What can you tell me about this new tour?
Well obviously it's great for us with two huge bands like Millencolin and Flogging Molly and that give us the chance to play in places that we normally can't like this place in France for example. It's normally pretty hard for us

How was the show of yesterday in Paris?
Yes the show was very good but it was crowned and hot but it was very great.

'Randy The Band' is your ninth album, are you satisfied of the result?
Oh yeah I'm really satisfied. The biggest change, I think, was for our two last albums that really not released as what we wanted to have, and this one is more spontaneous, we chosen the songs we love the best and so I really like it.

The first riff of your song "Evil" makes me think of "Rock This Way" of Aerosmith, is there a special link with that?
"Evil" and "Rock This Way"? Oh maybe, I never take care of it, but I really love those songs, but I didn't think of it before, haha I've to check that later, I can't even remember our song "Evil" haha.

The lyrics of your two last albums are full of political and social revendications, do you think it's necessary for your band to make the world aware of those problems?
Yes and I wish we could do that better I mean, we are playing for so long and we are bored of our old lyrics, we're trying all the time to find new way of saying, no ways to being political maybe in a different context but we think that it's more and more necessary to have song with a good message.

And is it a mission to your band to do it?
No it's not, we are here to entertain! But we have an opinion and I'm not afraid to tell it to the people but it's not our mission.

Is it difficult to say that?
No, no it's not, we used to have political lyrics for a long time, so most of the people actually agree with us. 50% of the people in Sweden are socials so it's ok for us.

After 17 years of being into music, what is your sense of being in a punk rock band in 2005 in your political implication and musically?
The thing is nothing has really changed in the last 10 years for us. It's still the same fans, we still have no money but we still to go on tour and to make records. I think the meaning is still the same, it's not just one thing and it's not an economic thing, it means nothing to us. We are a great bunch of friend and we are a band and that the most important thing : the feeling of having a band, we work together, we play together we have something that a lot of bands don't have in that way, we've been touring for so long and for the political meaning, as a band we don't have a manifesto, all the songs we write are individual, one person write a song and write the lyrics for it, so that's one man's opinion but we wouldn't play a song that we don't agree with it, but we are here to entertain, 15 years later !

Do you work behind the band?
Yes, I have another work, maybe it will be possible not to work but I can't stand doing nothing so, I work in a studio and my boss is very nice to me, he lets me work when I need to work and I like it, I make records that what I do when I don't tour.

What can you tell us about the video of "Razorblades"?
We have a lunatic friend, an artist, normally he paints erotic pictures with animal and crazy stuff but he really wanted to try to make a video, and we said "go ahead, make a video!". We didn't really have a plan, he just filmed everything that came to his head, it took him a week to make it, and you know it's just funny, it's not a serious video.

Could you explain your evolution from a fast punk rock to a more rock n roll music?
Hum no I really can't explain why it turns that way, for a lot of people it was just to follow a trend, but I don't think it was for that to us. We got sick for our older albums and we decided to try something new so we just change, we try to make different album not the same thing all the time, it's a normal evolution I guess.

It's a fact, a lot of Swedish band play that kind of rock'n'roll, what do you think about the influence of the Swedish scene on punk rock today?
Hum... Hum... I don't know! I think the biggest influence of the Swedish scene is maybe The Hives, they have the biggest impact, but I don't think that we have such an influence of the whole scene maybe a couple of band like The Hives and for sure Millencolin too, but the scene is so much stronger in America that it is in Sweden.

Yes but in Europe there is this Swedish touch?
Yes maybe it's true with band like Hellacopter or Backyard Babies, maybe they have a big influence of punk rock but I don't think so.

Do you think that is that you changed your way to write song that you are still here?
Yes for us, definitively yes because we've been sick of playing our old song everyday, we have to keep ourselves happy to not to only the fans, we had to find more exciting reasons to go on tour! Did I answer the question? haha I mean whatever we do it's always fun, we love doing it !!

PIVOT's Questionnary :

What is your favourite word? Punk
What is your least favourite word ? georges
What is your favorite curse word ? probably helvete means like for shit but it means hell
What turns you on creatively ? probably alcohol
What turns you onSpiritually ? my little son
What turns you onEmotionnaly ? my wife
What turns you off? Food on tour oh !
What is you favourite place on earth ? I go for France !
What is the one you hate? Work
What sound do you love? guitar
And the one you hate? Tambourine
Who were your heroes when you were a kid ? Cindy Loper, Bob Marley
Who influenced you the most during your life ? probably Glen Danzig
What profession other that your own would you like to attempt ? none
And the one you wouldn't like to do ? tour manager
If heaven exist, what would you like hear from God when you arrive at the pearly gate? Here's your beer, welcome !

Interview Laureline & O.S.
Translation Laureline