Interview with Habrand

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

Johan Niemann: There was always music playing when I was a kid, whether it was my dad playing his records or my brother playing his. My first musical memory is hearing The Beach Boys. But my first real musical love was Kiss, soon followed by Iron Maiden and Metallica.

I don’t know what I would do without music. I have never been interested in anything else. I do like books and reading, so maybe something in that area.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

 JN: I have a family and spend my time with them. I read. That’s about it. I don’t know what kind of impact those things have on my creativity. Maybe because I don’t sit at the computer or with an instrument all day long, I’m thinking about music a lot. And any form of art has its origin in the mind.

How long has your band been around?

JN: Since late June 2024. That’s when my bandmate in Hollingshead, Carl Westholm texted me wanting to do something different. Ambient, industrial, whatever. We started working on material right away.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

JN: We are in Stockholm, Sweden. Living in Sweden gives us the opportunity to things that we maybe wouldn’t be able to if we lived in, say Ukraine. It is a relatively calm country. No wars or other conflicts. Not yet, anyway.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

JN: Carl came up with the name. He is a fish enthusiast and Håbrand is the Swedish name for the porbeagle shark.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

JN: We haven’t played any shows yet. Barely just released our first album. I don’t quite see the commercial potential for this kind of music so maybe we won’t tour the world with this. But maybe sometime down the road, we’ll do a show or two.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

JN: Usually, venues in the Netherlands are really good. Clean and well thought-out. Great people, too. I’ve only played Japan once, but I’d love to go there again.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

JN: With this band, maybe Olafur Arnalds and Nine Inch Nails would be cool. In fact, that would be amazing!

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

JN: Play music if you really have to. You, most likely, won’t make any money, so do it because you love it. Always write songs. All of them will not be great, but you will learn and get better at it. And try to have as much fun as you can.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

JN: Invest in Apple, Google, those kind of things. Seriously. Musically, I’m not sure if I would change anything.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

JN: This collection of songs are so new to me that all of them are the most important.  

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

JN: The idea for this record was that we each record something that we send to the other person, who then gets to add whatever he likes, send it back, add stuff, etc. Until we feel the song is finished. That kind of back-and-forth, and freedom, was a really refreshing way to work.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

JN: With instrumental music, I don’t really see an underlying ”meaning”. Maybe I’m just too literal. I’m more inclined towards moods and vibe and trying to evoke a feeling.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

JN: Hahaha, no! This is the easiest record I’ve ever done. Even easier than my own solo records, because I didn’t have to mix it. Carl did. This was supposed to be as friction-less as possible and it sure is!

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

JN: Since making this record was so much fun, we are definitely going to make more records. And, please check out our other band Hollingshead. Thank you!