Rob: Give us a brief background history of Frame and where you are from...
Robert Westin: Kristian Kallio, Robert Westin and Andreas Ragnarsson started to play together when they were 16 years old. We continued to play together with different line-ups, until we moved to different cities. In late –97 we came together in Gothenburg and started FRAME as a power-trio. Fredrik Olsson (also guitarist in Lost Horizon) would later become the bass player as a hired gun, though not getting paid ;), and we performed some gigs together as a quartet before recording “Closer to the Myth than Zero”
Rob: You guys have more of an upbeat busy riff sound than your average stoner rock band (that is to say you guys aren`t average!), what would you guys say is the `Frame` Sound, and what are some of your collective influences?
Robert Westin: We have a wide range of influences and all of us have gone through all kinds of different musical phases throughout the years that probably have led to the music that is created today by us. Our original influences is eighties hardrock which is more upbeat. The seventies rock is an influence from later on in our musical lives. And the result is somewhere in between.
Rob: How often do you guys jam? I would assume a lot since you have a super tight sound.
Robert Westin: In the beginning we were all unemployed and single so we practically lived in the rehearsal studio, we practised anything from 3 – 5 days a week, since then we have always tried to get in 3 times a week for about 2-4 hours, unless we have an upcoming gig where we might rehearse a little more frequent to nail those last lines or beats.
Rob: What are some of the future plans for Frame/Perpetual Burn?
Robert Westin: We want to see how far we can take this rock n’ roll machine of ours, we have big dreams like everyone else that is in a band. First off we want to get a crapload of more gigs, both locally and going out in Europe. We are talking about going on a short tour in the states, but we need to rob a bank or something, before that is reality.
As for Perpetual Burn we`re already writing new stuff so if we don`t get to cooperate with a more resourceful label in the future, we`ll just continue to put our own music out. If you want something done, you do it yourself, right? We`ve been doing this for too long to just sit on our asses and wait for something to happen, so starting up Perpetual Burn is one of the best thing we`ve ever done.
Rob: What are some of the Desert / Stoner Rock bands that you guys like the most from the last decade?
Robert Westin: I just recently got involved in the “stoner” scene so my choices our pretty current. Grand Magus, Spiritual Beggars, DOWN, All things Zakk, COC…
Kristian Kallio: DOWN and COC rules this planet.
Andreas Ragnarsson: C.O.C, Down
Rob: What are some of your favorite classic rock bands?
Robert Westin: Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Led Zeppelin, Whitesnake
Black Sabbath/Ozzy
Rob: How does Frame write a song? What is the process like?
Robert Westin: The three of us write the music together. We just drink some beers and jam on something, usually we know right away if we are on to something good. Most of the times KK and occasionally RW comes up with a riff and then AR adds on a beat and then RW tries out some song on top of that until he finds something that works. All the lyrics are written by RW.
Rob: How has the internet helped Frame?
Robert Westin: It’s been a huge help in spreading the word about FRAME, we are probably more known on the underground internet music communities than in our own hometown. We use emails to send requests and questions, and we look up interesting zines and magazines as well as labels and distributors on the ‘net. Our own homepage gets a couple of visitors every day and RW keeps updating it all the time.
Rob: What is the most frustrating thing about playing music for you guys?
Robert Westin: We believe the most frustrating thing for us in our situation is that we have awesome competition for gigs, and we didn’t grow up in this city, so we don’t get anything for free when it comes to friends knowing friends that can get you gigs. So that’s the absolute most frustrating part, that the gigs doesn’t come in as much as we want them to… especially since every place we’ve played has been super pleased with our performance, we constantly surprise people with our set.
Rob: What kind of equipment do you guys use? Do you like the vintage gear or newer stuff?
Robert Westin: We like the newer stuff…KK is using a Gibson Les Paul Special, Ibanez Custom made, a Rist, which was made by Roman Rist (LA) after KK’s wish list and at rare occasions he brings his Strat to rehearsal, further on he’s firing that up through an amazing sounding MESA boogie, dual rectumfighter. RW is using SM58’s and an old trusted Alesis quadraverb, when feeling bluesy the Hohner harmonicas pops out. AR’s using his Pearl world series, one floor, double-pedal, and one tom’, with some 2B sticks. FO uses a Fender Precision light with a Trace Elliot combo.
Rob: Is there anything you would like to add for the stonerrock.com community?
Robert Westin: Check out ` Closer to the myth than zero`, we know you’ll dig it...and finally, support your local rocker, attend live gigs in your area! Without you people at the shows the scene will wither and die.
Here is the part of the interview that we call the silly questions, just have fun with these and thanks again for the interview -
Rob: if you weren`t a rocker, what would you most like to be?
Robert Westin: – it would be cool to be an artist, draw paintings and shit and get a crapload of money.
Kristian Kallio: A nature photografer or an NHL hockey pro.
Andreas Ragnarsson: An artist of some kind
Rob: what was your worst gig and why? What was your best gig and why?
Robert Westin: We had a gig at the city theatre, the sound-guys sucked hairy nuts and it was almost impossible to hear what we played, no people and a schedule they skipped in so we had to run up on stage because another band failed to show up, no sound-check... it was terrible…
The best gig performing wise was probably our latest gig at Fellini in Uppsala, Sweden. We sounded really good and rocked out on stage, a small but appreciative crowd. We also had a couple of great gigs at local clubs Sticky Fingers and Pustervik right after we released the first demo CD “Framing our audience” where we had pretty much everyone at the club jumping and singing along in front of the stage.
Rob: top three movies, books and albums of all time?
Robert Westin: fuck, this is impossible… I’ll shoot from the hip on this one…
Films – Lord of the rings trilogy; Fear and loathing in Las Vegas; Reservoir Dogs
Books – William Gibson/Neuromancer; JRR Tolkien/Lord of the rings trilogy, Hobbit; S.King/Pet Cemetery (absolutely hated the movie)
Albums – Alice in Chains/Dirt; Iron Maiden/Number of the beast; Gn’R/Appetite for destruction
Kristian Kallio: The fellowship of the ring trilogy, Halloween, Escape from New York is top movies. The real Frank Zappa book is cool. I also enjoy the books of Finnish writer Arto Paasilinna.
Top 3 albums: FZ and the mothers "Roxy and elsewhere", Iron Maiden "Piece of mind", Alice Cooper "Billion dollar babies", Pride and glory "s/t" I just had to pick four.
Andreas Ragnarsson: (Films)Magnolia, Big Lebowski, Jerry Maguire. (Books) About a boy-Nick Hornby, A man in full-Tom Wolfe, My forename is Ronny- Ronny Ambjörnson. (Albums) The Smashing Pumpkins- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Guns n` Roses- Appetite for Destruction, D`angelo-Voodoo.
Rob: how often do you surf the net and what do you mostly do while online?
Robert Westin: Every day except weekends and holidays… well, some of it is work-related and other than that I mostly check out different music forums, band sites, metal/hardrock e-zines, all my bank business and finding funny crazy shit and naked chicks.
Kristian Kallio: Every day. I read sport news, check out other band
sites, pay my bills and read my mail.
Andreas Ragnarsson: Five to ten hours a week, mailing bookers and other stuff concerning Frame, and looking for an apartment.
Rob: what is your favorite city and venue to play, and why?
Robert Westin: Helsingborg, Tivoli... they have an awesome stage and lighting, the sound could be a little bit better, but for a club it is awesome. The audience seem to be a little bit more outgoing and curious when you go southbound… don’t ask me why.
Rob: what is the most rock `n` roll thing you`ve ever done?
Robert Westin: Ehr... sorry, statute of limitations forces us to say “No comments” on this one.
Rob: What`s the most rock `n` roll thing you`ve seen someone else do?
Robert Westin: A little cheesy now, but cool as hell when it happened, I was at a concert at Wembley Stadium in the early 90’s, Skid Row opened up for Gn’R and the Council of London had written Skid Row a letter telling them they could not perform the song “Get the fuck out” if they did they would never be welcome to play another show in London, so S.B reads the letter out loud and then screams: “Who’s your fucking council anyway?” and went on a rant before getting the full 80thousand audience to scream “Get the fuck out” from the top of their lungs before playing the song…
Kristian Kallio: I don’t know
Andreas Ragnarsson: I don`t know, actually
Rob: what`s your worst "bad trip" story?
Robert Westin: Haven’t had any really bad trips… I guess the worse one was when I realized I had to skip down to the gas station and have some snacks. While I was in the gas station it kicked in and I felt like I couldn’t move and that everyone was ogling me severely with big round eyes… paranoia confusius... Ha!
Kristian Kallio: I smoked some weird shit at the Roskilde Festival once.
Andreas Ragnarsson: Back when I, and KK paid our first visit to the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and I smoked for the first time. I got really wasted and everything became a blur. About when Aerosmith went on I felt real sick and the smell of all the smoke around me made it even worse. On the way back to our tent I passed the Cinema were Clockwork Orange were showing and I thought, what the fuck is this. Then someone had trashed our tent, but I couldn`t care less so I just laid down beneath the remains, freezing my ass of while trying to sleep and Steven Tyler goes ` it`s amaiiiizing, amazing...` in the back.
Rob: What’s the most painful thing you have ever witnessed at a rock show?
Robert Westin: I have a couple, but one was once again Skid Row, in Stockholm this time, and S.B climbed up on the tower of speakers and jumped down most certainly 7 – 8 feet and landed in a pile on the floor, screaming with agony and limping the rest of the show… he didn’t quit though!
Kristian Kallio: Kirk Hammet’s guitar solo in Stockholm Globe arena 1991. He rubbed his guitar on his ass (it was really painful)
Andreas Ragnarsson: I don’t know
Rob: how old were you when you first realize you wanted to rock?
Robert Westin: Uh...1985, I was 11 years old, with my brand new copy of Master of Puppets, memorizing those lyrics and singing along to it… soon after I bought my first electric guitar, couldn’t play on it… but it was cool to have one.
Kristian Kallio: I was sixteen and I saw some local band in Arboga where I come from.
Andreas Ragnarsson: About fourteen
Rob: what`s the most embarrassing job you ever had?
Robert Westin: Haven’t had any embarrassing jobs
Kristian Kallio: No such job.
Andreas Ragnarsson: I was working as a mailman for a private company. They had no organisation what so ever and you would be out delivering mail at six a clock in the evening some times. At least once a week I felt like I was having a “falling down”-syndrome and asked myself why the fuck I`m doing this shitty job.
Rob: what`s your favourite ice cream flavor?
Robert Westin: Rocky Road
Kristian Kallio: STORSTRUT
Andreas Ragnarsson: Vanilla
Rob: if you could date any rock star dead or alive in the world, who would it be? Movie star?
Robert Westin: Date? ...hhmmm, well to sit down and talk and just pick each others brains, I would have loved to sit down with Johnny Cash and learn a bit about life. Frank Zappa would probably be an interesting meeting to say the least. As for movie stars, maybe Jennifer Love Hewitt or Lucy Liu, they are hot dates and seem fun loving...
Kristian Kallio: I would date Frank Zappa. He was a fascinating guy and a great composer.
Andreas Ragnarsson: I’m already dating a movie star and I have met all my dream drummers.
Rob: what would be the ultimate dream gig of all time line-up be, with your band opening? Limit to three bands please (including your own...) and where?
Robert Westin: FRAME, V.D.o.P era Pantera, D.o.D era Iron Maiden; Donnington, UK around –88 –90.
Kristian Kallio: FRAME, Ozzy w. Zakk Wylde, Alice Cooper (Original line up).
Andreas Ragnarsson: Frame, Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix at California Jam, Ontario Motor Speedway, April 6, 1974
