ROCK NEWSLETTER © Kevin Julie

Slice of Lemon

An Interview With Guitarist HAWKAN ENGLUND

Recently I reviewed an indie CD by a Swedish band called 'Slice Of Lemon'. Here I swapped some questions and answers with the band's guitarist Hawkan Englund, who gives us plenty of info on the band's origins, influences, and plans.

SLICE OF LEMON consists of :
Peter Jonsson - Vocals [who replaced Karl Sellbrink]
Hakke Fromh - Bass [who replaced Jorgen Lindhult]
P.H. Carlsson - Drums
Micke Johansson - Hammond,Keyboard,etc
Hawkan Englund - All guitars,Harp.

To check out the May 2000 Universal Wheels Review of this band, review go here
For more on the band check out www.sliceoflemon.net
OR members.spree.com/entertainment/sliceoflemon/default.htm

*Note TO RECORD LABELS -- these guys are Not Signed -- Check 'em Out !!!

Q: When and how did the band get started ? where are you based out of ? HE: We started in October '99, but we changed the bassman & vocalist. We haven't played together so many times yet! : ) Our base is Sala. The Hammond player lives 150km away... The Vocalist lives 400km away! But soon I hope they will move to Sala. I'm afraid that, if we don't get any interest from a label soon, Slice of Lemon will be history... : ( Q: Can you tell me the ages [roughly] of the bandmembers, and what sort of previous bands you've all be involved with ? [any recording bands?] HE: That is between 28-36... Mike(Hammond)was involved with a Metal-group('Vanessa') in the early 90´s. They released a CD on a German label. P.H (Drums) has also released a single with 'T.Coma Band'. He also was one of the members that started the group 'Atomic Swing'. They had a great hit with "Stone Me into the Groove". Unfortunately, P.H decided to quit the band; they moved to Stockholm. And P.H didn't like the idea so he left the band, and a few months later they had the hit! Q: Can you tell me your biggest influences ? Favorite guitar players ? songwriters ? HE: OOOOOH! So many of them! : ) Here are a few... Robin Trower, Hendrix, Warren Haynes, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Jeff Healey, Mick Box, Sonny Landreth, John Forssén (my best friend). Songwriters...so many of them...! Q: What can you tell me a bit about the other guys in the band ? HE: Don't know what to say about the other Slices...They are Great friends and musicians! Q: Any humorous stories, habits , etc ... ?? HE: Peter drives the car like a maniac! : ), P.H. hits the drums so hard that the drums goes in pieces! [it's true!], Hakke is the calmest man alive, and Micke has the rawest jokes I've ever heard. Q: What sort of gigs/venues do you guys do over there ? [How often, etc.. ?] HE: This weekend we play at a local Pub. If we are lucky, we can be Bernie Torme´s warm-up In England! They asked us, but the costs were too big, that's why we're doing this gig so we can pay for the ferry... We are waiting for a reply, pray for us! : ) Q: Good luck! what's the farthest away you've played? HE: Gotland is the furthest away I've played. It was a rock contest 1992. We placed second, our singer joined the army the same week, so we had to find a stand in quick! He wasn't good (sorry!) as he practiced the lyrics on the ferry... Q: Does your live set consist of mainly originals ? what covers do you include ? HE: Yes - originals are the main thing, but we have jammed a little Uriah Heep ("Stealin" etc), 'Purple ("Black Night", etc), some HEAVY blues... Q: Who writes the songs in SOL ? HE: We all work / write together... Q: Can you give me an idea of how the songs develop / start ? HE: 9 times out of 10 - It's me...To create music you must be a good listener too, not only play well. The world is full of guitar heroes and they do things with the guitar that I will never master. : ) So I decided to play weird licks instead of became a new fretboard runner.

Q: Peter reminds me a lot of John Lawton [Uriah Heep / Lucifer's Friend] on a few tracks [especially "Miracle Man"]. Can you tell me who he admires as singers and whom else he has been compared to ? HE: Yes that's true. 'Strutter Magazine' compared him with sammy Hagar! : ) He's also been compared to Fogerty & Coverdale. Peter has many singers he admires - Coverdale, Fogerty, Bon Scott (Ac/Dc), Tom Jones ... to mention a few. Q: "Hangin On" reminds me a lot of Heep's 'Gypsy', even features a great hammond solo! Are you familiar with the Heep song? what can you tell me about 'Hangin On' ? HE: Yes, I'm familiar with "Gypsy". "Hangin on" was a Lapsteel lick from the beginning. The Slices came together, and Hangin On was done... BTW, That was the first song Slice did together. Q: What do you mean 'Lapsteel lick' ? Do you mean the song developed from a jam? HE: Yes, Hangin On was created like the most of our songs - a guitar riff and jammin. Q: What are your favorite SOL tracks? which ones receive the best response in the live set ? HE: All of them, ..well maybe "Close your eyes" I'm happy to say that all our songs have been rated highly. Q: What are SOL currently up to ? any more recordings ? [what else exists besides the 7 tracks you sent ?] HE: Maybe a new recording; we have so much material.. 3 more songs exist - "Mighty Fine", "Stone Cold Bitch", "Rock´n´Roll Man". Q: What are in the band's future plans ? [recordings? tours ? etc....] HE: The Rock´n´Roll dream > Get a label, play live, live on it & with it... :-) Q: Can you give me a top 10 list of your favorite all-time albums ? HE: This is gonna be VERY difficult! Can't say which one I want first!..... 1. Govt Mule's "1st" 2. Govt Mule "Life before insanity" 3. Govt Mule "Dose" 4. Leaf Hound "1st" 5. Uriah Heep "Salisbury" 6. Whitesnake "Come & Get it" 7. Deep Purple "Machine Head" 8. Uriah Heep "Magicians Birthday" 9. James Gang "Live" 10. Robin Trower "Live in Stockholm" I'm a collector of vinyl; I REALLY love all the music up to 1975! Q: Yeah, I still buy a lot of vinyl. How big is your collection ?? :-) HE: My collection's still growing, haven't counted them yet, but I think it's around 1300-1400 vinyl LPs; mostly Rock, Blues... Q: What is it about the 70s HR style that you guys prefer, as opposed to today's musical styles ? do you see a good market [resurgence?] for classic rock over there ? HE: I don't like new music at all...Sorry! What I like about the older band? 1. They jammed. 2. Had the groove, could sing / play live (Realistic recordings, no 3 guitars over-dubs, etc...) 3.Everything! : ) Good market ? I think so, but the label's don't think so! : [They don't sign bands that sound like us. : ( ] That's strange because we have received very good reviews...I guess they search for "Look-a-likes", the hit-list copiers... Q: Is SOL full-time or a hobby for you guys? what do you guys do outside of music ? HE: This is for the moment a hobby project, but we all wanna play as a job.. Mike is a electronic engineer... P.H works in a store, selling glasses... Peter is a troubadour, etc... Hawkan is a carpenter... Interview written & conducted by Kevin J. Julie Copyright 2000 *Photo supplied by Slice Of Lemon [H.E.] Guitarist HAWKAN ENGLUND