Loudside.com had the opportunity to sit down with former Soilwork guitarist Ola Frenning last Fall, during the bands first ever U.S. arena tour supporting Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage. (The tour would unfortunately end up being his last as a member of Soilwork). Earlier in the day we met up with Ola on the band's tour bus to discuss everything Soilwork related......from having a hand in producing their latest album 'Sworn To A Great Divide', to working on the video for "Exile" in front of a green screen, to what band he would want to tour with the most......Here's what Ola had to say about all that and more.....

Loudside.com: So tell me, how has the tour been for you guys?

Ola: I mean, it's been great. Huge tour, alot of people, and it's just been great!

Loudside.com: And this is your first time, well besides Ozzfest obviously, but your first time doing a full stadium tour, right?

Ola: Yeah, umm, yeah it is actually. And it's been great. There's alot of new curious faces in the crowd, and it means alot to us.

Loudside.com: And you guys are having a good crowd response, despite being the opening band?

Ola: Oh yeah, definitely!

Loudside.com: Ok cool. Now you guys have made alot of headway from the last album to the new one, selling over 5,000 copies in the first week. You guys also hit Billboard's Top 200. How did it feel to hear that kind of news?

Ola: (laughs) Of course, it's fun, ya know. I mean, we were working alot with the new album, and so we were a little bit nervous about how people were gonna react to it. But of course we were glad. I mean, even if it was like, way down on the Billboard or whatever it is, we were still there. So....it feels kind of cool (laughs).

Loudside.com: (laughing) That's a good thing. I mean, for any band that's more extreme to hit the Billboard, it's not really an easy thing to do.....

Ola: Well, see I have nothing to relate to, you know what I mean. So I don't know, is it that good to go on Billboard...ya know?

Loudside.com: For a metal band.....I mean, in the last 10 years, I'd say very few genuine metal bands have made it. The more commercial bands sure.....but yes, it's definitely a good thing.

Ola: Cool.

Loudside.com: Ok, now you guys, or rather you specifically did quite a bit of producing on the new album with Peter from Darkane. Was there any reason why you wanted to do more of it yourself this time?

Ola: I think it just came more natural. I mean, the thing was that we were talking and planning what to do for the next recording of the album. And during the time we were doing all the planning for  that one, we were on tour with Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad. And Bjorn said if he could choose, he wanted to do the vocals with Devin. And we said, well that's cool. In that case, we can just concentrate on all the music. So we decided not to book a studio far away from home, and have like five weeks to do everything. So instead, we took the studio in our hometown, the Darkane studio, and we just took our time, and it came really natural, since we had that much time to do the album. We could produce more or less by ourselves. We have a little bit of experience.......(laughs)

Loudside.com: I mean, from A Predator's Portrait, to Natural Born Chaos, to Figure Number Five, you guys were putting stuff out pretty fast. And then you took more time on the last one, and this one as well. I'm assuming that was due to having to find a new guitarist and whatnot?

Ola: Yeah, that as well. I mean, there was alot of touring with 'Stabbing', and also we got new management and a new booking agent, and all of a sudden they thought, "We can still do some more touring....we haven't been here or there, blah blah..." So we just went on........

Loudside.com: Ok...now with Daniel coming into the band, how much input did he have on the new album?

Ola: Most of the songs were already written basically. But he......in the short time where he became the permanent member of the band, he had alot of input. I mean, the final..how would you say it....final test or whatever. I mean we tried out alot of guitar player, and the final thing was for us to see how it will work out to write a song together. And that's when 'Sworn To A Great Divide' came up, and me and Daniel had these riffs going on and working together on that one, and it came out great. So he had some input on this album.

Loudside.com: Ok cool. And how was it working with Daniel, as opposed to your Nephew?

Ola: (sighs) It's different of course. Peter, he wrote his songs......he came up with the final songs, and he would ask 'Is this good, or is there anything you wanna change and so on. But this time we were working more, but the whole band was more involved the whole way through the songs, so to speak. But that's maybe the biggest difference.

Loudside.com: Ok. Now I didn't personally know this previously, until I watched the dvd that came with the cd, but Speed plays guitar.....

Ola: Yeah.....

Loudside.com: .....Does he contribute riffs as well?

Ola: Oh yeah! I mean, he came up with a bunch of riffs. I was listening to them, and there were some of the riffs that I was thinking 'wow, this riff is great', so I started to maybe work from that point. "Exile" for example is one of his riffs. And yeah, he has alot of ideas. And also he wrote songs from the beginning to the end as well....

Loudside.com: And he's done that on previous albums as well?

Ola: Yeah, he's had ideas, and then he plays them for us. And then we record them for the demo......

Loudside.com: Ok, right on. Now you guys shot the video for "Exile" before the album came out. How was it doing that video....I mean, with the special effects and stuff?

Ola: Kind of stressful. But all in all, it came out pretty good. We wanted to have a video out before the release of the album, and also because we were about to do a tour before the album was released. So we said it might be a good idea to get a video out. And it was kind of fun to do it. So everything was kind of stressful. We got in contact with this director, and he said 'Ok, I have this idea about doing this and that....what do you say' and we said 'Yeah, sure let's go for it'. We didn't know anything about what was gonna happen actually, and how it would look. So we just came up one day and did all this shooting on the green screen thing, and then he made the whole story.

Loudside.com: Now how was it to do.....I mean, I know in the video when the girl moves the amp, you guys all move to one side. How was it to do all that?

Ola: Yeah......he just, he screamed 'When I count to three, move this way, and that way......blah, blah, blah. (laughing). It was kind of funny. But you know, it's either that, or you can have this kind of.....you know, the band on the stage all the time. And we were thinking it would be fun to do something else. Like, what we say in Sweden, some kind of Eye Candy......Candy for the Eyes. So it came out pretty funny.....

Loudside.com: Ok. And do you guys have any plans to shoot another video anytime soon, and if so, is there any song in particular?

Ola: Yeah. Well, we don't know the song yet. It's hard to decide, because there's so many songs that could fit as a cool video. And right now we're recording some stuff from the tour, so maybe we'll just try to do some like low budget clips together kind of thing for one song. And yeah, there's gonna be another video. We just don't know which song yet.......

Loudside.com: Ok.....cool. Also, are there plans or is there anything you guys are working on for an official DVD?

Ola: We are working on it. But I would say we aren't very enthusiastic, because we are so lazy (laughing). It's so hard to record all the time. The best thing would be to have a guy that we actually paid to film, even if we are pissed off or whatever, someone to always be filming. Because if we're gonna release a DVD, I really want to have alot of the backstage stuff going on. Because if I buy a DVD from my favorite band, I'm not into wanting to see the live show. I would want to see more of like what's happening on the road, and in the dressing rooms and all that kind of thing, ya know. Like the Pantera home videos ya know? That's more fun. So we want to have alot of stuff from that. Because to record a good show, you know, with the technology today, it's not that big of a deal. But the other stuff......

Loudside.com: Yeah for sure. Because the fans come to the show and see you onstage, so they know what all that's like. And of course, it's great to have that, but maybe some of them want to see what you do on your time off, or backstage...

Ola: Yeah, and that's why we put that show out, on the limited edition dvd.....there's one show recorded, with no dubbing or whatever. I mean, that's it, and I think that's fun to see. You get to watch and maybe hear a little bit of the mistakes or whatever. Not too serious. But we are working on it, and we will try to do it in 2008, we'll try to make a DVD, definitely!

Loudside.com: Right on. Now there are a couple of members of Soilwork that are involved in other bands. Is Soilwork the main band for everyone involved?

Ola: Yes, it is. I mean, when you play together for this long, sometimes maybe....you don't get tired, but it's fun to do other stuff. I don't have any side projects. I write songs sometimes that definitely has nothing to do with Soilwork. And I jam a little bit with my friends back home, you know, playing like old ZZ Top songs or whatever. And Bjorn likes more of the thrashy kind of things, like Terror 2000. But it's always fun to have some other thing going on.

Loudside.com: And is there any real reason why you don't?

Ola: I mean, I'm pretty much comfortable as it is. I mean, I'm not that much into like....if I were to do like a side project, I don't care if it would end up being an album or not. As long as I could play and do other stuff, just to have fun. You know, have a case of beer, and play with friends. As I said, like blues jamming or rock and roll jamming or whatever. It's all fun.

Loudside.com: Ok cool. Now I know you guys have a tour with Throwdown lined up for early next year.....what are the bands plans after that, and is there any chance of a U.S. Summer Festival?

Ola: Umm, I don't know. Before we do the Throwdown tour, we have a Finnish tour coming up, like one week. And we go to Estonia, and Lithia as well. And then we're coming back with this long tour, so I guess we're gonna pretty much cover up the whole country. Because it's....what is it, more than five week tour. And then I know we have alot of European festivals. I don't know anything yet about American festivals. It would be fun to do though, since we haven't done that many....except Ozzfest. But, there is a few of them......I don't know (laughing).

Loudside.com: (laughing) Ok.......Now for you personally, what band or musician has had the biggest influence on you?

Ola: (taking time to think about it)......I would say bands like....the early bands, I mean bands like Deep Purple for example, have been a great inspiration for me. Also Thin Lizzy, with the twin guitar going on. I mean, there's alot of bands that have the twin guitar, but the way that Thin Lizzy has it, it's just....it's just awesome. These kind of bands definitely.

Loudside.com: Ok, cool. Now if it were up to you, what band would you want to tour with more than any other?

Ola: Wow, good question! Ummmm, I would say......today I would say....Led Zeppelin!! (Laughing) I know they're doing things again. That would be a cool thing to do.......