New Music Crush: The Friday Prophets + interview

Umeå, European capital of culture 2014, is famous in the alternative music world at least, for spawning Refused, Meshuggah and several hardcore punk bands who were very serious about social issues and probably weren't that fun to hang out with at parties. Luckily, a beacon of hope has emerged, in the form of The Friday Prophets, who retain the sense of social justice of their predecessors, while mercifully allowing for a sense of humour and personality to shine through their European-style punk devotion.

What I like about these guys is that they are both as earnest about punk and ska as Europeans can be, but they are also having fun with it. Punk Rock Flu is all a European punk rock song should be. Imagine if Billie Joe Armstrong was born in Sweden, away from American things such as 'sarcasm' and 'irony', in a town where punk rock is serious business. You're halfway to understanding The Friday Prophets.



Regardless of the words I spew out here, my new found love of The Friday Prophets is actually very simple to explain. They're just a bunch of relatively regular dudes, playing really good ska influenced punk rock. I spoke to singer/guitarist Mattias about the Umeå scene, punk rock and clichés! They have just released a slightly baffling video for their song 'Amsterdam' and apparently the band themselves aren't sure what the message behind it actually is. Check it out!

GDAC: Why do you think Umeå produces so many alternative bands?

M: I haven't really thought about this very much. But I think in the 90's Umeå had a wave of straight edge and vegan hardcore bands that stirred the pot and an important ingredient was the band "Refused". The punk- and hardcore scene became a popular subculture, probably because people where fed up with how the meat production industry was run and they wanted to make healthy and active choices about their lives. From what I know, Umeå has for a long time been a very democratic and egalitarian city (compared to other places) where most people embrace equality. And since the world is not equal (in many aspects) the struggle continues and it's reflecting in what's happening on the music scene.

Did you get to see the famous Umea bands growing up?

I was born in 1988 so I was too young to understand what was going on in Umeå in the 90's. But now in my later years I sometimes enjoy seeing local bands like "Lesra" and "Håll Det Äkta", and about a year ago I saw Refused play their last gig here in Umeå. That was probably the best show I've ever seen.

What drew you to punk and ska?

The mentality of it. Many punk rockers challenge authority and question conventional beliefs and ways of being. It may sound like a teenage rebellion cliché but the fundamental philosophy of it is just as accurate as ever to me. I may not display it by wearing provocative clothing and a mohawk, I think it's more reflecting in what I do and what I believe. You can rebel on the inside without having the devil-may-care exterior.

How did the band get together?

The Friday Prophets started in 2010 and I had been playing punk/rock with our bass-player Isac since 2007 I think. We met through his sister. Simon, the drummer joined the band in 2011, I believe. And Edvin, our lead guitar player just started showing up when we rehearsed and wanted to join the band. He wouldn't take no for answer, luckily neither would we. I realized he was viciously more talented than me when it came to playing guitar.

Is there a story behind the name?

I wanted the band to be called something with "Friday" in it because then the plan at first was to play party oriented punk. So we typed in Friday in one of those band name generator sites and suddenly there it was: "The Friday Prophets". I love the band name, I think we all do even though it may not represent what the band is about.  

What are your influences? Are there ska-punk bands in particular you like, or do you like bands dedicated to each specific genre?

There are so many influential components and they do not only come in the shape of music. I take inspiration from people, books, articles, movies, philosophy, relationships etc. It's hard to find a common denominator for all of these things and at the risk of sounding cliché I would say everyday life is the biggest influence. When something inspires me a creative switch is turned on within me. Then of course there's a reason why our sound is the way it is and those reasons  are Bad Religion, The Bouncing Souls, Green Day, The Descendents, Against Me!, Rise Against and NOFX. Our ska-punk influences comes from bands like Streetlight Manifesto and Less Than Jake.

I get the impression, and I could be wrong, that the band is an escape from everyday life for you guys, is that the case?

I can only speak for myself, but yeah when I was younger it sort of was. That was when I started to write songs about apathy and feeling detached from society, which later became songs like "Good Things", "Daffy's Futility Routine" and "Wasted Days". But I wouldn't say that that's the case now. I enjoy everyday life most of the time and the band is an valuable part of it. Not because I have to escape from it, rather because I wanna add one more meaningful ingredient to it. 

What are your goals and plans as a band?

We don't have any grand plans or goals, we're all studying so we try to find time for the band when we can

because we all enjoy it very much. We sort of have a "let's take it step-by-step attitude" and time will tell

where that will take us. My goal is to try to keep The Friday Prophets alive for as long as possible simply because I love writing and playing music.