Bård Torstensen, guitarist, record producer and longtime member of Rap Metal band Clawfinger, has chatted with Metal Imperium and discussed the recording process of the new album, called “Before We All Die”, released through Perception Label - A division of Reigning Phoenix Music, on the 20th of February. The guitarist told us about what it is like to deliver an album 19 years later from the previous one, guitar riffs, past and present, anger and much more. A very interesting chat!
M.I. - Hi there, Bård. What a great honour it is to interview the founder, longtime member of Clawfinger and pioneer of Rap Metal. How are you?
I’m a little bit cold. It’s minus five and snowing like hell here, but I also like it. I like the snow, so my current state it’s like: “I’m getting old!”. I don’t mind. It’s fine! We have a band going. We have a new album, we are both recording new songs, releasing stuff, playing festivals and tours. So, I couldn’t be better! I’m perfect!
M.I. - Nice to hear that! It’s been 19 years since the last Clawfinger album. What made this the right moment to return?
It was 19 years with no albums, you know? It’s just the thing that back in 2008/2009, just off to the previous album, the record sales just dropped, you know? We sold a lot of records before, CDs and albums. That was like an important income to make the band work. It’s like standing! You have 2 feet to standing. You just take one of them. It’s like only touring left. So, we decided that if we wanted to tour and make a living full out of it, we had to tour all the time and we didn’t want that. We’re getting old.
So, it’s like: “Let’s try to do some kind of way semi-professional!”. We decided to just find a job at home and do all the best gigs that we wanted to do. In that process, we stopped meeting up, writing songs. It was pretty natural not to write at that time.
But then, after a few years it started going: “We have to release a new song! I want to write a new song!”.
After a while, it was like: “Ok! We have 5 new songs!”. Back to 2/3 years ago it’s like: “Let’s try to do a new album! Let’s write some more songs and try to do a new album!”.
Our manager said: “Yeah! Let’s do a new album before we all die!”, he said. And it’s like: “Yeah! We got the title: “Before We all Die”! That’s the reason for the title of the album!
We all started just sitting in different countries: the keyboard player, who is producing and mixing, is sitting up in the North of Sweden. Zack, the singer, is in Stockholm. We started exchanging files, back and forth. It was a different process, but it was really interesting to see how close you can get, even though you’re so far away. So, we managed to do that in the end!
M.I. - How did your relationship with music change during those 19 years?
My relationship has not changed at all! It’s always been the same. From when I was a kid, around 17 years old and decided that in my head and heart, that I wanted to be a guitar player in a Rock band. From that, I had exactly the same focus! I wanted to make a living out of music, because I totally loved it and I still do. I love the whole process of being in a band: I like the production, I like to learn different instruments, learn all the stuff: the technical stuff that is coming out, equipment! I like to be there, sing new things, how they all set up together! To see what the record company does, how is the promotion. I’m totally into the whole thing, even though I’m not really good at all that stuff, but it’s more like I’m so interested. I want to see what it’s like.
M.I. - How did you approach writing guitar parts for “Before We All Die” compared to earlier Clawfinger’s albums?
Exactly the same way! You’re sitting down with a beat, playing for hours and recording stuff, small bits and pieces and then just leave it, pick it up again and maybe a week later, listen to the stuff I’ve done, because when you’re working at the moment, you can’t judge if it’s good or bad, but if you go away and come back, you’re suddenly a listener. So then, you can listen to the stuff you did. It’s like being an outsider myself in some kind of way! That’s the way I always did: I recorded stuff, took a cup of coffee, went to sleep, got back, listened and then this is like: “This is good! This is bad!”. Then it’s possible after this, you take this part and combine it with that part and then you make songs that way.
M.I. - Are there riffs on this album that feel especially personal to you?
Yeah! I guess it’s The scum riff I think it’s very much Clawfinger, because it’s a very amusing slide guitar. There aren’t many Hard Rock bands that you slide guitar for the riffs. I guess I can say scum riff is very typical and the one that I’m proud of.
M.I. - Do you see this album more as a continuation of your past work or as a fresh start?
Both! Both, because we do stuff the way we did it earlier, you know? But at the same time, it’s like we didn’t really think that we were able to release a new album. So, now it’s like we suddenly make a new album and it’s like: “Wow! We did it! We didn’t know we’re going to do that!”. So, it’s both: the same thing we always did and a fresh start.
M.I. - After such a long hiatus, how did the chemistry within the band feel in the studio?
As I told you, the studio is on different countries. We were sitting one person here, one person there and a third person. So, we didn’t really meet up in the studio, but I guess the studio meeting was like me and Jocke speaking right now. That was the studio!
M.I. - Clawfinger’s music has always carried a strong emotional charge. How do you channel that through the guitar rather than words?
It’s more like it’s something you do from the gut, you know? It’s like you do something and feel it’s right, you know? I don’t think much. It’s more like this is suitable for that part. I can’t really explain by words! It’s more like something you feel! This is right and this isn’t! It’s hard to put words to it, but it’s more like: “Ok! I decide to use it and throw away this!”. That’s the way it is!
M.I. - Do you think anger is still a necessary fuel for heavy music today?
Yes! Anger is connected in our senses! It’s connected to politics and politics are very important to express through Clawfinger’s music! That has always been the thing for us! We are using our anger towards problems in the world and expressing that! It’s not like we are going to save the world, but at least we can scream about what’s wrong and I know that a lot of people around me are very happy about that! It’s like: “Oh! It’s so good! I can scream out my fucking anger!”.
M.I. - “Before We All Die” feels urgent and confrontational. Did that urgency influence how you played or wrote?
Yes! Yes! That’s what I can say! It’s always when you see stuff all around you and what’s going in the world. To give an example… I say: “We need to have a song about war in this album, about Ukraine and Gaza!”. So, we wrote one song about it! That was important to express our views on these wars! So, yes!
M.I. - Do you see this album as a form of protest, therapy, or both?
Exactly! Protest therapy is a very new word, but the third factor is that we really love making music, nonetheless we love making music exactly that way! To use the strength of anger and to protest! So, anger, protest, politics and Clawfinger music are very much together!
M.I. - What do you hope fans notice first when they hear your guitar work on this album and how do you think longtime fans will react to this record?
I don’t have a clue! We had some reviews already and they are really good, but friends around they haven’t heard it yet. So, it’s always exciting to see what friends say. It is what it is! We did our best! I hope that it’s good enough for people and what I really want is people going crazy when they hear the music.
M.I. - Has making “Before We All Die” changed how you see Clawfinger’s future?
Maybe! Maybe, because I didn’t think we were able to do another album, you know?! But now it seems like we can do it! Maybe we’ll do another one! I don’t know! So, yes, It changed how I see the future of the band!
M.I. - If this were the band’s final album, would you feel creatively fulfilled?
Yeah! Right now, I feel fulfilled, but what about in here? Maybe it’s starting up again! Firing up again. Maybe in one year it’ll be like: “I don’t want to do that anymore!”. I don’t know! But right now, it’s always like that after you release an album or just before it’s like: “This is good!”. I made this far and it’s like I feel really fulfilled, but I know myself. In a year or two it’s like: “Let’s do something more!” (laughs).
M.I. - How important are riffs in carrying the message of these songs alongside Zak’s vocals?
It’s what we do! It’s been the trademark for the band and that’s the way! We met up in 1990, me and Zak. We made a riff with Rap on it and it started from there! That’s in some kind of way the basics of the band. So, yeah! Both are really important!
M.I. - What surprises can fans expect from this tour and which countries are you going to visit?
It’s mostly going to be Central Europe for the first leg of the tour, then, after that, we don’t know! Maybe we come to Portugal, I don’t know, but it’s not on the list now, because first, we have primary market. Then, let’s see how it goes, if there’s room to do something more. Then, some kind of ways if we can spread a little more: Spain, Portugal. But nothing is decided!
M.I. - Is there a guitarist — past or present — you still admire for their attitude rather than technical skill?
When I started playing the guitar, that was Angus Young! I could learn, because he played pretty simple: I could find out, listening to the record and finding out what he did! When I was sixteen, I listened a lot to Angus Young, Toni Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore. These three were the first guitarists I tried to copy, until I started doing my own music. And after that, it was Eddie Van Halen. He was totally amazing and I loved his playing! I started listening to a lot to Jazz and Jazz Fusion I started liking to Sarah McLachlan very much! I like the way that Jerry Cantrell is riffing in Alice in Chains! There are so many good guitarists nowadays. Watching YouTube and it’s like: “Fuck! This guy is six years old he plays a lot better than me!”. (laughs).
M.I. - Thank you once again for this great opportunity. Any final words for the Portuguese fans, that have been waiting so patiently for this record?
I’m really humbled that people still like what we do! I really hope that you like it! If you don’t like it, just tell us, but if you do, I’m really happy! I’m also fulfilled if you say you don’t like it! That’s ok! We will continue to do what we do, for as long as it feels right!
But thank you, Portuguese fans! You’ve always been really, really good to us the times we’ve been to Portugal. I really hope we can play there promoting the new record, maybe in 2027.
For Portuguese version, click here
Listen to Clawfinger, on Spotify
Questions by Raquel Miranda
