1.Hello, let's start with a introduction of the band, who are you, when did you form the band and have you released anything yet?
We are four girls from Sweden who play in a punk band. The line up consists of; Jonna Vallsater, bass; Linnea Snell, vocals; Ronja Lehtonen, guitar and Malin Gustafsson, drums.
We formed the band in August 2008, from the start we had a guy on drums, but he moved out into the wilderness to drive a tractor instead...Our current drummer joined the band January 2009, after that Glidslem developed, in our opinion, a better sound.
We recorded our very first demo in the summer of 2009, and when funds allow, we are ready to go back into the studio.
2. How would you describe your music, and from wich bands do you get your main influences?
Even if our music is pretty "tra-la-la!", the lyrics are aggressive and anti, and we get our inspiration from our community and whatever we believe is important. We feel we really do have something to say, and we don´t try to live up to some punk cliché. Our greatest sources of inspiration are the Swedish government and Carola ( Swedish so-called music icon...)
3. Glidslem consists of 4 girls, so you are a female band, if you had been 4 guys wouldn't you have been called a male band. Why do you think this is?
It´s more common for guys to play in a rock band, so let´s assume that´s the reason why. We ourselves find it tiresome; one shouldn´t name a band depending on gender of it´s members. That has nothing to do with music.
4. Why do you think that punk girls often behave like "ordinary" girls, that they move out of the way? Or am I've wrong? I think it seems like the girls are in a minority in the scene, is there an explanation? It's almost like "the hero vs. the whore-syndrome". Are equality just a word?
How do "punk girls" behave compared to "ordinary" girls? We believe that there are no definable rules on how a "punk girl" should behave. The more classic definition is to be yourself, and speaking only from our point of view -- we´re not gonna move out of the way from anyone or anything!!!
5. What is true punk for you? Do you call yourself punx or do you just play punk? That's a tricky question according to what I think punk is about.
Linnea: I´ve never called myself "punk", it doesn´t seem relevant. The punk music and what it consists of, however, has indeed formed me into what I am today, which means not accepting any kind of oppression or fascism.
Malin: People call me "Cruster", so I guess I am punk...True punk is to not let anybody control you, and not to give a shit about what everybody else says!
Jonna: It´s about being who you are, it´s as simple as that. Fuck the clothes! The punk attitude is not to be found in what you´re wearing. Having said that, I do like the "typical" punk style, but prefer to wear my own mixed outfits.
Ronja: I agree, you have to be yourself. I suppose you could look like hell, but still be the nicest person in the world. I´m not "hard core punk", but definetely punk!
6. If you get one wish each, what would that be? Do you think it's easier for you as girls to reach your goals? I mean, it must be so much more all-boys bands than all-girls bands.
We both find it positive and negative to be a part of a so-called "girlband". You meet people who find an all-girl band cool ( we don´t necessarily agree on the label), but you also meet those who seem sprung right out of the 50s, and don´t believe that a girl is able to hold an instrument, even!
Our goals are to be heard, to try and influence and change people and society. A new punk revolution doesn´t seem like a shitty idea, consisting of a lot of girls that dare to make themselves heard!
7. What's your opinion about Suicide Girls?
Everybody is allowed to make their own choices, we don´t have that strong opinion in the matter. We feel that these girls, however, desperately need to be seen. But, it´s their life!
8. Okay, back to Glidslem, write some lines that you think it's necessary to know about the band? And please, give us some crazy story that have take place.
What´s necessary to know about Glidslem, is that we are four pissed off ladies in our prime; one pill-popping on sick leave; one homeless homo; one permanently poor student and one who works with whoopie cushions! We intend to revolutionize Sweden ( but rather the hole world...) !!!
We have never, EVER, done anything crazy, we would never, EVER, put ourselves in jeopardy, in any way whatsoever!!! We are honerable citizens who attend church every Sunday ( accept Jonna, ´cause she´s gay and won´t be let inside!). We would never, EVER, use nicotin, caffeine, alcohol or any other drug, it´s a sin according to the Reverend ( whom Ronja is having intimate relations with). The only alcohol we´ve ever tasted is the sacramental wine, and you don´t even get a buzz from that. One time, though, Linnea combined too many pills with the sacramental wine, and she was found passed out on the church bench...
The craziest thing about our band is Malin, really -- she suffers from a split personality disorder, unfortunately. On and off she calls herself " Torrghnina" and behaves a bit strangely, and wears ONLY black clothes. We have also found a pentagram(!) on a wall in her home, painted in blood (!!) and an altar with a chopped off goats´ head(!!!)
Otherwise we are rather normal and well adjusted...
9 Write a short report from your area
a) try to involve what kind of unity you have among the girls
b) and a short scene report in general
a). There are, unfortunately, not that many "punk girls" in our community, but in between those that do exist there is some unity, however could be a lot stronger.
b). It used to be better. A few years back several punk gigs occured more frequently, but lately not so much. Our home town is pretty dull, you don´t find that many punk bands around here, at least not the kind we like, it´s more hardcore. So in all, the punk scene sure could grow in our opinion, especially a more varied mixture.
10. And well, let's finish this interview, do you have something to add? Oh, I forgot, tell me about your future?
Thank you very much, We´d like to transform Sweden; to make a change before our society falls into pieces. We´d like to influence people with our music, let them know how we feel, and be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. To spread some kind of hope -- without sounding like fucking saints. We may be angry, we may be young, but we feel we do have a grip on the state of this country -- which is HELL! Our first and foremost goal, however, is to make sure that Carola is caught up in a hurricane , and when we are filthy rich we´re gonna donate money for a hair transplant to (our current prime minister) Mr Fredrik Reinfeldt...
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