THE GASÖLINES - I GREW UP BEING A MASSIVE IRON MAIDEN FAN

Can you please introduce yourself ? Where are you from ?

Hello! Thank you so much for taking your time to interview us. This is a Norwegian band from the south east of the country, in the cities of Sarpsborg, Fredrikstad and Spydeberg/Oslo. We have the swedish border only 20-30 minutes drive from where we live, so even though we are Norwegians we still have a lot of mix from Sweden as well.

How long have you been playing music before being in the Gasölines ?

I picked up bass in 1993 and have been playing on and off for many years. Mostly off, actually. Studies, work, family and other duties took time from playing myself. But I did spend a lot of time listening to music, go to concerts, work for bands where friends play, and so on. The last ten years, or so, I have spent a lot more time actually playing myself

Morten Gasöline

When did you form the band ?

I had the idea and vision for The Gasölines in my head a long time, but did not find a time to do it. It was actually the covid restrictions that give me time to do it. I was playing in a metal band called Meltdown at the down when the restrictions came that rehearsals where not allowed. For many months, actually. So instead of just sit on my ass and do nothing, I got more and more ideas for this rock concept that didn’t fit into the Meltdown concept. One day I got the ideas for chorus of «Autobahn Outlaws» in my head and with time on my hands I decided to at least finish some demos and see if it was any good or not. It wasn’t after the demos where finished that I decided to og along with it. If they ended up mediocre, then I would most probably just scrap everything and not waste any time on it.

You say that you have demo songs of the Gasölines. Would you like us to put these unreleased materials in our section called The Monsters Files? 

The demos I have are more sketches than real songs. So even though I myself like to hear demos of bands from time to time, they really won't give the listener that much. Basically they include only the correct tempo, bass and rhythm guitar. All drum parts are made up by the drummer and not recorded as a demo. The same goes for guitar solos. So there is really not much point in releasing them 😄 

Were you already in touch with the other members of The Gasölines before forming the band?

Yeah, I knew Adrian from several years back. I asked him if he wanted to do some solos, and then he also suggested that he could play the drums on the first recording as well. He started out as a drummer, actually. I knew Sindre from a gig where we shared the stage with the band Meltdown I used to play with. Adrian suggested him and I immediately loved the idea because Sindre is a great guy and his voice fits this music like a glove. We decided to ask Eiliv to record drums, vocals and also mix it because he is a great guy and very skilled. On the second album he also plays the drums.

Sindre Gasöline

You recorded the album Death Or Eternal Glory in less than 25 hours on March and April 2022. Why such a short time, you had to play gigs or do you consider that staying too long in the studios is a waste of time ? Or maybe it was just enough time to record 10 songs ?

We recorded the first album in just 24 hours and the second in less than 25 hours. There are many reasons to it. The first one is of course money. The more time you spend, the more you have to pay. But I would not have done it if it meant the results were crap. The main reason is I think this music need spontanity, nerve and energy. I believe we nailed it in the time we spent in the studio. Maybe it would have ended up even better if we had spent 20, 30, 40 or 50 hours more, maybe not? The hours in the studio were very effective. We didn’t spend them on coffee, cigarettes and time wasting. People are also busy with other things in life like full time jobs, family and other commitments. I definitely believe in being well prepared, go to the studio and work hard to get it done.

The artwork was made by Britt Madding like the first album. Is he a friend of yours ?

No, I stumbled across Madding’s artwork and really liked it. There are a ton of art in the catalogue. I grew up being a massive Iron Maiden fan, so I started to collect all sorts of things. There are only three autographs I am missing from all the members who have played in the band. True story. I have come across some rehearsal recordings and live bootlegs from 1976 and 1977 too. The band sounded a bit different then. I also collected and traded a lot of early live bootlegs from 1979 and 1980. On some of them Steve Harris is singing the main vocals because Paul Di’Anno had problems with his voice. The show must go on and all that… Speaking of Di’Anno: He is not the best vocalist technically in the world, but what he does on those two studio albums and live are simply great in my ears. He has that raw energy, power and attitude in his voice and stage presence. I guess that is one of the main influences for my own band The Gasölines. Di’Anno also has a very sweet sound in his voice that you can hear on the slower songs and less intense parts of songs. That is a brilliant combination. Live recordings are almost always full of overdubs and trickery in the studio. That’s why I prefer the real live recordings and bootlegs. Rock and metal does not have to be technically perfect in every sense, in my ears, it’s also about the energy, attitude and give the audience an experience. That’s what I really love about the early bootlegs.

I don’t listen to them as much as I did as a kid. Some time in the 1990s I discovered a lot of other bands. My taste in music changed a little bit as I grew older. That’s natural and healthy. You can’t digest just the same over and over again, decade after decade. But as soon as I hear one of the songs from my youth I can still remember being that 11 year old kid who was blown away.  

The album has been released either on CD, cassettes and LP, the LP was strictly limited to 100 copies in yellow/black marble and 200 copies in magenta/black marble, only 60 cassettes were made and the CD is limited to 100 copies. Will there be other copies after these ones or do you consider you won't sell more than 460 copies in totality ?

Maybe. I think it is impossible to say a definitive yes or no. I am first of all a lover of music and like to design releases that I would like to have in my collection. As an underground band with no financial backing whatsoever and no professional network of distributors to stores, there is obviously a limit of how many copies you can make. It costs a shitload of money to make LPs, CDs and cassettes! Even when they are all sold out, the numbers are still not where you make any money when you also count the costs for packaging, studio, mix, master and whatever. The sales of records are not to make money – just to reduce the total of costs. Income from streaming are mostly laughable as an underground rock band, so you won’t make any money there either.

If a label knocks on the door and wants to re-release them, then that’ll be interesting.

I have read on your Bandcamp page that your influences go from the 50's Rockabilly to the 90's Rock. Are there bands or musics you like more than others ?

I have a very varied taste in music. It mostly depends on the mood, time and place. In general I believe that is a good thing. I compare it to food; it is not good for your body to eat and drink the same all the time. Your brain needs the same in music. I can put on a record of Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran or Elvis and really love them. Or Black Sabbath. Or Iron Maiden, Metallica or Helloween. Or Sepultura, Pantera or Type O Negative. Or swedish death metal by The Entombed, At The Gates, In Flames. Or Norwegian black metal. I have noticed in recent years that I get easily bored with a specific genre or band. So I need to mix it up a bit, listen to something else and then come back it again soon.

One thing I am very specific about is that I do not listen to anything close to the genres of music I am writing during that process. I believe that it is best to have as fresh mind as possible. For the second album «Death or Eternal Glory» I had a period where I listened to a lot of Johnny Cash and At The Gates. And also the collection I have of Iron Maiden live recordings from 1979 and 1980. That is probably the closest of the influences for the album. I love the raw and unpolished energy they had at the time.

Could you write something about 60's Garage bands in Norway for us ? Or maybe you know someone who could write an article about it for us ?

Of course. There are books and articles written about the music from the 1960’s in Norway, also tv documentary episodes.

Are you on tour at the moment ?

No. Time, money and demand are three cruicial elements of going on tour.

Will you come and play in France next year to promote your album ?

The simple answer is «Yes, of course!». Would love to do that. It all depends on time to get off from work at the same time for all involved, the finances so you don’t lose too much money, and venues/promotors have got to want us there. Fingers crossed we can go to France and neighbour countries to promote the new album! All plans and ideas to promote the first album just fizzled out and into nothing because of constant covid restrictions.

Last question, have you ever played/shared the  stage with one of your favorite bands? If yes, which band(s)? 

I haven't shared a stage with a favourite band that I listened too as a teenager. But I have been a stage hand for friends who supported the swedish band At The Gates that I am a big fan of. Nice people and always interesting to see how they work. 

That being said: It is always a lot of fun to share stage with friends in other bands. And most of the other bands that you don't know already, they will become friends. So that experience is always great fun and inspiring in many ways.

Many thanks to Morten Gasöline for answering our questions.