The Flower Kings Interview with Roine Stolt: "It's ok to say that you like Yes, ELP or Pink Floyd albums. It's not a taboo anymore"

They say sometimes the music reflects the person that’s behind it and every time I have the chance to speak with one of my progressive heroes I’m truly glad because the beauty of their music is reflected on their personalities. Roine Stolt could be no exception to this, as we found some time to talk about the return of the Flower Kings, Transatlantic, progressive music and how he’s incapable of ...'shutting himself up'. For the good of all of us, I’d say...

How are things going these days, both for you and The Flower Kings, as the new album is coming out?
The Flower Kings I would say is now back from…ehm I wouldn’t say silence, because weren’t really silent. We have been doing other things. But, Flower Kings as a band was put on ice for 5 years and in the meantime I have been recording an album with Transtatlantic, I have been doing a tour with Transatlantic, I have been recording three albums with Agents Of Mercy and I’ve been doing some other things, so I’ve been busy too. It’s been a very productive time. The Flower Kings have been put on ice with no activities, no recording and no touring during those almost five years. But now you can say we’re back on track. I think we had the first meeting in October last year and we decided to start recording in January of this year. We’ve been recording a new album and getting the band back together in shape for playing live shows. We actually had the first reunion show two weeks ago at Sweden Rock Festival. I would say that was almost a scary reunion start, but everything went well, as we had a good week of rehearsing the material and getting together with the new drummer. It definitely feels like The Flower Kings as a band is back on track, in many ways. We’ll been doing some festivals in Germany in the beginning of July and for the first time we‘ll  be playing the 25 minute opening track of the album...

..."Numbers".
Yeah, "Numbers". We’re getting into shape with all these and then gradually we have one more show during the summer, but in September starts the real touring of promoting the album. That’s the coming activity and hopefully that’s just the start, as we’ll go on to play in America, Japan and other places also.

We’ll talk about touring later, but let me ask you this first. When you decided to put the band on ice, you didn’t have any of these activities in mind, like you said “it’s ok, we have Transatlantic, Agents Of Mercy, Karmakanic and so on”. Am I wrong?
No! You’re actually right. The funny thing is I think we had some kind of a meeting that could have been just before Christmas or just after Christmas in 2008/2009 and at that point we said “let’s just wait for a while and see just what happens. We’ll just rest for a while and won’t record anything new, won’t plan any tour for some time and let’s wait and see if the inspiration comes back later”. But we didn’t decide for one year or five years or anything like that. We just said let’s put it on ice for now. The interesting thing is that after a week or maybe a couple of weeks later I got a call or maybe an email from Neal saying “how do you feel about recording another Transatlantic album?”. That came completely out of the blue, I had no idea it was coming... Frankly, after maybe seven of eight years I was thinking that there was not going to be another Transatlantic album. Never! I thought the band was over. It was too much time passing. So, that was a very strange coincidence. Maybe it was something that God wanted as Neal says... oh I don’t know...

Oh well, you’d expect from Neal to say that, hehe...
Anyway, for me it was perfect timing you know, because I had stopped the Flower Kings without really knowing what I’d do. Also, I might add that now there is a band called Agents Of Mercy. We have recorded three albums. When I stopped working with Flower Kings there wasn’t really a band, I was just working on an album and I had just come in contact with Nad Sylvan who is the singer and we were talking about doing this album and I don’t know if we were even thinking about forming a band. It was just about recording an album. So, the final point I’m trying to reach is that at the time that I stopped with Flower Kings I had nothing. No plans for a touring, no plans for Transatlantic, there wasn’t even a band called Agents Of Mercy. I was just throwing myself into the unknown (laughs), without knowing what might come up around the corner and suddenly comes up Transatlantic and we get offers to play with Agents Of Mercy, play our music live and it just took on from there you know...

I do have a couple of things to ask later about Transatlantic as I spoke with Neal recently, but let’s stick to the new Flower Kings album for now. How was "Banks Of Eden" formed? Did it flow easily or were there any obstacles during the writing and recording process?
I think the spirit was really good. Everyone was on board with good energy and good will to make a great album and kind of stand up to the standards of a Flower Kings album. We wanted to show everyone -including ourselves- that we could make a great album and that we are a top progressive band of today. So, with that kind of energy we went into the studio and we were working before going to the studio in the writing process. The spirit of making this album I think is kind of essential to make music. Probably, one of the reasons we stopped is because I felt that we had lost the spirit, the collective spirit of being in a band, wanting to make a great album every time. We were turning more into a touring machine, releasing album after album and the guys in the band weren’t really on board. They were more focused on their projects and had Flower Kings to bring in the money, put the bread on the table. And I think it’s for the wrong reasons! I think every great band has to be something more than this. I’m sure if you look into classic rock bands like Queen, Yes, The Beatles or whoever, you’re going to see that these guys were really -all of them- focused on being in the greatest band in the world. That’s the spirit. You’ve got to go into that spirit. And that’s something I’ve been trying to do now with the Flower Kings. I think at the first meeting I said something like “if you have any doubts about doing this, a feeling like I do it because I have to, then don’t do it. If you’re going to do it then you have to go in 100%”.

Personally this spirit is clear in the new album as it sounds fresh, but at the same time very “Flower Kings like” should I say...
Yes, I agree.

So, you have a new drummer on board. What does Felix Lehrmann offer to the sound of the band? What is different for the band now in comparison with the past?
Frankly, I didn’t know exactly what to expect from Felix as we never played with him, we didn’t take him through an audition or something like that. We just found him through a friend of Jonas who recommended him and said “there’s a great drummer in Berlin and I think he would be suitable for your band”. We were listening to a few clips on the internet and he was playing more fusion, but apart from having great technique he looked like he had fun when he was playing. He’s been playing drums since he was a little kid and now he’s 27. Everything he does is just so…easy. He doesn’t overplay, he has great technique, he grew up listening to rock music. One of his favorite bands was Van Halen, one of his favorite drummers was Terry Bozzio and he also plays hip hop, jazz, fusion and stuff like that. We hadn’t played before when we entered the studio, but now we‘re getting to know each other a little bit better, we played our first gig in Sweden Rock Festival and it felt very solid. What Felix brings to the band is slightly a harder edge. Not really heavy or heavy metal, but I think it’s a fairly heavy sound from the drums, very precise and heavy and still a little bit of frail I would say.

I guess, being a younger guy, he has to bring some energy to the music...
Absolutely! I think it’s very important. Earlier today, someone said something like “he’s a young guy, how is to work with older guys like you?” and I said “once you pick up the guitar or you sit in the drum kit, it doesn’t matter. You don’t think about age”. You pick up a musician and what he plays and how he plays...

...and of course there must be chemistry...
Yeah, the chemistry as well... and if the groove is there, if the musicality is there I don’t think if this guy could easily be my son. Because, you know, I’m turning 56 this year and my son is turning 23, so Felix could easily be my son. He’s close at his age, but once I play with him I don’t see him as a young person, but as a musician.

Another thing with the new album is the timing in my opinion. You see, The Flower Kings were there to keep the flag of progressive rock up high in seasons that the genre was not at its best. Now, that this seems to change, is this a good opportunity for you to get some of the recognition you deserved, but didn’t get as you were releasing your best works when only a few people cared?
I hope so! I mean you can never tell for sure. Progressive rock is and has always been a little bit of underground and I think it’s a question of the mainstream media gradually accepting this style of music and sometimes embracing it. It took some time, but it’s ok to say that you like the Pink Floyd albums, it’s ok to say that you like all Yes albums or Emerson, Lake & Palmer. It used to be almost like a taboo. I mean you even have people like Steven Wilson, who for many years said “no I don’t play progressive rock” because he was afraid to say he played progressive rock. But now he can admit it and say “ok, I like progressive rock”. Which is fine and it shows that times are different. You have more festivals, you have more magazines and publications, you have more radio shows and you have a great network of course. Internet is one of the main differences. If you look back 20 years many people didn’t even have a computer. They didn’t have computers, they didn’t have iphones, they didn’t have iphone apps that connect you to internet sites and download music. You can download shows, you can download videos and watch them on your telephone. There are so many ways that people can consume music and listen to music and it’s wherever you are. On the train, on the bus, at home, out on the beach and I think that makes the difference for music in general, but also for progressive rock. There are many ways to search. For instance, start thinking of all the albums of Focus. I love the concept from the Rainbow Theater in London by Focus, in 1971 or something. You just go to the internet, you search for that show and voila, three minutes later you have it.

Regarding this progressive rock revival, I believe there is a great success story to support it and I think you have something to do with it. This success story is called "The Whirlwind" and it was made by a band called Transatlantic. I think you’ve heard of them...
(laughs) Oh yes, I have...

Some months ago I was talking with Neal Morse and when I told him that it’s the best progressive rock album of the last 20 years he was pleasantly surprised. Well, isn’t it?
Of course I am not the right person to say, but to my mind it’s certainly one of the best albums at least I’ve played on and I think it’s certainly one of the best progressive rock albums of the -let’s say- 15 or 20 last years. I can’t really think of an album that has so much music and so much energy. It’s fresh, but also has a mark of 70’s great progressive rock style. And I think the live shows were even better...

This was my next statement. It’s a triumph what you achieved on the "Whirld Tour". I don’t believe it can get any better from what’s captured on the DVD and I mean musically, the performance, the feedback from the crowd. I hope it can get bigger but knowing progressive rock and the music industry I don’t believe it gets better than that.
Yeah, I think I would say it’s almost like magic. When we came to the last few shows and we actually recorded two DVDs -we had the "Whirl Tour" and we had the "More Is Never Enough"- the band started sounding really good towards the end of the tour and luckily we recorded those shows. I think it’s a combination of the personalities and with Daniel also there, the band sounded so much better than ever before. The music combination of "The Whirlwind" piece, starting with that one and then the older songs like "All Of The Above" etc, I think it was just such a fabulous show. I remember the shows well, because honestly it was not easy to learn and to remember and keep all the things and everything in mind during those shows. I mean it is three hours of music every night. And even if we had people working for us with the equipment and everything, you still go on stage and you have to deliver perfectly for three hours. It worked like magic! (laughs) It worked every night!

You know it really breaks my heart, because I didn’t manage to find some days off so as to catch your tour in Europe and that’s something I truly regret...
Yeah, but I mean I would be very surprised if there wasn’t another tour within the next 2 or 3 years.

You made my day!
It’s what we’re looking at now. Possibly, there will be a new recording next year.

Neal mentioned that you were supposed to meet earlier this year, but due to your schedules you couldn’t do it...
Yeah...

So, is it still on?
I think it is. I, actually, saw Mike Portnoy two weeks ago as we were both playing in Sweden Rock Festival and I think the last thing we said was “ok, we’ll probably meet in...”.  Well, we didn’t say the exact date, but it seems that everyone is into making another Transatlantic album and once we make another album I’m sure there’s going to be a tour. It will, hopefully, be a chance for you to see us playing live.

I am not going to lose it. So, let’s return to the Flower Kings. We’ve been talking with some prog fellows about your music and I mentioned that we couldn’t agree on your best album. On one hand that’s a good thing, showing you have so much good music, but on the other hand I was wondering which album should I suggest to someone who’s not familiar with your music, so as to get the spirit of this band? Which one would you suggest?
I would probably suggest "Stardust We Are". I think that’s probably the album that would turn people on. I believe it has everything that is Flower Kings. I mean the starting track, "Circus Brimstone", you have the big epic "Stardust We Are" of course and you have a couple some shorter songs. Even some fillers as some people call it. Ambient pieces of acoustic guitar and things like themes from other songs coming back on piano and stuff like that. All the sounds that are typical Flower Kings are there. That’s probably the album that I’d recommend. But it seems the fans are kind of divided. Some like the latest material, just because they came in later. Maybe they heard "The Rainmaker" first or "Adam And Eve". They seem to like these albums more. Another fan may like the earlier stuff better like "Retropolis" or "Back In The World Of Adventures".

I think that’s true. The first album you hear from the Flower Kings can be your favorite. Now, let me ask you about the collaboration with Daniel Gildenlow. I think he did a great job on "Adam And Eve" and if I remember well there was a problem with your U.S. tour that made him leave the band. Is there a chance of collaborating again with him?
I think you are right. There was something about the American tour. He seemed to refuse to go to America at that point, but the band had already booked the tour, so we couldn’t cancel it. We just rehearsed without him and found a way to play the music without him. For years he’s been working so hard, because Pain Of Salvation -as you can imagine with all these people leaving the band- is very much Daniel’s thing. He’s the guy that’s working really-really hard, writing the songs and making everything work with Pain Of Salvation, pushing it forward all the time. So, I think it was rather natural to him to devote all the time he had to this and there was no reason for the Flower Kings to ask him to come back, because we had to tour in America and we’d tour again. Then you can’t have him playing with the band when we tour in Europe and not when we tour in America (laughs)...

I think he stopped his embargo to the U.S. since Barack Obama was elected...
Yeah. That’s correct. Maybe he saw something right. I agreed with the ideas he had about America at the time. But, I felt like “Ok, I shouldn’t punish my American fans upon there”. The big guys, that I don’t like in America will never know and they won’t give a shit. They don’t know who I am. If I was Bono maybe, from U2, I could make some kind of a statement, but I am not. I’m just a very unknown guy from Sweden. The big guys in the American industry or the people with the money or the ones in the military, they don’t give a shit what I will do. So, I thought I could go there and play and meet my fans. I can sing my songs and if I have something to say, maybe they’ll listen. Then, The Flower Kings kept on working with the lineup we had and Daniel kept working with his own band. We did work again as you know on the Transatlantic tour and I think that at one point Daniel called me and told me something like “it would be nice to play with the Flower Kings again”. I think it was probably just about the time we decided to put the Flower Kings on ice.

That’s the bad timing... (laughing)
(laughs) ...Really bad timing. But, we haven’t said never again you know.

I think it would be nice, because there seems to be a good Swedish prog chemistry there. While you were mentioning these things above I was thinking that you are a person who likes to speak openly his mind about things that have to do with politics, the environment, the humanity, equality etc. Do you think it is important for you or for any artist to speak his mind about all these things?
First of all, in the case of myself, I have difficulties not to say what I think. It just comes very naturally. Sometimes, I think I speak too much and other people seem to think this too. Some of my fans say “Oh Roine, you should shut up, just play your music. You shouldn’t go into discussions about politics or religion or whatever”. But to me, as I said, it comes naturally. I like to communicate, I like to express my feelings and when something is wrong I like to let people know that I think it’s wrong. I think, in general, I appreciate an artist who speaks his mind. I’ve always done that. There are people like John Lennon of course and everything he did. I think he did a lot for the world peace, you know. He’s even partially responsible for the stopping of the Vietnam war. If you look at it well, there was a big movement and a big movement can move mountains in the end. So, I think people like him, or Bob Marley or Bono nowadays have to speak their minds. Sometimes they have to take lots of crap from people who say “Shut up Bono, you’re just a rich, spoiled rock star. Go away with your sunglasses”. But, if you really look at what Bono does, it is great stuff. I saw an interview and he said something that he’s well aware of the fact that he’s a rock star, he has the attention because people know him and if he says something they listen. So, he takes advantage of the fact that he is a rock star. He uses the fact that he’s a rock star to say things and to try to make some changes for the world. I think that’s a great thing. And I think it’s a great thing if musicians or film stars like Sean Penn for instance make statements too. Also, Martin Sheen is known to be a political activist for causes that he thinks are important. When people like him or Sean Penn say something, the rest of the people will listen. Sean Penn even took his own money and put advertising in big American newspapers against the war, or something like that. It’s great and it doesn’t cost too much to them. At least, they do what they do, while other people are silent. If everyone could speak up their minds and tell to the rest of the world “that’s how I feel”, that can start an avalanche, as people are going to follow. Because, that’s what people do. They follow the famous people…(laughs). In the case of myself, I am not a famous person but I really can’t shut up... (laughs).

So, are you a 'Pale Rider of no tomorrow'? Whatever it means...
(laughs) That’s taken, as you know, from "The Whirlwind". That’s just for fan. 'Pale Rider' is a ghost. 'Pale Rider of no tomorrow' is something like a ghost that is lost.

What does it take to see Roine Stolt playing live in Greece with The Flower Kings, with Transatlantic or with any of his projects?
We are actually interested to play just about anywhere. We’d go anywhere in the world, except from really danger places of course. We wouldn’t that, but we‘d love to play to most of the countries and especially countries we’ve never played before, like Greece. We are going for the first time in Israel in October and it’s going to be great, but to come to Greece we need a promoter who will say “I want to book your band”. And if the economics can be worked out we are going to play. It’s simple as that. We are not very far, we are close, we are in Italy, but we can’t show up and say “hey guys, we’re here! Where are we going to play?” (laughs).

I wouldn’t want to waste any more of your time. Thanks for this interview.
Thank you very much. Hope to see you soon.