Loudside.com: So how does it feel to be a part of this years Sounds Of The Underground?

Anders: It's a good vibe. You know, cool people out here.....if you gotta spend your summer somewhere, and you're not home, this is the thing ya know. Yeah we enjoy it, we're happy to be here.

Loudside.com: So how would you compare Sounds of the Underground to Ozzfest?

Anders: Umm, It's more laid back. It's less divided between headliners and openers so to speak, and uh, it's a better vibe overall. It's not as strict ya know. You can walk around and talk to everybody, including the crew. When we played Ozzfest it was more of "You gotta be here! Behave!" and stuff like that, and you can't say this, you can't do that....it sucks. I mean, Ozzfest was good for us. It helped us promote out name to an audience we normally wouldn't play in front of, so we were honored to be asked to do that tour. But this is a whole different thing.

Loudside.com: On some of the online message boards, I've noticed some fans have been complaining, or rather not so much complaining, but they're discussing the set list and how the band isn't playing older material. How exactly is the set list decided, and does it change on a daily basis?

Anders: No it doesn't change everyday, especially on a show like this. You know we only have 40 minutes, which is 9 songs, and we obviously want to promote the latest album. There's always people who write stuff on the internet because it's so easy, you know. You hide behind your computer, and your identity is not shown, so it's easy to be tough. But the thing is, whenever we try to play older material, the audience don't react. And that's a fact. We've tried it many many times. And also, we wrote songs in a different way back then, you know. And they don't sound as good live as the new stuff. I mean we were younger and in the studio you put layers upon layers of guitars,  but as soon as you hit the live environment it's hard to reproduce the two guitars. And that's just something you learn along the way. And I don't ever wanna be in one of those bands that rely on their older material. We always wanna push forward, and do new stuff. We are extremely proud of all of our albums so far..I mean, they've gotten us this far. But I doubt you would ever see In Flames touring only for 'The Jester Race', you know, stuff like that. We try to be diverse, but it's a matter of fact that we have more fans today who got into In Flames by the later material ya know. And, I also want people to find the new stuff and then trace the history backward. I would be extremely uhhh, psyched if heard "Man I love this band" and then "Oh wow, they have 8 albums already, geez....alot of things to look out for." And then they go out and buy the older material.

Louside.com: On your Live DVD, you do a cover of Pantera's "Fucking Hostile." Are there any plans to record or release a studio version of that?

Anders: No, no. That was just a one off thing. We probably won't ever play that song again. It was because of what happened, when he got shot, it was at that time. It was our way, our tribute to Dimebag, you know. I don't wanna play covers all the time, I mean...I don't wanna live off somebody's name either. I mean it would be easy to go out there and say "Oh let's play this for Dime" you know. We did it once to show our respect, and....it's enough.

Loudside.com: I read online about the Poker nights you guys have going on....

Anders: Yeah, we just got off one....You ruined my poker game (laughs)..

Loudside.com: How did that get started, and do members of all the bands on the tour get involved, or is it just certain bands?

Anders: All the people in our band play. But then we have some people from As I Lay Dying, some of the Chariot guys, Converge who were on the tour for 2 dates, they played. Some of the promoters and stuff. Everybody's welcome, ya know. Even if we play cash games, it's easy for everyone to jump in, and go out whenever you want. Sometimes we play tournaments. And we just came from Vegas, and I played the whole day. I just went back to do the show, shower, and then straight back to the casino...I Love it!

Loudside.com: So I hear that you guys are working on new material. Anything you can tell me about that?

Anders: No I mean it's too early to tell. We have to start thinking about it because...for the first time ever, we have a portable studio with us on the tour. Only this year we were home for about 3 months, so time is very limited and when we go back we don't wanna go straight into work you know. It would be nice to have some time off as well, to recharge the batteries. But yeah, were working on some stuff, it's just really to early to tell. I don't think it will be a major change, but there will be some new stuff. From album to album there's always going to be a little change, like there should be. We'll see....

Loudside.com: A little experimentation, or progression as it were?

Anders: Yeah, in whatever form you would like to call it.

Loudside.com: After this you guys will be doing the European leg of the Unholy Alliance. Any comments on that?

Anders: It's AWESOME! I mean, we've toured with Slayer before, and they're an awesome band and they always treat their opening bands so nice. We've become friends with some of the guys, and it's gonna be really cool. And it's always an honor to play with a band that you looked up to and were an influence when you were younger, you know. A band that you grew up listening to.

Loudside.com: You recently shot the video for the albums title track "Come Clarity". How was it shooting out in the California Desert?

Anders: Sweaty (laughs). Lex did a great job though, and it was very fast and really smooth. That was the first time we worked with a new guy for quite some time. We used Patrick for 2 albums now basically. So it was a new experience. The desert is not made for swedish people. (laughs)

Loudside.com: You guys don't have that out there....

Anders: Not really no....

Loudside.com: Isn't it like 6 months of darkness in Sweden?

Anders: Yeah it is, I mean it depends on where you live. We live south in Sweden you know. So that is not as bad. But up north it is either really dark or bright all day. At night time, it's like this (referring to the afternoon sunlight). It's fucked up. We played a festival up north in Sweden...we played in the middle of the night, and I got sun in my eyes. It's weird.

Loudside.com: How do you decide which songs you're going to do videos for, with each new album?

Anders: For the first one, "Take This Life", It's like punishing, in your face. We just wanted to do something brutal, in your face. It would have been easy to do "Come Clarity", because it's such an open song that even non-metalheads could take you know. It's more like a pop song. So we uhhh....now we kind of have to do it. It's also a discussion with the record label. For the first song, we were like we wanna do this, and everybody was like Ok, do it. I think there's a couple of singles on this album, but we'll see.

Loudside.com: So you guys might do a few more maybe?

Anders: It depends. It depends on the outcome now of "Come Clarity", but we might do another one, yeah.

Loudside.com: So how has it been going from Nuclear Blast to Ferret...

Anders: Why??

Loudside.com: Well that too, but are there any big differences?

Anders: Yeah it's a HUGE difference, I mean, Now we are a priority and we work with a label that knows how to sell albums. Nuclear Blast didn't want to sell albums, they were just relying on when we were touring, and they didn't promote it the right way. We were touring our ass off, and kids just couldn't find our albums in the store. I mean, we play a show like this, and the kids wanna buy our album and they can't find it, they'll forget about it because there's new releases every month, every week ya know. The average person doesn't have shitloads of money to be buying 3 or 4 albums everytime, and soon they forget about you ya know. It's just a fact.
I mean, at Nuclear Blast they did great for us, and I'm happy with what they've done for us in the past. But it was time for us to move on. I felt sometimes, and this might sound weird, but they were too much of fans of the music only. We were like, you need to sell albums, that's why we're in the business. And I mean, you gotta have a professional side as well. If we do an album, and they're like "Ah I don't like this, I want In Flames to do 'The Jester Race' again, and again, and again.." And it's like dude, your personal feelings..you might think that, but now you work at a record label. Your job is to sell albums...and that's it. I mean, if I wasn't interested in selling albums, I could be home, recording for myself and just give it out to a few friends. But I want people to buy our albums...that's for sure. Not just....I will never sell out and do something that I didn't feel like doing, but I still wanna.....sell the shit, you know.
We left on good terms, I mean.....that label made us who we are, but it was time to move on, do something else...shake things up a little bit.

Loudside.com: Did you get any other offers in between, or did you consider any other offers?

Anders: We had alot of different offers. Ferret said the right things to us, and it's very important that we have control of the music, what we do. Nobody can say "Do this, do that". Let's say 'Come Clarity' is doing great, and some label comes to us and says "You gotta make another two songs like that". We'd be like Fuck you guys you know. We do it on our terms or there won't be nothing. I've never been on a Major (label), but my impression of a major would be like you have to satisfy a board of whatever people. And if you lose your A&R guy for instance....these days everybody gets sacked left and right you know....then you have nobody, the guy or woman, that found you. Then you're stuck with people that just see money,money, money. Like I said, we do it on our terms, and Ferret said the right things. I feel really good.

Loudside.com: And what the story overseas?

Anders: We're still with Nuclear Blast. I mean, it's a whole different story. Here they work together with Century Media. Nuclear Blast is the little sister or little brother label, you know. But in Europe they're HUGE. It's a huge indie label, almost major...but....a major indie, definitely. And uh, that's feels really good. And we know we are a priority there, so I am totally satisfied with what they've done in Europe.

Loudside.com: So you guys are basically WAY bigger in Europe than you are here, right?

Anders: Yeah...yeah we are bigger in Europe. But it's getting better here too, ya know. But we never focused on a single market you know, we toured the world. I'd rather be a decent act all over the place than just big in....British Columbia.

Loudside.com: You guys have obviously been able to see the progression, and the band getting bigger here in the states though?

Anders: Yeah, I mean, with this album we sold more than we ever have before.We're happy. We pull alot more people when we play live. We did a really successful headline tour, the first one back in February. There were alot of people...we've never had so many people at our shows before, ya know. I mean, like between 1,500 to 3,500, and it's crazy. It's really really good. And that's the same numbers we used to have in Europe.

Loudside.com: So do you have any tour plans lined up after the Unholy Alliance?

Anders: There are talks about new tours, but we'll see. I mean we might come over here again sometime in....December maybe. But see, we've already done three tours with this one in America, so it depends on the offers. If it looks good. It would be be good with some off time as well.

Loudside.com: Well you've done two headliners already, and now Sounds...

Anders: Yeah, now this, and the headline tour in Europe as well, which was a long one. And before the Unholy Alliance, we fly to Korea and Japan you know.....we're busy....