INTERVIEW MONSTRE - The DAHLMANNS : "Not a day goes by without Line and I saying, ‘Imagine if we were living in France right now.’”
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| Photo by Morten Strøm |
Aujourd'hui est un grand jour pour les Monstres Sacrés, nous avons l'honneur de vous proposer une interview des Dahlmanns qui, il ne faut pas l'oublier, ont écrit selon Little Steven "the coolest song in the world". Merci à eux et Jean-Jacques pour avoir goupillé cette interview.
Taste question: Which artists have influenced you the most, and can you tell us examples about this influence? Who is the artist you dislike and why will he/she never influence you?
“There are many artists who have influenced me, both in the past and still today. But if we’re talking about the one who has meant the most and truly shaped me and my music, we have to go back to when I was nine years old. That’s when I bought Ramones – Leave Home, and after that there was no turning back. Everything I did as a kid and teenager revolved around the Ramones. When I was 14, I even made a chart based on It’s Alive, where I noted every drum and cymbal hit, tried to calculate how many downstrokes Johnny and Dee Dee played during the concert, and so on.
Beyond that, artists like Thåström, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Nick Cave, Roky Erickson, and many others have had a huge influence on what I listen to—and not least on how I write music.”
Intellectual question: Which non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved…
“I don’t think I can honestly claim there is one—but if I had to pick someone, it’d probably be David Lynch… which might explain a few things.”
History question: Can you sum up the life of your group?
“We didn’t really start as a band—we were more like a ‘let’s see what happens’ experiment. I just wanted to hear what Line sounded like, so I threw a few songs together, found some more, and next thing we knew we were in the studio. Our first track, Holiday Road, somehow hit a nerve out there. Little Steven even crowned it ‘the coolest song in the world.’ That’s when things really kicked off.
Over the years, a few people have come and gone, but for the last ten years it’s been Magnus Gulbrandsen, Jan Erik Hoel, Ole Nesset, Line, and me—the unstoppable core of The Dahlmanns.”
Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name?
“We kind of have to go back to question one—Ramones. Dahlmann is mine and Line’s last name. In Scandinavia, there’s this thing called ‘danseband,’ which is… let’s just say not exactly our favorite genre. Unfortunately, we sound like we should be playing it.
So when older people ask what kind of music we play, it gets a bit awkward—we either have to disappoint them or confuse them.”
Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese?
“This could turn into a long answer, so I’ll keep it short. I’ve always felt more French than Norwegian. Not a day goes by without Line and I saying, ‘Imagine if we were living in France right now.’
I can’t exactly say why—I just love the language, the attitude, the food, the way people own how they express themselves. Take the farmers, for instance: when they’re angry, they do something about it. I find that amazing.
France just has this spark that sets it apart from the rest of Europe—music, literature, food—they do it all, but with a little twist.
There’s something wonderfully rough around the edges, woven into the otherwise orderly life. A kind of nerve and character I wish more places had. It’s intoxicating, really.”
Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?
“Not sure what you mean by ‘sponsor,’ but if you mean a band I’d vouch for, definitely check out Soundtrack of Our Lives. Most people have heard of them, but I’m a big fan.”
Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made par artists of our country.
Jacques Dutronc – II est cinq heures
Shakin’ Street – Shakin`Street
Prototypes - Tout Le Monde Cherche Quelque Chose A Faire
The Limiñanas – Costa Blanca
Les Wampas – Rock`n`roll part 9
Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country.
“Since we live near the Swedish border, I’ll take the liberty of including Swedish bands as well. There are many albums that should be mentioned—there have been a lot of great bands in Norway over the years, especially within garage and Scandinavian rock.”
Turbonegro . Apocalypse Dudes
Thåström – Kärlek är for dom
Euroboys – Soft Focus
Cosmic Dropouts – Groovy Things
The Creeps – The Creeps
Line :
A long days flight til tomorrow Kåre & The Cavemen/Euroboys
Would You Please Welcome Christer Knutsen
Shady Whims & Obstacles The Tables
Maskiner i Nirvana Raga Rockers
Chimes at Midnight Madrugada
“There are many artists who have influenced me, both in the past and still today. But if we’re talking about the one who has meant the most and truly shaped me and my music, we have to go back to when I was nine years old. That’s when I bought Ramones – Leave Home, and after that there was no turning back. Everything I did as a kid and teenager revolved around the Ramones. When I was 14, I even made a chart based on It’s Alive, where I noted every drum and cymbal hit, tried to calculate how many downstrokes Johnny and Dee Dee played during the concert, and so on.
Beyond that, artists like Thåström, Soundtrack of Our Lives, Nick Cave, Roky Erickson, and many others have had a huge influence on what I listen to—and not least on how I write music.”
Intellectual question: Which non-musical artist (filmmaker, writer, painter...) played an important role in the way the band evolved…
“I don’t think I can honestly claim there is one—but if I had to pick someone, it’d probably be David Lynch… which might explain a few things.”
“We didn’t really start as a band—we were more like a ‘let’s see what happens’ experiment. I just wanted to hear what Line sounded like, so I threw a few songs together, found some more, and next thing we knew we were in the studio. Our first track, Holiday Road, somehow hit a nerve out there. Little Steven even crowned it ‘the coolest song in the world.’ That’s when things really kicked off.
Over the years, a few people have come and gone, but for the last ten years it’s been Magnus Gulbrandsen, Jan Erik Hoel, Ole Nesset, Line, and me—the unstoppable core of The Dahlmanns.”
Champollion question: What is the meaning of the band's name?
“We kind of have to go back to question one—Ramones. Dahlmann is mine and Line’s last name. In Scandinavia, there’s this thing called ‘danseband,’ which is… let’s just say not exactly our favorite genre. Unfortunately, we sound like we should be playing it.
So when older people ask what kind of music we play, it gets a bit awkward—we either have to disappoint them or confuse them.”
Line :
The English translation of our surname would be The Vallymen. The spelling indicate that
we’re Swedish. We should probably make a full-on country album (in Swedish) as The
Vallymen
Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?
“There’s really one person to blame for most of what we’ve done: Lindsay Hutton (Next Big Thing). Without him, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are now.
We first met him in Madrid when I was playing with another band. He was DJing later that night at the Wurlitzer Ballroom and played ‘Dancing with Joey Ramone’ by Amy Rigby. I went straight up to him and said, ‘That’s a song Line and I are going to record.’ Lindsay basically went, ‘Yeah, right.’
A few weeks later, it was done.
So yeah… turns out he was wrong. (for once)
Another person who’s opened a few doors for us is Little Steven.
Steven Van Zandt (Springsteen) opened up a whole new market for us in the U.S.—setting up shows for us and even bringing us onto the TV series Lilyhammer.””
Spinal Tap question: What's the most stupid thing that's ever happened to you?
“There’s a long list to choose from, but it has to be that time we were touring the U.S. and had invited the Swinging Neckbreakers to play with us. Huge fan of the Swinging Neckbreakers.
It turned out the venue was basically a fire station… hosting a wedding. So we had to hang around outside for quite a while before we were even let in—sitting in the parking lot like a bunch of 12-year-olds, drinking canned beer and questioning our life choices.
Once the wedding finally cleared out, we had to haul all the gear upstairs ourselves and play for about 12 people.
I don’t think I’ve ever been that embarrassed.
They told us that’s just everyday life for them—but I’m pretty sure they were just being polite.”
Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it?
“I can’t say we’ve noticed many perks so far—we’re still waiting, patiently… or not so patiently.
Maybe this interview will finally open some doors and get us a show in France? That would be a start.”
Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like?
“In recent years I’ve been deep into Norwegian authors—I’ve read pretty much everything by Karl Ove Knausgård, Carl Frode Tiller, and Leander Djønne, among others.
I’ve also discovered Michel Houellebecq—yeah, I know, not exactly an underground tip—but I really like what he does.
And every now and then I’ll dip into Jean-Paul Sartre, just to keep things existential.
As for albums, it’s been a steady rotation of Thåström, Soundtrack of Our Lives, and The Hellacopters lately.”
Line:
I really enjoyed reading the different Karl Ove Knausgårds books in the Morgenstjerne
series. I’m about 50 pages in with the new book Jeg var lenge død (J'étais mort depuis
longtemps is Googles suggestion for a potential French title)
Fave current band and record(s) has to be Canadian super-singer and songwriter Julianna
Riolino. Both her albums, All Blue (2022) and last year's release Echo in the dust has been
on a steady repeat. She has a wonderful voice, powerful, fragile and everything in
between. Her stage presence is like a force of nature.
Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?
“I can’t really think of anything funny that’s suitable for print—at least not without exposing a few third parties.
But a good memory is when Magnus (our guitarist) almost got run over in Youngstown.”
The English translation of our surname would be The Vallymen. The spelling indicate that
we’re Swedish. We should probably make a full-on country album (in Swedish) as The
Vallymen
Buddy question: Who has helped you most in your band's adventure and without whom you wouldn't have had the same evolution?
“There’s really one person to blame for most of what we’ve done: Lindsay Hutton (Next Big Thing). Without him, we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are now.
We first met him in Madrid when I was playing with another band. He was DJing later that night at the Wurlitzer Ballroom and played ‘Dancing with Joey Ramone’ by Amy Rigby. I went straight up to him and said, ‘That’s a song Line and I are going to record.’ Lindsay basically went, ‘Yeah, right.’
A few weeks later, it was done.
So yeah… turns out he was wrong. (for once)
Another person who’s opened a few doors for us is Little Steven.
Steven Van Zandt (Springsteen) opened up a whole new market for us in the U.S.—setting up shows for us and even bringing us onto the TV series Lilyhammer.””
“There’s a long list to choose from, but it has to be that time we were touring the U.S. and had invited the Swinging Neckbreakers to play with us. Huge fan of the Swinging Neckbreakers.
It turned out the venue was basically a fire station… hosting a wedding. So we had to hang around outside for quite a while before we were even let in—sitting in the parking lot like a bunch of 12-year-olds, drinking canned beer and questioning our life choices.
Once the wedding finally cleared out, we had to haul all the gear upstairs ourselves and play for about 12 people.
I don’t think I’ve ever been that embarrassed.
They told us that’s just everyday life for them—but I’m pretty sure they were just being polite.”
Question Happy Few: What's the biggest benefit you've derived from your band, and can you tell us about it?
“I can’t say we’ve noticed many perks so far—we’re still waiting, patiently… or not so patiently.
Maybe this interview will finally open some doors and get us a show in France? That would be a start.”
Art question: What book, film, record and current band do you really like?
“In recent years I’ve been deep into Norwegian authors—I’ve read pretty much everything by Karl Ove Knausgård, Carl Frode Tiller, and Leander Djønne, among others.
I’ve also discovered Michel Houellebecq—yeah, I know, not exactly an underground tip—but I really like what he does.
And every now and then I’ll dip into Jean-Paul Sartre, just to keep things existential.
As for albums, it’s been a steady rotation of Thåström, Soundtrack of Our Lives, and The Hellacopters lately.”
Line:
I really enjoyed reading the different Karl Ove Knausgårds books in the Morgenstjerne
series. I’m about 50 pages in with the new book Jeg var lenge død (J'étais mort depuis
longtemps is Googles suggestion for a potential French title)
Fave current band and record(s) has to be Canadian super-singer and songwriter Julianna
Riolino. Both her albums, All Blue (2022) and last year's release Echo in the dust has been
on a steady repeat. She has a wonderful voice, powerful, fragile and everything in
between. Her stage presence is like a force of nature.
Funny question. What's the funniest thing that's ever happened to you?
“I can’t really think of anything funny that’s suitable for print—at least not without exposing a few third parties.
But a good memory is when Magnus (our guitarist) almost got run over in Youngstown.”
“Oh—actually, one more thing. Something I find pretty amazing (at least I do): Ed Stasium- if you don’t know who he is, go do your homework—mixed a few tracks for us.
Going back to 9-year-old me, that’s about as cool as it gets.
We had a call one evening—FaceTime or Skype—where I just sat there asking questions and he talked about his years with the Ramones.
This was around the same time Joey Ramone’s solo album was being worked on, and he was involved with . If you listen closely, you can hear sounds he used back on Road to Ruin. He even showed how he could tweak he`s vocal to sound like Joey when he sang.
I honestly didn’t want that conversation to end.”
Camembert question: What's France to you, apart from the land of wine and cheese?
“This could turn into a long answer, so I’ll keep it short. I’ve always felt more French than Norwegian. Not a day goes by without Line and I saying, ‘Imagine if we were living in France right now.’
I can’t exactly say why—I just love the language, the attitude, the food, the way people own how they express themselves. Take the farmers, for instance: when they’re angry, they do something about it. I find that amazing.
France just has this spark that sets it apart from the rest of Europe—music, literature, food—they do it all, but with a little twist.
There’s something wonderfully rough around the edges, woven into the otherwise orderly life. A kind of nerve and character I wish more places had. It’s intoxicating, really.”
Sponsorship question: Who can you sponsor for Les Monstres Sacrés, and how can you convince us to talk about them?
“Not sure what you mean by ‘sponsor,’ but if you mean a band I’d vouch for, definitely check out Soundtrack of Our Lives. Most people have heard of them, but I’m a big fan.”
Patriotic question: Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made par artists of our country.
Jacques Dutronc – II est cinq heures
Shakin’ Street – Shakin`Street
Prototypes - Tout Le Monde Cherche Quelque Chose A Faire
The Limiñanas – Costa Blanca
Les Wampas – Rock`n`roll part 9
Patriotic question 2 : Make the list (between 5 & 10) of the top records made by artists of your country.
“Since we live near the Swedish border, I’ll take the liberty of including Swedish bands as well. There are many albums that should be mentioned—there have been a lot of great bands in Norway over the years, especially within garage and Scandinavian rock.”
Turbonegro . Apocalypse Dudes
Thåström – Kärlek är for dom
Euroboys – Soft Focus
Cosmic Dropouts – Groovy Things
The Creeps – The Creeps
Line :
A long days flight til tomorrow Kåre & The Cavemen/Euroboys
Would You Please Welcome Christer Knutsen
Shady Whims & Obstacles The Tables
Maskiner i Nirvana Raga Rockers
Chimes at Midnight Madrugada
Thank you The Dahlmanns & Jean-Jacques
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