I don’t know why but when Statue of Goat sent me their new single “Tuscany”, I expected something in your face, something metal. What I got was so much better than that if I’m being honest. This song has a sense of tenderness mixed with an undeniable 90s-inspired punk edge and is all drenched in emotion. It’s a song that’s a bit all over the place but left me wanting so much more so when I was given the chance to ask the band some questions, naturally, I jumped on it.
What’s your go-to coffee order?
Jonas: I’m a sucker for lattes. I know that there’s basically no coffee in them.. Haha.. But it’s a nice drink I think
Topi: Flat white for me, please.
Therese: Have to go with an ice latte, or just regular coffee with a splash of milk.
Everyone says that every crowd is their favorite but, what city has the best audience and why is it Minneapolis?
Topi: Haven’t been to Minneapolis, but since it’s the best crowd we really should play there asap!
What’s your go-to pizza topping?
Therese: Pineapple and pepperoni! And obviously a lot of cheese. A lovely cheese pizza just for me.
What was the first concert you ever went to?
Topi: My first concert ever has to be Metallica playing at the Olympic stadium in Helsinki. I must have been 14 and it was amazing!
Madix: The night to remember for me was “Adagio”, a French metal band and they played in Carthage , Tunisia. It was magic for a 15 year old boy! Unfortunately the band doesn’t exist anymore.
How would you describe your music to your parents?
Therese: Actually my parents are kinda our biggest fans! So if I just let them know we got a new single coming up, they gonna love it either way. Front row at our first gigs. Rock n roll!
Favorite lyrics of all time?
Topi: ”10 000 days” by Tool got me crying at 6am while commuting to work, so it has to be that one.
Therese: “Work sucks, I know!” Blink-182 all the small things. People always sing along to that one.
Madix: “Home”, Dream Theater , the album Metropolis Pt.2. I know , it’s different from what we play now, but dream theater and especially the ex drummer Mike Portnoy was and still my source of inspiration.
If you were to rob a bank, what would be the song playing in the getaway car as you escape?
Jonas: Haha! I have to go with “He’s a Pirate” by Claus Badelt from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Or something with Shinedown, it’s something I always keep blasting when I need to pump up some adrenaline.
Therese: Woo-hoo! ”Song 2” with Blur. Pumpin it really loud!! And then maybe moving on to ”breaking the law”.
What’s your favorite video game and why?
Therese: My first thought is Tony Hawk pro skater 2, beacase of the epic soundtrack! But nowadays I love co-op couch games, overcooked for example. That is hilarious a few brewskies in. If you ever loose track of your character, you’ll most definitely be the one running round in circles in the corner.
Madix: Definitely, Metal gear solid, PlayStation! It’s really amazing game. The series has always had a strong emphasis on stealth — and it always feels good to take out a base or exfiltrate a hostage undetected. MGS stealth is fun, challenging and rewarding.
What’s the worst concert you’ve ever been to and why?
Topi: Also Metallica! It was another concert, but I queued for so long that my legs hurt so much I couldnt focus. I really ruined it for myself that time.
Therese: Think it must have been the Hellcopters at Copenhell festival last year. During the show all of the sound facing out to the audience disappered for maybe two full songs. The audience was really supportive though and kept on cheering. Then the band had to stop playing while the crew needed to reboot the whole sound system. Felt really bad for the band but they kept on pushing and doing the best for the rest of the show.
What’s your favorite method of listening to music?
Therese: Must say vinyl. The feeling when you just bought a second hand record from the local shop, or when you unpack the new vinyl coming in the mail and get the needle running.. Pour yourself a whiskey and you’re ready to go! But nowadays I often fall back to Spotify though, as it is a very convenient way of listening to music on an everyday basis.
What’s one thing I should know before listening to “Tuscany”?
Jonas: This track and the next were both recorded at a new studio for us. We have been very happy with our sessions in South Sound Studio but we had contact with a friend of ours, Julien, in Göteborg who was eager to try this project out. When going to a new arrangement we didn’t want to have a full blown record if we just didn’t like each other’s groove. So these two songs are a tryout of sorts. After this tryout, I must say that I’m stoked about the outcome and very much looking forward to working more together with Julien.
Who would you say your biggest influence was when it came to this song?
Jonas: The majority of the influences comes from a trip to Tuscany a year ago when I was there with a bunch of friends and just having a blast.. and even though the lyrics might not be super specific to our trip and experiences it is still the major source of inspiration for the track for sure.
I have to be honest, the band name ‘Statue of Goat’ feels a bit more metal than the sound I got in this song– was that on purpose or am I losing it?
Topi: Goat’s have a tendency to be associated with metal for sure, but when you spend more time with them, they’re actually pretty goofy and fun feel good animals. I hope our music makes people feel good too.
If you had to have one band cover “Tuscany”, who would you want it to be and why?
Therese: Maybe this hillbilly cover band, Steve ‘n’ seagulls. Would be awesome to hear it in a banjo version!
I really like the catchiness of this track but how it also has a sense of depth to it– I get that from both the lyrics and the instrumentation which begs to question– which came first- the lyrics or the instrumentation?
Jonas: The song first originated in my head in the form of the phrase “I lay my head to rest in Tuscany” which I had rolling around for quite a while before actually taking a trip to the area about a year ago, and that’s when the rest of the song lyrics along with the melodies in its entirety all just came together. After this we did the arrangements and instrumentalization together.
This is the first of two new singles– can we expect some of the same for the next single?
Therese: Next single coming up is called “wallflower”. I think it’s definitely in the same vibe-area. Wallflower was influenced by the band Zebrahead, don’t know if that is noticeable from the outside, but I think that it has a slightly heavier feeling to it. When we recorded the songs in the studio people drew references to Papa Roach, and that is awesome in my book! We feel super proud and happy about both of the songs and are looking forward to spread our music around the globe.
Jonas: Yeah, I’d say that the next one has the same energy, though it’s a bit different in what it conveys and the story. Where this one has a happy message, the next one is more of a sad story.. still wrapped up in a high energy beat though.
What else is on deck for Statue of Goat?!
Madix: When we started to compose the songs, we had the feeling that something nice was gonna happen. We started with changing our sound with recording in a new studio and with a new talented sound engineer. Those good vibes and feelings made us really motivated more than ever and especially when we listened to the final result after recording. We really want the listeners to get that same feeling and keep on listening and spread our music everywhere. We have visions and plans for touring , performing at some festivals and of course continue to write new songs and maybe record an album.
The band had me even more in love with each of their answers. I mean, I think we can all agree that Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 was amazing for the same reason that Therese laid out and let’s talk about those “getaway car songs” for after a bank robbery. Really, the personality of all of these members shines as bright as “Tuscany” does but that’s no surprise. Anyone who writes such a genius song is sure to be, well, genius and amazing as well.
Check out “Tuscany” and make sure keep your eyes peeled for Statue of Goats’ upcoming single, “Wallflower”!
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