It’s been 24 years since Brandsta City Släckers became the favorite among Melodifestivalen’s youngest viewers with “Kom och ta mig”. Now their fans from back then may be parents themselves in front of the television.
– Yes, it’s so much fun that we get to meet a whole new audience of children. Many say that we are one of the broadest bands in Sweden when you look at the age of the audience. We also have a lot of older people who were with us on our last trip.
You were big at the 2002 and 2003 Melodie festivals, why was there a comeback?
– There have been some discussions about rejoining over the years. But only after we did the interlude with Edvin Törnblom last year did it come true. When we stood there at Scandinavium the reception was absolutely crazy. So we thought the arena was going to explode. Afterwards, many people said: “You have to make a comeback!”
How did you keep your career going during these years?
– We played quite a bit. Some years we played ten gigs, other years we played 20. Suddenly we were on TV and then it increased a bit. After the hysterical years, things became more difficult over time, but we were also able to lead a normal life. But now we are preparing for an emergency.
Do you still have your civilian jobs as firefighters?
– We have the privilege of finishing a little earlier than ordinary mortals because we worked in the emergency services. Four out of five have now left, but our bassist Uffe is allowed to continue working as a normal person. It’s like we’ve had two jobs since our breakthrough at Brandsta. Now we can focus on one thing and it feels absolutely wonderful.
I guess you don’t have the same problem with your outfit as other artists?
– No, ours is already completely finished, isn’t it? We have the same alarm system as when we broke through. I usually say they are washed a hundred thousand times. But they have just been to a seamstress and updated a bit. These are the original places where we used to go for the alarm.
Tell us about your new song.
– Of course it’s about speed, joy, energy and warmth. You’ll be happy and it’s a Brandsta song, but it doesn’t sound like “Come and take me” without disparaging it – it was produced in 2002. “Rakt in i elden” is 2026, we ourselves call it Brandsta 2.0. And it’s not straight into the fire as a firefighter, but straight into the fire, so to speak, for you and me. It’s about relationships. Now we’re going, like this. Straight into the fire!
Did your partners think it would be okay for you to move out again?
– Yes, but it is clear that we had to start the dialogue because it will be an intense summer. But they have been on the journey before and know what it entails.
Is Melodifestivalen the same as 2002?
– It’s different. It’s a completely different technology today. You now have completely different requirements to do a cool number. We’ll probably never do a performance like that again. It’s going to be so much fun.
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