Avatar – Hunter Gatherer
Interview with Avatar vocalist Johannes Eckerström
One of the most exciting and hard rocking metal bands in the world – Avatar, is launching their eighth studio album – Hunter Gatherer via Entertainment One. This ten track crusher features not only intricate musical aspects but lyrical genius as well. I was able to catch up with the bands’ front man and lead vocalist Johannes Eckerström to talk about the new record. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by the depth of our conversation and walked away thinking that this may have the most cerebral interviews I’ve had to date.
After countless shows and albums I wondered if Johannes still gets those butterflies when the band is gearing up to launch a new album. This was one of the many topics we covered during our conversation.
Of the butterflies Johannes says, “If I’m trying to think back, there have been these moments.. this shut down. That day, of all the days leading up to it, It’s the day that I acknowledge the least that it’s something that happens. Because otherwise you would overthink it or you start looking for comments too fast on social media or something. I think it’s that. However, now for instance, as we can’t tour this fall all the ways we wanted. Trying to figure out where to put our energy. Instead we are having a bigger presence in terms of streaming stuff. Doing Q&A’s. For the music video premieres we’ve had singles leading up to the album. We’ve been in chat rooms with the fans as its been going live on YouTube and everything. And there when you see the enthusiasm you go, oh, oh, wait a minute! Someone’s going to listen to this?!?” :laughs:
Johannes continues, “So, I sometimes get the last minute butterflies. Like, I don’t acknowledge it for the longest time and then when it actually happens it’s like, we are releasing what? Are you crazy?? It’s weird, it’s something that each time I don’t know even how to describe it because it’s a weird thing to wrap your head around.”
Hunter Gatherer, produced by Jay Ruston (Stone Sour, Slipknot, Anthrax), is the darkest, most sinister version of the band yet, with deep studies of cruelty, technology, disdain, and deprivation.
I asked Johannes what the working environment was like in the studio with Ruston. I wanted to know if it was relaxed or simply a “go to work and get it done” type of situation. He says, “I guess it’s somewhere in between. It’s a very good environment with Jay. We have liked all three significant producers we have worked with in our careers. I think with Jay, in terms of clicking and what makes us laugh and what our values are, he is the closest to.. we share the most with him, probably. So we are very in sync as people.”
Johannes has a great way of breaking things down. Even when I pose what can sometimes be difficult questions of things like: The track that spoke to you the most emotionally, favorite moments and the song that everyone has to hear when the record drops. I ask things like this in hopes of going even deeper into the tracks and for the artist to think of the songs from a fan perspective. Johannes does this and more. He really seems to grasp all aspects of not only the music but the emotional side of the experience for everyone involved.
This was definitely one for the record books.
You can hear my entire conversation with Johannes Eckerström by clicking on the link to your favorite place to listen to podcasts.
–Tommy Marz
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