“First of all, thanks for your patience. It’s like waiting for the resurrection of Jesus at this point,” declares Pelle Almqvist, frontman of The Hives. Well then, where did this lot come from after the lengthy delay?
When we call, they’re just about to go into soundcheck at the Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol and I can’t help but ask them what on earth they’ve been doing during their 11-year hiatus. “Not enough, not enough. It’s been really boring being in a great band who doesn’t release music. Like a prequel or prison movie. The Hives’ Shawshank Redemption.”
They say it’s been a bit of a head-scratcher. “We’ve lived covered away in our respective houses and in cupboards until we can be released into the world,” they joke. “Oh, we spent a lot of time trying to build a spaceship. There’s that too.”
But putting the goofing around aside, this band has no doubt done good. Thirty years ago, they hurtled themselves to the forefront of our consciousness with their kitschy-cool rock vibe and cheeky charm. All the way from Fagersta Sweden, they’ve strummed their guitars, headlined all over the world and dreamed up a couple of major bops along the way. Their debut album, Veni Vidi Vicious, was one of ten to receive the Shortlist Prize for Artistic Achievement in Music.
And now they’re rising from their hiatus with The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons, their sixth studio album named after the band’s fictitious manager and the mysterious “sixth member.” Randy Fitzsimmons has his own history within the band’s lore, most notably being credited as the creative genius behind all of their previous albums. “After all that long wait, we finally found the songs in a hole in the ground,” they tell me. “Not being in the studio has been like a bit of a horror story.”
It’s been really boring being in a great band who doesn’t release music. We spent a lot of time trying to build a spaceship
These incidents make up the core inspiration for their latest horror-fuelled track, Bogus Operandi. They claim its a “dramatised version of real life-events,” and “very close to [their] hearts.” Watching the music video, expect the zombified band rocking out in a grave, backdropped by a snowy Scandinavia, all whilst a blood-splattered cassette tape summons a demonic spirit to possess inanimate objects (catch the flying shovel doing sick grinds). All in all, an epic record, oozing Swedish garage punk, ambient blips, riffs and twiddles. If that doesn’t sound fun I’m not sure what does.
Well, maybe a sell-out stadium tour with Arctic Monkeys? Oh yeah. The Hives are back in the rock arena supporting the Sheffield lads on their UK tour, The Car, and are very excited to play in London later this month. “It’s been pretty cool,” they say, very casual about the whole thing. “It’s fun to try to convince a crowd that big. They’ll know our biggest hits, but maybe they don’t know they’re ours - they’re about to find out!”
After all that long wait, we finally found the songs in a hole in the ground. Not being in the studio has been a bit of a horror story
There’s no doubt that to be a successful rock band there comes a self-assured superstar persona and The Hives have it. “We don’t really have to prep because we practised so much when we were younger. So we know how to do it now.” However, there are a few rituals they rely on to get back into the swing of things– including listening to their favourite tracks before each show.
When I ask them what songs will make their big ES playlist, they struggle to whittle it down to five. “Can we be the first band to pick too many? We need more tracks for our playlist. A band of our stature should be able to pick six, right?” No arguments there. Without further ado, here’s this week’s Friday Night Playlist curated by The Hives… eight songs that will, in their own words, “totally blow your mind.” Listen to the full playlist here
Crash Into The Weekend – The Hives
We’ve got a song on the new album called Crash Into The Weekend. That would be our choice, because it’s literally about crashing into the weekend. It’s pretty self-evident by the title, wouldn’t you say? Anything from mud to gold, from cabin to castle, from chaos to full success. Ok, so that’s number one. That’s the top track.
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
That never fails. We must have been in second or third grade or something, I don’t remember the exact moment when we heard it for the first time, but it’s been a part of our lives ever since, that’s for sure.
Let The Good Times Roll - JD McPherson
It’s a killer weekend track. It’s stompy and makes you wanna drink and just have a good time. It’s in the title. You know, it’s sort of like the rest of the week is lukewarm and then weekends are either too hot or too cold, too good or too bad.
Born to Be Wild - Steppenwolf
There’s a line in the lyrics that goes ‘fire all your guns at once and explode into space,’ that’s the best weekend lyric I’ve ever heard.
Son of A Bitch *** - Nathaniel Rateliff
It’s about drinking. It’s kind of about trying to stop drinking, maybe, but we’re not listening to that part of it!
I’ve Got Five Dollars and It’s Saturday Night - George Jones and Gene Pitney
That’s a super weekend track. And it’s the weirdest match up. They’ve got such weird energy together. George Jones, the country-singer, with Gene Pitney. It’s such a combo. They released two records together and they’re both a really cool mash-up.
Sandstorm - Darude
For number seven, we’re thinking it’s Sandstorm by Darude. It’s like an early 90s rave song.
Shots - LMFAO ft. Lil Jon
The lyrics are shot, shot, shot. It’s a song called Shots. It just goes ‘shots, shots, shots, shots, shots, shots!’ It’s great and terrible. A perfect way to end the big Hive weekend, what do you say?
