This band just kicks ass, it's about time I interviewed them.
First questions was sent by email, August the 19th, and the last answer was received September the 6th. Enjoy!


Yo, Rob!
How are things with the few relevant people?
Let's start this interview by You introducing yourself and the rest of the band, please. :)
Ok! I'm Rob and the bassplayer in the band and I also screams besides our singer. Our singer Henke Svensson is kind of a look alike of the vocalist Kevin Sharp from the late Brutal Truth, but he sounds more like a mixture between Barney from Napalm Death and Kevin. On guitar we have our tall man in the band, very tall...(hahaha), Kristian Lampila who is on his own now cause the second guitarist left us a couple of months ago, so there's just three of us left looking for a drummer, as our last one didn't wanted to play fast stuff anymore...so is there any sticksman out there looking for a death/grind unit, give us a call! Ok! there you have it, everything�s alright besides the lack of a drummer...

Ahh... when did you lose your drummer?
It was some time ago now since you released the CD "Who are those of leadership?". When can we expect any new release from you guys? Have this been postponed 'cause of the no-drummer-issue?
He did his last gig at Belsepub/Gothenburg in February when we played with Birdflesh, then we parted ways, no hard feeling's what's o ever. We've known about his plans quitting Relevant Few long before that gig was even booked, so we were prepared.
The new piece, which we recorded back in december last year will be released in September, I think. Yeah, you can say it's been kind of postponed because of the circumstances in the band.

Oh, so you've recorded new stuff... Will that too be released by No Tolerance? Are you fully satisfied with Dennis' work? I've heard some very positive things about him...
If I'm not mistaken you guys weren't called Relevant Few from the beginning, right? What was your initial name?
We've recorded 25 new songs which I think is the best we've done so far. Yeah, Dennis is the man, he's a big fan of the band so it works really well. I've never heard bullshit coming from his mouth, he's down to earth and he won't do us any harm. The only negative I can say about No Tolerance is that the distribution is poor, but they're working on it. By the way, the new album is called "The Art of Today" and the artwork is done by Travis Smith who worked with Testament and such bands.
We called the band Mindsnare from the beginning but there were several bands with the same name, one from Canada, another one from Australia and a death band heading from Italy.

Cool... Really looking forward to hearing your new stuff!
Your "career" seems to have gotten a rapid start. Just after a couple of rehearsals you did a gig together with Nasum. With your demo you got voted as "best underground band" or something like that at a War Music-competition. Then you were supposed to tour with Napalm Death too... Seems like the dream start for any new band. Any idea why you got of to such a great start? Were you at all surprised? You have to have been...
You never went on tour with Napalm Death 'cause your old vocalist left the band just a couple of weeks before the tour was to start... Seems like kind of a bad time to leave a band. Bad blood between you guys?
No not at all, no bad blood. Carlzon had some serious problems in his family and he had no choice, he was almost forced to leave the band. We talked about it but he felt that there was too much for him to handle and the most important thing right then was his family and loved ones, we couldn't disagree, simple as that.
Looking back it was a real surprise and some great moments, I think we had an excellent timing during that period, especially when we got the scandinavian tour with Napalm Death, (even if it didn't happened) and when we landed our first gig with Nasum here in Gothenburg. The Nasum guy's are some nice fellows and I hope we can get to tour together in a near future, that would be a killer.

Ahh... But what about the rapid career-start for you guys...? Never got an actual answer on that one ;) What did you think when you suddenly got such a great reaction and response to your gig with Nasum and the demo? I mean, would be a killer to get such a kick ass reaction to my bands demo when we've only rehearsed a couple of times... Know what I mean? hehe.
I remember especially one time in our rehearsal room when I turned to Kristian and asked him if this was actually happening to us, how could this be when we had such hard times with our former band Gooseflesh. Kristian then told me: "Maybe this is the way it should be, maybe our time has finally come?�
The response we got that night at Belsepub was special, no doubt about it, when the Nasum guy's even came to listen when we did our soundcheck and gave us a couple of compliments, I some how knew we had something good coming. When we write songs and arrange them we don't think too much, we just let it flow and laugh. It all comes natural and I think it's the way music should be done, honesty is the key and as soon as you make it complicated you're stuck. That's why we got the great response, people can hear if it's real and true. If you ain't got that no one will react.

It�s all just a dream, my friend� just a dream. Soon you�ll wake up and realise that we�re all laughing at you guys behind your backs, haha.
Your lyrics are very political, and I�m glad that they are. Political grind bands are decreasing, and not just a tad, a lot. Today they all just want to be gore. Well, I love goregrind too� Have you gotten any response to your lyrics or do grindsters just ignore the political aspect?
I have always been into writting in a political aspect even if that subject isn't my favorite one. It's all the angles and spectra in that world which kind of sucks me in, I just find it very interesting but mostly scary how the public can relate to some of the crazy shit the politics spew on everyone of us today.
I think most of the grindbands these day's are some how afraid to speak their minds and just wanna play safe when it comes to lyrics. I can totally understand that, but I think grindcore and political lyrics goes hand in hand and I grew up listening to the godfathers of this genre with bands like Brutal Truth and Napalm Death. It's a little sad that there's just a few of us out there writting in a political aspect, but on the other hand we can stand out and be one of the few, right...hahaha!
We haven't gotten any response for our lyrics and aspects except for some magazines and fanzines really. Ok, I have some friends which made some comments, but that's all. I know we're gonna get more reactions when we will be able to do some touring and stuff though, I'm looking forward to that.

More reactions when you'll be touring... Hmm... Are you one of those bands that make a 10-minute speech in between every song? ;)
The scene for different kinds of metal seems to flourish in the Gothenburg area, and have been doing that for some years. A lot of different pubs and stuff having live acts. Are you guys a "part of" the metal scene up there or are you "too punk"? hehe... If you know what I mean? Sometimes punks and metalheads kind of can't get a long...
10 minute speech!....hahaha, no, not at all. I meant when we will be able to meet the people who listen to our stuff, you know, if they start asking about our lyrics then, ok. There's usually just a very short introduction to the songs like; "Next song is called"...and then the title.
You can say we're a part of the "metal" scene in Gothenburg cause we know a lot of the guy's in some bands here and we hang around the local rockclubs and the pubs at the weekends, so there's no hard feelings. I'm a metalhead as much as a punk so why bother, except for some losers though...hmm.

True, true... A lot of losers in those two scenes ;)
What is the audience�s response usually like when you're playing live? Do you give them a fair show?
Hahahaha...No losers here, right!
Hmm...the audience been very supportive so far, especially when we played the Fuck the Commerce festival in Germany, where we got an moshpit, and also in �rebro with Nasum and Daybreak which was really cool. Our main goal is to give the people the best show we possibly can, no matter how many they are or if there is no response at all, it doesn't matter, cause we love what we do and playing live is what we live for. So can we just reflect our energy from the stage through the one's on the floor, we've conquered, and hopefully the audience will spread the word so the next time we come around there's some new faces in the pit.

Soon it�s September� and time for another album from you guys, filled with harsh and pissed off political grindcore. Really looking forward to that one. Any other merchandise coming with the new album, hoodies and such? Planning a tour, maybe at the same time as the album�s released?
Because the lack of a drummer syndrome there is no plans according touring and such right now. I know we would love to get on tour for a week or more when the new shit is released, but as it is, there's nothing booked for Relevant Few for the moment.
Merch like hoodies and t-shirts are on the way and will get printed as soon as we can afford it. Our last merchandise did very well and it's out of stock as I'm concerned. I don't even have a hoodie or a shirt myself, and that's a shame so if there's any lucky bastard out there wearing a Relevant Few hood or a shirt, hold on to it I might come stealing it...hahaha.

Hahaha. That was kind of a stupid question. I knew you are missing a drummer, so touring could cause some problems for you. Stupid me ;)
But how�s the search for a new drummer going? Gothenburg is quite rich with great musicians�
We're desperately seeking for a drummer who can fill Mojjo's seat, it almost seems impossibly. There's been a couple of guy's but we haven't found the right companion yet, it's really frustrating and we cannot take gigs and not even rehears as it is right now. Though I'm writing new material at home, it's not the same when you can�t put it together the next day at the rehearsals.

Hmm. I don�t really know any drummer that�s looking for a band in that area, but I�ll let you know if I happen to stumble upon one :)
So� I�ve hard some rumours about a small Swedish label that�s interested in releasing a live CD with you guys, now what�s up with that? ;)
Hahaha..Ok! hmm...so far it seems like the live recording we did at Pianobaren in Trollh�ttan in june last year, is probably or shall I say finally going to be released by a minor label in Sweden, yes, and that very same label is also going to release a grind compilation on which we're going to perform an new and exclusive song called "New Drug and Death". I guess you can figure out by yourself who or which label it is....hahaha! I think it was a really good gig that night in Trollh�ttan and the crowd of 149 people were very drunk, more or less...hahaha. The place is very small and the stage is made for midgets or something, but it's a nice little pub and lots of bands have played there through the years of it's excistence, it got that jazzclub feeling to it and you can hear that on the recording.

Yeah... It was just some rumours I managed to pick up ;) haha
To be honest I can't think of anything else to ask. I'd have to wish you guys all the best with your new CD (and the live CD), hope you're able to tour if you ever find a new drummer. Thanks a lot for this interview, been a great time asking you stuff :) Anything you'd like to end with, or maybe ask me? :)
Thanx a lot for having us, it's always a pleasure doing interviews and yeah, let's hope there will show up a drummer in a near future. A tour is absolutely on our list of things to do, even if we might have to hire a sticksman for the job in the end.
I had a question for you but I guess it slipped my mind...have to think about it, I'll come back with that one sometime...hahaha. Hope the new album will upset, awake, inspire and make you happy when it takes command over your hearing for it's 35 minutes or so. We're very happy with the way it came out and I think it's one step forward for the band, I worked hard on this one. By the way, Mr. Peter In Betou did the mastering, who also been working with bands such as Nasum, Meshuggah and Strapping Young Lad, he's the best. Thanx again for the interview and take care!



Related links:
Relevant Few
No Tolerance Records