Features

Spielbergs is a new band out of Norway who recently released their debut EP via UK upstarts By The TIme It Gets Dark. The dudes running the label actually started the label just so they could release this band's EP. That should tell you something right there. 'Distant Star' is out now and before you go and fall madly in love with it like you did with Cloud Nothings and Japandroids, read on to get to know Spielbergs a little better.

PRT: Can you give us a quick history of the band written in the form of a tweet?

Spielbergs: 2 guys wanting to do music again after trying 2 live the normal life. Jammed a lot, bassplayer joined, more jamming, music rec, played live, released music on @BTTIGDrecords :) and then maybe a picture of a cat?

PRT: In your Facebook bio it says that you come from Oslo’s musical underground. Any other bands we should know you from?

Spielbergs: We´ve played in bands like Team Me, Call Vega, Truls&TheTrees, Lukestar and Accidents Never Happen. All bands hailed from a strong DIY-scene in Oslo around the late 2000´s. There was a sense of unity, bands backing each other, just generally a nice vibe with both hardcore/post-hardcore bands and indie-bands touring together, getting drunk and bitching about the establishment.

PRT: You’re from Norway yet you don’t play black metal. What’s up with that?

Spielbergs: We´ve never really thought about that, but now that you mention it, maybe that would be a better look for us? We share rehearsal space with Death Metal-wonders Execration though, maybe we can steal some of their riffs.

PRT: Honestly though, up until recently I didn’t know that many bands from Norway that didn’t play metal. But with bands like you and Sløtface that seems to be changing. Is there such a thing as a new Norwegian rock scene?

Spielbergs: There are a lot of new, young emerging talents over here, so there might be a new scene going. Still, we feel more at home in the old DIY-scene. Only problem is that scene is gone. So we are all alone. And dying. Slowly.

PRT: I have seen your music being described as everything from indie pop to noise rock and emo-rock and Spotify featured you in a Punk playlist. Listening to ‘Distant Star’, all of those styles seem to fit you. Would you say you have one style or as it more that anything goes as long as all three of you feel good about it?

Spielbergs: We think you just answered your own question there. Since the band formed all we´ve wanted to do is make good songs and music we would enjoy listening to ourselves. We tend to like bands that has a diverse expression, and a “do-what-you-want”-attitude. We allow ourselves to do whatever genre or style we like.

PRT: The songs on ‘Distant Star’ sound massive, yet there’s just the three of you. Is it going to be a challenge to make everything sound the same in a live setting?

Spielbergs: We’ve got some help on stage, thankfully. Ole Torstein Hovig plays keys, and Andreas Westhagen, who also mixed the EP, sometimes helps out on guitar.

PRT: Not only is ‘Distant Star’ your first release, it is also the first release for By The Time It Gets Dark, a new label from the UK. How did you end up with them?

Spielbergs: Trondheim Calling 2017, 4th of February. Our second show ever as Spielbergs. It was at a packed Fru Lundgreen. We can't remember much more from the show than the constant feedback on stage. We remember the crowd though. They looked happy, into it. With huge smiles across their faces. Even though we could not hear anything, it looked like they really enjoyed themselves. There were especially two guys who smiled even more than everybody else. Two British guys who Kristian, the manager of Fysisk Format, had dragged out into the night to check out our show. Our first thoughts when briefly exchanging a few words after the show were "Who are those tipsy, but ecstatic British guys?" We now know them as James Parrish and Jay Taylor.

We kept in touch after TC. They were meant to do PR for us in UK with their firm Prescription PR. We sent over some songs and exchanged ideas. We found a lot of common ground, both in musical taste and ideas about music. In a flu-ridden November night we suddenly got a mail from James. He said he wanted to start a label. The reason why was that they had developed something of a mild obsession with our music and they wanted to release our music world wide. We spent a long time trying to believe it to be true. But it really happened!

PRT: You recently played your first London show… if you could look forward and dream big, where would you love to play someday and who else would you want to be on the line-up?

Spielbergs: Our London show was so awesome, right now we just want to do it again as soon as possible. But if we could choose freely, “…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead”, “Hot Snakes”, “The Get Up Kids” and us on a Friday night in NY?

PRT: And I have to ask… what’s your favorite Spielberg movie? And why?

Spielbergs: It´s probably “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind”. The soundtrack inspired the song “Ghost Boy”, and it´s just a great film from start to end. We all build mountains out of mashed potatoes as well.