Interview with Lönndom, February 2008.
by metal.de

Congratulations to your record, I think it turned out very well. What were your intentions in doing a folk metal album? How would you describe your development from ARMAGEDDA?

Sandström: Thank you. Our development is in time and since time up here floats like tough tar I would like to state that we have evolved in near haste. We perceive that what we have accomplished with our ancient projects is utterly at a time which we thought should stand longer into the future. With new thoughts concerning life Lönndom was slowly born, quietly and without any complications. The idea behind this duet was to form the outmost tunes that legimate our landscape. We view upon our world in different ways which have made Lönndom to a outspoken zone where we recognize religion through an objective angle. (Folklore is to a large extent born out of the christian belief) and the political level doesn't’t need to been mention here for neither I or Andreas are more involved than the other.

2. What does LÖNNDOM mean?

Pettersson: When you do something secretly you do it in Lönndom.

3.“Fälen Fran Norr“ is actually your second album, though your debut “Hagkomster Fran Nordliga Nejder“ hasn't`t been released- why not? How would you describe your first album in comparison to your official debut?

Pettersson: "Hågkomster Från Nordliga Nejder" should have been available now, yes. This is only an EP and not a full-length album and it was supposed to be released during the period we recorded "Fälen Från Norr" (Footprints from the north) but we changed our minds and decided to release the album instead. This because it was more economical, it's easier to sell an album then to release an EP. Also the album represented Lönndom in a more honest way at that time. However, the EP will be released when time is right.

4.“Fälen Fran Norr“ seems to inspired by nature a lot. Would you consider yourself living close to nature? What were further inspirations when writing this album?

Pettersson: Yes and again yes! Nature is just outside my doorstep since I live in the heart of the woodlands of our northern region Västerbotten. The great mother nature is honest, pure, harmonic and magical. She carries many memories from the past which we wish to care, embrace and hold on to. "Fälen Från Norr" is very melancholic and gives us a flash of folklore in Lapland, the very harsh and impressive way of living for the inhabits in this area many many years ago. Their fear for beings like Stállo, their respect for Stor-Nåjderna (Shaman wizards) and their pride of their freedom which they got by belonging to this huge wastelands and simple life.

2008

5. What can you tell us about the recording of the album? Where and for how long did you record it?

Sandström: The production came to in the house I lived in during that time since we temporarily did not have a studio for our equipment. In general we spent 2,5 - 3 weeks in the studio, considering that our handling of the the technical part regarding the equipment is not our strongest side, one can say that the record came to through the will of destiny. - Where the house lies? - mela bakustuwoer ' n and Stefanos smithy in a small village between Ensamheten (Mountain of solitude) and Kippswamp.

View against Ensamheten during the recording of "Fälen Från Norr"

6. Unfortunately I don`t have any access to your lyrics, so could you please give an overview on your lyrical content?

Sandström: The lyrics endures most of nature poetry angled through a certain way and that is the theme of Lönndom. We now live in a more harmonic... lets say stem attitude to life (compared to past times in our spring youth) and in exchange we now have a more deep, spacious well to fetch inspiration from. To honour life as we do can we do best by glance back at history which man have been in, with all what counts and take learndom that in the unwritten history that awaits us (If the Highest one wish), embrace strength to change what we feel draws in us, to let our inner compass steer our choices so we can be able to get to know ourselves in the middle of this collective society which to often puts up psychological walls in ones thinking and limit us to be nature ensemble. It has fall natural that our poetry given the nature a soul that breathe and works.

My view is not that the nature is animated though nevertheless that it lives and breathes, but by make the past history alive and give it a face by the approach we brought from folklore and our inhabits... we never feel locked in our creations.

Quote in English from track Ripeloukte” it wanders along the old path’s, that has been long gone forgotten by mankind. There are some movements in these hanging branches, from the wind by those who doesn't’t leave footprint’s.”

Quote in English from track Ripeloukte II” A longing for a long gone time cries out into the cold air, dying it floats out above a distance without answer. A glimpse from the west faces the dream about the true freedom. Expanding up above landscape and oceans, above mankind and its madness.”

And the lyrics are also a kind of story, a history were there has been a dialogue between the underworld and the earthly. (Harsh vocal = voices from the underworld).

7.How do you write your songs? Since both A. and S. are responsible for all instruments, I am curious whether you work together or if each of you writes songs on his own?

Sandström: We do not feel comfortable with hand out who has done what as we have done on our previous release because we do not have any needs to take private credit. We rather let it be unsaid for those with curious sense. Maybe ahead it can be more current. Mine and Andreas ideologies does not come from the same foundation so depending on the content of the song/lyrics significance or source it may happen that we write our certain names in the context.

As far as possible we work independent with our material which I by the way don't think take notice since we are each others hands and because of that we have made us addicted by ourselves in a musical way. Lönndom would fall as a solo project.

8. After the latest trouble with Agonia you`ve now signed to Eisenwald Tonschmiede. Can you already feel a positive change? How did the deal come to pass?

Pettersson: I get the sense that you mix the past to much with the present and future. I can´t really see anywhere why this Agonia you speak of should be mentioned in a interview with Lönndom.
Perhaps its for the best to make a few points for potential future interview givers who reads this. We gladly answer interesting questions regarding Lönndom, folklore, simple living hand in hand with nature and everything around but the past has absolutely nothing to do with Lönndom or its content.

However, regarding Eisenwald ,which by the way is relevant at the time, I only have positive things to say and I only have positive expectations and I'm sure they will do a good work with the LP. Eisenwald has a deal with Nordvis for a license concerning "Fälen Från Norr". That's the deal at the moment. Nothing else.

9. How about Nordvis? I assume this a company build up by yourself? Do you only want to promote your band or are there plans to support other bands as well?

Sandström: Lets take one day at a time....one world at a time...

Sandström

10. I remember a statement from the time ARMAGEDDA split up, that said your fed up with the whole (black)metal scene. What would you consider your musical influences nowadays? I guess STORM and ISENGARD have played quite an important role?

Sandström: Storm and Isengard, who? The great influences that inspires us are the smallest ones in your eyes, with other words it is quite anonymous folk musicians, poets, pioneers, local originals which stays on a native/local level.

11. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think its been after the „Marching Towards Christian Extermination Tour“ that you`ve said you don`t want to perform live again. Has there anything changed about this statement? Will there be the chance of seeing LÖNNDOM live?

Sandström: One thing is true and that is that we humans plan, turn and bends life without any respect that life itself is a strong will. We promise and swear oaths without having full control over the situation and that make us humans unreliable because we actually have nothing to say if higher forces wants to interrupt. My answer to your question is that I wont leave any answer.

12.Are you currently involved in any other side projects or do you completely focus on LÖNNDOM?

Sandström: Ideas and material to other projects does exist but they feel so pale and emaciated in comparison to what we have concerning Lönndom

13. Since your album has already been released in 2006/07, what can you tell us about new songs, if there are already some new ones existing? What can be expected from the successor of “Fällen Fran Norr“ ?

Sandström: The songs we now build up for the follow-up to "Fälen Från Norr" will probably be recorded in 2 months from now. What's distinguish these new songs with the first album is that we placed the distortion and electrical guitars in the closet and focused on an acoustic performance. We do now have a distance of 650 km between us which have tied us one time of two and a half... Thus we have, in these times sharpen our upcoming opus. In addition to that we already have made an triology where "Hågkomster Från Nordliga Nejder" stands first as an harsh and tearing release. The following two arouse a feeling of not longer be bound to earth. Parts with titles such as "En andlig själv utan kropp/A spiritual soul without lekamen" and "Norrskensritual/Northernlightsritual" we created to strengthen the feeling to drift over Norrland and its lappmarker without burdens who holds you back.

14. Alright, this is it, thanks for answering my questions, feel free to leave a last comment!

Sandström: Thanks for the opportunity to clear things by answering this interview. As a final word I would like to encourage you who reads to start question your existence which I believe can be only developing by a healthy thinking. (If madness goes side by side with you I warn you for this invitation because you would probably not find a meaning with your existence and commit a drastic act.) Man sleeps, the world sleeps, spiritually seen. Nowadays man do not dear to approach the silence or lets say serenity but fill their (inner) life with emptiness in shape of material things, meaningless talk only to fulfil out the silence which actually only scrapes in ones ear. People consider that things created by the hand of man as the most grandiose and lose out on the creation (life) itself who starts to turn its back against mankind totally, namely the nature. You are to scared, to indolent, to lazy, for changes but above all you live safe in your cozy existence and do not bump into all to harsh resistance from life. Sure, you can live like that and float along with the stream of everyone else? like one other dead fish but what kind of life is that and what will you be remembered for, oh yes, "He who didn't dare to approach his own visions about a more nourish life closer to nature.. but he who lived within his safe bubble where unlike thinking individuals eliminates and does not even know what the sentence "Experience through tough challenges" mean??" The wall between man and nature which we by our self put up only limit the individual inside us. I don't state that I am against the flock behavior many have but since that behavior is so strong I want to share the advantages by alone search yourself, listen to the suit that is within you, meditate and find strength in your inner voice. Anyway's, you can start be true to yourself if you have a problem being that against others and give yourself an honest chance to not do anything but listen. Wisdom comes from the inside not from the outside. By life experience we collect knowledge which we not always are able to handle. Wisdom guides you to further insight and by doing that helps you to self maintaining. The key is inner communication to the lock of wisdom and it will be kept locked as long as you choose to live as you do today.