by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Many may think of Sweden in terms of IKEA, ABBA, socialist chic and rock ’n’ roll ascots, but Division of Laura Lee’s guitarist/co-singer Per Stålberg offers another view, one that reveals class barriers, coastal rivalries and depressed childhoods. From a family cut in half by crime, suicide and cancer, Stålberg sought refuge in punk from the age of 11, sneaking into shows with older friends and playing gigs in squats. Nearly two decades later, he continues to fuel angst and passion into his band—tellingly named after a soul singer—and their debut album Black City. The Mirror spoke to Stålberg about Jagger clones, rich-kid music and his black city.

Mirror: What’s the music scene like in Gothenberg?

Per Stålberg: Gothenberg bands are very connected, we’re all friends. This is the happening city in Sweden nowadays, for rock. The east coast is very different. Stockholm is a bit more R&B, more trendy in a disgusting way.

M: Are the Swedish bands we know in North America mainly from Gothenberg?

PS: Soundtrack of Our Lives are from here—the bassist produced our record, they’re kind of like our big brothers. We grew up with the drummer from (International) Noise Conspiracy, but the other guys in that band are from Umeå, that’s really far up north, but also west coast. Citizen Bird is one of the best bands in the world. There are bands everywhere, and a lot of them are really good, but the Hives, Sahara Hotnights and the Hellacopters are from the east coast, which you can hear.

M: Gothenberg has been described as the Manchester of Sweden, being a working-class, industrial town. With Brits, the assumption is that class will always mark your sound—you know, Blur vs. Oasis.

PS. Yeah, you can hear it, because it’s different lives. Like the Strokes, they’re Manhattan, upper-class kids, and they’re so aware—everything is scheduled, they’ve been thinking about their attitude. Not to say that only the working-class produces good music, but with the bands that really have it tough growing up, it’s more honest sometimes. But the thing is, Sweden’s not a poor country. Nobody is really poor here.

M: Over here, it seems the rules of the hardcore and emo-core scenes are kinda rigid. Is it normal for Swedish punks to be into soul?

PS: No, and we got so tired of those limits. “Oh, you can’t listen to that, you have to listen to this.” I’ve been into punk and hardcore so much longer than those fuckers, but I was sick of punk and rock music in the mid-’90s, so I started listening to soul and a lot of old music, the Stones and everything.

M: You’ve complained in the past about all the Scandinavian Mick Jagger imitators.

PS: Well, the Stones were incredible, but why steal their whole concept? Everybody’s so fucking conservative. I’m not complaining, really, I think it’s cool to see a copy of Mick Jagger, but I can’t understand why people find it so attractive and so new, ’cause it’s super old. We have to take it further. We’re a band for the future. :

With the Catheters and Starvin Hungry at Cabaret on Monday, Jan. 20, 8pm, $13.50

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