so we soon can get back out there. In the band we have worked really hard to write new music, working on our live performance and working on our sound in general. We have also tried to network a lot.
Andrew:
Before we dive into your professional career, let’s go back a bit. What first got you hooked on music?
Simon:
I started playing when I was really young. Just a little kid, actually, so I guess it was my family who got me hooked. Music was a big part of my household when I was young, so it got into my blood. I have always had a very open mind when it comes to music and therefore, I have had a lot of different heroes and motivational persons around me. I was told by an early guitar teacher I had that to not only listen to one kind of music or to try to copy just one guitarist. Keep an open and broad mind and you will make even better music.
Andrew:
Who were some of your early influences?
Simon:
As I said, I had a lot of them. Early in my playing I started to play the blues and listened a lot to Eric Clapton, I learnt a couple of his albums but soon tried other great rock/blues guitarists as Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughn and other fantastic guitarists. But I also got a lot of influence from my teachers, my family, my friends, and people playing other instruments. I loved to try to mimic different instruments and solos on the guitar.
Andrew:
Let’s talk about recent events. Tell us about your new album, Path Of A Shadow.
Simon:
Are you bold enough to take a journey deep into your inner self without any chance of turning back or hiding? Our first album is a Story Metal concept album that is exploring your life story but is seen from your Shadows perspective. You can never hide from your shadow. He has been around all your life. Having your back. Never judging, never laughing at you. He has just always been there. And now it’s his time to speak. To tell the world what he has seen and experienced about your life. There will be truths, some which you didn’t know and some you didn’t want anyone to know. You can always trust in your shadow to be truthful and supportive. He is always around! The album is recorded in three different languages, Swedish, German and English.
Andrew:
What lyrical themes are you exploring with your new music?
Simon:
We play Story Metal. The lyrics are the main focus of the whole genre. We collect stories and write about things from our own life and from our own experiences. We also talk to a lot of people around us, gathering stories so we can really write. I always say “how can you write about life if you have not dared to live life”. In this world, you have to speak up. We want our music to be used as tools for people to help them handle all the Pressures around them. Everybody faces different kinds of pressures. And we explore all sides of them. There is always a good and a bad side. Pressure can affect you in different ways. That’s why we always write the lyrics first and then work to enhance the lyric with music. That’s also why we have different sounds on different songs. The music has to enhance the mood that the lyrics want to tell.
Andrew:
How about the production side of things? Do you self-produce, or do you bring in outside voices?
Simon:
We have a producer, Izzy Ander (Izzy von Scarecrow), that is a fantastic person, with a great ear. We couldn’t have done this without Izzy. Izzy helped us build the sound and has always lent an ear in the recording process.
Andrew:
Are you into vinyl? Cassettes? CDs? Or are you all digital now? What are a few of your favorite albums, and why?
Simon:
I love vinyl! That’s true rock for you! I really enjoy the vast song catalogue you can experience on the digital platforms but its also hard for new bands to break through the noise. I can feel that it’s a bit too easy to get your music out there without any quality control. As for favorite albums? That’s really hard for me, it changes from day to day. So well, today I will be bold and say our album Path of a Shadow. I am very very proud of it.
Andrew:
What other passions do you have? How do those passions inform your music, if at all?
Simon:
I live, breathe, and feel only for my music. I would die without it. I play a lot each day, cannot go without it. It’s my fix, my drug, my passion, and it’s my soul!
Andrew:
In your opinion, what is the state of the music business these days? Should artists be hopeful? Scared? Both?
Simon:
I am not sure. I am both I must say. I am hopeful that we soon will have real live music back. I miss playing shows and I miss going to shows. But I am also scared that the business will look very different when it comes back. Many clubs have closed, small music agencies have gone down. I just hope for a quick recovery. Support your local bands.
Andrew:
Last one. We seem to be nearing a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of COVID-19 restrictions. That said, what’s next on your docket? What are you looking forward to most in the pos-COVID world?
Simon:
Playing shows! Meeting people! Rocking out on some good bands shows! Travel. Release new music. Well I see a lot of fantastic things happening if we just can get on our way
If you want to listen to us and follow us here are some links:
-Instagram
-Facebook
-Webpage
-YouTube
-Merch
Interested in learning more about the music of Pressure? Check out the link below:
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