TMA: Can you tell us about the origin of the band name, a history of the band and a little bit about the various members?
John: Well it started from the breakup of the hardrock band GreyHate (Me) and the Metal/Thrash band Clench (Thomas Piehl). Me and Thomas got together and wrote some tunes and then got Örjan Baudin (ex Clench) to join on bass and Jens Wide (ex Clench) on drums. In that setting we released some songs on compilations under the name ‘Nosedive’ and later on wrote the material what would become the debut album “grandiosity”. Just before the release we decided to change the band name since we didn’t like Nosedive that much. Me and Thomas sat down to find a new name and after some searching and experimenting we got the word Mother from a half finished song together with Misery as the second half of the song My Misery (which later became My Enemy on grandiosity). It was released in March 2004 on daredevil records (DE). In 2005 just before our first Germany tour Jens (drums) and Örjan (bass) decided to leave the band and got replaced by Marcus Jäderholm (ex GreyHate) on bass and Jimmy Lindbergh on drums (ex Evelyn Grace). Marcus stayed until 2008 when we did our first tour in Holland with Entombed. At that point Stiff Hell stepped in on bass to this date. Last year Thomas Piehl decided to leave the band and got replaced by Emil Ström (the Strikeouts, ex Manny Ribera) on solo guitar.
TMA: Are you all from the same area? How did you get together as a band?
John: Me and Stiff is from Enköping, Jimmy lived here when he was young but is located in Stockholm. Emil is from Kopparberg which is about two hours by car from here. From the beginning we all knew each other from being in different bands or growing up together. Me and Stiff have known each other since kindergarten. Jimmy is a bit younger but was also in bands in the same area at the time.
TMA: Who are your favourite artists/bands and how have they influenced your own sound?
John: For me it started out with Kiss, Iron Maiden, Accept, Judas Priest etc and later on I was into Monster Magnet (which you can hear a little bit of in ‘grandiosity’), Soundgarden, Alice In Chains etc. After that I discovered Bombus, Machine Head, Hardcore Superstar and lot´s of other great music. Of course I think they somehow influence me or us but we never steal anything knowingly. It may show in small pieces of the music perhaps ha ha.
TMA: Did you always have the ambition to be a musician and in a band or did you originally have other plans?
John: No I started listening to Kiss when I was around 10 or so and the band dream started there somewhere. I picked up the guitar at age 13 and my younger brother Hans Hermansen (ex GreyHate) tought me how to play the song Cadillac. From then on we started making our own music in our room at home and then in the garage when mom and dad couldn’t handle the noise anymore ha ha. I remember practicing my guitar to Helloweens Keeper of the seven keys l and ll every day after school until I got better and better. I never wanted to be a singer but was forced into it since no one else stepped up for the part. Today I see myself more as a singer than a guitarplayer.
TMA: What songs or albums are on your current playlist?
John: It’s a long playlist but I can mention a few in the start and you can decide how many you want to publish he he.
Death Diviner – Soilwork
13 in 1 – Hank Von Hell
Rust – Bombus
In The Shadows- Bombus
6:36 – Mustasch
You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll – Hardcore Superstar
El Bajo – The Awesome Machine
Urobor – Quasarborn
Dystopia – Megadeth
Grand Massive – Blind Silence
Superunknown – Soundgarden
Ghosther – Doomed
Automatic Thrill – Gluecifer
Bark At The Moon – Ozzy Osbourne
Epic – Faith No More
In Your Face – BREED
Fear Of The Fallen – Helloween
My Hands Are Empty – Machine Head
Into The Eyes Of A Stranger – Queensrÿche
Etc etc…..
TMA: Do you sing in the shower?
John: Ha ha not as often as I’d like to or should I think, no good echo in my shower.
TMA: Do you have any plans for the band for this year and into next year?
John: Yeah, we recently signed up with the mighty Doc Gator Records (AU) and they just released our latest album ‘From Shadow To Ghost’ on an amazing looking and great sounding vinyl in four colours, we are promoting that album as much as we can with the help from the awesome Markus Eck and Metal Message (DE). We had to hold the bookings for a while since Thomas left but it is starting to catch up a bit on that end. We have three coming shows in Sweden and hopefully there will be more and some outside of Sweden as well.
TMA: Do you currently have any new songs/albums ready to be released?
John: ‘From Shadow To Ghost’ is still pretty fresh and shipping out from Doc Gator as we speak but we will see what happens ahead, we might have some surprises up our sleeves but to early to say.
TMA: If you could play at any venue in the world where would you choose?
John: Oh, haven’t really thought about that. Maybe Madison Square Garden or something like that. Would be cool to do Download Festival at Donington as well or our own Globen Arena now known as Avicii Arena.
TMA: Do you have a favourite album? If so, what is it?
John: I have had several through the years that are still among my favourites, like Queensrÿches Operation Mindcrime or Soundgardens Down On The Upside, DIOs Holy Diver etc. But since a few years back when I discovered Bombus (SE) and their album Repeat Until Death I am hooked on them and especially that album. It has everything for me, the melodies, the rawness, the heaviness and the production.
TMA: Do you have any guilty pleasure songs/albums?
John: Hm, I don’t know. Maybe Simple Minds – Good News From The Next World. A great album. I used to listen to Sabrina and Samantha Fox along side Accept and Dokken but that was when I was young so that’s a long time ago now and prescribed ha ha..
TMA: If you were putting together the greatest show on earth, who would be playing?
John: This is not possible any more but It would be Bombus, Soundgarden and DIO.
TMA: Can you remember the first album you bought with your own money? What was it and do you still have it?
John: It was Kiss Alive ll on a copied cassette and I bought it from an older guy at school for 40kr (4€), which was a lot of money then. I got to discover that it was only half the show on the tape, so the guy ripped me off.
TMA: As your fans will be reading this, is there any message you would like to send out to them?
John: Yeah I’d like to thank everyone who has supported us through the years and those who still does. It really means a lot to us to have dedicated people caring for the band and our music. That is what keeps us going.
TMA: Finally, let us know all your social media sites so your fans, old and new, can find and follow/like you!
John: Of course:
Youtube: @mothermiseryswe
X (Twitter): @MotherMisery
TikTok: @mothermisery2023
Instagram: @mothermisery
TMA: We, at The Metal Asylum, would like to thank you for your time. Is there is anything further that you would like to add?
John: Thank you and a big thanks back to you for having us. A pleasure and great questions. Nothing more to ad except that we greet and welcome new followers to the band. Cheers, John.
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