An Interview with Niklas Sundin from Dark Tranquillity
June. 16, 2006
by Follow The Hollow

Follow the Hollow: How are things going for the new Dark Tranquillity album?  Niklas Sundin: It's going fine, thanks!  We're rehearsing like madmen and things are really starting to take shape now even if there still is a lot of work to be done.  The recordings will take place in October/November, and we're aiming to have the album out in the spring of 2007. FtH:  What kind of sound can DT fans expect to hear on it? Niklas:  It's too early to tell; we usually don't know for sure ourselves before an album is actually recorded.  Some of the material we're working on is very intense and harsh, whereas some is more soft and catchy - so we'll see how it all will be balanced in the end.  At this point, it's still pretty open. FtH: Do you have a title figured out, or will that come later? Niklas:  It's possible that Mikael has some ideas, but it's nothing that we've even talked about yet.  It's hard to set a representative album title before all the songs are completed, and there's no big rush either.  FtH:  How does the writing process for an album come together (in your band)?  Niklas: Martin (guitar) and Anders (drums) write most of the riffs, and the whole band takes part in the arrangement process.  When all the music is finished, lyrics/vocal lines are added and necessary adjustments are made.  It's normal for us to re-arrange every song several times before we're satisfied, so naturally it takes a lot of time.  FtH: So I understand that DT is now a band that's been around for 17 years.  Did you ever think when you started up that you could be where you are now? Niklas: Ha ha, nope!  None of us had any musical experience at all, and we literally bought our instruments the week before the first rehearsal, so our goals were very modest.  The main hope was to be able to record a demo and perhaps play a few gigs, and even getting a record deal would have been seen as totally unreal at that time. FtH:  Throughout your 17 as a band, has there been any other band(s) that you have really enjoyed touring with? Niklas:  I think we've gotten along well with every band we've toured with, so I can't really pick a fave one out.  Most musicians are pretty easy going, so it's usually smooth.  Of course there are incidents every now and then, usually due to leaking body fluids or excessive alcohol intake, but no major disasters have happened so far. FtH:  What is your favorite aspect about touring and playing live shows? Niklas:  The shows themselves.  FtH:  What is your least favorite aspect about touring and playing live? Niklas:  Everything except from the playing I guess.  I'm not a party animal or a very social person, and I hate attention and being surrounded by people all the time, so touring fucks me up completely after a while.  Of course there have been many memorable and great moments on the road, but on the whole it's far from the exciting adventure that many people believe it to be. FtH:  Your side project, Laethora, is a bit heavier than DT.  Was this band a way for you to get back to your death metal roots? Niklas:  It's probably more a way of getting to work with different kinds of expression.  In D.T., everyone has vastly different music tastes, and the riffs that I personally like the most usually never make it to the songs since I'm the only one thinking they're good, ha ha!  Laethora has more room for the dissonant, atonal and "weird" riffing that I'm very fond of, so it's a nice variation. FtH:  Do you plan to be touring with Laethora anytime soon? Niklas:  Everyone's pretty busy with their main obligations, so it's not very likely - but we'll see what happens. FtH:  What do you think of the success of other Swedish bands, and how people see the Gothenburg metal scene as legendary? Niklas:  In a way it's flattering that the music from here has made an impact to so many people and younger bands, and no one can deny that we were all doing something that at the time was very original and innovative and created a new subgenre of metal.  At the same time, it's old news and everything that possibly can be said about it has already been said a million times. FtH:  How come musicians from Gothenburg always seem to play (or have played) in several other bands, sometimes even playing different instruments?  Niklas:  I think the situation is the same everywhere.  In a small scene there's not exactly an abundance of musicians, and as everyone tends to know each other there's bound to be a lot of inbreeding going on. FtH:  Are there any up and coming Swedish bands Americans should look out for? Niklas:  I'm not the right person to ask since I'm not really a jour with what's going on right now.  There are a lot of bands here that are technically very skilled, but very few of them actually trigger my interest.  If I should mention one truly captivating band I've heard recently, I'd say Switchblade. FtH:  Do you have a favourite DT song? I know there's been many... Niklas:  I don't really have a fave.  The D.T. tune that's most interesting is always the one we're currently working on, as it's still new and fresh.  By the time a song is documented on an album, we've played it countless times and have spent so much time working on every little detail that the original excitement is lost. FtH:  Some of the stuff you do with your design company, Cabin Fever Media, is truly stunning.  When did you get interested in photography and digital graphics? Niklas:  Thanks!  I've always been painting and drawing, even long before I got interested in music, and I studied art at the university in the 90's.  After I did the "Projector" layout for D.T., lots of bands and labels began asking if I was available for commissioned work, and as I was really fed up with my job at a web design firm, I decided to go freelance and form my own company instead.  FtH:  For people who are unfamiliar with your work, can you name some of the projects you've done and where they can be seen? Niklas:  I guess the most high profile bands I've worked with are In Flames and Arch Enemy, for which I made album artwork and almost all merchandise for a few years.  Apart from that, I've worked on over 150 albums, so it's hard to engage in namedropping.  Just check www.cabinfevermedia.com out for more info. FtH:  I hope you'll be doing the cover art on the next DT album... Niklas:  Absolutely!  It'll take a while before I can start working on it since the music/lyrics still is in the early stages, but hopefully it'll be good, ha ha!  FtH:  Can you give any advice to bands that look up to you or your band? Niklas:  Hmm...It's hard to say something beyond the obvious stuff that people can figure out for themselves:  Work hard, be dedicated, try to come up with something of your own instead of copying others.  Above all, be realistic.  The music business is an abomination, and every band - small or big - can expect to be royally fucked over on a regular basis. FtH:  In closing, what is next for Dark Tranquillity (besides a new album)?  Niklas:  The album is everything we're focusing on right now.  There are 2 or 3 festival shows coming up, but apart from that we're devoting all our attention to the songwriting.  When the record is out, I'm sure that there will be lots of touring, but it's too early to know any details. FtH:  Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview, and best of luck to you and your band. Niklas:  Thank you very much!