Mando Diao: "Our music is sexy"
Send Sweden from left to right: Carl-Johan, Mats, Samuel, Björn and Gustaf.
© Baldur BragasonThese five Swedes are not just making great music. They also look outrageously good. Mando Diao have developed in recent years from indie insider tip to real rock'n'roll stars. In the interview singer Björn Dixgård talks about the hit "Dance With Somebody", Whitney Houston and great breasts.
Mando Diao: "Our music is sexy"
Our music is sexy
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: You have a lot of female fans. Do you make music for girls?
Björn Dixgård: No, not aware. But women seem to like our music. It was the same with the Beatles or Elvis Presley. The girls are in the front row and scream. You do not see the boys at first glance because they are further back. Although - we already have more women. Our music is very sexy.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Aha. What do women like about your music?
Björn Dixgård: I think they like our songs and our performances. And of course, how we look at it.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Do you care a lot about appearance?
Björn Dixgård: Yes, but we do not bend. The hairstyles are very important. And we always dress in black clothes, that's our only fashion rule.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Even if you only go to the supermarket quickly?
Björn Dixgård: Most of my wardrobe is black. That's handy, I never have to worry about what fits. Johnny Cash always wore black too, for him every day was like a funeral. I think that's pretty cool.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: If you could be a woman for a day, what would you do?
Björn Dixgård: Probably I would try to have sex with a man. I would also get drunk and try to sing. That's interesting to me: Mando Diao in the female version.
| Björn on super breasts and whipping women |
We want people to dance
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: In High Heels, one of your new songs, it's about how sharp a woman looks in high heels. What else do you find attractive?
Björn Dixgård: It does not have to be perfect. Sometimes it's a small thing that blows me away. For example, great legs, a nice nose, great breasts. It can be anything, I have a very wide variety of tastes.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: It makes things easier. Is there still something that really turns you off?
Björn Dixgård: Hard to say. Sometimes the chemistry just is not right. In any case, I do not like it when girls are violent. Some have already tried to beat me.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Seriously, you were beaten up by women?
Björn Dixgård: Yes, they do that to be cool. They are totally wrong and believe that it is charming. This is a great Abtörner.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Let's talk about your album. You once said that every new CD is like a new chapter for you. What is "Give Me Fire" about?
Björn Dixgård: We want to incite the people to really dance to the album. The lyrics are very personal. Others write diary, I write songs. We do not just do that to make money. It's also about the content.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Some people call the record your "White Album" because you've experimented a lot. Are not these eternal comparisons with the Beatles slowing down?
Björn Dixgård: It's interesting what some people interpret into our music. We do not want to analyze our songs, others should take over. If anyone in us sees the Beatles - why not.
| Björn on self-doubt and songwriting |
We are our biggest critics
© Baldur BragasonChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Who is Paul McCartney with you? And who the John Lennon?
Björn Dixgård: Gustaf would be Paul McCartney, he always wants to be in control and works very focused. I'm not that focused, and I do not think John Lennon was. He spontaneously wrote his songs when they came to him.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: So you're more of a John Lennon?
Björn Dixgård: I can not judge that. It is difficult to compare with him.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: All right, let's talk about your song "Dance With Somebody". I talked to a colleague and she said, 'Oh, that's not Whitney Houston'. Is the same title coincidence?
Björn Dixgård: Yes, I did not think of Whitney's song when writing. Although I like her. But I never think of anyone else when I write my songs. That is a very abstract moment. You're in a special mood, you're not sitting there copying anything. You also do not realize how the song should sound. It is hard to explain. I do not even know how to find the melodies, it just happens.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Sounds like magic.
Björn Dixgård: Yes, in a way, it's magic. There are also many bad melodies, you have to throw them away.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Do you often wonder if your songs are any good?
Björn Dixgård: We are our biggest critics. When we record a new record, doubts come up in the middle of the whole process. Then we choose the best songs and hope that others will like them too.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: For "Give Me Fire" you've been working with a hip-hop producer, so the result sounds a lot different. What's next? Will you ever rap?
Björn Dixgård: Who knows. It was so much fun to work with people because they have such a wide range and know so much about music. They are totally open, taking a reggaeton element and packing it into a rock'n'roll song. I hope we can work with them on the next album and develop this style further.
ChroniquesDuVasteMonde Young Miss: Are you already planning the next album?
Björn Dixgård: Sure. We are constantly writing new songs. Besides, we now have our own studio and can record there whenever we feel like it. We already have the new album in mind.
