Interview mit Fredrik Bergersen Klemp von Maraton

How do you enjoy the tour so far?
So far it’s been really good. The first day was a bit chaotic, of course. Because you know, first day, you have to set up a lot of things, and it takes much longer than you think. That’s a bit of stress. And we had some technical difficulties, since we didn’t have a soundcheck at the first date. But it was really good after that. Now we’re really starting to get into that and it’s going more and more smoothly. But that’s only the technical stuff. The other guys are just amazing.

You also sing in a band called 22. Which is your main band and how do you manage it all?
My main band is MARATON. It’s always been MARATON. I’ve been doing that since 2010. Actually, I’m mainly spreading my energy into what I’m doing at the moment. So, if I’m with 22, that’s my main band. And if I’m with Maraton, that’s my main band. But my responsibility as a singer in MARATON is much bigger than in 22, because Magnus (the guitarist in 22) has the chief role, but 22 is also my band. It’s hard to explain. But that’s how I feel with it.
I have a fulltime job as well, next to playing in the two bands. I actually run a soda factory in Norway, it’s a family business.  But I always need to work. When I’m not doing anything for five minutes, then I start posting on Facebook for MARATON or 22, but I’m enjoying it. When I have the time, I want to express the art we’re doing. But Maraton is my main band. We have a word for it in Norway, it’s called „Gullbarnet“, my „Golden baby“, that means something being really close to your heart.

The magazine „Trondheim Rocks“ has written about you: „Take a mix of Radiohead, King Crimson and Opeth, and then you have Maraton.“ Would you agree to that? Wouldn’t it be a bigger compliment to hear that you’re unique?
I guess, there’s always someone who’s gonna compare you to something. For instance, we hadn’t heard Leprous when we started making music, but still people said „You remind me of Leprous“, when we made „META“, although they were no inspiration for this album. People always need that reference, they need to put you in a place. So, if you think we sound like Leprous, that’s a compliment. And Opeth: even a bigger compliment. King Crimson as well, they are legends. So how could I say „No, that’s not right“? I tend to never disagree with people saying that we remind them of something. Because: what is music? It’s personal. And when you find new music, and it reminds you of Leprous, for instance, then it’s good, because it means it’s special for you as a person.

The reviews for „META“ have all been overwhelming. Is there something on the album that you are not 100% satisfied with, when you look back?
I guess the things that I wasn’t happy with, are the singles we released the last. „Fringe Logic“ and „Almost Human“ were supposed to be on „META“, but I pulled them off, because I was not satisfied with the vocals. When I recorded them, I was not in the right state of mind. So I wanted to do them again, to make the vocals make sense for me, emotionally and regarding the mental state I’m in right now. So we have re-recorded it and remixed it until we thought „This is right for Meta“. So „Fringe Logic“ and „Almost Human“ is a tale of „Meta“. It’s still a part of the Meta-universe.

Your video for „Almost Human“ is quite spacy and surreal. Is this exactly what you wanted? Or did you let the video designer follow his own visions?
I gave him some pinpoints. I gave him emotions. And I gave him states of what I wanted, I wanted different stories. I wanted him to express himself as an artist. We used a guy from Sri Lanka, totally unknown. We contacted him because of his earlier work and he said „Fine. I’ll try my best“. I told him I want different expierences of life, different universes. Because being a human is different for everyone. So I wanted to part that up, it turned out a bit musy at the end, but still that’s the universe in itself. So I just wanted him to express himself. So we did three rounds, where I corrected the stuff he made, and then we came to the conclusion of what it is.

It might have been better to have a bigger budget for him to work with, but we had what we had at the time and he did a great job. I wouldn’t say anything else. Only the budget made it a bit of a compromise. We artists need to express ourselves, and for instance it takes time for the video producer to animate what he did, and it took a lot of time. And if we would have used someone else like in the big scale, it would have cost us a lot more.  I can’t tell him to animate things better because I don’t know how to animate, I only know how to make music. But I know what I wanted, and he kind of gave me what I wanted. So I’m satisfied with that. And we will make a lot of different music videos in the future. Like, it doesn’t have to be one theme. Every song is different.

The lyrics of the song „Almost Human“ say: “ You could change what’s inside.“ Is the human nature  changable?
I think we’re not talking about the human nature in itself, because the human nature in itself is unchangable, caused by the the biological measures of us being humans. But for me and for Simen (guitarist) , we made a lot of changes in our lives, in the past ten years, mentally. So it’s all about the mental state of the human. You could change the mental state if you wanted and if you worked with it, but you really have to work with it. So I think humans can always change. You can still be you, but you still can change into something better, if that’s what you want.
But is it better though? That’s a different question. But if you want to change, if you want to train or excercise, if you want to learn how to play the piano, or if you just want to be nicer, start smiling to people. Then you will feel better cause people will smile back. That’s what I do every day, when I walk past people, I smile, and they smile back. Then I feel so much better.

With the message in your lyrics, is there a higher goal that you follow, any special message that you want your listeners to understand?
„Meta“ for us personally is about being human in a world that we don’t quite understand, although we want to understand it. We try to figure out where we fit in. Who am I? Why am I? So the whole Meta-universe is about the mental aspect of trying to understand who you are, and why you are who you are. But the next album might be about something completely different.

What is the atmosphere that you want to create in your live shows? I saw live pictures of you where you jump down to the audience. Would you say that you are more a live band than a record band?
That depends. We’ve had great results with the streams, we’ve had great results with the  feedback, so people get a lot out of the physical CD or LP or the streaming online. My main goal with the concert is to make people just having fun with our music, and make people having fun with themselves, the insecured you to come out of your shell, when I jump around or when I jump down to people, when I take people and touch them. I generally don’t do that, but I tempt to be like I can’t control myself, because I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen to what I sing. Because what I’m saying when I’m on stage is so important to me. And if I can’t get through to you, then I can’t get through to you. But some people I see, they open up. Like today, I was standing next to a guy and I touched his shoulder, and he just woke up. And he was like „Woah, what’s happening? Something’s different“. I never went to a show where the vocalist touched me on the shoulder.

Ususally during the song „Altered State“ I jump down to the audience, when there’s enough room for it, and I jump around and look at poeple like „Do you hear what I’m saying? I’m trying to talk to you! Leave all your stuff behind and just go with the moment we’re in right now.“ And at the end of the song it’s really serious, I’m screaming and everything. And at the end I’m giving a guy a hug. Like in Trondheim lately, I was giving the biggest guy a hug. And he had the best time ever. He said, it was the best concert ever, he had never heard of us, but that hug meant a lot to him. So that’s what I want to bring: joy to something serious.

You‘ve toured many countries, also with your other band 22. So, looking back at all this touring, what are your nicest memories?
That has been a lot, especially with 22. I got a question like three weeks before the tour: „Hey, do you wanna come on tour with us?“ And I was overwhelmed, because they where my biggest heroes, I’ve been listening to 22 for at least 10 years. And when I got the opportunity , I got to know the guys, but I didn’t REALLY know the guys.

So, when you usually go on tour, you’re friends. With „Maraton“ I’ve known the guys for ten years at least. So with 22 it was different, but I grew new relationships every day. And the relationship with Chris Edrich, the sound technician, was the greatest, I think. We really hit it off, and started talking to eachother, and I saw a genuine, really nice guy that wanted everybody to have a good time: “I’m here for you, I wanna help you and I’m gonna do everything you want“. So, it was Chris, but also meeting Robin Ognedal of Leprous, we really bonded.

But the nicest memory was when Chris and me walked up to a cathedral in Graz/Austria, and looked out over the entire city for a while, just talking and thinking how priviledged we are that we can do this job and see the world. Another memory was with Magnus of 22, and me, we took a four-hours walk in Eindhoven, we just started talking and started to get to know eachother. I didn’t know him that well before, and he didn’t know me. So I got to know him in four hours, it felt like he was a brother to me. Just because I finally got inside his head, which is chaotic, and my head is chaotic, too. It was awesome.

What about memories with your fans? I believe in your fan-group I saw that you have fans from at least 20 different nations?
Yes, fans. Of course. It doesn’t matter where you are from, what color you are, what sex you are or whatever; as long as you have „Jovial“, as we say in Norwegian (means being outging and friendly) . You meet people like „Hey! How are you doing?“ and you’re just being nice to people when you first meet them, that’s how I am. And when I get to meet people that are likeminded as me, it’s the best ever! Then I get new friends. Or when I meet people who are more shy , I tempt to be like „Hey!“ and just start talking and get to know them as well. But it’s just a pleasure to get to know people, or seeing other people living their life in a completely different way than I am, just a shy humble guy from Norway, I guess.

Here in Germany we always think that Norwegians or Scandinavian people in general are even more reserved than the Germans at gigs. Is it just a rumour or can you confirm?
I can confirm. I don’t think it’s reserved, I think it’s more like, again a Norwegian saying, „Janteloven“, it’s an unofficial way of people how to be in Norway. When you walk past people you smile in a certain way, you don’t smile like „Hey!“, but give them a nod.
The longer you get south in Europe, the crazier and open people get. When in Norway the audience really loves you, they just nod their head. That’s the best you can get, at least for us  as a band. And I heard the Leprous guys talking about the same. So, in Norway the people are kind of reserved, but still they’re friendly if you talk to them. Especially when you’re from Germany, people are like „Have you tried Brühwurst?“ (= scalded sausage), or „Have you tried this or have you tried that? Let me help you!“. They’re very friendly. But on concerts, they are very reserved.
But we had Rammstein playing here in Norway lately. That was different. People went crazy. Like „Yeah, I’m gonna drink and I’ll let loose“,  so if a big artist comes to Norway, people don’t care anymore. It’s just like „HEEEY! YEAH, LETS HUG! LETS GO.“ and that’s good, I like it.
But it’s good to be different in Norway as well. Because when you meet people, you don’t have to be overly friendly.

Did you ever had periods of doubt, if living as a professional musician is the right thing for you?
I would like to say no. But I think I had a time of doubt four years ago, when Simen quit the band. He quit because he was exhausted after the recording of the album and stuff like that. And I asked myself, if it’s worth the work and the hours that we’re supposed to put into this? Because it gets like thousands of hours each year that you work, including sending e-mails, doing press-related things, and doing this and that, getting booking agents, it’s an endless amount of work. The day after he quit, I had a moment of doubt. I just woke up and I dreamed that I’ve quit and that I lived a regular life, with work and the family buissiness and stuff like that, and I almost threw up. I felt like „No, that’s not me. That’s never going to be me. That’s never going to happen“. I’m always going to be a musician, and going to always express what I feel and talk to people and meet new people, that’s just how I am. So that dream just put me in the right direction, because when I wake up and had dreams, I will follow them.

Like, for instance, last week we had a rehearsal week for this tour, and I woke up on Friday, the first day that we had, and I ’ve dreamed that I’ve played at the first place I’ve ever played a show, in my hometown Lillestrøm. So I just called the location saying „Hey, I had a dream last night that I’ve played a show at your place with my band. Is it possible maybe to come and play with you on Sunday?“ That was on two days notice. They responded: „Well, that’s a little short, but yeah sure! Come!“ So we packed the equipment from the rehearsal place and we just took everything down to that location and played the show for my people in Lillestrøm. So the dream came true. People came to see us because they’re interested and I called the newspaper in my town and they were like „Yeah sure!“ and it was a good show. It was a good start to get us on track for this tour.

What was it that inspired you as a child already to become a musician? Or is it in your nature?
I have a thing called ADHD, I need to do stuff. So, as a kid I was always running around, doing crazy stuff, playing football, handball, baseball, pingpong, what ever you want. I did it, I tried everything, I needed to find a place where I could channel my energy, where I could actually use my energy for something that would last. I tried professional football/soccer in Norway, but it didn’t work out because I got an injury and stuff like that. After that I was always playing in a band to channel my energy to something, and I thought „This is what I am suppost to do with all my energy“. After that I participated in the Norwegian „Idol“ TV show and came in 7th place there. I played Blues Cups and tried everything, I had six bands, I did all I could to make music my living. But it still isn’t, but I’m working on it. Because that’s what I want to do.

If you could choose from all the bands in the world, who would you like to tour with that you haven’t toured with already?
Biffy Clyro, I think, or Nothing But Thieves, they’re amazing. I heard about them four years ago and I’ve been a fan since then, because the vocalist is amazing, he sings so great. But Opeth would be great as well.

What are your favorite songs of Opeth and Nothing But Thieves?
Opeth: „Sorceress“, and Nothing But Thieves: „Particles“, that’s an amazing song. It’s the feeling that the vocalist is putting into that song, it’s insane, when I hear it I get chills everytime and I get what we call in Norway „Klump i halsen“, it’s like you almost start to cry. Of course I listen to a lot of bands and there are many bands I would like to tour with. But for the moment, it would feel most right for me with Biffy Clyro, Opeth or Nothing But Thieves.

Did you have some kind of classical siging education?
In school in music class I applied for playing bass, because I wanted to play the bass. I started playing bass and double bass in a blues band, so I wanted to do that, but they said „Sorry, we have too many bass players already“, so they asked if I could do something else. I said I could try to sing, and I tried that. They gave me a sheet with notes and stuff like that, and I was like „Okay, I can try“. So, I did three years of classical, jazz, soul, whatever. I even learned a German song called „Heidenröslein“. I learned a lot from that school, but after that I went to college, where I played the bass again, but then I found out that I actually love singing. So I persued that. I learned a lot from that teacher that I had, she was 65 or so. She was really old-school, slapping my hands when I did things wrong. But she was awesome, she put me in my place because I was all over the place. So she helped me to focus. And that’s what I’m doing today, and that’s why I am on this tour, because I’ve actually found my focus in what I love, in Maraton.

Do you sometimes think about taking singing lessons to still improve something?
I feel like my singing it okay right now. But one thing you learn, the older you get, is that you never stop learning. You’re never filled up with stuff. Of course, as a vocalist I can always learn more. As a guitarist you could always learn more, a new song, or you could always learn how to do a technique differently. So, maybe in the future I will, if I find the right teacher.
I would love to be better at screaming, I always wanted to do that. And sometimes I scream in Maraton, and I’ve learned it from some of my friends , because in Norway there’s a big metal environment, and I’m part of that. I’ve always been into really hard music like Meshuggah, Monuments, stuff like that. So when I hear those bands  I feel that I want to learn how to scream better. But that’s only one thing. I would also like to learn how to improve my breath, and my voice. So, yeah, you could always get better, if you find the right people to teach you.

You have been nominated for the Norwegian music award called „Spellemannprisen“ with Maraton for „Meta“?
That was weird. We didn’t know about that until 4 days notice. We were nominated for „Album of the year“. And I’ve actually never heard of it, but on Sunday we were nominated and for other things as well, but I haven’t heard about it. So I googled myself and the band. And I found out that we’re nominated. So we were thinking „Holy shit, four days left, what do we do?“ People have promoted their stuff in two weeks, so I thought „Okay, let’s go out on social media and say ‚Please vote for us‘.“ But that didn’t work out. So 4 days was a little short time.

Have you attended the ceremony?
No, we dropped it. We didn’t have the time, because we were out playing a gig that day. So next year, maybe.

What’s your own favorite Maraton song and why?
„Mosaic“ is my favorite. Because of the emotional aspect of the lyrics and the feeling that I get when I sing it. It’s the one song that I still get the „klump i halsen“ when I sing it. It’s hard to perform it because when I sing it, I think of all the things that I loved and all the things that I’ve done or should have done, and it all hits me down like a ball. I really have to work through it. So I’ve cried many times when singing it, I even have to turn around sometimes. I mean, I don’t HAVE to turn around, because I’m not afraid of crying, but that song is really touching me and I really love everything about it. It really hits me.

What was the most challenging song to record in the studio?
That was „Fringe Logic“. That was a tough nut to crack, because the pitch is so high. The first time we played it, we had to tune it down just a half note, just for me to be comfortable with the singing. But after a while of singing live, also for 22, it was no problem anymore, because the 22-songs are high pitched, so I trained. But still it’s difficult to sing because the long notes are really long, and the rythmical part of it is really tricky to get into. But now we’re doing the song on this tour, I’m not sure in wich country, but we’ll see. We’ll be changing our set list tomorrow, maybe it will be on the set list then.

Did you take the idea from Leprous to change the set lists during the tour?
No, when we went on tour last time we created this pool of songs. You always create a pool before you head out, and we didn’t know what Leprous was doing, so we created a pool of songs we knew. For instance with the band 22 it was about 19 songs that I had to learn in 3 weeks. It was crazy. But we did it to make the tour interesting for the audience. For us it’s a real game changer, to change the songs, maybe do one set for two nights and then change it up and try one night with three other songs, and change it again to make it interesting to keep us on our toes. Because after a while, if you get too comfortable with the set, maybe you don’t play it as good as you should.

So you want to challenge yourselves?
Of course, I need the challenge. I need to think differently each night. „Okay, now it’s this song, what am I going to do? How am I going to express it, or how to talk to you or to the audience?“. So, it keeps the thing interesting and the challenge is real, I guess.

What makes a good singer (besides the love for music and rehearsing or course)?
Communication. It’s about how to communicate with the audience and how to communicate your lyrics. Einar Solberg of Leprous is good at that, he is fantastic. You can see it in his eyes. Each Leprous show is kind of different, he does that in a good manner, like he knows how to communicate with people, how to communicate his lyrics and that is what makes a good frontman. So, yeah, it’s about how to talk to people.

If you get people’s interest they’re going to look at your show. If you don’t get their interest, if you don’t communicate with them, the audience will walk away and is not going to remember you. They’re going to think of the concert: „Okay, that was a good show, but yeah the other band communicated with me, they gave me something, there was a purpose of me being there. They gave me something I can take home that I can nourish and grow. Next time I see them I have a new different feeling about them“. So it’s the ability to communicate with people. That’s the biggest thing for a singer, at least for me. Everyone if different but for me it’s really important.

At metal1.info we have this fun tradition of a brainstorming. You say the first thing that comes into your mind about these 5 terms:
Marilyn Manson: Missing a rib. Of course it’s not true, but it was just a rumour that was going around at school: „Yeah, Marilyn Manson removed his rib to suck his own dick.“ It’s a rumour that built itself, but it’s not true.
Vegetarians: It’s a choice.
German beer: Good!
Woodstock: Jimi Hendrix. I’ve seen that concert many times. I was his biggest fan when I started off with blues music, it was Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. They were my greatest inspiration. About communicating: they just did what they did so well. For instance, each show of Stevie Ray Vaughan the way he played was great, it was just the expression he made, he really meant it. And about Jimi Hendrix, I have covered one of his songs, when I participated in the Norwegian „Idol“ show. The first audition I’ve been in, I brought a mini-guitar, and I played „Crosstown Traffic“. Unfortunately, it’s not on YouTube anymore, they removed it after five years.
Twin brother: I have one and I love my twin brother Martin. He is my best friend, he has always been. We had our differences of course, as all brothers and sisters have, I have a sister as well. But he is really different from me. He is the calm gamer guy, who more loves to be at home, he loves to be with himself. He knows exactly what he likes and what he doesn’t like. That’s one of the things that make him so great. Actually, I’ve always been the active one, out jogging, playing football, just training and doing stuff like that. But during the last couple of weeks he started to work out. And that’s awesome! He’s now jogging 3 of 4 days a week, he starts really taking care of himself. It’s incredible. He’s improving his life.

He likes music, but he didn’t really find his place in the music that was available at that time. And he didn’t find his place when it came to sports, for example, we played handball when we were small. I was always the guy running, scoring goals and stuff , and he was the guy watching a beetle go over the court, just watching and holding the beetle and be like „Wait you can’t run here, there’s a beetle going over the court“. So he was always the calm guy,  never bothered with sports or stuff like that. So, we were always different, but always have been best friends.
But even though we’re totally different, I can feel when he’s sad or when he’s angry, or when something is wrong, I know it right away when I look at him. If I knew my brother is feeling bad or something, I would do everything I can to help him. Nothing could stop me. If I would have to drop a concert, if he’s in pain, I would stop the concert, I would travel to him. That’s how important he is to me.

I call my family each day, almost. I’m a family guy, I love my family, my mother, my father, my sister. Family has always been there. But now Maraton is a family to me as well. Simen, Frank, they’re family. It’s always been like that. If you are in my band, you’re also my family.

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