DAN SWANÖ Talks About New NIGHTINGALE Album

CenZu of the Finnish Dan Swanö fan site www.swano.net recently conducted an interview with Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE, SECOND SKY, BLOODBATH). A couple of excerpts from the question-and-answer session follow:

Q: How have you been, you have had a busy year I've understood. Would you care to tell us a little what you have been doing lately?

Dan: I have been doing a lot of stuff. Mixed albums mostly. Not much writing, but I know that is about to change. Some of the artists that have had their albums mixed by me quite lately are THE PROJECT HATE, MISERY SPEAKS, THIS HAVEN, NIGHTINGALE, MOREDHEL, AEON, COLDWORKER, HEARSE, SHADOWSPHERE, EDEN'S FALL, CRESTLERS, DEMIURG. I have also recorded and co-produced the vocals for MILLENCOLIN's Mattias band FRANKY LEE, some mastering work like SCARTOWN, IMMORTAL RITES, lots of stuff for Vic Records and of course the "When All Is Said" EDGE OF SANITY double CD!!

Q: You took your time with finalizing the new NIGHTINGALE album. I expect you are 100% satisfied?

Dan: I will never be 100% satisfied with any album ever. I'd say that I made my very best with the tools at hand. The "White Darkness" had to take a lot of changes and I have heard some of those track for hundreds of hours. I was on a massive search for a speakersystem that allowed me to finally get the sound to transfer 100% to another speaker. I found the Genelec 8240 and the album pretty much mixed itself within days! Very Najs!!

Q: How did you work on "White Darkness" I understand Dag wrote most of the songs, but also Tom and Erik wrote some songs? How did this work?

Dan: I had a writer's block from hell after the divorce and managed to bash out a few lyrics. Dag saw his opportunity to shine (!!) and did so with delight. His stuff was simply too good to compete with. I wrote a few things, the chorus for one track and the bridge for another. I had a few of his songs under my command and shaped them up with various production tricks, but some songs were his babies and I had very little to say about those tracks. I gave all with my vocals.

Q: Would you care to shed some light (or darkness, if you will) on the concept of "White Darkness"?

Dan: It's all about depression. To me the "White Darkness" is kind of a sanctuary. A state of mind where I go sometimes when life around is too much to handle. I have learned to deal with things a lot better these days, and not stick my head in the sand whenever an obstacle arrives in my way. I like the title because it is the ultimate contradiction.

Q: What will the future have in store for you now? Will there be touring with NIGHTINGALE after releasing "White Darkness"?

Dan: No touring. The drummer Tom and his madam are expecting their first child too soon to go on touring. We play a gig with PAIN and some others at the Bollnäsfestival July 22 and that is about it this far, there are some offers in the works, but I have to look to the cash of things. I live on a tight budget these days. I buy my freedom these days instead of working my ass off for money I put in the bank and then buy stuff for that I never find the time to use!!!

Read the entire interview at this location.

(Thanks: Siria / www.konzi-tip.de)