Witherscape interview (Ragnar Widerberg)

"Music should be written in the rehearsing room, knocking ideas about making it more alive"

08/08/2013 @ 12:27
Dan Swanö's musical brilliance is something familiar and indisputable, although that of Ragnar Widerberg was previously unbeknown. The collaboration between the two musicians in the newly established band Witherscape reminded us things from Swanö's past, combined them with a sound of another -more progressive- era and as fruition came the very interesting "The Inheritance". On the occasion of the Swedish duo's first album, Rocking.gr seized the opportunity for a relaxed chat with the man responsible for Witherscape's string session.

WitherscapeGreetings from Greece Mr. Ragnar! First things first, would you mind introducing yourself? Inform us about your involvement in Witherscape.
I am the other guy in Witherscape besides Dan Swanö, and I’m playing the guitars and bass on "The Inheritance" album. I also made the logo and some additional graphics on the album.

How would you describe the band’s sound? Which are Witherscape’s biggest influences?
For me personally the biggest influences are the early Judas Priest riffing style and sound along with Merciful Fate, Rush, Captain Beyond and King Crimson. I think it's the nice flow in how those bands uses odd measures in a smooth way musically, for the listener, that gets to me. You shouldn't know it at first because the riffs are kind of seamless in the arrangements. The sound of Witherscape would easiest be described as a fusion between Dan's and mine quite different riffing styles and Dan's over-the-top arrangement of the songs. He is a true songwriter as you know! I am always keen to implement melodies and harmonies in riffs as they become more interesting to listen to and so is Dan. You will hear this throughout the album I think. When we were writing the songs for the album, Dan was already singing behind the drums, so as for vocals and melodies Dan set the standard in an early stage in the composing.

Witherscape - The InheritanceHow did you end up collaborating with Dan Swanö? All I know is that the story began at a Swedish music store...
Yeah, that's right! I was working in another music store for a while at first but things lead me to be working in the same store as Dan. I didn't know him personally at that time but I knew who he was through his music, especially from his Edge of Sanity era. I think it was the shared love for Judas Priest, Kiss and other older bands that lead us to collaborate in doing music together. We were playing old riffs from our favourite albums for laughs as it gets kind of boring sometimes working in a music store... As time went by, I needed to change my working hours to meet my family's needs so I got a job as a music teacher. Soon after, Dan got back mixtering (sic) full time again and it opened up the time for us to compose.

WitherscapeWas your style pre-determined, so to speak? I mean, was there a specific plan you had in mind since the beginning or did you find your direction along the way?
At first we didn't have a plan as for which direction the music would go. I had a bunch of death/black/prog riffs that I hadn't used yet so I gave them to Dan and he sent me his unused ones. Later on we started trying these riffs out in the rehearsing room, switching instruments so that I would play drums on his material and vice versa. I think it was then that it became more obvious how it would turn out. He was playing drums to my riffs in a completely different way than I had thought of and I was doing the same on his, turning all expected outcome of the music on its head. It became really exiting, opening up all kinds of new different angles in the creative process. And that is the way music should be written I think, in the rehearsing room, knocking ideas about making it more alive, so to speak.

WitherscapeAre your roles in the band equal in terms of composing? Which side of the music is more representative for you?
Dan is a superior arranger and he knows what he wants really quick in the process. As for me, I usually need a little more time to get the feeling of what to become of a song. Funny enough I was caught up in the firing working spirit of Dan and since we were making all the arrangements at the rehearsing site the songs kind of wrote themselves, with quick rearrangements at a fast pace. We didn't have all the time in the world with Dan working full time in his studio and me working at a new place. I think we wrote one or two songs a day when we had made up our minds about what direction the music would take.

Is Witherscape going to be a full-time band or just another Swanö project? Have you discussed touring and / or making a second album in the future?
Because Witherscape started out as a studio project with only the two of us playing all instruments we never planned of doing this live, but the thought has occurred to us. But yet again, nothing is planned. We're already working on new stuff right now and it's very exciting making some new songs again. The reviews for the album have been amazing and it's really inspiring in the process!

WitherscapeWhat is the nature of Paul Kuhr’s involvement in the album?
We had the idea of a concept album already from the beginning and were from an early stage trying to making some kind of an interesting story. It developed from a one-character-for-each-song in a mental asylum to the story that is presented on "The Inheritance". Paul's involvement came from Dan's wish to have someone who mastered the language perfectly and could write really great lyrics so he presented me to the idea of Paul writing it, as Dan is a big fan of his writing. There was no hesitation contacting Paul! Dan and I were writing down the storyline and Paul made it happen lyrically. Dan had some words and phrases already from the time we were writing the songs and the lyrics were based around these. I really enjoy reading these lyrics Paul wrote, not to mention the extra story he wrote, explaining the whole story in a narrator fashion. It's sweet!

So "The Inheritance" is a concept album. How has that affected its overall shaping?
As mentioned above, we had this idea early on, so story / lyric-wise it became easier for me to get the feeling of what to make of the songs dynamically. I love the mellow parts with just one lonely guitar plucking. It makes me feel the lonely vibe of the settings of the story in northern Sweden in the late 1800's... I'm a history nerd and had my vision clear of what I wanted to convey both musically and graphically. The pictures of the characters were bought in different flea markets as I am always collecting old photographs and diaries. I presented the idea to Dan and he liked it. Travis Smith took the whole thing further with his excellent job making the cover, booklet and book (digipak).

WitherscapeIn the limited edition of the album we can find two ‘odd’ cover versions on songs by Judas Priest and Gentle Giant. How did you choose to cover these songs in particular?
We both like these bands and, almost as a joke, we said it would be cool to do "Last Rose Of Summer" as it didn't go with the darker moods on the album. As it turned out it made a really nice tribute to the old Priest tune! No one is happier than me since Judas Priest has always been my number one band! Dan sent me the Gentle Giant song and was wondering what I thought of it. It had the right rock riff/beat that could make it heavier and so it did!

Ragnar Widerberg (Witherscape)When it comes to mixing progressive rock with metal, what would you say that the difference with Witherscape is?
I don't know really... I guess I'm not thinking in that way. What's good is good and some things you can put together and it makes a great song. Then there are some things you always have wanted to try out and then you just have to go with your feeling and don't box yourself in certain ways of making music...

There’s not much information to be found about you, apart from Witherscape. What does your CV as a musician comprise of?
I used to be a drummer in a band in Stockholm for six years when I had lost all my inspiration in playing guitar. The last eight or nine years I've been writing music and playing with different people in Örebro where I live, like in the Judas Priest cover band, Swedish Steel. Besides of writing with Dan I am mostly writing a bit twisted power metal with drummer/producer/songwriter Ronny Milianowicz (Dionysus, Saint Deamon, Deamon Quest). We did the first Saint Deamon album together with producer/songwriter and singer Tobias Lundgren in 2008. Ronny has just finished recording the new album with the band Deamon Quest where I play rhythm guitar and Ronny drums. The other guys in the band have done a splendid job: Patrik Johansson - vocals (Bloodbound), Jari Kainulainen - bass (Stratovarius), Kaspar Dahlqvist - keyboards (Dionysus) and Peter Huss - solo guitars (Sinergy). I recently finished my touring with Witchcraft playing bass to cover for the ordinary guy in Finland, Sweden and Norway. As for now I'm working with some other great Örebro based talents on different projects that will be announced later this year/early next year.

WitherscapeIf Witherscape were to give a two-hour live performance, what would be the material that would fill the setlist? Could it be something from Dan’s past stuff, your personal stuff or just some cover versions?
Haha! Great question! I would like to make it cinematic and play the whole record from 1-9. And maybe some of my favorite Edge Of Sanity and Judas Priest songs as extra! That would be a nice one! :)

Let’s talk facial hair: Which are your favourite moustaches in the field of rock music?
Ok! You know there was a time when even K.K. Downing and Glen Tipton had moustaches! Those band images are really cool! Besides that, I think that in the 70s Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi had that little extra Italian/gypsy look I like. Luxurious amount of hair right under the nose! :)

That’s all from me, Ragnar, thanks a lot for your time! Last words are yours...
Thanks for your interest and I hope you like the record as much as I do! Cheers from Sweden!:)

Vangelis Evangelatos
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