Interview with A.C.T (Ola Andersson)

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Hi Ola! We’ve seen you’re working on a new video, what are you up to?

We recorded videos for three of the songs from Falling in two days. Two of them will be released as singles, The Girl Without and Past and One Last Goodbye, and the last one will be released a week after Falling has hit the streaming services. The last video will be really cool and showing a side of us that fans might not be used to.

What shall a new fan and an old fan expect from your brand new release, Falling?

A new fan should expect a mix of everything from catchy pop with a touch of the 80’s mixed with  modern progressive rock. An old fan should be able to hear that this album differs a bit from our other albums. We are leaving our comfort zone, trying new sounds, new ways to structure and arrange the songs. But it’s still old A.C.T of course, with huge choirs, intricate details in the instruments and as usual it is the melodies that are in focus.

How was the production process from the composition of the songs ‘till the actual recording and mixing?

Me and Jerry composed the songs and did demos. Then we listened to the demos together and decided if the songs needed something else, like a different bridge, or if something else needed to be changed. Concentrating on the big picture first. This is how we always do it nowadays. Usually we let Herman do a vocal demo of his parts as well. We do this to see if the lyrics feel right in his mouth or if we need to do some changes in key. Then Thomas records the drums in a professional studio. This is my favourite part because Thomas is a monster on the drums and you have no idea what cool ideas he will come up with. Going from programmed midi drums on the demos to hear the real thing is always a pleasure and it’s really now when you start to hear what direction the song will take. Once we have the drums we all sit at home and do our parts. It’s a fun but extremely chaotic process, where we are sending files back and forth. When we have the instruments in place, we do Herman’s lead vocals in a pro studio. All the choir arrangements me, Jerry and Herman do at home. The mixing process is also chaotic as everybody has opinions. But somehow we always know when enough is enough and that’s when the song is done. Joakim Rudolf who has mixed our two latest albums brings in a lot of ideas and has become a part of the creative process.

Can you describe the artwork of the album and what does a physical release mean for you in 2023?

This is the third EP in a planned quartet and the artwork for all these EP’s are connected. The front cover of all EP’s is put together from the same picture taken on one occasion. You will be able to put the CD’s side by side and see the whole picture.

Can you disclose what you’ve been involved with when speaking about the lyrics and the meaning of Falling?

Falling comes from the season fall (autumn). But it’s also a play with words as humanity is falling. There are four EP’s in this quartet and each represents a season. Rebirth was spring, Heatwave was summer and Falling is fall. And the next will be winter. On these EP’s we are in different ways dealing with coming disasters. On Falling humanity is facing an unstoppable asteroid. The people in the songs deal with the end of the world in different ways and it’s from their perspective we are telling these stories.

What shall we expect on the live side from A.C.T?

We are booking shows for the autumn 2023 at this very moment. So stay tuned. Last Epic is celebrating 20 years this year so we might do something with regards to that.

Which are your main influences as a musician, both when it comes to composing and playing?

I don’t know to be honest. I listen to music all the time. Old and new. And I listen to everything. Bands I’ve been listening to a lot lately are The Dear Hunter, Mew, Vola, MGMT, Vargas and Lagola and much more. And I have periods. For a couple of months now I’ve been really into Andrew Lloyd Webber going through all the musicals. I Love Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar! Can’t stop listening to them. When it comes to composing you never know where stuff comes from, but if you listen to A.C.T you will probably hear lots of Jellyfish, Beatles, ELO, 10CC, Saga, ABBA, City Boy and Dream Theater. I think it’s in those bands where we as a band have our common ground. Then we all bring in our personal stuff to it.

Sweden has always provided the best music around, how is the scene nowadays in your opinion?

Lots of great music comes from Sweden and I leave it up to the scientist to figure out why  Maybe it comes from seeing other bands succeed internationally, just knowing that it’s possible for a small country might have given us some extra boost in confidence. I am talking about ABBA, Max Martin, Roxette; Europe, Meshuggah etc. Bands and artists that have been extremely influential.

Do you have any personal or musical memory related to Italy?

I have been to Sicily and it was so incredibly beautiful, a wonderful landscape with fantastic food and wine. Love the language and the rich and interesting culture and really want to see more of Italy. We have never played there and it’s something we really, really want to do!!!

One final message and greeting to the italian fans and TrueMetal readers?

Keep spreading the word about so that we can come and play in your wonderful country!