Sweden-borne folkloric progressive rock band Kaipa proudly announce their new album Sommargryningsljus. 49 years after the release of their debut album, the band is set to reveal the 15th longplayer of their musical journey, Sommargryningsljus, which will be released via InsideOutMusic on June 28th, 2024. Here, band leader and keyboardist Hans Lundin answers some questions about the new album.
TPR: This is the band’s 15th studio album and the band has been around now over 50 years. Did you ever imagine you would still be making music with Kaipa this long?
Hans: No definitely not. I did my first gig when I was 16 years old in the summer of 1964 so I can now celebrate my 60th anniversary as a musician. I usually say that the years 1964-1973 were the best education I could ever get. When I started Kaipa in 1973, we started from scratch. At that time, no one had heard of the band and we began a long journey towards success. Three years later we had recorded two albums and became Scandinavia’s leading progressive rock band. We did over five hundred concerts, recorded three more albums and continued until 1982. At that time the conditions had changed as people showed more interest in punk and synth groups. So we decided to take a break. However, a reunion never happened and it wasn’t until 2001 when I decided to record a new album that chapter two of Kaipa’s history began.
During the 80’s I continued to write music and released three solo albums: Tales (1984), Visions of Circles of Sounds (1985) and Houses (1989). In 2019 the 6-cd box “Hans Lundin: The Solo Years 1982-1989” was released where the three albums are included remastered + three albums of previously unreleased material also including some Kaipa demos. In the 90s I continued writing music but it wasn’t until 2001 that it resulted in a record when I re-formed Kaipa.
How do you feel the band’s music has evolved over the years?
When we started Kaipa, we were four ambitious musicians who strongly believed in what we were doing. None of us were super musicians, but together we formed a tight band that was constantly evolving. Over the years, I have learned new things and encountered new impressions that have influenced me in my music-making process. I have taken these with me and incorporated them into the musical journey that Kaipa has made over the years.
What inspired you to write this new album, Sommargryningsljus?
I never sit down and try to write music I usually say that the melodies come knocking on my door and ask me to take care of them. It’s a special feeling when a melody comes out of nowhere and lands in my consciousness. Often it is a long process from the small melody to the finished piece of music. Usually, I continue to make small fine adjustments in the arrangements until it’s time to record. I never decide in advance how a song should be. Songwriting is an exciting and unpredictable journey. Sometimes it’s just a little excursion that results in a short little song. But often the imagination takes me on a longer exciting journey and then it becomes a long song.
This time I had written all the songs for the album and the total playing time was 70 minutes, but then something unexpected happened. One day when I was recording with Aleena Gibson, we took a break and went out into my garden to have a cup of coffee. Suddenly Aleena started singing some notes and I said it was beautiful. Okay, let’s write a song, she said. So we returned to the studio and 15 minutes later a new song had been born. We were both delighted with the result and said that this song must be on the album and the lyrics must be in Swedish. I developed the song and created an interlude built on the same chords. The melody was hovering around in the studio and it landed gracefully in my fingers when I started to play. One early morning a few weeks later, the words suddenly came floating down and landed in my consciousness.
I decided to split the song into two parts ”Sommarskymningsljus” which is about dusk, when the sun goes down and use it as the opening track of the album. The second part ”Sommargryningsljus” (Summer dawn light) is used as the closing track. I thought it was a good idea that felt logical because several of the songs are about dusk and dawn. One song “Chased by Wolfes and Burned by the Sun” takes place at night when you can’t fall asleep. So you could say it’s a journey from dusk to dawn even though that wasn’t my intention when I originally wrote the songs.
What is ”Revelationview” about and how did that song come together?
Revelationview is the most folk music-inspired song on the new Kaipa album “Sommargryningsljus” with both violin and whistles. Once in a lifetime, or for some, maybe several times, you encounter that magical moment when time is out of sight, and you are just amazed by what you experience. I have chosen to call this “Revelationview”. This is a song about this experience.
This lineup has continued from the last album Urksog. What makes this lineup of the band work so well?
There have only been member changes twice since we recorded “Notes from the past” in 2001. In 2006, Per Nilsson replaced Roine Stolt as guitarist and, in 2021, Darby Todd replaced Morgan Ågren as drummer. Since we now know each other so well both as people and as musicians, the work process is very simple when we record a new album. I know where our voices sound best, I know that Per is a musician one hundred percent and delivers from his heart and I know that Jonas and Darby are a solid rhythm section. So I have my dream band, what more could I wish for?
Do you see another Kaipa album in the future?
When Kaipa returned with “Notes from the Past” I thought it was a one-off. Now we have made another nine albums and I have said after the release of all these that this must be the last Kaipa album. How can I possibly create something as good or preferably even better than the last album? But each time it has been a new album. So maybe “Sommargryningsljus” is our last album, maybe not. It’s written in the stars. In any case, I am now an old man and can look back on a rich and exciting life filled with music and meetings with exciting people.
Sommargryningsljus is now available for pre-order:
https://kaipa.lnk.to/Sommargryningsljus-bio
Tracklist:
Sommarskymningsljus 00:01:30
Seven Birds 00:09:50
Like Thousand Dawns 00:11:08
Revelationview 00:09:28
Chased by Wolves And Burned by The Sun 00:10:17
Spiderweb Train 00:15:29
Songs In Our Hands 00:13:00
Sommargryningsljus 00:03:58
Sommargryningsljus (Single Edit) 00:05:24
Kaipa are:
Hans Lundin – keyboards & vocals
Per Nilsson – electric & acoustic guitars
Jonas Reingold – bass
Darby Todd – drums
Patrik Lundström – vocals
Aleena Gibson – vocals
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