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Tell us about your musical background.

As a kid, I grew up in the 70s listening to The Sweet, Beach Boys and Punk. I have always loved pop music no matter what genre it might be. For me pop is short songs with catchy melodies. I have no musical education. I learned to play by transcribing my favorite songs and writing my own.

At what point did you begin to compose songs?

I made my first real songs just after I bought my first electric guitar and multitracker. I could sit up all nights until morning recording. That happened around 86.

Can you describe your method of composing songs?

I usually take my guitar and search for good melodies, when the song is finished I write the lyrics. Although lately I've started with an idea for the lyrics and written the music from that. Basically a hdm song is an intro, a few verses, two or three choruses and some chords at the end that stands out from the rest. I don´t like when the songs get too bland and mainstream. If it does I throw it in the wastebasket. All songs have to have something special.

Can you envision how the songs would sound beforehand or do you work out the arrangements while recording?

The arrangements are generally made on beforehand. But of course as a part of the creating process you get ideas along the way while recording. That's the fun part of recording an album.

What part of the creative process do you enjoy the most, coming up with song or listening to the final result?

To come up with a good song is probably one of the best things there is, but on every good song there are ten bad ones that make you depressed and disappointed. So I guess listening to the final result is much more enjoyable. To listen to a newly recorded song is outstanding.

Can you remember the first time you heard your music on the radio, and your feelings at that time?

Yes, It was probably in late 88 when I was twenty years old. I was with a friend at his apartment in Stockholm, probably on our way out to a party or a pub, when suddenly I heard the guitar intro to Silent Sigh City. I remember it made me very proud. It felt strange. You almost couldn't believe it was true.

Does songwriting come easier to you now?

Not really, pop is so much based on feeling, so even though I have a greater musical knowledge now, it is essentially as hard to find the good feeling when you play something. And you get higher standards as the years go by. I personally think our first record is quite embarrassing apart from a few songs, but when we made it, I thought it was the greatest album ever.

Our latest album is, on the other hand, the greatest ever. And hopefully our future album will also be the best hdm record ever. And that's what keeps you going, to top what you have done previously.

Do you ever recycle your song writing ideas?

Not intentionally, but I must admit that Heavy Metal Rules from After The Siesta is parts recycled from Heaven No! (And one part is of course recycled from I Feel Fine with The Beatles).

Who would you say influenced your songwriting and sound?

Probably all bands and artist, television programs, films, and books I've ever listened to, watched and read in my entire life. It's hard to pin down. I've never felt that any of my former idols have had any direct influence on the music, but somehow they probably have without my noticing it.

I guess that The Smiths, Lloyd Cole and the whole British 80s guitar pop scene were an influence in the beginning and it has sort of lingered on even though we haven't listened to that kind of music in years.

How did the Happydeadmen get together?

When I was 19 years old I met Thomas Kristoffersson at a bar in Stockholm. I started to talk to him because I thought he looked like a musician. And I was right, he was. He had a band and they needed a guitarist, so I joined.

Who came up with the name of the group?

I'm not sure but I recall Thomas told me he had two suggestions, The Undertakers and Happy Dead Men (after an Echo & the Bunnymen song) (Yes, I know these names suck, but keep in mind these were Goth rock times, when bands like Sisters of Mercy and The Cure were huge).

Then Magnus sent down our new demo to Sweden's most important festival, Hultsfred. He wrote Happy Dead Men on the demo. We got our gig there and posters all over Sweden said Happy Dead Men are playing at Hultsfred. So we really didn't have much choice from that point. We got so much media attention with that name so we couldn't change it.

We have always hated our name. People have always mistaken us for being Heavy Metal or Goth rock, which can be quite annoying sometimes. It's probably the silliest name ever made up (apart from the Japanese group Mr. Children of course).

What are the group's musical intentions?

Our intentions are to have fun......and that's all. If music ever becomes boring or meaningless we quit.

Do the Happydeadmen prefer being in a studio to playing live?

I have always felt a bit awkward live, and it usually sounds terrible on stage. In the studio the result somehow always turn out to be better than you had hoped. You sort of always feel like a winner there.

Where did you record the album?

We went back to the studio where we recorded our very first songs, at Hillson Studios in Stockholm.

How long did it take to record?

Three weeks for recording and one week for mixing.

What do you remember most about the recording of the album?

It was probably one of the best times of my life. We made a wonderful record. The weather was great. It was the first time we had a big budget. We could hire what musicians we needed.

What kind of music do you listen to these days?

Mainly Americans e.g. Elliott Smith, Jayhawks, Beck, Stoney Poneys, Gram Parsons.

Top ten albums of all times!!

After doing their favourite album list both Jan and Joe Algeri complained and said they much more prefered to do a song list - so here are Jan's ten favourite songs the day he made the list: