Crutches need no introduction, and this interview probably doesn’t even need my usual opening lines. Anyone who has been following the Swedish d-beat hardcore punk scene for years knows that one of the best incarnations of the genre answers precisely to the name of Crutches, authors for more than a decade of furious, pissed-off and militant kangpunk in perfect continuation with Swedish old-school sounds and classic Japanese raw punk, always true to the idea that punk can be a threat and can convey important messages of radical change. I was lucky enough to chat with Oskar and Andreas recently on the occasion of the release of their latest record Dödsreveljen, yet another devastating chapter with which they give new voice to their battle cry: Forever mangeling for freedom!
Hi Crutches, welcome to Disastro Sonoro! Let’s start by talking about your latest devastating record Dödsreveljen, an assault of raw punk that resonates in the ruins of these dark collapsing times. Are you satisfied with the feedback you are receiving on this fourth album of yours? What events influenced you in the writing of Dödsreveljen, both from a personal and a more social and political point of view?
Oskar: Hello and thank you! Happy that we’re invited to be part of your disaster. I’d say I’m happy about the result of the new record. It’s been produced during the pandemic, and it’s been really hard to find the motivation to write and get together more for the work we needed in this process. I think it’s turned out well and I can’t say that I really wanna change anything. What the biggest inspirations been to make this one has been the extreme restlessness and frustration in a world of corruption and lies. For me, as being the one writing most of the lyrics, it has been a challenge. I’ve tried to focus, but lost track of myself more than once. There’s been a lot of things happening that’s been making me a bit out of focus. But we managed in the end. The reveille will echo for a while for sure. And to see that we got the tunes in this release at 4 different place in this one. Happy that Carro could make the trumpet intro that Daniel managed to create. It really makes it something out of inspiration of the old Conflict records.
Andreas: Thank you for having us! I’m always happy about releasing a new record no matter the feedback it receives. Of course, we’re all human, so confirmation and positive words about something you’ve done always puts a smile on my face. But for me it’s the journey of both creating it as well as observing the music’s own life after it has been put into the wild. Add to that the extra dimension of the pandemic coming crashing down when we were writing the songs. Therefore me and Daniel (our drummer) spent countless hours sending riffs back and forth to each other and “rehearsing” online. It’s been one hell of a journey, and I think it shows (or you’re able to hear it). As if the world wasn’t bleak already before the pandemic, things got even more out of hand. I guess that due to that and the feelings of isolation, loneliness, longing and despair took a great toll on all of us, not just as a society but as persons. But in the midst of it all the community and people helped each other out massively, found new ways to handle the storm and paved the way forward. So even in darkness a lit match makes a big difference; especially together. Add that together and you have the influences and fuel for the album.
Speaking of you as a band, you have been active for a great many years within the punk scene. What has changed and how have Crutches changed over all these years? Instead, what are the negative and positive aspects that you have seen evolve within the punk scene both in Sweden and worldwide?
Oskar: Yeah, we started as a band in 2010. Got a bit distracted in the beginning, but we really got going in 2013. We did it with full force and an extreme amount of touring for being an underground D.I.Y. Punk band. Since we started we have evolved more and more as a band. Today we feel more focused I’d say. And the knowledge we have in ourselves and around all when it comes to playing and making music together makes all different for sure. I’m happy about the days we had in the beginning, but I don’t wanna go there again. There’s so much good in this evolvement that I don’t wanna take away, just rather go with.
You are from Malmö, what can you tell us about the current Swedish punk, hardcore DIY scene? What are the most active, interesting and valid realities that keep alive a certain way of living and playing punk music?
Oskar: Yes we’re based in Malmö, but it’s just half the band that lives here today. We’re kind of spread out, but since we’re in the position as a band it’s not too big of a problem. The Swedish scene is kind of hard to talk about now after the pandemic years. There’s a load of great bands around, but I can’t really say that I know the current state of the scene. We only did three shows this year, and they have been really great. And if everything continues like this I’d say that it’s as great as before. But that will have the future to tell some more about.
To see what actually keeps punks going are their mindset. The extreme way of seeing possibilities in crappy situations. For me it’s been such a strong and big part of my life that I couldn’t see what I would be without the years I’ve had within the community. It’s been destructive, but as well as that, productive as fuck. An overload of emotions and feelings.
Andreas: The last couple of years have seen many great places, venues, squats and other social centers razed, evicted and bulldozed all over the world. But like Oskar talks about “what actually keeps punks going” I’d agree that it’s the mindset. Because no matter how hard the crackdowns are there’s always a need, a spark and a helping hand; re-building, doing something new and keeping the fight and scene alive.
I’ve noticed a big surge of new young bands popping up the last couple of years with a whole new energy and mindset, and that makes me happy. I don’t want punk to be the same as it’s always been. I want it to thrive and provide a space for people to evolve and find out who they are together. Because that’s what it has been for me and that’s what I love about punk.
Your sound has always very clearly evoked the influence of the classic Swedish kangpunk school and old-school Japanese raw punk. What made you approach certain sounds and which bands did you draw most inspiration from? And what does it mean for you to continue playing raw punk, d-beat (let’s call it whatever we like) today in 2022?
Oskar: As a band we’re all very different from each other. We have so many different inputs as to what kind of music we like. To a certain point we can all agree that we want it to be loud, raw and as brutal as possible for our way and capabilities to actually play and perform. We always wanted to be able to do the songs live, and not to create what we’re not really able to. That’s not to say that we’re not trying to make the best of what we can and do.
I’m extremely happy that we still have the inspiration to keep on as a band after all these years together. We’ve been privileged to tour and meet so many people over the years, and the inspiration in this is indescribable. We want more and we’ll do what we can to get to do it.
Andreas: I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to play in a band with good friends for this long; to be able to go up on a stage, play music and scream my heart out. To share that with my best friends and people all over the world, drawing inspiration and creating ideas together is one of the best and most humbling things I know. As for sounds and bands that we draw inspiration from I can only speak for myself, which is a plethora of different genres, bands and stuff. But yet again like Oskar said we all enjoy so many different bands and aspects of life. I guess it’s due to that melting pot of all that which creates the sound of Crutches. As for myself I think it’s mainly the bands we’ve shared stages with and people we’ve met over the years that have played a massive part in shaping me as a musician.
Dödsreveljen has also been published by the historic Profane Existence, as well as Phobia Records and Not Enough. Since I started the project Disastro Sonoro and since I’ve been around the punk and hardcore sceneI have always made PE’s motto “make punk a threat again” my own. What is your approach and vision of the more political and militant aspects of punk, both as music and as a movement? Do you think punk can still be a means to spread messages that are truly antagonistic toward this rotten system and have potential for real change?
Oskar: I’m happy to hear that you feel so strongly about the way of trying to make punk a threat again again and again. I think it is, and should be. Hard to combine sometimes when being hit so hard by reality and its crisis. But the remaining feelings are and will always be in my head, that we shall overcome some shit by this way of living.
I definitely think that punk can spread an important message, even if it is to encourage people to just get going and be creative. That’s a part of a change that the system doesn’t want us to. Mainly we’re meant to be part of the machinery of following the path. Whenever we find our own ways we can inspire and that’s how we make the changes.
Andreas: Absolutely, everything that isn’t done according to the “plan”, be it a religious, government or a society’s “blueprint” is a thorn in their eyes and hurts the most. They’re terrified of people being themselves doing what their hearts desire; the more we do it the more it’s a threat.
What are the events and aspects of what’s happening around us in the world that piss you off the most and push you to speak out against all this shit and spew your anger in a record, from a stage, or in lyrics?
Oskar: The big things I get extremely pissed off about are religion and capitalism. Goes hand in hand, and suffocates all possible change and revolutionary minds. Fucks up all possible equal rights for women and men, and keeps the patriarchal standards in line for their own shit reasons. Power and greed.
I see the garment industry as a provocation towards humanity for one of many things. As I’m working with printing shirts I also see the difference in payments being made and “not made” in cheap clothes. The reason anything is cheap is that there’s someone who’s not getting paid. I wanna raise the UK based No Sweat collectives’ effort for helping and supporting the garment workers that’s being able to finance people’s lives for once, and that without taking a profit of anyone.
Men’s violence and misbehavior against women, provoke me to an extreme. And to see that this almost goes backwards to a way of equal stand and living side by side as humans seem to regress by every day.
We have a possibility to say something, even though there’s just one person listening, is one more than no one to actually raise our voices for. We can make a change by our choices in our lives, and I wanna live by the way I talk as much as possible. No one is totally flawless, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to actually be true to yourself.
At the end of October you participated in the festival in honor of 20 years of Not Enough records along with other very valid and devastating Swedish bands such as Swordwielder, Contorture, Asocial, etc. What was that festival like and what are the most interesting memories you have of it? What can you tell us about your relationship with Not Enough records?
Oskar: Yes. The Not Enough fest. It was great. Still a bit fuzzy in my brain since I was in charge of the festival.
So, to clear this out then. I’m the one behind Not Enough records, along with Tom (our bass player) we started the label 20 years ago. This has been a source of communication and the driving force of the D.I.Y. Punk spirit. Inspired by the previously mentioned label Profane Existence for example.
Along the years we’ve been doing a lot of different projects and been helping friends out with their releases. I’ve been the one dealing with most of the stuff. Tom has been more of a practical part in the work, such as selling records at shows and festivals, but that’s not really been the easiest lately. We’ll try that part some more soon I hope.
The label has been a good way for us to really deal with our records, and to be able to do what we want even more. It’s all thanks to the supportive community world wide that we actually are being able to do this and we’re extremely happy about that.
Andreas: I had a blast! It was a bit hectic due to tight play schedules but it was necessary trying to fit as many bands in as possible in a night. That being said, it was like a big family reunion with loads of sweet people, visitors, bands and a great atmosphere. Not sure if I have a specific most interesting memory from the two nights, but all in all I enjoyed playing and hanging out in big crowds with people I like. Top that with some amazing bands and you have a recipe for a crazy good fest.
As for my relationship with Not Enough records, it started many years ago when I delivered records “punk post”-style to Oskar. A couple of years after I had moved to Malmö, I got asked by Oskar to join the band and ever since we’ve become great friends, bandmates and we help each other out wherever we can. The most recent being me doing the graphic design restoration and layout of the repress of “Uncurbed – Keeps the Banner High…” that Not Enough released.
To end the interview in an unexpected way from the classical structure, what does the name you chose refer to? How did the idea of calling yourselves Crutches come about?
Oskar: The name comes from the back of the Pack/Sol split LP. Brilliant split!! You can even see that we took the font to be our first logo. Me and my friend Janne, whom I used to live with in a collective, were trying to find a good name for this new band and that was just perfect.
I felt that it was a strong word that really suited our situation as we started the band, me and Tom had a band before Crutches that we had for almost 10 years, it was called Project Hopeless, and to continue something from that it felt like we were in need of Crutches. I thought it sounded like a good band name and that’s where we are today.
Thank you guys for taking the time to answer these questions, I leave this space at your complete disposal so you can add whatever is on your mind. Let’s keep making punk a threat, mangeling for freedom till death!
Andreas: Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to write to us and wanting to have us take part in the Disastro Sonoro! The world needs more zines no matter the format. It’s important and keeps the scene alive! We can’t just have big corporation social media platforms and/or big magazines, there needs to be alternatives. Thank you for providing that and good luck in the future! Keep doing what makes you happy. If it’s not fun, do something else.
