Vietcong Pornsürfers consists of four boys from Falun, Sweden. They have been playing punk rock music since the fall of 2007. The band started playing, as they say, “simply to make up for the lack of true cool rock bands”. Their new album, “We Spread Diseases”, was released this May, and so we caught up with the guys from the band for a little chat about the history of punk rock, whether rock‘n’roll is dead or not, about their future and the future of music in general.
Hi Tom… Second release for the band in a short time period. It seems now’s the time to be productive and tour, right?
T: Hello! Yes, that is right. We’re playing some gigs in Sweden after the release. We’re booking a tour for the autumn in Europe as well and between now and then we got some summer festival gigs in between.
How was the time between your debut “Restless, Young, Hungry and Free” and the new one?
T: Well, we’ve been out on a lot of different tours since then and recorded this new album… so I guess that it has been good!
Which were that things that you took better care of on your second release?
T: This time we knew all the steps you have to do before you release an album. So we could plan our economy and things like that better this time.
Why did you name the album “We Spread Diseases”? Which are these diseases that you spread around?
T: The Disease we will spread around us is real rock. Since rock/metal/punk nowadays is produced garbage we at least wanted the music to sound like rock.
“We Spread Diseases”, in my opinion, sounds more like the fast rock‘n’roll/punk that bands like Social Distortion, The Hellacopters, Iggy & The Stooges and even Motörhead used to play, than the pure punk of the Sex Pistols or NOFX, Rancid and Penywise. Would you describe your music as punk or you don’t like that label?
T: Our music is a mix between rock and punk so natural it would be punk-rock. But we just say that we play rock. Dangerous rock.
Do give us a hint about the album’s songs…
T: “Marcel”: It’s the shortest song on the album. Like an explosion.
“Dead Track”: The first track we wrote for this album. Groovy and loud.
“The Best Song”: I guess the title speaks for the song.
“Selfdestructive”: My personal favorite. A really heavy rock song…
“Make You Hate”: Dedicated to a couple of politicians that we don’t like.
“First High”: The only “down tempo” song of the album.
“I Hate Your Band”: For all the old reunion acts.
“Just Another Crime”: “You’re right, they lied. Let’s take what’s been denied”…
“Don’t Look Back”: The only sex related track. Strange, since we are the Pornsurfers.
“Diseases”: Title track. Very cool song.
“Add”: A hate it or love it track. We love it.
“We Gotta Burn”: The Vietcong Pornsurfers theme.
Can you please walk us through your recording process? How were the recording sessions and who produced the album?
T: Vietcong Pornsurfers wrote and produced the album all by themselves. We had the pleasure to work with Erik Berglund and Jakob Grundtman and since they are so cool guys everything went really fast. We recorded the album in 5 days. The first day we just fixed the guitars, drums and bass sounds. The second and third day we recorded the drums, bass and electric guitars. Live of course! And the fourth and fifth day we did the lead and backing vocals. And the week after Erik Berglund mixed the album.
You have already released 3 videos for the songs “Dead Track”, “Selfdestructive” & “Diseases”. Bands hardly release any video in our time – if they do, it’s probably a lyric video. Do you think that it’s worth it? Do people care about videos these days or is it all a YouTube game and that’s all?
T: A video is not important nowadays. But we think it’s fun to watch music videos and we hope that our fans feel the same.
You have a song called “The Best Song”. Do you truly believe that it is actually the best song ever written? If yes why, and if no could you give me your top 5 of the best songs ever?
T: No it’s not the best song ever written but the lyrics came when we played it the first time in the rehearsal. I really thought that it was the best song ever for a couple of days. I can’t decide which 5 songs are the best ones but I really like “Ring My Bell” with “Union Carbide Productions” for the moment.
Is the song “I Hate Your Band” for a specific band you hate, or is it for a wider range of bands that you hate?
T: It’s a song for all the reunited bands. Rock is for the young, and the old men are just stealing our stages. (i.n.: Hehe, interesting perspective… I bet all the “old ones” will turn green as soon as they read this!)
You say in “Dead Track” that rock‘n’roll was dead before you were even born. When do you think it died, and what killed it in your opinion?
T: Rock died when it became a fashion. When shoes, haircuts and even home decoration can be rock, then something is wrong. (i.n.: Yeap, I’ll agree with you…)
If you think that rock‘n’roll is dead why did you choose to play a dead form of music? Do you plan to resurrect it?
T: Haha, YES!!! We will save rock and roll! No, rock is the music we like and therefore it is the music we play. (i.n.: I feel you…)
There is a lot of humor in your lyrics, is it safe to say that you don’t like people and musicians who take themselves too seriously?
T: Yes, you can say that. It’s true. The trick is to make the audience believe that you are serious enough for them to love you but fun enough to make them sure that you have both your feet on the ground. (i.n.: Complex but sooo rock situation…)
T: Hello! Yes, that is right. We’re playing some gigs in Sweden after the release. We’re booking a tour for the autumn in Europe as well and between now and then we got some summer festival gigs in between.
How was the time between your debut “Restless, Young, Hungry and Free” and the new one?
T: Well, we’ve been out on a lot of different tours since then and recorded this new album… so I guess that it has been good!
Which were that things that you took better care of on your second release?
T: This time we knew all the steps you have to do before you release an album. So we could plan our economy and things like that better this time.
Why did you name the album “We Spread Diseases”? Which are these diseases that you spread around?
T: The Disease we will spread around us is real rock. Since rock/metal/punk nowadays is produced garbage we at least wanted the music to sound like rock.
“We Spread Diseases”, in my opinion, sounds more like the fast rock‘n’roll/punk that bands like Social Distortion, The Hellacopters, Iggy & The Stooges and even Motörhead used to play, than the pure punk of the Sex Pistols or NOFX, Rancid and Penywise. Would you describe your music as punk or you don’t like that label?
T: Our music is a mix between rock and punk so natural it would be punk-rock. But we just say that we play rock. Dangerous rock.
Do give us a hint about the album’s songs…
T: “Marcel”: It’s the shortest song on the album. Like an explosion.
“Dead Track”: The first track we wrote for this album. Groovy and loud.
“The Best Song”: I guess the title speaks for the song.
“Selfdestructive”: My personal favorite. A really heavy rock song…
“Make You Hate”: Dedicated to a couple of politicians that we don’t like.
“First High”: The only “down tempo” song of the album.
“I Hate Your Band”: For all the old reunion acts.
“Just Another Crime”: “You’re right, they lied. Let’s take what’s been denied”…
“Don’t Look Back”: The only sex related track. Strange, since we are the Pornsurfers.
“Diseases”: Title track. Very cool song.
“Add”: A hate it or love it track. We love it.
“We Gotta Burn”: The Vietcong Pornsurfers theme.
Can you please walk us through your recording process? How were the recording sessions and who produced the album?
T: Vietcong Pornsurfers wrote and produced the album all by themselves. We had the pleasure to work with Erik Berglund and Jakob Grundtman and since they are so cool guys everything went really fast. We recorded the album in 5 days. The first day we just fixed the guitars, drums and bass sounds. The second and third day we recorded the drums, bass and electric guitars. Live of course! And the fourth and fifth day we did the lead and backing vocals. And the week after Erik Berglund mixed the album.
You have already released 3 videos for the songs “Dead Track”, “Selfdestructive” & “Diseases”. Bands hardly release any video in our time – if they do, it’s probably a lyric video. Do you think that it’s worth it? Do people care about videos these days or is it all a YouTube game and that’s all?
T: A video is not important nowadays. But we think it’s fun to watch music videos and we hope that our fans feel the same.
You have a song called “The Best Song”. Do you truly believe that it is actually the best song ever written? If yes why, and if no could you give me your top 5 of the best songs ever?
T: No it’s not the best song ever written but the lyrics came when we played it the first time in the rehearsal. I really thought that it was the best song ever for a couple of days. I can’t decide which 5 songs are the best ones but I really like “Ring My Bell” with “Union Carbide Productions” for the moment.
Is the song “I Hate Your Band” for a specific band you hate, or is it for a wider range of bands that you hate?
T: It’s a song for all the reunited bands. Rock is for the young, and the old men are just stealing our stages. (i.n.: Hehe, interesting perspective… I bet all the “old ones” will turn green as soon as they read this!)
You say in “Dead Track” that rock‘n’roll was dead before you were even born. When do you think it died, and what killed it in your opinion?
T: Rock died when it became a fashion. When shoes, haircuts and even home decoration can be rock, then something is wrong. (i.n.: Yeap, I’ll agree with you…)
If you think that rock‘n’roll is dead why did you choose to play a dead form of music? Do you plan to resurrect it?
T: Haha, YES!!! We will save rock and roll! No, rock is the music we like and therefore it is the music we play. (i.n.: I feel you…)
There is a lot of humor in your lyrics, is it safe to say that you don’t like people and musicians who take themselves too seriously?
T: Yes, you can say that. It’s true. The trick is to make the audience believe that you are serious enough for them to love you but fun enough to make them sure that you have both your feet on the ground. (i.n.: Complex but sooo rock situation…)
How did you choose to cooperate with Dangerous Rock Records?
T: I don’t know… I believe it was their amazing company name that made us sign the deal.
What are your future plans and when can we expect a new album?
T: Well, we are booking a tour for the autumn and we want to record a new album asap. I guess we'll be doing both of them in that case but i can't give any dates or something.
In April, you started a European tour. How was the fans’ reaction to the new material? Now, you’re planning to give 5 live gigs in Sweden over the next days, including your press release party, isn’t it so?
T: The fans did a great job loving us. The more they love us the more we love them so it was a great tour. I got the feeling that they really did like the new stuff very much. Yes, we are doing a little Swedish “tour” to celebrate the new album. It will be super fun and nice.
What do you think about the 90’s punk movement of bands like Green Day, NOFX, Rancid and Penywise, Blink 182 etc?
T: Rancid is quite good, the rest of the bands are nothing for me. That’s my personal opinion.
Time for our weird questions!!! How did you come up with the name Vietcong Pornsürfers?
T: The name came when Affe & I were drunk in our teenage years. Our parents disliked it so we took it, haha. Rebelliously and mean.
If music were banned by law (CDs, Vinyl, cassettes, Mp3s everything), which 3 albums would you risk to hide even if it would be a risky thing to do cuz the penalty would be jail?
T: “Throw it to the Universe” by The soundtrack of our lives, “Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy and “The Evil One” by Roky Erickson. That’s three awesome albums worth dying for.
You have the opportunity to have sex with the porn-star/movie celebrity of your choice. Who would it be & why?
T: One would not be enough. I want them all. (i.n.: Shit me 2!)
Is rock & roll music only about sex and drugs… or that motto has changed throughout the years?
T: For some it’s sex, for some it’s drugs for me it’s the live shows and the music. That’s the only true kick nowadays for me. And a lot of booze maybe… (i.n.: Yeah booozeee…)
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife/life partner is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
T: I guess I would be shocked. Maybe buy myself a Spotify account so I would survive. And cry like a baby.
Thx for talking to Grande Rock Tom… Any last words?
T: Buy our new album if you want to listen to real dangerous rock. And if you don’t buy it, I assume you got afraid.
T: I don’t know… I believe it was their amazing company name that made us sign the deal.
What are your future plans and when can we expect a new album?
T: Well, we are booking a tour for the autumn and we want to record a new album asap. I guess we'll be doing both of them in that case but i can't give any dates or something.
In April, you started a European tour. How was the fans’ reaction to the new material? Now, you’re planning to give 5 live gigs in Sweden over the next days, including your press release party, isn’t it so?
T: The fans did a great job loving us. The more they love us the more we love them so it was a great tour. I got the feeling that they really did like the new stuff very much. Yes, we are doing a little Swedish “tour” to celebrate the new album. It will be super fun and nice.
What do you think about the 90’s punk movement of bands like Green Day, NOFX, Rancid and Penywise, Blink 182 etc?
T: Rancid is quite good, the rest of the bands are nothing for me. That’s my personal opinion.
Time for our weird questions!!! How did you come up with the name Vietcong Pornsürfers?
T: The name came when Affe & I were drunk in our teenage years. Our parents disliked it so we took it, haha. Rebelliously and mean.
If music were banned by law (CDs, Vinyl, cassettes, Mp3s everything), which 3 albums would you risk to hide even if it would be a risky thing to do cuz the penalty would be jail?
T: “Throw it to the Universe” by The soundtrack of our lives, “Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy and “The Evil One” by Roky Erickson. That’s three awesome albums worth dying for.
You have the opportunity to have sex with the porn-star/movie celebrity of your choice. Who would it be & why?
T: One would not be enough. I want them all. (i.n.: Shit me 2!)
Is rock & roll music only about sex and drugs… or that motto has changed throughout the years?
T: For some it’s sex, for some it’s drugs for me it’s the live shows and the music. That’s the only true kick nowadays for me. And a lot of booze maybe… (i.n.: Yeah booozeee…)
Imagine that your girlfriend/wife/life partner is selling your whole album-collection just to buy an expensive ring for herself. How would you react?
T: I guess I would be shocked. Maybe buy myself a Spotify account so I would survive. And cry like a baby.
Thx for talking to Grande Rock Tom… Any last words?
T: Buy our new album if you want to listen to real dangerous rock. And if you don’t buy it, I assume you got afraid.
(by Thanos & Darwin)