Evergrey’s Tom Englund: Friendship Is More Important Than Being a Band
Evergrey's new album, 'Glorious Collision,' was fraught with tension and interpersonal mash-ups that were anything but glorious. It was written and recorded during a particularly difficult period in their history, when the prog masters almost split because they stopped having fun.
"The s--- was happening before we decided to split up and reform," vocalist Tom S. Englund told Noisecreep. "Calling it s--- though might be a bit harsh, but still. So for [keyboardist] Rikard [Zander] and me, the writing was kind of a honeymoon where we didn't have to give a f--- about what someone else thought or felt about anything! That was the upside and also something I guess being in a band usually makes impossible. So we felt like driving Formula One with the [foot] always off the brake."
He continued, "On the other hand, we were scared to death about not being able to write. Maybe we lost it. Maybe the guys leaving [the band] took the magic with them. So we are now extremely relieved; everyone seems to really dig the album, and we have never received the unanimous praise we are getting."
Englund delved into the problems that plagued the band, revealing, "When you spend a lot of time on the road and in the studio, it is quite important to at least enjoy the few hours onstage. The tendency was that we were on the verge of losing even that. I wanted to prevent that a small day-to-day argument would escalate into something bigger and more serious -- or even a stupid argument about money that eventually could lead to something irreparable. Me and the other guys have been friends for 12 to 14 years, and that was something none of us were willing to throw away in a heartbeat."
To help ease some of the personal pressure that was built up, Englund said Evergrey had a few music-free meetings and hang sessions where they were able to remember why they started the band in the first place: frienship.
"We had a barbecue and just drank beer together without discussing music," Englund said. "Then I felt what we had lost when we spent time together in the band. We became who we were in the beginning of Evergrey's evolution. That was more important for all involved than a stupid band. So now we are still friends and also able to have those beers."
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