– Yorck Segatz for Psychorizon –
Sometimes doing Interview with touring bands will lead to what? Deep, meaningful conversation, consuming amounts of booze beyond believe or just good clean fun! As Icelandic Classic Rock trio THE VINTAGE CARAVAN were en route of the “Rock Revelation Tour 2014”, alongside labelmates GRAND MAGUS, one of their trips took them to the heart of the German Metal scene, right in the centre of the Ruhr-area. Facing a completely SOLD OUT venue, TuRock, Essen that is, vocalist&guitarist Óskar Logi Ágústsson and bassplayer Alexander Örn Númason found themselves on the stairway to backstage heaven (sorry, couldn’t help it!), where they spent quite some time trying to figure out how to put together one of He-Mans rubber companions and not to forget doing an Interview. While sticksman Guðjón Reynisson reportedly was taking an inside-lesson on German culture, Óskar and Alex were taking a Q&A, which couldn’t be used in full due to the recoding being pretty much noise – to make a long story shot(er), here now is the mailer done afterwards – FINALLY!
For the average Metalhead, Iceland is just known as „Solstafir-Country“… Tell me about Iceland and the music scene in general.
The Icelandic music scene is very fertile and active, it consist mainly on artsy pop but the rock scene is very strong in our Sólstafir country. The down side of being a band there is mainly costs regarding flying, lack of venues do to hotels being built down town and all the elfs that we have to battle before performing live, they do not approve.
The clueless caravan
What is it like to grow up in Iceland? How much emphasis is put on musical education?
For me growing up in Iceland was absolutely wonderful. Beautiful landscapes and great people. I don’t know anything else, so yeah.
Have you ever considered doing Icelandic vocals?
Nah not really, I just don’t think it fits the music we make, could sound kind of cheesy.
Would you say that your music includes Icelandic roots or are you more influenced by your own idols/favourite bands?
Everything we see, we experience and feel influences our music. Surely there are icelandic elements in our music, we are always trying something new for us. Best example of the Icelandic landscape influencing our music is in the track “Winterland” on Voyage, i wrote that while we were driving to a gig out in the country, and in the blink of an eye we were inside a snowstorm.
How did you meet each other and how did you form the band?
Me and gaui have known each other for 10 years now and have been playing together since we were twelve, so eight years. I asked him a few times to join the band when I was 9 or ten but he had a school band that he was in so he had no time for the ginger kid. but at age 12 he finally gave in haha. We have been trough a lot, especially for our young age. In 2009 we came in third place in the icelandic battle of the bands (Músíktilraunir) and I received an award for my guitar work, after that (then aged 14) we went on a roll and shortly became on of the most active live bands in Iceland, within Iceland ofc.
Trio in full
Is playing in the band a full-time job?
You could say that yeah, in January we decided to move to Denmark, after our march tour, to be closer to the scene. So yeah this is a full-time job for us, which is a dream come true.
How did you get to play two sets at Roadburn this year and how did you choose the set-lists?
Let’s just say Guðjón is very persuasive! Haha, no, we had been booked for the festival the month before being signed, Walter Roadburn helped us a lot with that. then a month before performing at the festival Mikael Akerfeldt chose us to play at his curated night, he apparently loved the album, which was really amazing for us, really meant a lot. For Mikael’s set we did a proggy’er set with more emphasis on improvising, and the other set, late on the saturday evening we did more of an up tempo party set. It really is a wonderful festival.
Winner smile of two very accomplished lads!
What does MARSWATT stand for?
It’s a secret, only to be relived when all the planets are aligned and Carrot Top clicks his heels three times.
Do you have any interesting/unusual hobbies?
Alex skates a lot, I love to sleep, Guðjón plays real life call of duty when drunk with a wooden stick.
How do you spend your spare time on tour?
Kidding around, taking a walk in the city we are in, sleep/resting, watching movies in the nightliner, waiting and eating. That kinda sums it up, haha!
What are your plans for the future? I heard you would like to move to the European mainland.
We are going to keep living here in Sonderborg, Denmark the rest of the year. We have been writing a lot lately, we have a lot of festivals and tour dates coming up, a tour in october will be announced soon. Then going home for christmas and spending january and february recording our album. the plan is rigging up our stuff and record in an old farm out in the icelandic country side, should be really interesting. Please check out our facebook and our album, Voyage. Cheers brothers and sisters!
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