Rävjunk | Interview | New Reissue of ‘Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner’
Rävjunk released a fuzzed out heavy psych monster in 1977 titled ‘Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner’.
Rävjunk was originally formed in 1970 under the name Libbet Sväller by singer Sören G. Andersson, drummer Peter Ericson and guitarist Christer Lindahl. A few weeks later Wilhelm Wallin joined the band. The band played covers of heavy groups of the day. They had a rehearsal space in Uppsala shared with another band called Gudibrallan, which they occasionally accompanied while touring. Members of Rävjunk decided to build their own studio where they eventually recorded ‘Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner’. The album was recorded almost completely live with just a few mixes. Hasse Bruniusson from Samla Mammas Manna joined them on the title track. Singer Sören G. Andersson is one of two remaining original members, the other being Christer Lindahl (guitar and vocals).
Transubstans Records recently reissued their legendary album including liner notes and a bonus DVD of their 2008 gig at Katalin, Uppsala. Shipping out on or around May 12, 2023.
“We played so loud that a police helicopter came and hovered over the stage”
What was it like growing up in Uppsala? Tell us about your upbringing?
Sören G. Andersson: It was ok at that time Uppsala was a small town, nowadays it is the 4th big city in Sweden.
Do you remember how you got some of the first records and what they were?
‘You’re the Devil in Disguise’ by Elvis Presley, ‘Sweets for My Sweet’ by The Searchers, ‘Brown Eyed Handsome Man’ by Buddy Holly. I bought them in 1963.
Do you have a special place where you and your buddies could hang out after high school?
Youth Club Kajan in the center of Uppsala.
Did you see any shows before starting the band?
All the Swedish top acts like Tages, Ola & the Janglers, Hep Stars. Then The Mothers of Invention, Ten Years After (I saw them three months after their performance at Woodstock).
Were you any members of Rävjunk in any bands before it? Did you record anything?
No.
So you originally started under the name of Libbet Sväller?
That is correct. We smoked a lot of Marlboro cigarettes.
You shared a rehearsal room with another interesting band called Gudibrallan. Tell us about them.
They were big in the movement Swedes call “Progg,” a political movement with alternative record companies, distribution, and venues. We did a lot of gigs together with them.
You played with them often and there’s a story that involves a police helicopter…. Do tell us!!!
We played at the UN Environmental Conference at Skarpnäck airport south of Stockholm in 1972. We played so loud that a police helicopter came and hovered over the stage. In between two songs they shouted at us through a loudspeaker and threatened to close the show if we didn’t turn down the volume. Our bass player put up his bass like a gun at the helicopter but we managed to finish the whole show.
Can you elaborate on the formation of the Rävjunk?
The other three had already started a group with no name and no place to rehearse when I met Peter Ericson who was working at a gas station where I went to buy fags. We started talking about music and found out we had the same taste. I offered to rehearse at my place. After that I became a member.
When and where did you play some of the early gigs? How was the band accepted by the audience?
I remember the first gig we ever did, at a youth club called Storgården in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala). Our guitar player, Christer Lindahl, was late to the gig and had to pay an entrance fee to get in.
Another time we played at the club Fokus in the center of town and members from the band Kaipa were in the audience. They came on stage and we started jamming with them. The last part of the show ended with only Kaipa playing.
“Coffee tasted like fucking Rävjunk”
How did you decide to use the name “Rävjunk”?
When we had some instant coffee, Peter shouted that the coffee tasted like fucking “Rävjunk” (Fox junk).
What influenced the band’s sound?
Easy question: “Krautrock bands, space rock, Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix. Later we became a punk band.
‘Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner’ was self-released. Where did you press it and how many copies did you press? Did you sell them at shows?
We made 478 records. We sold them mostly at shows, friends and a few record shops in Uppsala and Stockholm.
Did you send the album to any labels in hope for a label deal?
No.
Who did the cover artwork?
Peter Ericson, the drummer.
What’s the story behind your debut album? Where did you record it? What kind of equipment did you use and who was the producer? How many hours did you spend in the studio?
We didn’t know if we were going to continue as a band and we wanted to make a record as a document of the band. We recorded it in our studio called The Laundry. We had a pretty large mixing console, a Teac 8-track and a Revox 2-track tape recorder and some outboard gear, as far as I remember. Peter Ericson and Martin Hydén produced the whole thing. We started in the beginning of September with the goal to release the record before Christmas.
Would you share your insight on the albums’ tracks?
I can’t really explain, there are a lot of styles on the record and the whole thing is pretty spaced out.
Hasse Bruniusson from Samla Mammas Manna played on the album as well…
Yes, he played on the title track, ‘Uppsala Stadshotell Brinner’. But he also played on some other tracks which were never released.
How pleased was the band with the sound of the album? What, if anything, would you like to have been different from the finished product?
We are very pleased with the record and never felt the need to change anything.
Was there a certain concept behind the album?
No.
What happened after the band stopped? Were you still in touch with other members? Is any member still involved with the music?
We all, except the bass player, went on to other bands. Peter and Christer to Femme Fatale and I went to the Sleep. Rävjunk did some reunion gigs over the years, 1984, 1992, 2001 and 2008-2017.
I’m the only one still playing. With Almost DEAD MEN since 2017.
Looking back, what was the highlight of your time in the band? Which songs are you most proud of? Where and when was your most memorable gig?
The highlight was the UN gig mentioned before and then the first gig after the reunion in 2008 at Katalin, Uppsala. This concert was recorded and will be released as a bonus DVD to the upcoming re-release of the album.
What would be the craziest story that happened to the band?
There are millions, but I will not comment right now.
Is there any unreleased material by Rävjunk?
No, not anything that will be released in the future.
The recent Transubstans Records reissue also includes a bonus DVD of their 2008 gig at Katalin, Uppsala. How do you remember being back on stage after quite some years?
It was nice, but I have been on stage all my life.
What currently occupies your life?
Music with Almost DEAD MEN and my two cats.
Klemen Breznikar
Headline photo: Rävjunk 1977 | Lars-Erik Vilhelm Wallin, Sören G Andersson, Peter Ericson, Christer Lindahl
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