Fremmand from Denmark

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Tobias Weltzer, drummer and producer from the indie rock band Fremmand from the Faroe Islands / Denmark.

Interview conducted on May

Fremmand is a nordic indierock band, exploring the tension between dreams and desperation, and draws a line to early goth and post punk, but is also forward looking. Dark nordic indierock, exploring the tension between dreams and desperation.

Band Members
Jana Hjalgrimsdóttir – Vocals
Tinna Tótudottir – Bass
Tobias Weltzer – Drums
Sigmund Zachariassen – Guitar

What is your upbringing?

Tobias Weltzer: I went to hippie schools when I was a kid. When I was 13, I got my first drum kit and joined a band. We actually played a lot of shows. We were even on national TV and radio, which is almost impossible these days!

By the age of 16, I left home to move Copenhagen to play with an established New Wave band called Avantgarde De Luxe. We played a lot of shows and released music through a label as well. It was tough for me, but it has also hardened me, so when people think that something is difficult, I have something to compare with, and I might think “not really”.

How did you discover music?

The first time I got into rock music when I was a kid, was when I heard “Fox on the Run” with The Sweet. I just went WOW! I could hear that song over and over… I thought it was the best song ever, by far!

How did you start to write music?

Being a drummer, it came slowly. When I bought my own studio in ‘99 and really started to use Logic and music sequencing, that changed a lot. It became so much easier to write music, even though I am not playing other instruments besides drums, very well.

How did you get the band together?

Our singer Jana moved to Denmark back in 2016 and wanted to make a garage rock band. So, we started out as a rock band with a guitarist, making loud edgy rock songs. This was back in ’16.

How did you go from Bats and Skulls to Fremmand?

Unfortunately, our guitar player had to leave the band because of personal problems, so we were in limbo trying to find a new member of the group. We need up recruiting a keyboard player and no guitarist. That changed the sound of the band from garage rock to New wave. So, we needed a new name as the sound was so different from where we came from as Bats & Skulls. We wanted to show our roots with the Faroe Islands in the name, so we decided on Fremmand, which means stranger in Faroese.

What is Nordic Indierock?

Nordic Indierock to us, is dark, melancholic rock opposed to some of the “happier” Indierock bands. It rains 300 days a year at the Faroe Islands. The environment is always reflecting the “art” that you are making, in our case music. So rainy, windy rock, in other words.

How did you set up as your first show to open up with former Prince Bass player, Ida Nielsen?

Ida and I use to have an electronic-based/trip-hop inspired band together called Indigo Sun for seven years, so Ida is a very good friend, almost like family. I asked if we could open for her, which she was cool with.

Tell me about that first show?

Our guitar player dropped out 3 weeks before our first show. In my optic, the only legit reason to cancel a gig is death. So, we had to find a way to make it work, bass, drums, and lead vocal. So, we programmed synths to the tracks and gave the bass a larger space in the music, so that kinda shaped the future sound of Fremmand.

Why did you decide to start your own label?

After have recruited our keyboard player, we concluded that we wanted to start out making an album and focus 100% on that. Once we had an album, we felt it would be easier to book shows and brand the band. So instead of wasting time on pitching our music to a bunch of labels who most likely wanted to see how we were live beforehand, then we just went straight for making the album. So, we decided to make our own label. In the meantime, we are now signed to the label Tutl Records.

You just released your single “Legendary Lover” on May 1st. How did you get Pete Hayes from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to be part of the project?

I have known Pete since 2011, so it is a relationship that has grown over the years. I actually sent another track to Pete called “Always on the Run”, that he recorded about 10 stems of guitar for. It was way more than we needed for the track. So, I took all the guitars that we could not use for “Always on the Run” and created a new song out of it. I asked if Pete was up for making a lyric for it, which he did. Then it progressed into being a duet with Pete and Jana.

You toured with BRMC, how was the first time you performed “Hold on to Love” with Pete Hayes?

The first time that we Played Holding on to Love in front of a crowd was Nürnberg in Germany. We played 3 shows with BRMC in the summer of 2018, and this was the last night. It was AWESOME! When you stand on stage with Pete, you have grown at least 10 feet. His sound is so massive! He has 4 amps linked together, and it just sounds soooooo good!

I read somewhere the cd had the title Virus. If this is true will you hold back the release date which is scheduled for Sept. 2, 2020?

Haha, dunno where that comes from. We have not settled for a title for the new album yet, but it will for sure not be called Virus. The release date will be September 4, and it will be released by Tutl records.

What is your favorite track on the album?

The favorite on the from the upcoming? It’s hard to choose. It’s like, which of your kids do you like the best. But it might be the track “Death has made a fool of us”. It was actually the first track that we recorded for the album.

How is touring different in Denmark than the USA?

One of the things we learned in the US was, you get paid for how many who show up when you have a slot at a club. It is very common to have 4 bands to share an evening and when you come to the door, you say which band you are there to see. The band will get 80% off the door from the crowd that comes in after the first 20 has arrived. That forces the bands to do good promotion if they want to get paid.

How do you stay healthy while touring?

Personally, I at home doing promo stuff for the band so I don’t interact much these days. I eat super healthy. I am on this kato trip right now, eating a lot of greens and avoiding gluten. Plus, I jog and exercise every day. Keep your immune system up, and you have done your best to prevent getting sick. I hope.

What are you’re feeling about streaming music?

I am ok with streaming. The good thing about it is that it is super easy to check out new bands and also rediscover older music. At the same time, it is mega difficult to make money from music sales, unless you are getting A LOT of plays.

Digital vs. vinyl?

I am a vinyl freak and have a big collection. There is a certain charm to listening to an album on vinyl. Plus, it sounds better opposed to steaming.

Any plans to tour?

We have shows planned at The Faroe Islands and Denmark in September and November. We have also started a relationship with a large German booking agency, and they are looking into bookings for us as well. Germany is a great place to play concerts, and we would love to do more of that in the future.

What song from the past is in your mind right now? And what is the meaning that song means to you?

Lately, the song “Ghost Town” by the Specials has been a kind of a theme lately in my “inner radio”, with the Corona deserting the streets. Plus, it’s a great song from one of my favorite bands.

How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?

It is really hard to tell at this point. Hopefully not much. I guess we will just have to hope for the best.

What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?

Promoting Fremmand, especially the new single “Legendary Lover”. Besides that seeing a lot of documentaries about music. I enjoy the YouTube channel Thrash Theory. There is a lot of good stuff on that channel.

Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?

Not really, just trying to have good self-discipline, so the day doesn’t pass by to fast without having done what I had been planning for the day.

Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Are you planning to do something like that?

Nope. I think it kinda sucks. If you really feel like that you have something to offer, it’s great, then go for it. But it’s like everybody wants to jump that boat with “let’s make a Facebook live concert”. The internet is flooded with it, and its is’ s rarely very good.

Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?

There are a lot of YouTubers who make good money from ads. Especially guitar demo guys. But you have to build your platform, which takes years and you have to be really into that thing. So, you got to have talent, be a good communicator, and be very persistent. Then it might work at some point. It’s not a thing for me though.

First, it was an article in the New York Times, then Rolling Stones talked about it and finally, Live Nation CEO said that concerts may not start again until the fall of 2021. Do you think this could happen?

For bigger events, yes. Here in Denmark, the clubs are starting to have shows again in August, unless there is a set back with a new strong outbreak of Corona.

What about Holographic concerts in our living room?

Haha, that’s not gonna happen. I rather create a new song in my studio or gather some friends for a jam.

How do you see yourself in the next five years?

I love creating music and performing live. I also enjoy taking photographs and making videos, so I will make more of that in the future. So a combo of these things will be part of my life one the next 5 years to come.

Anything you would like to say in closing?

If you had the patience to have read all the way through this interview, then please check out Fremmand where ever you hear your music. We are on all the main streaming platforms. We hope that you like our breed of music and look very much forward to come out to play live shows again. Performing live is the absolute best thing of being a musician.