www.myspace.com/sic
www.entersic.com
www.hollywoodmusic.tv/sic
HMTV DJ Tina Interviews SIC
HMTV DJ Tina: 1. Hi SIC how are you?
SIC: Hi, we’re good! Just restless and hungry to get on tour!!!
HMTV DJ Tina: 2. Any tours planned, video production or new material in the works for 2008?
SIC: Yes, we are working on tour plans as we speak, but nothing is really confirmed yet. We just toured the UK in January and now our management is looking at another European Tour later this year. The first gig confirmed so far is The Rock in Copenhagen, Denmark where we’ll warm up for Viking Metal band TÝR on May 23rd.
We are booked to play in Finland on June 26th for this “warm up” for the TUSKA Festival as well.
www.myspace.com/sic
www.entersic.com
www.hollywoodmusic.tv/sic
HMTV DJ Tina Interviews SIC
We actually just released our video for the track Rosegarden In Hell and that video will air on Headbangers Ball (Denmark) on April 13th 2008.
All who read this are of course more than welcome to request our video at their local MTV Network!
Another video is on its way out; in December 2006 just after we finished recording our album Pandemonium, we went to this location on New Years’ Eve drunk with our gear and a small crew to record a video. We sort of forgot all about that video, but then looked at it one year later and found it to be pretty cool and we’ve decided to release it within the next few months.
Unlike the Rosegarden In Hell video, this video is strictly a performance video and it is low budget – but never the less it rocks, and we’re sure that our fans will appreciate it!
A release date and the title for the video will be revealed shortly on our official homepage and myspace.
We are working on new material now.
We have written about 5 songs so far and they are all killer! Titles such as “Fighters They Bleed” and “Three Way War” indicate the brutality coming your way! Hehe...
We’re really happy with the way the music is evolving. It is a natural step forward for us.
It takes Pandemonium to the next level: more brutal, more powerful, more energetic, more melodic and waaaay more in yer f*cking face!
HMTV DJ Tina: 3. Can you tell us about Pandemonium anything from messages to inspirations your biggest challenges in producing the CD?
SIC: The biggest challenge in regards to making the album was even making it happen. We ran into a lot of trouble from day one. Just getting the money for the studio etc was a killer. We wanted to make an album that we would be proud of and that people would enjoy. This was obvious throughout the whole process of the album and especially during recording the album – it really drained us all of energy and we were almost wrecked after completing it.
Our good friend and mentor, Karl Anton Klein, tragically passed away just days before the recordings began and it hit us like a ten ton hammer right in the face – this made the album even more intense and the whole process even more difficult. But we made it never the less.
What we want in our music is honesty and aggression. This reflects in both the music and the lyrics. We don’t have any specific theme that we write about. It could be your every day bullshit and it could be about the holy preacher man who masturbates behind the cross in the name of god.
It is also about being beat down and getting up again; head up high! It’s about facing your demons. Also many of them are about personal stuff that we have overcome and which we hope translates to the listeners and that way help him or her.
We wanted to reflect the whole “message” of the album in the cover as well as in the title of the album, Pandemonium.
Look pandemonium up, you'll see what I am talking about.
HMTV DJ Tina: 4. With the current production of Pandemonium how has SIC’s music evolved or changed since the band first started playing together in 2002?
SIC: Yes, without a doubt! The band started as a basement jam with guitarplayer Eddie Jacobsen and a couple of friends.
Later in 2003 lead singer Mikkjal Gaard Hansen joined the band and that’s when we started to slowly shape our sound. We were a four piece back then and did record a couple of demos and played gigs.
Me (Eddie) and Mikkjal were extremely unhappy with the band at the time and decided to part ways with the other guys and started looking for new band members.
In February 2005 Magnus, Frans and Gudmar joined the band and we all clicked right away and that’s when things really began to happen and our sound took shape!
HMTV DJ Tina: 5. Curious why was SIC constantly writing and rearranging songs before they produced their debut album Pandemonium?
SIC: Well, due to many reasons really. Before we got the line up that we have now, our music was less “intelligent” if I may put it that way. We didn’t really put much thought into it.
When we changed band members in 2005 we – without knowing it – changed our style a little and it progressed and eventually we had formed a sound that we were really pleased with. And as we progressed the songs grew bigger and better. We simply became better musicians and songwriters. When we had written 10 songs or there about, we discovered that some of the first songs really didn’t fit the other songs and wise versa. We then began writing even more songs and concentrated even more on exactly how we wanted it to be; it is so easy to f*ck up a good song and ruin it and we did not want to do that. Also, it was very important for us to write an album that had much variation but that still was true to its core and that was not as easy as we first thought.
While we were in the studio recording the album we also rearranged some parts in some songs; it is much easier to hear what is going on when you have it all on tape – and I’m sure most bands do that.
HMTV DJ Tina: 6. Is the current lineup of band members still the same since SIC formed in 2002?
SIC: I kind of answered that just before. It started with me (Eddie) on Guitar and a drummer and bass player and eventually front man Mikkjal joined the band on vocals as well as guitar.
Then in 2005 we (Eddie & Mikkjal) were sick and tired of the way things were going and decided to part ways with our former drummer and bass player and it was in 2005 that the line up that is now was formed.
Mikkjal dropped his role as a guitarplayer and Frans took over that part.
HMTV DJ Tina: 7. Can you provide a little history on how the band members met and what their roles are in SIC?
SIC: I met Mikkjal ‘cause I was a huge fan of his singing/growling and thought “that dude has got to be in my band!” and so I called him up – but stuck up as he was (laughs) he thought I was some sort of psycho.
But eventually he decided to give it a go since I had called him and asked him to do guest vocals on the track Fading which we back then recorded a demo of.
Fading is on the album oddly enough – it is the only surviving song from that era along with the song Rough.
I then used to drive for one hour to pick him up and then 1 hour back to rehearsals.
And then I also had to drive him home again and this was 3 / 4 times a week, that’s 12 to 16 hours a week in the car just talking – that’s how our friendship really grew and we are like f*cking brothers now!
In 2005 when we parted ways with the former members, I and Mikkjal sat down and discussed who we could call and invite to join the band.
He mentioned Magnus (who then played with Makrel) to come play drums and Frans on guitar – since Mikkjal was eager to only focus on vocals and performance. We then called them and both eagerly agreed to come to a rehearsal.
A few days later I talked to Gudmar about how things were going with SIC (we’ve been friends before we could talk even).
I told him that it was a bitch that we still needed a bass player then out of nowhere he says: “I’ll do it!” – and I was like “why the hell not – you can play the guitar – ever played bass before?” and he goes: “no!”. And yeah, that’s how he joined the band.
We then had a huge party and the next day was the first rehearsal. Already then we knew that this was the right line up.
There was tons of energy in the room and there was almost this mutual understanding of each other while we were jamming – it was as close to perfect as it could be!
HMTV DJ Tina: 8. Why the unique band name SIC?
SIC: When the idea of forming a band came to my mind one of the first things I did was to look for a name – but everything sounded bloody stupid. Then one day at college upon reading a text I come across “(sic!)” all the time so SIC was kind of stuck in my head all that day – not knowing what it meant or why it stood there. I then looked it up in the dictionary and was like “hell yeah – the band’s name is SIC!!!” (laughs). It just fitted my idea of the band perfectly.
HMTV DJ Tina: 9. Who writes your songs?
SIC: “All music by SIC” is what it says in the album sleeve of Pandemonium and that is because we firmly believe that every member in the band is extremely important.
However, most songs begin with a riff and then another one and a third and then it evolves into something unique that is SIC.
On Pandemonium it was mainly I who came with the riffs, sometimes assisted by Magnus.
One of the fun facts about SIC is that we are all guitar players actually, then some moved to bass, drums or vocals (laughs) so if there’s ever a writer’s block, you always have all the others to call on which is great when needed.
HMTV DJ Tina: 10. What do you express in your lyrics?
SIC: I kind of came in on that in question 3 but I don’t mind explaining it a bit better. The key in our lyrics is honesty! We do not compromise and we just say it as it is.
A lot of people may get pissed off or offended by this but that only proves what we’re trying to say!
All of the lyrics are written out from things that we have experienced – we then address the issue and deal with it our way.
HMTV DJ Tina: 11. Do you have any inspirations the band draws from when creating your music?
SIC: I think the biggest and most important inspiration is when the 5 of us are together ‘cause that’s when the magic happens! We draw inspiration from each other and compliment each other’s style and fuse it into a whole: SIC!
Without sounding too lame I believe that our home country also is a huge inspiration for us; we come from a small tiny place in the North Atlantic called the Faroe Islands and these group of 18 islands with 48.000 people are surrounded by an ocean, darkness, coldness and overall a harsh environment.
HMTV DJ Tina: 12. What does SIC consider their main influences to be?
SIC: The youngest member in SIC is 20 and the oldest 30 so we draw in many influences if we are talking about bands here.
We all have favourites such as Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura, Machine Head, Meshuggah, Korn, Slipknot, Kiss, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, American Head Charge, LOK, Clawfinger, Hatebreed, Carcass, the list could go on. All these bands have played an important role in our lives and different things from all of these bands are more or less obvious in the music – we draw the attitude from them, the style and so on.
It is not something that we do on purpose; it is simply in our blood; we grew up with this and most of us have listened to these bands since we were 8 years old! So it is only natural that we have adapted that style and also aggression because it is part of who we are – what makes us worth listening to is that we do it in our own way and thus make it unique!
HMTV DJ Tina: 13. Are you affiliated with any underground scenes?
SIC: Not really, hehe... maybe the underground scene back home – but isn’t almost all metal underground these days? (laughs)
HMTV DJ Tina: 14. Where fans can requests SIC music on Internet or Main Stream Radio?
SIC: They can of course request it from HMTV! :) Our video is debuting on Headbanger’s Ball, Denmark on April 13th so all the fans can request the video there and we’d love for them to do so!
The Aussie Invasion on HARD ROCK RADIO LIVE (www. hardrockradiolive. com) with Dekkers and The Muppet.
Those two guys were actually the first to really take SIC under their wing in regards to internet radio! And we are forever grateful for that! World Rock Radio in the states and many more.
ATLANTIS 105,2 FM in Athens, Greece (one of the few major radio stations in the world that plays metal every single day) and the show's called ROCK HARD (after the Magazine).
HMTV DJ Tina: 15. What do you think of the music industry today and what would you like to see change?
SIC: It used to frustrate me much! Seeing how album sales fell drastically with the development of the internet; how everything turned more and more f*cking mainstream and Britney fucking Spears! How MTV turned into a fucking soap opera full of crappy reality shows.
How they started showing pussy bands like My Chemical Romance etc on Headbanger’s Ball – come on, that’s not Metal! That's Britney Spears with distortion and a dick! (laughs)
I love the fact that companies like HollyWoodMusic are out there and helping bands like us to get exposure! Without sites like that we’d be lost! You surely play an important role in today’s metal scene.
HMTV DJ Tina: 16. Does SIC have a web address where fans can buy your CD and merchandise?
SIC: Our music is available for purchase through iTunes, CdBaby, Amazon and tons of other stores! Simply search “SIC – Pandemonium” and you should find it.
On last. fm it is also possible to stream most of our tracks if not all of them.
But of course, we’d like of the fans to buy the album so that we can keep making music ;)
For the best digital download I recommend CdBaby – the quality of the mp3’s is way better than itunes for example, you get the artwork and the customer service is unique!
Unfortunately we still don’t have anyone to distribute our merchandise yet.
We are working on setting up an online store for this and take care of it ourselves!
So for now, come to our gigs and get our HOT merch! ;)
HMTV DJ Tina: 17. How do you like our music site at Hollywood Music TV?
SIC: I think it’s great! However it is sometimes very heavy to load and if you’re with a slow internet connection that can be a real bitch! (Laughs)
You almost always feature great bands which makes HMTV a great medium for me to find new music.
HMTV DJ Tina: 18. Before we wrap up our interview do you have any shout outs or last words?
SIC: Yes, I urge all of you to spread out our music, tell all your friends about SIC, and request our music at your local radio and music channels!
Visit our official myspace site at www. myspace. com/sic (used to be www. myspace. com/sicsix6) and add us as your friend and help us grow! We’ll keep doing what we are good at; making good music and delivering a killer, monster, fucking brutal show!
We would also like to thank every single one of our fans! You are the chicks and dicks that make this possible! We have the deepest respect for you and we look forward to give you a blast of a live show!
Relevant links:
www. myspace.com/sic
www. entersic.com
www. youtube.com/sicofficial
www. last.fm/music/sic
www. hollywoodmusic.tv/sic
Thanks!
Until next time, keep it brutal and stay f*cking metal!
Thank you SIC for the opportunity for our HMTV Canada Ezine to interview your band.
You Rock
HMTV DJ Tina
Hollywood Music TV Canada – DJ Tina
http://www.hollywoodmusic.tv/hmtvcanadaezine
www. myspace.com/sic
www. entersic.com
www. youtube.com/sicofficial
www. last.fm/music/sic
www. hollywoodmusic.tv/sic
http://www.hollywoodmusic.tv/hmtvcanadaezine
