Picture: Tom Hedlund
If you have read my previous articles you might know that I am especially passionate about two things in life: Cinema and alternative/indie rock. Thus, when I got notified that one of my favourite (probably the favourite), slightly underground, indie rock bands were coming to Malmö för a gig this weekend, I followed my duty as a local, self-proclaimed culture journalist and reached out for an interview. Their name is Great Park Avenue, they come from the “south of the south” parts of Stockholm, they play loud rock’n’roll and they have a gig at Grand in Malmö this Saturday (20/5) at 22:00. The rest they can explain for themselves:

Who are Great Park Avenue and what is your backstory? How was the band founded and does the name have any specific meaning?

Zach: Well, me, the drummer, William (Vocals) and Johnny (Guitar) met at school and started off as a cover band. After a while we made a thing of sneaking in songs that we’d written in between the covers we were asked to play, and saying that they were songs by Lennon/McCartney. It was much more fun and rewarding to play our original music so we subsequently stopped playing covers and started our first project: MAMBO. After realising that we kept being mixed up with the tune Mambo nr.5, we decided to change the band name and reinvent ourselves. That was the birth of Great Park Avenue, but I wouldn’t like to go into the details of the name since the band almost broke up during the process due to disagreements. Anyways, a few years in, we met Axel (Bass), he had the perfect blend of length, taste in clothes and music, and that’s when Great Park Avenue became the full band it was always supposed to be.

It is difficult to label music into genres (as with all art), but if you were to label your music, what would it be?

Zach: Economically independent rock music.

It is quite obvious that The Libertines are one of your main inspirations, especially since your song “Pete My Teacher” is a tribute to the singer Pete Doherty, but if you had to mention three bands beside “The Libertines” that inspire you, which would that be?

Serge Gainsbourg, Scott Walker, Ronettes, other obscure 60’s stuff and such. None of them are really bands though, haha.

I know that my favourite GPA song is “Pete my Teacher”, but which one are you the most satisfied with? Think of it as if someone were to listen to only one of your songs, which one should they listen to?

Zach: I think I have to pick an unreleased song which will be available soon that is called “New Fandango” just because we have worked with it for so long and the final version feels very self-evident.

Axel: I’ll also choose an unreleased song haha! Mine is Roam, Rome. It has a great pop feel but it’s also quite odd which I like. The perfect mix!

William: If you were to listen to only one song of ours my recommendation would be to start off with something like Pete My Teacher or I’ve Reached My Destination. Those two are pretty representative for our live shows. I’m pretty pleased with both of them. Lyrically and musically.

You’re not the first Swedish rock band, and probably not the last either. If you had to pick one favourite rock band from Sweden, besides yourselves, which would it be?

Axel: Mando Diao up until 2012 when they released Infruset. After that it kinda went downhill for me.

William: Tages. Great songs, great hair!

When you make it big, what is the dream venue to gig at?

Zach: Royal Albert Hall in London.

Axel: Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury or the Olympia in Paris.

Until then though, you have this gig at Grand in Malmö on Saturday (20/5). What can us students making the intimidating pilgrimage to our neighbouring city come to expect?

Zach: A super-mega excited Great Park Avenue who will play at 110 % because we are so pleased to get away from Stockholm for once.

Axel: High octane rock’n’roll, the likes of which you haven’t seen since some dodgy London basement in 1976.

William: Silky smooth moves.

Besides the gig, what is on the near horizon for GPA? Any releases?

Yes, a new EP called “Limitless Prolific Divineness” is coming… soon… in less than a month and a half we dare to promise!

Well, thank you for your time. Any last words to the readers of Nådiga Lundtan?

If you can’t handle the heat, don’t book holidays in the sunshine!

Let go of the rib, and take no prisoners!

Thank you!

See you at Grand.