The Hives on the first album in 11 years: "A fucking anxiety toil"

8/11/2023, 5:15:38 AM

Highlights: It's been just over a decade since The Hives last released an album. Irresistible tours, a pandemic and so time that suddenly passes very fast. The name in the album's title refers to the band's fictional manager Randy Fitzsimmons. It's fun and a bit childish and completely in line with the music, says Pelle Almquist. "I don't think any other band would do this childish, stupid stuff on a record that millions of people have longed for and I think that's wonderful"

It's been just over a decade since The Hives last released an album. A decade that for the band consisted of tours, pandemic and the smooth course of life. But also out of anxiety about creating new music. "We've tried all the wrong combinations, got a thousand grey hairs and scratched out our eyes in our sleep," says the band's vocalist Pelle Almquist.

The brothers Pelle and Niklas Almquist, or Howlin' Pelle and Nicholaus Arson as they call themselves on stage, squirm when asked why it has taken so long between the previous album "Lex Hives" from 2012 and the new: "The death of Randy Fitzsimmons".

The reasons are many; Irresistible tours, a pandemic and so time that suddenly passes very fast.

"To make this happy music that sounds simple, it's a hell of an anxiety struggle with it. It's actually hard to make new rock music that will fit in with all the good rock music that has been made, but I think this does, says Pelle Almquist.

"It's going to hurt"

It's a punky Hives that returns on the new record. The idea that they would have made mature, thoughtful music instead feels foreign to them.

– Fuck that! That would be the most sad thing that could happen. I like Dire Straits and things like that, but I don't think there's a need for more like that. We need more stupid, immature rock music," says Pelle Almquist.

Isn't there something nice about getting to rock a little?

–Absolute! But who the hell wants it nice as well? It should be uncomfortable and hurt.

"It's kind of the physical that you want to access. The physicality of the music, says Niklas Almquist.

Childishly

The name in the album's title refers to the band's fictional manager Randy Fitzsimmons, who they claim with great seriousness is a very real person. It's fun and a bit childish and completely in line with the music.

– Even childish, I have to be with you all your life and the new album contains a lot of that. I don't think any other band would do this childish, stupid stuff on a record that millions of people have longed for and I think that's wonderful, says Pelle Almquist.