Norwegian rock trio Spielbergs were set to have a massive 2020. After their 2019 debut LP This is Not the End received some rave reviews, the band was scheduled to hit the road in Europe over the summer, complete with an appearance at Madrid’s Mad Cool Festival. Of course, everyone’s 2020 plans were diverted and postponed, but luckily, Spielbergs maintained their spot on Mad Cool’s 2022 lineup, which features Metallica, Florence + The Machine, The Killers, Jack White, Glass Animals, Muse, Alt-J, The War On Drugs, Carly Rae Jepsen, CHVRCHES, Nathy Peluso, and many, many more.
Even better is the fact that Spielbergs have new music in tow — and they’re some of the most powerful songs the trio has ever released. The anthemic “When They Come For Me,” which we recently named as an honorable mention for our Song of the Week list, is an emo odyssey, complete with an irresistible chorus and a healthy amount of fuzz.
Lead single “Brother of Mine” moves at a rapid pace, but each chord change is satisfying and cathartic. This is a band that knows how to operate with a great deal of volume and space, while also retaining the intimacy of three bodies making music in their own special language.
Though that high volume fuzz is certainly apparent in Spielbergs’ discography, frontman and guitarist Mads Baklien maintains that their live shows are even louder. “When we get into the studio, we usually feel a bit more like we have to control the situation and not let it get out of hand,” Baklien says, “But when we get back to the stage, we have a second guitarist and a keyboard player, and we’re going to try to make as much noise as possible.”
That massive sense of momentum is what characterizes the songs on Spielbergs’ upcoming sophomore LP, Vestli (due August 19th), and will make their upcoming Mad Cool set a sight to behold. Though the band’s members have played in Spain a few times before with different bands, this will be the first Spielbergs show in Spain ever. “I remember when I saw the poster for the 2020 festival, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s like Metallica and Faith No More and Billie Eilish,’ and we understood that it had to be big, at least,” Baklien says.
Ahead of their Mad Cool 2022 set, Consequence sat with Spielbergs frontman Mads Baklien to discuss the band’s new songs, playing in Spain, and the excitement of getting back on the festival circuit. Read below for the full Q&A.
Ed. Note: Saturday and Sunday single-day tickets to Mad Cool Festival 2022 are still available to purchase!
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Tagged: Alternative Music, Emo, FEATURES, Festival Fever, Indie Rock, INTERVIEWS, Mad Cool Festival, music, music blog