Words by

Melkorka Licea

Since they released their debut album four years ago, Sudden Weather
Change have carved a unique nook where ’90s lo-fi grunge meets
tight-knit indie rock. The band, which took home the 2010 Icelandic
Music Award for ‘Best Newcomer,’ is now back in business with a newly
released sophomore album titled ‘Sculpture.’ We took this opportunity to
speak with Bergur Thomas Anderson (bassist and singer) and Logi
Höskuldsson (guitarist and singer) about their new creation and what’s
next for these young up-and-comers.

MORE FOCUS AND DIRECTION
How does ‘Sculpture’ differ from ‘Stop! Handgrenade in the name of crib-death ‘nderstand’ in terms of sound?
Logi Höskuldsson: I think it’s more mature and we had many more influences, especially from ambient and electronic genres.
Bergur Thomas Anderson: The new songs have more soundscapes and we were thinking more about the atmosphere we were creating than we did on the last album. We focused not only on having a list of songs, but having a cohesive album that conveys the same atmosphere or texture.
Logi: We also thought about the structure of the songs much more and moved away from simple chord progressions.
Bergur: It’s definitely more focused.
Logi: There is also more experimentation.
Bergur: Our first album was more like a collection of fifteen individual songs whereas this album is more like a journey from start to finish.
Where do you get inspiration for the lyrics?
Logi: Well I’m always thinking about this man on a raft with no destination. I’m not quite sure how that influences the lyrics, but it comes to mind a lot.
Bergur: Everything is very much about a typical day—really average content. It’s not about mystical beings or outer space. For our first album we would each write and sing different parts, but there was no connection; it was more like a collage. But with this one we sat down and had a conversation about the lyrics.
Logi: A good example is “New Motive,” which we wrote in three parts. The first is about a man who is a writer but is no longer famous. The second part is about the same man and how he is becoming famous again now that he is old. And the third part is about the publishers’ view and the fans’ reactions. It’s about what happens after becoming famous, and basically nothing happens, and I think it’s funny.
LESS DRINKING AND TALKING
How would you describe your ideal audience?
Logi: We really thought about the audience for this album. At performances for our last album the audience didn’t wear shirts, they were hammered, and they would go crazy. They didn’t necessarily listen to our music.
Bergur: They just wanted to get drunk and dance around with us, which was really fun.
Logi: Yeah, it’s great, but we want them to really listen to our music this time. Basically if people don’t talk during our performance then I’m happy. I would like them to just watch and listen. Pretty much just not talk.
Your past works all have a very ‘90s grunge feel to them. Can we expect the same with the new album?
Logi: There was once a review that saw right through us saying that we were trying to be this nineties band. So for this album we made a conscious decision to change our sound and make more calculated decisions. We took out a lot of the feedback we were doing before because we felt like it just wasn’t us anymore. We wanted to do something more and to find ‘our’ sound, not a ‘90s sound. Maybe we are on our way to that new sound with ‘Sculpture’ but it still has ‘90s influence.
Bergur: We are still doing the ‘90s guitar thing, but without this teenage angst undertone.
A SLOW BIRTH
What was the process of making ‘Sculpture’ like?
Bergur: The process was a slow birth. We were a little scared while we were doing it because we became so interested in changing our sound and we lost a band member in the middle of making it, so we couldn’t quite decide if we wanted to only have four members or find someone else.
Logi: Losing a band member definitely changed the outcome and allowed us to be more focused.
Bergur: There is a lot more room or space in the entire sound because we are fewer now. There is not as much going on.
Logi: Yeah, the lines are far more focused.
Bergur: And every detail matters.
Logi: There is no longer this wall of sound with three guitars and one bass.
Bergur: We also aren’t yelling anymore, or at least not as much. Before it was often like a competition of who could scream and play the loudest and fastest. We would write songs with those kinds of motives.

If your band had an alter ego what would it be?
Logi: The Beatles: two vocalists, two guitar players, bass and drums. And that’s also our favourite band. We are typical guys.