Interview with Tom S. Englund
By: Chad Boyd
I got a chance to talk with Tom S. Englund of Evergrey over the phone. We talked about the new line up of Evergrey and the new album “Glorious Collision” Tom is awesome and a very nice and funny guy to talk with. The 20mins I had to talk with him felt like 5mins LOL. I didn’t want the interview to end when it did:
T: Hey its Tom from Evergrey.
C: Hey! This is Chad. How are you doing?
T: Hey man how you doing?
C: I’m doing pretty good. It’s great to hear from you. I have to admit I got into Evergrey a little bit late. A friend of mine played me the song “Blinded” about a year ago and I was floored.
T: Wow yeah that was pretty late dude. (Laughs)
C: Yeah sorry about that. But I’m a fan now.
T: You haven’t missed it yet you know. So it’s ok
C: I’m very glad Evergrey is still around. I heard about the 3 guys leaving Evergrey. And that comes to my first question how do you feel about the new band line up?
T: Now I feel awesome of course. Now we are pumped and ready to go. The reviews are fantastic! Actually they’ve never been that good as they are now. So for us it’s amazing to be able to come back with an album this strong.
C: I watch the web episodes (Internet video Dairies) of all of you recording in the studio of the new album.. I got lucky enough I got chance to hear the digital promo of the new album. I will say for a fan’s point of view. I like the album I think it great!
T: Thanks a lot!
C: Yeah you know with your Web dairies you all seem to get long ok
T: Oh yeah definitely we had fun. That’s also what we have been missing. No matter what music you play you still have to enjoy the time you spent on the road and in the studio things like that. Because it takes up so much your time. And it’s really important for you to enjoy yourself. If you don’t do that you might as well have an ordinary job or something where you do enjoy yourself. So yeah that’s what happened with Evergrey before. We got tired of each other. We didn’t enjoy it anymore. Now we do. And also we are still friends, Very good friends, when the guys left. So now we have the best of both worlds. It was the best decision Evergrey could of made.
C: Yeah I’m glad all of you stayed friends. And you did not leave on bad terms and stuff. My next question is, we are all hoping there is going to be a U.S. tour. So are there plans for a U.S. tour?
T: Yes there is. I’m just waiting on the final confirmation coming I would say in like a 4 week period. It’s booked and we are just waiting on the last promoters to give us a go and we will be there. The first gig is Atlanta GA for the Progpower thing. Then we go for a month.
C: That is great news! A lot of my friends are going to like to hear about that! Now I really did enjoy your DVD release called “ A Night To Remember” but are there any plans for a new one?
T: No not any plans but I guess it would be a good move to do one now. Especially we have new band and things have changed. We are on our 8th album. For us it feels like a fresh start. I’m pretty sure it will be like the same thing he did before. We’ll have all our friends and fan as well. We’ll see!
C: Yeah! It was a great DVD. It had a lot on there of videos and stuff, it was great. I enjoyed it. If I’m lucky enough to meet you in Atlanta, I will let you know I’m the guy you talked to on the phone. But yeah, like you will remember me due to how many interviews you do today. (Laughs)
T: Yeah do that man. Even though I will be drunk out my ass (Laughs)
C: I hear ya! It’s going to be good times! Anyway so we are wondering if you are going to do a video for “Glorious Collision” right?
T: Yes we got it done yesterday so it’s just finished. I think it’s going to premier on some hot shot TV show or site or whatever in U.S. Quite soon. The single is being released this week so yeah next week.
[ I will add it has been released, it’s the song “Wrong” from the new album. Good video I think at Metalinjection.net,
http://www.metalinjection.net/tv/view/6374/evergrey-wrong-video%5D
C: I think in my opinion the new album sounds like an Evergrey album, which is great! I heard the single first then I got a link to the album digitally promo. I’m like “yep it’s definitely Evergrey.” I love the album, I don’t care what anybody else says, but nobody said anything bad as far as I know.
T: So far we only had one guy that said I quite like that. And that is the most negative thing we have had. Which is amazing. I have done like fucking like hundred and 6 interviews now and all of them are praising the album. We didn’t expect anything. We just made an album that we ourselves would be happy with it in 25 years.
C: My next question is are there going to be any surprises like song wise or other going to happen the next tour?
T: Oh I can most definitely promise you that cause we are doing quite a special show for both but this is also the 10th anniversary certain album coming up. I think we are going to do quite a few songs from that album but at the same time yeah, we have so many things we have rehearsed song wise, it will be fantastic. For people to come watch that I think we are going to play close to 2 hours. Yeah it’s massive.
C: Yeah that is really cool. I look forward seeing all of you live. Yeah we all want to know how did you choose your new band members?
T: We just spoke to friends. We never even met people. We didn’t audition anyone. We just spoke with friends and asked them about people and they said ‘yeah this is a really cool guy’ and of course we would expect them to know that we would need somebody that knew how to play. So that’s what we got. I mean like I said we didn’t even audition anyone. We just based it on all of what our friends said. Which was extremely a cool way to approach.
C: I can for one say they can all play. I have heard the album and so they are great!
T: Yeah exactly they definitely do that! I would discover they are assholes though! Just kidding (Laughs)
C: What or who are your influences when you write music and lyrics?
T: Life man. That’s what it’s about. We don’t write about dungeons and dragons. And killing people with swords and shit you know. So I just write about things that happen to me, or effects me or provokes me you know.
C: Yeah I for one can totally relate to a lot of your lyrics. I think they hit home. It’s great how you are getting out like that. I think it’s awesome! Not trying to get too ‘fan boy’ on you here. It’s the truth.
T: No it’s alright man I really appreciate that.
C: I guess you said you didn’t know what bands you’re going to tour with on your upcoming tour?
T: Oh yes I do know I just can’t tell you
C: Oh yeah you can’t say. Then I will put the question like this: What bands would you love to tour with?
T: Metallica and Iron Maiden. How’s that for you?
C: Wow that would be cool! (Laughs)
T: That would be a good tour for us. We would bring in like 5 hundred people. And they will bring the rest. (Laughs)
C: I think you can bring more than 5 hundred in my opinion.
T: Yeah but you know. In comparison that would be awesome!
C: That’s cool. Is there any specific theme explored on “Glorious Collision”?
T: Not really but I would say most of it are of course. Me and Rikard (keyboardist) wrote the first 5 songs just after we split up with the old members you know. So of course that had a very profounding impact on the song writing as well as the lyrics. It’s about how we felt. This is like it feels weird thinking about guys. It feels like this our divorce album in a way you know. We retreat the feelings that we had during the time we were pissed off or when he felt betrayed or what not. So it’s all those things and the first 5 songs are entirely about the other guys. About the things we went through. Through the 10 years we were together. Also about the things about we felt right after. When it was a great relief to tell my best friends ‘Hey man you got to get out of here I can’t work with you anymore you know.’
C: Yeah, I hear ya man. I was always curious, you got a great singing voice, do you do anything to keep it fit?
T: I used to smoke a lot of cigarettes. But now I have stopped. Because now lately it has sort of effected my voice in a very bad way. So I have been a non smoker for 3 months now. And I feel fantastic about that.
C: That’s awesome!
T: So I guess what I did before I use to smoke and what I do now is not to smoke.
C: I hear ya. I used to smoke myself. I’ve been without it now for like 7 years. So I know what you’re going through right now, about quitting smoking.
T: That’s great. I feel fucking great. And I have done the hard things like being on tour 2 times already so it’s a good thing for me. I feel better than always.
C: What would like to do in your spare time when you’re not working on an album or anything?
T: Well that’s what I do, man. That’s what keeps my mind occupied 16 hours a day. Fucking even during my sleep. I feel I think of things that are changing my views on tomorrow in a way. I lie there and I turn and I twist and fucking sweat cause I always have all these kinds of ideas.
C: That’s awesome! There’s nothing wrong with that at all.
T: Oh it can get a bit too much sometimes, you know.
C: Oh yeah I hear ya. Also I couldn’t see all the credits on the new album because I listened to that digital promo. I’m curious is that your wife back up singing on this album too?
T: Yes she is.
C: That’s awesome!
T: Yeah she’s even singing a whole song by herself. Yeah I think you have to have the Limited Edition to get and hear that track.
C: Ok yeah, I probably have not heard that one yet then. I’m planning on buying it myself anyway.
T: Actually it’s cool the art work is comic book style. On comic book paper and all that.
C: I seen the actual cover yeah, I really like it. It looks great. I think that is all the time we really got. Is there anything else you’d like to add for our readers to know?
T: Nah, I think, as you said we have to quit Thanks man it has been interesting and it has been a pleasure.
C: Thanks Tom!
T: Alright so take care man
Evergrey’s new album“Glorious Collision” will be released via Steamhammer/SPV on the following dates:
Sweden: February 23rd
Germany: February 25th
Rest of Europe: February 28th
USA/Canada: February 22nd
Rocknotes Webzine 
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