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NILS MOLIN of DYNAZTY: The Vision Behind 'Game of Faces' And The Future Of The Band · HEAVY Music Interviews

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Hey there, I'm Niel Celein from Dynasty and here I
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: am talking all the way over to Australia.
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  Speaker 2: Awesome, wicked, Thank you so much. Game of Faces is
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  Speaker 2: such a bold title for an album. Can you walk
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  Speaker 2: us through the concept?
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  Speaker 3: And I d behind it right.
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  Speaker 1: This was an idea that came to me when we
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  Speaker 1: were writing the title track, Game of Faces. They thought
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  Speaker 1: the song itself sonically had a bit of a dual nature,
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  Speaker 1: a bit of a duality thing going with it. It
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  Speaker 1: sounded very dark and then very happy in some places.
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  Speaker 1: So that just made me think of these like theatrical
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  Speaker 1: masks or theatrical faces with one sad face one happy face.
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  Speaker 3: And that's where the whole.
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  Speaker 1: Theme or the idea for the theme that would eventually
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  Speaker 1: lead to being like the cover of the album and everything.
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  Speaker 3: That's where it came from.
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  Speaker 2: Basically, is there any personal experiences or thoughts that inspired
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  Speaker 2: the deeper lyrical themes on the album?
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  Speaker 3: Yes and no.
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  Speaker 1: I mean you always when you write something, even if
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  Speaker 1: you're if you're making things up as you go, or
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  Speaker 1: you try to find something that is more generally for everybody,
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  Speaker 1: you always have your own personal experience to draw inspiration from.
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  Speaker 1: But there's not something very specifically about me or my
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  Speaker 1: life and this say. I think it's more a general
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  Speaker 1: take on the way that people are are can be
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  Speaker 1: deceptive by nature, or we are deceptive by nature.
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  Speaker 3: We have that ability to wear.
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  Speaker 1: Different masks in different situations, in different circumstances, depending on circumstances.
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  Speaker 1: So I think I just try to write something generally
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  Speaker 1: and then adding my own flare to it.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And was there any challenges making this
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  Speaker 2: album compared to your previous albums?
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  Speaker 3: Sure. We were writing this album during a time period.
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  Speaker 1: When we were touring a lot, coming out of the
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  Speaker 1: whole COVID pandemic era of things. So for this one,
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  Speaker 1: we had we were writing like in between other responsibilities
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  Speaker 1: and mostly being on the road and stuff like that.
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  Speaker 1: So it was a little bit more of writing here
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  Speaker 1: for a couple of weeks and then doing something else
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  Speaker 1: for some months and then picking up writing again.
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  Speaker 3: And I don't think we've ever really done.
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  Speaker 1: It like that before, So this was a bit of
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  Speaker 1: a challenge keeping momentum going over a longer time period
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  Speaker 1: than usual. So maybe that was the biggest challenge of
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  Speaker 1: all when making this album.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, a lot of things happened in that time
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  Speaker 2: period as well, not just COVID, but I can imagine
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  Speaker 2: for you all personally as well, but around the world.
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  Speaker 2: And yeah, sure, yeah, the Dark Knight was such a
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  Speaker 2: huge success, especially with Heartless Madness reaching platinum. Did that
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  Speaker 2: success change how you approached this new album?
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  Speaker 3: Maybe not.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, I wouldn't say directly changed anything. But you know,
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  Speaker 1: whatever happens in and around the band will affect the
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  Speaker 1: band in some way going forward. But it's not something
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  Speaker 1: that we consciously like we changed we want to write
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  Speaker 1: like this now because that song was a.
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  Speaker 3: Big hit or whatever.
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  Speaker 1: We just continued writing the way that we would probably
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  Speaker 1: always continue to write. So directly, I don't think it
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  Speaker 1: affected anything, just possibly gave us more momentum or more
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  Speaker 1: belief going forward.
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  Speaker 3: You know.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it had to feel pretty good.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, sure, it does awesome.
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  Speaker 2: How do you maintain the balance between the aggressive sound
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  Speaker 2: your fans love and your willingness to experiment with new
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  Speaker 2: styles on each album?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a good question. Nowadays, when you've released a
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  Speaker 1: certain amount of albums, you have a fan base that
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  Speaker 1: is waiting your next releases, things get a little bit trickier.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, you always walk a fine line where you
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  Speaker 1: have to balance always staying true to the core identity
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  Speaker 1: musical identity of the band, but still not repeating yourself
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  Speaker 1: too much and finding new ways to to explore different
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  Speaker 1: sides of whatever is your musical identity. And I think
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  Speaker 1: the trick is also not to overthink it too much.
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  Speaker 1: You just continue where you are right here now, and
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  Speaker 1: you write the same way that you did, with the
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  Speaker 1: same kind of enthusiasm and same kind of inspiration, and
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  Speaker 1: you write something that is authentic and genuine from you, yeah, from.
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  Speaker 3: Or from us as writers.
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  Speaker 1: If you start to think like, maybe people will like
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  Speaker 1: if we write like this, then you're in trouble. I
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  Speaker 1: think you always have to to start with yourself, like
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  Speaker 1: I really like this, so hopefully other.
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  Speaker 3: People will do the same. And I think that should
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  Speaker 3: always be the starting point.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, so.
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  Speaker 3: Much what we always just tribe to.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, so you're not You.
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  Speaker 3: Shouldn't try to put yourself in other people's heads.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah no, yeah, right, What bands have you been listening
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  Speaker 2: to at the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, I've been listening to the new Dream Theater album. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: that was just released I think a week before our album.
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  Speaker 1: I've been a huge stream theater fan since I was
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  Speaker 1: a teenager, and this album was very special. It's the
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  Speaker 1: first one with founding member and drummer Mike Portnoy back
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  Speaker 1: in the band. It's a big deal for me personally,
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  Speaker 1: very nostalgic to see this group of people together and
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  Speaker 1: to hear them make music together for the first time
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  Speaker 1: in fifteen sixteen years or whatever it is.
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  Speaker 3: So I've been.
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  Speaker 1: Listening to this for the past two weeks now and
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  Speaker 1: I have this very exciting stuff for me personally.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's awesome. And would you say, are they one
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  Speaker 2: of your inspirations or what other bands are your inspirations?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, there are so many bands and this I'm
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  Speaker 1: not sure stylistically is kind of different and pretty far
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  Speaker 1: away from Dynasty, But that doesn't mean that it hasn't
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  Speaker 1: affected me as a musician and as a songwriter anyway.
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  Speaker 1: But direct and I direct influence, I don't think it
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  Speaker 1: really is. But there are so many bands for me,
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  Speaker 1: I mean, all the classic hard rock heavy metal band
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  Speaker 1: bands are made in Judas, Priest, Deep, Purple Brainbow, Dyo.
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  Speaker 1: These are my all time grades for me personally, and
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  Speaker 1: probably the ones that have inspired me or influenced me
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  Speaker 1: the most over the years.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I definitely think I can hear elements of all
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  Speaker 2: those bands you mentioned in your music as well, right right, Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: Which song from Game of Faces are you most excited
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  Speaker 2: to perform live and why?
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  Speaker 3: Good question.
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  Speaker 1: We've already debuted a couple of songs already in December,
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  Speaker 1: some of the singles that were released in one song
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  Speaker 1: from the album that was not released at the time,
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  Speaker 1: we already played live. But now when we're kicking of
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: this European tour here in support of the album Brewles,
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  Speaker 1: We're going to do some more songs, which is really exciting.
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  Speaker 1: So but I mean, now that the whole album is
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  Speaker 1: out and you kind of see the reactions of people,
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  Speaker 1: it's going to be a lot of fun to play
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  Speaker 1: a song.
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  Speaker 3: Like fire to Fight yeah five, Yeah, eventually, And it's
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  Speaker 3: very energetic, it's.
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  Speaker 1: Very live oriented in general, that song, and so I'm
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  Speaker 1: really looking forward to this.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's awesome. It is an awesome song. If I
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  Speaker 2: may say, if anyone hasn't checked it out, they definitely
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  Speaker 2: need to. That one is a good one. You've been
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  Speaker 2: part of Dynasty since its formation in two thousand and eight.
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  Speaker 2: What's one of the weirdest or coolest things that a
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  Speaker 2: fan has given you.
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  Speaker 1: Oh, my god, weirdest that this is my where I
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  Speaker 1: have to rely on my kind of member. Some things
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  Speaker 1: just you try to filter out, like the really weird stuff.
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  Speaker 1: I think we we got some some fish, like some
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  Speaker 1: very like tradition. I don't remember if it was from
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  Speaker 1: Russia or something or some part of eastern Europe where
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  Speaker 1: somebody gave us like raw fish as as gifts. At
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  Speaker 1: some point it was it was I wouldn't you know,
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  Speaker 1: it's not weird, it's unusual. Maybe that's just the first
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  Speaker 1: thing that came to mind. An unusual type of gifts
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  Speaker 1: at least. Sometimes you know, you get you get maybe
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  Speaker 1: low chocolate, local chocolate or whatever, stuff like this.
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  Speaker 3: Local delicacies. But this time we got raw fish.
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  Speaker 2: Well, oh that is strange and is the one that's like,
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  Speaker 2: is there a gift that you particularly remember that you
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  Speaker 2: really like or enjoy or that was cool?
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  Speaker 3: Oh?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, you're in general just thankful for everything that
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  Speaker 1: you get. And I mean, like sometimes you get people
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  Speaker 1: come with local like I said, chocolate or sometimes local
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  Speaker 1: red wine and stuff like this, which is.
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  Speaker 3: Or local beers or whatever.
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  Speaker 1: It's always just very fun to sit down try. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: so you know, I'm generally just that we're happy about it.
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  Speaker 3: Everything that we receive, even the raw fish fish.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, that's so lovely. When you're not working on music,
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  Speaker 2: what hobbies or activities do you enjoy? Do you have
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  Speaker 2: a favorite way to unwind after a busy tour?
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  Speaker 1: Sure, I just I watch a lot of football, European football, soccer,
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  Speaker 1: I don't know if you call it soccer.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, A big fan.
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  Speaker 1: I watch a lot, and this is what I do.
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  Speaker 1: I watch everything I watched. I watched the Champions League
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  Speaker 1: yesterday when I arrived at the hotel. I watched the
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  Speaker 1: Spanish La Liga. I watched the French League, I watched
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  Speaker 1: the Italian series.
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  Speaker 3: I watched the Premier League in England.
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  Speaker 1: So whenever I have time, this is a very good
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  Speaker 1: way for me to unplug my brain and just just
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  Speaker 1: watch them. Other than that, I try to stay up
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  Speaker 1: to date with the latest TV series, films and stuff
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  Speaker 1: like this. I used to play video games when I
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  Speaker 1: was a little younger, but I don't have a lot
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  Speaker 1: of time for it now. These are ways for me
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  Speaker 1: to unwind, and I try to try to stay out
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  Speaker 1: in nature as well. This is another good way of so, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: just normal stuff.
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  Speaker 3: More or less.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And if you weren't a musician, do
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  Speaker 2: you know or do you have a clue of what
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  Speaker 2: you think you would be doing?
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  Speaker 3: There was never any but a real backup plan.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, no.
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  Speaker 3: I don't know.
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  Speaker 1: I mean I have a lot of interests in general,
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  Speaker 1: but it never even came close. I mean for me to.
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  Speaker 3: Go in a different direction or try something else, I
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  Speaker 3: think it was more or less bound to happen and
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  Speaker 3: be this way.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, given the lyrical things of Game of Faces.
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  Speaker 2: Do you believe in the idea of reinvention? If so,
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  Speaker 2: how have you reinvented yourself personally or creatively over the years.
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  Speaker 1: I definitely believe in reinvention. I certainly don't believe in
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  Speaker 1: the notion that people are exactly the way they are
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  Speaker 1: from start, that you're born this way and like all
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  Speaker 1: my all the things holding holding me back is because
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  Speaker 1: I am this way. And you know, everybody has the
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  Speaker 1: possibility to develop their own their own character and their
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  Speaker 1: own personality.
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  Speaker 3: And I mean certain core.
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  Speaker 1: Elements of one's personality will always be there, but you
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  Speaker 1: can bend and you can adapt yourself to mostly anything.
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  Speaker 1: So I certainly believe in in reinvention. I try to
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  Speaker 1: develop myself as a as a person as we go along,
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  Speaker 1: and as a singer and as a songwriter and everything.
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  Speaker 1: I try to stay progressive and find ways. And I mean,
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  Speaker 1: sometimes you're forced to to reinvent.
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  Speaker 3: Yourself or to develop yourself outside.
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  Speaker 1: Circumstances can push you in directions you you never thought
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  Speaker 1: you would go.
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  Speaker 3: In and stuff like this.
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  Speaker 1: So I think that's probably even the most, uh, the
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  Speaker 1: strongest type of reinvention is the one that you're not
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  Speaker 1: controlling yourself, that that just happened to you. And I
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  Speaker 1: think that's a little bit what I'm writing about in
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  Speaker 1: the song Died to Survive, where it talks about like
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  Speaker 1: a trial by fire, is it's a it's like a
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  Speaker 1: crucible that forges your your character and whatever comes down.
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  Speaker 1: The same thing with the song from the previous album,
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  Speaker 1: Final Element, Power Will is like what depends on how
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  Speaker 1: you want to look at things, Really, something bad that
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  Speaker 1: happens to you, you could eventually, depending on what it is, obviously,
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  Speaker 1: you could turn it into something that strengthens you. And
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  Speaker 1: and at least that's a that's a state of mind
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  Speaker 1: that can be helpful to dealing with with which with
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  Speaker 1: difficult stuff that happens to you or whatever.
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  Speaker 3: Yes or.
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  Speaker 1: Short answer, Yes, I believe in reinvention and I try to.
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  Speaker 1: I try to be a progressive person in general, and
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  Speaker 1: sometimes life just forces you to be and I think
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  Speaker 1: that's the most powerful way of doing things.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely a great way of thinking about things too,
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  Speaker 2: that you're never stuck where you were or where you
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  Speaker 2: are you know, can always change.
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  Speaker 3: I don't think you should be.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, it's important to look at it correctly.
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  Speaker 3: It's like I'm going to change who I am every
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  Speaker 3: day I wake up.
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  Speaker 1: It's not like that, but yeah, you know, staying in
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  Speaker 1: your comfort zone too long is usually Yes, I'm pretty
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  Speaker 1: surefire way of of.
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  Speaker 3: Decaying a little bit. As as a person would, I
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  Speaker 3: would say.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, I agree. Look, is there any plans for
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  Speaker 2: an Australian tool anytime soon?
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  Speaker 3: There's always plans.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I you know, this is something that we would
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  Speaker 1: really really love to do and something that we are
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  Speaker 1: I'm hoping that we will be doing much sooner than later.
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  Speaker 1: So there's that we're looking into it and hopefully very soon.
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  Speaker 2: Awesome, Yes, we can't wait. We hope it comes true.
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  Speaker 2: And finally, what does Dynasty stand for or mean to you?
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  Speaker 1: Well, I think it means a lot to me obviously,
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  Speaker 1: this has been a part of my adult life, my
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: whole adult life, so it means a lot. And what
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  Speaker 1: it stands for, I think it's just five musicians who
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  Speaker 1: love playing together and don't overthink. We don't really try
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  Speaker 1: to be cool. We just try to just try to
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: musically play something that we like and we get up
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  Speaker 1: on stage and have fun together and hopefully other people
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: will like it together with us as well. And I
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  Speaker 1: think in many ways that's what we stand for. Uncomplicated.
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  Speaker 3: We're not trying to to reinvent the wheel either.
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  Speaker 1: We're just trying to make something that we think is
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  Speaker 1: really good and spread spread the joy, so to speak.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, definitely. And your raw and honest on stage.
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  Speaker 2: Who you are is who you are, You not trying
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  Speaker 2: to be anyone else.
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  Speaker 3: I like that exactly. Yeah.
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, awesome, Oh Neils, it's been a pleasure to talk
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  Speaker 2: with you today. We hope to see you down onder soon.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: Good luck with everything.
• 17:30
  Speaker 3: Thank you very much, Thank you so much.