Jayce Landberg: sleaze metal interview

News:
22-10-2008:
An English translation of the interview below:

When I got the CD of Swedish Jayce Landberg on my desk, I really didn't expect much from it and and when I read about the 'next Swedish guitar hero', my interest almost turned into nothing. Just for the sake of doing it, I put 'Break The Spell' into the player at one afternoon and loved it immidately. This album made my day and it's Melodic Rock was just the right thing.

After 2-3 listens it was clear to me that I wanted to introduce Jayce Landberg a little more in detail. And here we are now with this interview.

Would you please introduce yourself and your band to our readers?
The band bears my name, 'Jayce Landberg' because it's pretty much my solo project in which I basically write and produce all the songs.On the record, I play the guitars, the bass and the piano. Göran Edman sings, Charlie Arvstrand plays the keyboards and James Humphrey the drums.

'Break the Spell' is your debut; please tell our readers what they can expect from your record. I tried to make the record as hard hitting and melodic as possible. Each song has its own character and I think that even though there is a concept throughout the whole album, every song is unique and different in style and texture. It's not a generic album a la AC/DC. There are up-tempo double bass tracks and there are softer rock songs and ballads. Enough to please alot of tastes I guess and I think that if people who will be hearing me for the first time give it a try, they will like what they hear.

Would you tell us a bit about the recordings of the album?
I wrote most of the songs when I lived in San Francisco. Lyrically, the album reflects a bit what was happening around at that time. We went up to Sacramento to record the drums and the rythm guitars.

It was a very creative period for me which resulted in several tracks. 'Break The Spell', the title track is a melodic upbeat hard rock song, probably the heaviest song on the album along with 'Black Magic'. 'Flirting With Your Wesson', the second track is much more FM and pop oriented rock whereas 'Left On A Dream' is a classic power ballad with a powerful guitar solo. 'Land Of The Dark', one of my favorite songs on the album is another double bass track with a solo inspired by Hendrix. 'Dawn' is a very small opera with French lyrics and is sung by a friend of mine Mio Jager. 'Burning Bridges' is another favorite and is very 80's oriented as is 'Tell Me Why'. 'New Generation' is a semi-ballad/semi-rock song with Bowie-like verses but a more aggressive bridge and chorus. 'Kusamura' is a heavy neoclassical instrumental song which I originally wrote and recorded as a radio jingle for CBS in California and that was rearranged for the album.

Göran Edman is the singer on your album; would you tell us why you have picked him? Did you have some other singer in your range, when you picked the voice for your album?
Göran has always been my all time favorite singer, ever since I heard him for the first time on John Norum's 'Total Control'. His vocal range and sense of melody is practically unlimited and he puts such emotion into his work. We are very good friends and we had previously recorded a single together.
Choosing him was a natural step in the creative sound I had pictured for the album. I couldn't envisage anyone else.

In my eyes the artwork is the only weak point of the record. Did you have some influence on the design of the Artwork?
I had no influence whatsoever but I think Escape, my record company did a very good job.

I found a UK-Release (or a different Release) of the Album in the Internet and this one has a different artwork. Why you haven't used this for the Release?
The only official UK release at the moment is the one released by Escape Records. I suppose you're talking about the Japanese version which has a different sleeve. My record company in England didn't feel the sleeve would fit the European market and decided to create a new one for the release of the same album in Europe.

Name us your influences. Who has impressed you and aimed you to play music?
As a musician I was very influenced by the sound of Edward Van Halen, but not so much song wise because it left me cold and I felt it was too commercial for my taste. Jimi Hendrix was a strong source of inspiration as were Scorpions & some Malmsteen. Classical music like Bach and Ravel had also a deep impact on me, but it was my mother who more or less forced me to pick up an instrument. She had always wanted me to become a pianist or a violinist. So I ended up choosing the guitar and later the piano.

I my eyes you have a cool style to play guitar, but I guess you must have heard a few records by Yngwie Malmsteen? Thank you! Well, I really like Yngwie's first three solo albums and listened to them alot during my early teenage years.
I still do sometimes.

The press can be malicious sometimes. Have you get some copycat reproaches?
(Laughs) I've heard the comment before from different magazines but I think that those who claim this have not listened to my music thoroughly.
I respect Yngwie as a musician alot, I even know his uncle Ryno but there is a big difference between him and me in that he tends to focus more on the technical aspect of his music and build the songs around the guitar, whereas I try to emphasize composition and song writing despite the fact that I'm technical too. People who think so only listen to my guitar playing and not to my compositions.
For instance, to me a guitar solo is only the climax of a song, or a plus if you will, not the actual pellar of a song.

Alot of the guitar runs I do might remind of Malmsteen's guitar playing, but to me it's not a conscient thing. It's the way I felt like playing on the album.
Also alot of it has also to with the fact that my singer Göran Edman used to sing for Yngwie, so you have similarities in the voice there too.
But even though I'm a guitarist and the album is guitar oriented, the actual songs are my real point of attention.

Did you make some live experiences so far with your current band ?
I have been really busy with the recording sessions and release in Japan, but found the time to do a few gigs, among which Hard Rock Cafe in Stockholm.

Was Escape Music Records your first pick for a Label? Or did you have some other offers?

After I had signed with Marquee in Japan I received two or three offers from European labels and eventually chose Escape. They have Sony Music/BMG as a distributor which is extremely good.

What comes next for you ? A Tour? Or have you finished some new Songs?
I have written a new album and we will start the recording sessions in about two weeks. There will be some guests artists on the new record whose names I can't divulge yet. So if everything goes well, a little surprise.
I have also written some tracks for the third album. We are also currently rehearsing for coming live performances.

Thanks for your time, to answer this questions. Any last words?
Thank you! A big salute to Germany and to all my German listeners, I hope you will like the album!'