BACKYARD BABIES and MICHAEL MONROE guitarist Dregen (real name: Andreas Tyrone Svensson) was interviewed on the latest installment of Canadian rocker Danko Jones' official podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. Dregen will release his debut solo album on September 25 via Universal Music in Sweden. The CD will be issued via Spinefarm Records in the U.K. on September 30. Titled simply "Dregen", this 10-track release is a modern take on an era when rock music came ready-dipped in decadence and glamor; when the commercial and the credible could sit comfortably side by side; when albums were a great 35 minutes over 2 sides of vinyl rather than fleshed out with filler; when backing vocals were big and brash and (feather) boa'd; when heels & musicians were generally high; when emotion and entertainment were the driving forces, and when lifestyle was king
Produced by Dregen and Pär Wiksten (THE WANNADIES), Dregen's first solo venture in a 25-year career that has seen him at the core of such internationally acclaimed acts as BACKYARD BABIES and THE HELLACOPTERS features all new material, and is a contemporary and inventive distillation of the Stockholm-based guitarist's far-reaching record collection. As well as being a key and original member of both BACKYARD BABIES and THE HELLACOPTERS, Dregen has also lent his skills to projects as diverse as INFINITE MASS ('70s-inspired, "Scarface"-lovin' sleaze-funk), SUPERSHIT666 (spontaneous rock'n'roll distortion with various WILDHEARTS and HELLACOPTERS members keepin' the needle maxed) and Michael Monroe's touring and recording band (the sleeve concept for MM's forthcoming "Horns And Halos" album is his, too), so it's no great surprise that the aforementioned collection is both lovingly-compiled and built on punk as much as rock, jazz as much as blues
"Y'know, that was the hardest part," recalls Dregen. "I was staring at my records for over a year, thinking, 'How the fuck can I get the vibe from KISS, SLAYER, THE BEASTIE BOYS and Miles Davis into one single record?' But I did it, and it sounds very much like me. It's a high-energy rock 'n' roll album with the greatest songs I have written and recorded." As for the musicians involved, Nicke Andersson (former ENTOMBED mainman/drummer, co-founder of THE HELLACOPTERS and now the driving force behind IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC) plays drums, bass and rhythm guitar on three tracks, where he also gets a co-write credit. Other featured musicians include drummer Karl Rockfist (MICHAEL MONROE, DANZIG), and bassists Sami Yaffa (HANOI ROCKS, NEW YORK DOLLS, JOAN JETT, MICHAEL MONROE) and John Calabrese (DANKO JONES), with Dregen taking care of all guitar and vocal parts, and Danko Jones and Swedish female singer Titiyo adding occasional support at the mic. However, it's the reunion with Nicke that will doubtless mean most to rock 'n' roll fans the world over
"It's true," reflects Dregen, "Something magic always happens when we play and write together. I don't know what it is, but there is definitely something special there. Nicke is one of my all-time favorite drummers, and we haven't really worked this closely since the early HELLACOPTERS days
" Recorded for the most part in Pär Wiksten's Hospital1 studio in Stockholm, with mixing handled by Michael Ilbert at the legendary Hansa Tonstudio in Berlin, these 10 tracks come in a variety of hues and colours, moods and textures, veering from hard-hitting blues ("Flat Tyre On a Muddy Road"), through sinewy, snake-hipped funk ("6-10") and onto kool, KISS-inspired strut 'n' roll ("Mojo's Gone"). Like Dregen the man, "Dregen" the album is hard to sum up in an easy phrase; what we have here is a multi-tiered collection of from-the-heart songs songs packed with retro-chic, glam-rock glitter, and shapes 'n' sounds that are modern without chasing trend. "Dregen" track listing: 01. Divisons Of Me 02. Just Like That 03. Flat Tyre On A Muddy Road 04. Gig Pig 05. Pink Hearse 06. Bad Situation 07. One Man Army 08. 6-10 09. Refuse 10. Mojo's Gone Dregen is currently assembling a touring band to take the above songs out on the road; no one is 100 per cent confirmed as yet ("They'll be great musicians, though promise!"), but it's likely that those selected will be charged to learn a few "rusty earrings" from the Dregen past, making this a rock 'n' roll show happy to celebrate glories past whilst still keeping both eyes squarely on the road ahead. And, of course, a tattooed, white-knuckle grip on the wheel. The CD's first single, "Just Like That", received its world premiere on August 10 on Swedish national radio P3. It was then released on August 14. BACKYARD BABIES announced in November 2009 that they were going on an indefinite hiatus after completing a European tour.
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