Hardcore Superstar’s Jocke Berg live in Dublin. 28/10/17
Photo – Down The Barrel © 2017 exclusively for www.overdrive.ie
OD – Can you give us an update on the new album as it’s scheduled for a Spring release next year? Is it pretty much complete at this stage?
JOCKE – We actually finished the recording of the album just before we went out on tour, so now it`s in the mixing stages.
OD – Was there anything different about the approach to the new album that you tried and if so what?
JOCKE – Yeah this time we recorded the album in Martins studio in Gothenburg so there was no stress at all during the process! Things have been going really well and we are just really looking forward to betting the album out.
OD – The new track ‘Have Mercy on Me’ (see below) was recently released, would this be a good indication of what we can expect from the album?
JOCKE – If you ask me I can say that even if “Have Mercy On Me” is a very catchy song and I like it a lot and it just seemed like the perfect track to give a sort of appetizer to what to expect but I can tell you that there are much stronger songs to come. You won’t be disappointed!
OD – Are there plans for any other singles/videos from the album and if so what?
We are dropping a new single December 13th called “Baboon“, so keep your eyes (and ears) to the ground for that.
OD – I understand that this is the first time that you will be sharing the road/stage with Fozzy. Have you met any of the guys in the band prior to the tour and can you explain the way it’s going to work as it’s a joint headline tour. Will you be taking turns to close the show each night?
JOCKE – We had never met or toured with Fozzy before, but now that we have all met each other all I can say is that they are just an awesome group of guys. Regarding the shows, Fozzy will be closing the shows in the U.K. and Ireland and we will be closing in the rest of Europe.
OD – Are there plans to play a good portion of new tracks on the forthcoming live shows or will you wait until after the album is officially released?
JOCKE – We were actually talking about this over the last few weeks and decided that the best thing to do would be to just place “Have Mercy On Me” on this tour and save the rest of the material until the album is officially released.
OD – Do you find that there is a resurgence of bands playing the sleaze rock sound from the golden era of the 80’s and if so, do you think that that the genre could reach the levels that it was once before?
JOCKE – Yeah, for sure! There are a lot of new bands nowadays who are doing the 80’s sleaze rock thing, but I don’t think that the genre will reach that level as it had back in the days. Sadly! It was a combination of the explosion of MTV and the actual physical sales of the albums that helped the scene considerably. Things are so different now and kids react to bands in a different way than they used to which really is a shame.
OD – What is your opinion on a band such as Steel Panther, who although is somewhat of a parody band but are reaping the rewards for what they do?
JOCKE – I love Steel Panther and I wish them best of luck!
OD – Having been around now for twenty years, there is no doubt that you have seen many things change within the industry. Do you find that keeping a band touring, recording etc is getting progressively more difficult or with all the DIY assets available these days, has it made things easier?
JOCKE – Yeah it has changed and it´s harder these days but at the same time it´s easier for new bands to promote themselves by using the internet! It´s like you just have to go with the flow.
OD – Looking back, would you change anything or are you happy with the path HCSS has taken so far?
JOCKE – It has been the most important 20 years in my life so I don’t regret anything!
OD – As mentioned earlier, when the album is out, will there be plans for another headline tour through Europe?
JOCKE – Yeah, when the album is out we’re doing Europe again and the U.S. Japan and Austrailia so lots of things planned. We’ll try to get to as many places as possible on that tour.
OD – Following this tour with Fozzy, what are the reminder of the band’s plans for 2017?
JOCKE – This is the last tour for this year, then we start again in January in Scandinavia! So, we just get to chill a little and get the final mix on the album behind us and get ready for a very busy 2018. We can’t wait to get the new album out and get the tour going.
OD – What is your go-to album that you simply cannot live without?
JOCKE – Well, that has to be Savatage: “Power of the Night”
OD – Have you ever met one of your idols and if so who and where?
JOCKE – I have met a lot of idols, but a special moment was when I sat down with Lemmy (Motorhead)in his tour bus and talked, drank and listened to music for 5 hours on a day off! It was just beyond awesome. That guy was and still is, a total legend and one of a kind.
For more information on Hardcore Superstar, please visit this link. Catch the guys live with Fozzy, Madame Mayhem and The Last Band on select dates which you can find on this link.
Oran O’Beirne
© OVERDRIVE.IE 2017
