Katatonia’s Anders Nyström – Daybreaker
By: David E. Gehlke & MetalGeorge Pacheco
How does Anders Nyström feel about the Katatonia discography? Click here to find out.
Long the musical force behind Katatonia, guitarist Anders Nyström found himself in the precarious position of having writer’s block when composing material for Night is the New Day. Word quickly spread on the ‘net of Nyström and singer Jonas Renkse disagreeing on the direction of the new material, thus delaying the recording of what would become Katatonia’s eighth album. This is every songwriter’s worst nightmare and Nyström was experiencing it at the worst possible time.
In the end, Night is the New Day would become primarily a Renkse album, something Nyström appears to be very much at ease with. The man’s lone solo writing contribution to the album is the ill-fated “Idle Blood,” but Nyström’s mark is all over morose, deadening numbers like “Inheritance,” “Longest Year,” and “Day & Then the Shade,” which from initial appearances, sounds like a Nyström jam. If Nyström’s writer’s block did anything, it merely solidified the union between he and Renkse, who have become one of the more formidable writing tandems in all of metal.
MetalGeorge and I caught up with Nyström via email to discuss the work-around for Night is the New Day, as well as where the new album ranks in the Katatonia catalog, what it is like to be truly “dark,” and future plans, which (thankfully) include North America.
Blistering.com: Reports indicated you hit writer's block when compiling material for the new album. If that was the case, how did you get around it and what do you think the initial problem was?
Anders Nyström: The problem was that I set my own ambition bar too high, while in general, also having very little motivation. It led to a stalemate. Jamming wasn't exciting and I felt less and less meaning with everything. I had a musical depression and started avoiding even to pick up the guitar most of the time. My discipline was in the gutter, so was my passion as I was still handling all the business for the band and had been doing this a long time. It totally killed the magic for me being an artist and Katatonia only turned into strategy, numbers and dealing with assholes and forcing me to become one as well. However, a solution was luckily just around the corner. We agreed that I'd no longer manage the band and put all the paperwork and logistical bullshit over to the hands of a professional management and try to focus on what my intent and position really was about from the beginning - a guitar player and song composer.
The other big thing happening at this time was Jonas showed his motivation was definitely in fine shape as he'd been sitting every day for weeks and weeks jamming out stuff constantly. When I heard all his audio bits and pieces I realized this could very well prove to be enough material that would make the foundation for our 8th album. With that fact dawning on us, the burden was finally coming off my shoulders and I felt a conviction. We were gonna be able to top our last album. I put a lot of analysis on Jonas’s material and we'd agreed what to keep and from there on the rest of the songs pretty much wrote themselves, a few we did together, I did a little bit of stuff on my own and Jonas kept up his own writing crusade. So, the majority of material on this album is actually his stuff and I think that proves that Katatonia is no longer trapped in the old alley with me notoriously behind the music and him behind the lyrics; it's all equal now and will serve a healthy purpose of variation, creativity and progression. Now, if we only had the other guys as active as we are, we'd be able to come out with a new album every year instead of every third, or more.
Blistering.com: You switched gears and worked with [engineer] David Castillo. What did he bring to the table that say, [The Great Cold Distance producer] Jens Borgen did not? Also, at this stage of your career, how much producing does Katatonia need?
Nyström: Both Jens and David are competent engineers and David actually started out as Jens trainee many years ago. We were really happy with Fascination Street [studio] and Jens’ mixing abilities, but he showed pretty clearly he wanted to be more of a producer and more involved with the music which we did not feel totally comfortable with at all times. Look, we've nothing against bouncing a few ideas back and forth, but when we it comes to our vision - nothing's up for compromising. Especially when we've an idea set in stone and with all our belief behind it there's no way we can accept that being tossed out the window or altered just because an outside producer doesn't agree with it and simply do not share our vision because we're on different wavelengths. Me or Jonas have to have the last word on the fine details as it's ultimately our album, an album that we're gonna have to live with for the rest of our lives and I’d rather take responsibility for possible mistakes made by us then for decisions made by someone else that I didn't even support from the first second.
So, with that said I think David is more of that guy who's cool to just go with what makes us happy. You could say his role was co-producing with the emphasis on the engineering part and that is really an optimal and comfortable scenario for Katatonia these days. Also, contrary to The Great Cold Distance sessions, we were able to remain locally here in Stockholm where me and Jonas live to record the whole thing, so it just made our lives a lot easier this summer.
Blistering.com: More than anything, Night is the New Day is a "grower" and could take more time than any previous Katatonia album to grasp. Do you agree with that sentiment?
Nyström: I think the impression is different to everybody. It's individual. Personally, I always liked growers as they tent to rise to a status where they become remembered and more significant and important in the long run, some of them even takes the jump from here and turn into what we know as classics. I'm not saying we've made a classic here, but I think we've made something that deserves and demands a fair share of everyone's attention and time to be able to reach full circle of potential. Night Is The New Day has been invested in dearly and the result is not fast food.
Blistering.com: "Forsaker" is arguably the heaviest song you've done to date. A sure-fire live opener?
Nyström: Yeah, it is for sure. We tried it out on a couple of dates now in a "rock n roll" approach without the keyboard parts and backing vocals and it sounded really promising, so when we get all the instruments and vocal harmonies set up, I have no doubt about it sounding nothing but massive.
Blistering.com: There seems to be more experimentation with drum loops (i.e. "The Longest Day" and "Liberation"). What prompted this and is it a concern as to how these songs will be pulled off live?
Nyström: Drum loops incorporated with the main drums creates a groove pattern that is hard to resist as a human with a sense for rhythm, ha-ha! Also, drum loops on their own sometimes make way for a more subtle laid back sound picture and will create a good contrast to when the real drums kick in. We'll probably put down the loops to a few backing tracks and some of them Daniel [Liljekvist] might just play himself on the kit as well if we see fit.
Blistering.com: "Day and Then the Shade" is probably the best song on the album and was certainly the right choice as first single. To you, what made this song the choice for lead single?
Nyström: It just made sense. Being the most catchy, direct and with the right length. We had everybody we played the album to give his or her vote and it was a clear majority that this song would be their choice of single, everyone from the label people to our close friends, so it wasn't any headache. There could be one or two other candidates for singles as well, but I'm not against adding a follow-up single for the future if the label calls for it.
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