RETRO GRAVE/TROUBLE – Interview with Oly Olson

This month metal centre chats with Oly Olsen; probably best know to some of you as the drummer from legendary doom band TROUBLE. Over the last year TROUBLE has released their first album in over ten years as well as touring Europe and America. Oly has also been busy with his other band RETRO GRAVE; whose EP earlier this year brought us a great taste of traditional doom.

First off thanks for doing the interview. There is quite a lot to cover currently youve been a busy man. Can we start off with your band retro grave. How did Retro Grave come about?

Well, I love being the drummer for Trouble but recording on my own with Retro Grave gives me more opportunity to be creative with my own style of writing. I don't consider this a side project, because I definitely want to release more than one or two albums. I want a band where I can be artistically fulfilled and tour as well. Therefore, I started to seriously write some material for the EP in 2006. Meanwhile, I had been speaking with my friend and past co-worker, Paull Goodchild, about the formation of Retro Grave on numerous occasions whilst working at the brewery that I was employed with at the time (yes, I'm a brewer part time to assist with the bills). Paull is also a very talented writer, so I asked him to write some lyrics for me and everything just clicked really well. Paull became my lyricist and an important aspect of the band, but I needed more. Not musically, but in business. It was then that I began speaking with a local club promoter, Leigh Rush, around the same time (Dec 2006) when she emailed me to book Trouble. In short, we started chatting about my ambitions for creating a new band and within a few weeks, she became my manager. We are actually engaged now, but that's another story. *smiles* Moreover, my friend, Hellion (from Planet Gemini) helped me with some consultation and packaging for the EP and that's when everything began to unfold.

I enjoyed the self titled EP. It seemed to be taking a more old fashioned approach to doom. Something more along the lines of troubles first two albums. Simple mind condition seems to be moving away from the doom sound for a more old fashioned rock sound. Was this a conscious choice to make something different from what trouble are doing now?

I was at my most creative state during the first two Trouble records in the metal genre. I wanted to go back in time and create that music. So yes, this was a conscious choice to make something different from what Trouble is doing now. I love what Im doing with Trouble, but I want to bring back what I loved so much in the early days. This is why I have the band name Retro Grave.

You recorded everything on the EP yourself, with just you recording everything yourself. What process did this involve in the studio?

Thats easy. Pro Tools. Good software helps you express everything you have ever learned throughout your entire lifetime (and its affordable).

What exactly does Utopiotomy mean?

Utopiotomy is a fictional surgical procedure for depression, nervous breakdowns, and pain as we struggle with our thoughts.

Your influences are very much worn on your sleeve, but is there anyone particular that you draw influence from above others and is there any up and coming bands that you particularly like?

Yeah, sure! Over the past 30 years, so many articles have mentioned the main Trouble influences like Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Lucifers Friend, etc. There is no question that those cats are badass, but I have other influences that are not usually mentioned so I am glad you asked this question. Some big influences of mine are bands and musicians such as Captain Beyond, T-Rex, ELP, Bill Laswell, Ike and Tina Turner, Rolling Stones all the way up to modern day influences like Buckethead. As far as modern day bands Well, I dig drummers like Bran Dailor (Mastodon), Gene Hoglan (Strapping Young Lad), Joe Cangelosi (Whiplash, Kreator) and Zack Simmons (Goatwhore) all are amazing drummers that really impress and influence me. In addition, I had the opportunity to catch Dark Funeral and Naglfar recently and they were awesome remarkable musicians. Ive also checked out some up and coming bands that live in my local area. Doom/rock bands like Ogre, Ocean and Conifer also live in the State of Maine and I was thrilled when I saw them live. There is no doubt that these guys are on the way up in the doom and stoner rock scene.

How are plans to tour as Retro Grave coming along? Maybe as support to trouble?

I dont think that there are any plans to tour with Trouble. I like to keep that separate besides Im 45 now do you really think I could handle two shows back to back? *laughs*

Youve now found a permanent guitarist; Michael Schermuly. How did the two of you get together?

My manager told me about Mike and thought that I should check him out. I met with him and not only is he a talented up-and-coming guitarist, but also eager to rise up in the music business, noble and not intimidated by rare convention by that I mean structure of songs, time signatures to the placement of a blanket over an amp for that special sound.

Youve also announced that your looking a bass player. Have you had any look with that yet? You also announced that your upcoming full length release would feature collaborations with well known musicians. Any chance of telling metal centre who or at least giving us a hint?

Yes, I am looking into a cool bass player that I met on Myspace. He emailed me and we are going to meet up in Boston really soon. I really cant give the details yet until we jam, but I will tell you that I am so excited about this dude and I cant wait to reveal him. The same goes for the yet-to-be revealed musicians. The reason I cant tell you is because Ive had experiences with people dropping the ball with promises and deadlines. I also wouldnt want to disappoint the fans with an announcement of these musicians and possibly have to renege… especially considering all the delays for the US release date for Troubles Simple Mind Condition and it being pushed back so many times only let down the fans. So for now, my lips are sealed.

You planned to rerecord troubles Run to the light album through Retro Grave, but interest from Trouble has led to it being taken on board as a trouble project. Its an interesting choice as it wasnt the most popular album. Has it been odd working on songs that you werent originally involved in?

No. This is the album that I had wished to have recorded because I played most of it live. I also played Hammond organ on the song, The Beginning so Im familiar with the album. The rest of the guys in Trouble would have liked to have done this a bit differently too, so here is our chance to do this again.

You returned to Trouble for the album Plastic Green Head, then the band split shortly after. What went wrong exactly?

Actually, we never really split up. Trouble has never split up. We just took some time off to do our separate things. Rick was starting a family, Eric had already started a family and our bass player moved on. Bruce and I were doing our own thing too, but none of us thought of calling it quits.

During the time apart you seem to have been bust with academic studies. Your bio states that you teach music and that you write music scores. How was that period of your life with Trouble not together for you?

Well, the music scoring is different from the music that I create with Trouble so I keep it separated. Apples and oranges. The musical scores that I write range from work with the Borialis Theater Company in Chicago to writing jingles for a local brewery. By the way, you can download that Christmas carol jingle at my website for a chuckle its called Ale in My Christmas Stocking. It was fun to write and it paid pretty well too. Record labels dont pay me to do that they want rock so thats the difference.

The new Trouble album Simple Mind Condition has been hailed as a triumphant return and there seems to be a strong demand for the Trouble unplugged album. The tour dates youve played pushing Simple Mind Condition seem to have gone well. How has the reception towards the reunion seemed at your end?

The tour was very positive and we had a good amount of peeps. There were people at our shows that have been waiting to see us for 20 years and some even brought their teenage kids. My self and the rest of the Trouble members were honored to perform for the fans again as well as spend some time with them after the show.

So what can be expected from you in the future?

Live performances and to record some heavy music for both Trouble and Retro Grave. I cant tell you when Trouble will release the next album, but I can tell you that I am writing feverishly for Retro Grave so you can expect a lot from that camp.

Thanks for doing the interview. Before we finish do you have any final words for the interview or anything else youd like to mention?

Yes, thank you for the great questions and Im honored to have shared this with you. I also would like to mention that I have a forum at my website at www.RetroGraveMusic.com that I visit every morning with my coffee. I welcome questions regarding Trouble, Retro Grave and/or music educational questions. I want to be as interactive with the fans as much as possible so please drop by the forum and chat with me. I am also planning to upload some videos of live studio sessions within the next month so that everyone can watch the debut of the new Retro Grave members unfold.

http://www.newtrouble.com/
http://www.retrogravemusic.com/