„We’ve made a really strong Royal Republic record that’s totally true to ourselves, and we can’t wait to take it on the road.”, says front man Adam Grahn. Prague is welcoming them on the 17th of November, when they are – together with the British band Dinosaur Pile-Up and the Timem Vantolem from the Netherlands – performing in Prague’s Lucerna Music Bar.
Though the gutsy, fireball energy and sheer cockiness of 2010’s We Are The Royal and 2012’s Save The Nation put Malmo, Sweden’s Royal Republic on the map in some style, their latest opus Weekend Man is a bolder statement still. The band’s lanky, moustachioed frontman Adam Grahn says about the album: “Hearing these songs come together was a constant high. It took a little while, so we’re still processing the fact that the album’s actually done!”
Together with fellow guitarist Hannes Irengård, bassist Jonas Almén, and drummer Per Andreasson, Grahn hatched Weekend Man in Berlin, Germany. The group also recorded Save The Nation there, so Adam talks about Berlin as their second home by now, the base of operations. This time out, dynamic German production duo Christian Neander and Michael Tibes oversaw recording at Fuzz Factory Studios in the city’s Kreuzberg district.
Before forming late in 2007, all four members studied at Malmo’s prestigious Academy Of Music. As Adam points out, this has ensured that the communication between them “is like lightning”. Listening to Weekend Man, you will also notice Royal Republic’s keen understanding of all that is great about pop music. Hooks abound, and no matter how gritty or guillotine- sharp the music, every melody has been designed to wrap itself around your heart. Per is a big fan of producer Max Martin, who worked for Britney, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson and all. “Yeah, songwriting-wise, I’d say one of the strengths of Royal Republic is our healthy lack of respect for genre boundaries”, adds Hannes. “Whether it’s a Taylor Swift song or Led Zeppelin one, we draw on what we like and try to make it our own.”
Asked about just how far he and his bandmates have come, moreover, Royal Republic’s frontman sums-up nicely: “When we started out, it was almost laughable how different the four of us were. I’d be like “Hey! Did you guys see the game last night?’, and they’d go, ‘No. We don’t watch football…’ Today we’re a family – with all that comes with that – and I don’t think any of us would change it for the world.
Tickets are available from th 7th of July on for 350 CZK (+fee) at GoOut.cz, Ticketpro, Ticketportal, Eventim, musicbar.cz and at the cash desk of the LMB (without fee).
