Mick: I was literally just listening to the new album, Crystal Eyes, before I got the call. I've really been enjoying it so far. What differences do you feel between this album and your previous work, in terms of what you’ve taken into writing/recording this record?
Ann: I mean, it’s been a very short time between these two albums, Sharp Objects and Crystal Eyes. So it's connected in some way because if you're looking back, it was a bigger gap between Killer Machine and Sharp Objects. So I think we're still in a mood like writing new songs. I mean, I don't know how you listeners feel, but for me, it's like we are in a new mode, like more of a Dead Boys, The Dictators, Blondie kind of mode. So I think it's like the Sharp Objects and Crystal Eyes is a bit connected to each other, the two albums, because we wrote it in like two years, the two albums.
Mick: You’ve called this your most powerful album yet; could you elaborate?
Ann: I mean, it would be weird if I wasn't like, this is the best we've ever done. You always think that when you're coming out with a new album, but it's on a deeper level for me. We’ve been playing for 15 years, and we always love to play in Spiders. The band is like going on forever, and we love to do this. Now, recently, we felt like we really wanted to do this more and more and more. I mean, we don't work so much as to burn us out with other stuff around in life. That drive to push out new music is the reason, too, why we came up with a new album so quick this time.
So, of course, we decided to record Crystal Eyes in the best studio, in my opinion, in Gothenburg, Svenska Grammofonstudion. The bass player from The Soundtrack of Our Lives (Kalle Gustafsson Jerneholm) owns that studio and was the producer for this album. For us, it's to take a step up, like a really new level of being in that kind of studio and really decide, like, now it's nothing else. We're writing songs now, and we do this properly. So proper in another way.
Mick: “(Doomed to a) Life of Misery” is an interesting song on the album. I think that’s my personal favourite song on the album so far. I just really like the way that song rings out and plays out. I just wanted to get your take on when you were writing that song; where did that song come from? Could you explain the writing process for that track?
Ann: First of all, I have to say it's so nice to hear that it's your favourite song, because I said we really want to do Spiders on another level now. So, recording songs like “(Doomed to a) Life of Misery” or “A Little Too Late”. It was something really new for us to do, like softer songs, and to be a little bit scared in the studio.
I mean, as a rock band, you used to like to sing out and play hard. It's like the raw rock and roll style, and we know how to do that. But this was completely something else. If you think about Marianne Faithfull, The Rolling Stones or Bob Dylan, or something completely different to what we have done before. So it was a little bit scary in a way, like if you're holding your heart in your hand while you're singing.
The story behind the song is that John (Hoyles, the guitar player) wrote it. He was home alone one night and wrote the song, recorded it and played it to me when I came home. I was like, this is a song that if I heard a band, a rock band, that came out with a song like this, I would be so jealous. I mean, can it be our song for real? It's a great song. You know, I really thought it was a great song, but it's not a Spiders song. I was like, yeah, but it can be. Then when we showed it to the producers, like Kalle (Gustafsson Jerneholm) and György (Barocsai), they would say, yeah, but maybe you should do it as a duet, because it's really cool when John sings it on the demo.
It sounds so good when you sing it now in the studio. So how does it feel if you do it together? It's also a little bit fun because we are a couple. I believe our relationship is very good, actually, that we sing the words “doomed to a Life of Misery, doomed to walk alone in the night”. Yeah, so it was so fun to do that song. And as I said, it's a bit scary. I like to take steps all the time when we make a new record. This was a step in this way, like making softer songs.
Mick: Yeah. I mean, for me, it just sounded like a song that has always existed. What’s your favourite track on the album, in terms of lyrics and singing it?
Ann: I mean, I change my mind all the time, but now we’ve rehearsed a lot because we released the album soon and we're going out to play shows. So now when we play them all together again in the rehearsal studio, I feel like I love “Crystal Eyes” because it's like a little bit of Young Americans, you know, the David Bowie song where you can dance in a certain way. The groove in that song is so good.
For me, it's personal because it's about my best friend. So it means a lot to me, the lyrics, and I can dance, and it's a groovy song. I think that's my favourite at the moment, but it changes all the time.
Mick: I remember first hearing you on the record Shake Electric and being instantly taken back. Did you think how special that album would be for you?
Ann: I remember everything clearly, but I don't think in that way. I mean, I go into a world when we when we're in the studio writing a new record; I'm totally in this world of the record and Shake Electric for me, it was like. I remember I was really into taking a step in another direction because we came from the dirtier punk rock album before, and the way we looked and the way we what we listen to at the moment. So I wanted to, you know, when Alice Cooper is like, pretty, it's pretty dark and heavy in a way, but it's also like nice backing vocals and glittery clothes. And I was like, I want to do something more luxurious and cool in that glam way, like Alice Cooper, T. Rex, or David Bowie. I remember that very well. It was the first time we worked with a guy, Mathias Glavo, in Gothenburg. He's still one of my favourites in his studio.
Yeah, we had a lot of fun. But now, when we play, especially that song, “Shake Electric”, I can still feel like this is a great song. We changed it a little bit with the harmonica and stuff when we played live. We have so much fun with the songs from that time, because sometimes it can feel like, oh, we can't play this song. It's so old, and it's so dull, and I don't like it anymore, but many songs from that album, I still like them.
Mick: That's always something I ask when people get to this, this many albums into their career. Is it difficult to come up with set lists? Like what makes the cut and what doesn't? Because you only get so much time on a stage.
Ann: Yeah, yeah, it is really difficult because you, you can't. I mean, I like to think about the audience because without an audience, we're not a band, of course. But you never know what the audience would like to hear. So you have to go inside your own heart.
Like, what can fit with the new songs and what can be cool to, like, take a really old song from an EP or whatever. Yeah, but now it's the first time for us, where we have not only one or three or four albums. Now it's five. It's like, we want to play all of the new songs, but you have to play some of the old songs too. So yeah, I think we have some good ideas for the upcoming shows.
Mick: I hope so. You have a fantastic voice, if you don't mind me saying so. I really admire your singing on the records. How do you prepare your voice to sing songs live?
Ann: I mean, I just try to be where I am at the moment, not to be too stressed. Just be in the moment. I need to do some warm-up and stuff because I don't have that strong a voice to sing this kind of music. So I have to take care of my voice a little bit.
I'm not so good at it. I'm more like, I'm not so technically good at singing, but I've learned during the time of these 15 years that I need to take care of my voice so I don't lose it on tour. However, to be in a band like Spiders and to feel good, you're getting to a point where your voice is getting weak. For example, if you're sad and try to talk while you're crying, it's a little bit hard to sing if you're physically not feeling good. But, you know, we're in a nice band to hang out with, and we like to drink lots of wine or beer, but not too much.
Mick: Who or what inspired your vocal style? So like, which singers do you take influence from? Who was the first singer you thought, oh, that's a fantastic singer?
Ann: I always listen to punk rock music in my deepest heart. I also listen a lot to soul music and girl groups from the 60s, like The Ronettes and The Shangri-Las and stuff like that. I think for me, I’ve wanted to find what's good for my own voice. I realised this album is really good; it suits my voice, I guess. It's hard to figure that out. It takes many years to do so. If I could sing like Wendy Rene or Aretha Franklin, I would do that. But I can't sing like them. Maybe I'm more Marian Faithfull or Lou Reed in my kind of tune.
So I have to trust myself and just do what I'm good at, but I always listen to great singers. So I try to sing as good as I can and imitate everyone from the soul singers to Iggy Pop, but I am what I am. I try my best.
Mick: You’re coming to the UK next year with Graveyard and Blues Pills; are you excited to come back over here?
Ann: I mean, first, I have to say I love the UK. My husband is from England. So we recently went to visit him and his family in Lincolnshire, like now. So we've been there recently; we didn't play a show or anything like that, but just walked around and had a nice time in the pubs.
I mean, yeah, you guys really know how to rock, and you know your music history. So for us to come with a rock band playing in the UK, it's amazing. It's really amazing. So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Also to play with Graveyard and Blues Pills because I like the bands and they're friends. So we're going to have a lot of fun.
Mick: Is there anywhere that you want to perform that you haven’t yet?
Ann: If I'm going to tell you my list, we can sit here for hours, but yeah, I would really love to go to, like, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Cuba. So many, but I also like to come back to places I like. One of my favourite countries to play in is actually Spain. I love it. I don't know why, but it's super cool. So when we can go back to places we've been before, after 15 years, you've got new friends and everything. So it's a really nice, it's a good way to travel to play in a band.
Mick: Finally, what’s the hardest thing you’ve had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
Ann: Hmm. I think for me now, you guys don't know me as a person, but I mean, I struggle with myself a lot, and sometimes it's like, I don't know what it is, but I can be really sad sometimes. That's maybe why I like to play music and write songs and be in a band. But it's also hard when you're a person who can sometimes not feel comfortable in society. I mean, as a kid, I always felt safe when I was at home, but I didn't want to go to school and stuff like that. Now that I'm an adult, I can manage everything I do. But it's still that little girl inside of me that feels insecure. Sometimes I can just feel like I just want to be home and not be in a band or anything. I just want to be home in the woods with my dog, but I know I'm the happiest person on earth when I'm on stage. I have to do this, but I still struggle a lot with myself.
So sometimes I still don't know how I do it. I think it's the music that’s given me strength. I think we all need music. You can be totally sad, and what would you like to do? You would like to listen to a song that can give you strength and comfort in yourself. I think that's the combination. It's a hard one, but it's a good one.
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