Thank you, thank you

Malmö was amazing. So is this:

/ M

Malmö Malmö

This Saturday, me, Joakim Söderström and Patrik Berg will make the streets of Malmö unsafe as we head down there to do a show at Debaser. The club is called Get Laid or Die Trying. We are bringing our camcorders along and will make a little road movie for you early next year. If you're in the south of Sweden this weekend, join the fun!
/ M

As good as it gets

/ M

The Lonely Islands

Funny, funny stuff.

/ M

Skaizerkite, Strings and Hanna Lovisa

Me and Hanna Lovisa recorded a duet for the album yesterday. The song is called "Unknown Pleasures" and turned out almost too brilliant for its own good. Today we recorded strings for six songs, which also turned out real nice.
I think I've figured out the title for the album. In the The Cure-song "High" I always thought Robert sang "When I see you, Skaizerkite" but I recently found out that what he really is singing is "When I see you sky-as-a-kite". So, that beautiful, eastern europe sounding word is all mine. Skaizerkite, mmm.
/ M

Talk to my manager

His name is Nat and he'll be taking care of business from now on! nat@ruffalane.com
/ M

An Update and Cream Team

Go to http://creamteam.tv/ to know what's what!
Also, here's an updated list of the songs we're recording right now:

1. Welcome to Stalingrad
2. One Kiss
3. Last Year in Marienbad
4. Click Click
5. Dancing Shoes
6. Elisabeth By The Piano
7. Unknown Pleasures
8. The Stares of The House That Haunted This Town
9. TBA
10. Dungeons & Dragons
11. A Wedding In June
12. I Love You Annie

/ M

I was 8 and my heart was broken

No more I love you's

It feels like I've been eaten alive. I stumbled over Annie Lennox' "No more I love you's" for three weeks ago. I had of course heard it before then, but for the first time I really listened to it and I just fell apart. It's been on repeat since then and everything else then listening to it has felt utterly meaningless. I'm slowly returning to life again and to day I listened to some Simon and Garfunkel, which was great. During these weeks the work with the album has continued as planed. I forced myself to focus on what's important, even though I wanted nothing more then to put my headphones back on and turn up the volume. I don't really know a lot about Annie Lennox, except that she has a great name and that her "greatest hits" album is a goldmine. I wish I could sing like her. Talk soon.
/ M

Long time no blog

There is a reason for my silence. I'll write about it soon. Untill then, listen to this song again and again and again and again.
/ M

The party that lasted for 50 years

This weekend was great. Friday evening, we set up drums in the studio and Saturday morning we started to record the drum track for "I Love You Annie". It sounds really cool. Saturday evening we had a party, celibrating that both me and Linda are turning 25 this year. It was an amazing event. Unfortunately I forgot to pick up my camcorder. Oh well, the film will just have to start in some other way. Sunday morning, with an enormous hangover, we were in the studio again, recording drum tracks for "Welcome to Stalingrad", "Click Click" and "One Kiss". Tonight we'll continue. I'm really exited 'bout the new songs. In my mind the whole album will sound like a 50 minute version of "Walking on Sunshine". Well, maybe not the entire album, but a big part of it! Now I'm gonna have breakfast and watch the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter. Then I'll work on some lyrics. Stay sweet.
/ M

Red and yellow and it's getting colder

I'm listening to a terrific audiobook right now. The Lurker at the Threshold by H.P. Lovecraft. Beautiful and dark. Outside my window, trees are turning red and yellow and it's getting colder and colder out there. I love autumn. Soon winter will sweep in and ruin it, but right now it's almost heartbreaking.
Soon I'll be finished with all the lyrics for the new album. For some reason they are all quite nostalgic. I've gotten a few very good suggestions for the album title so far. A lot of fun. Keep them coming!
/ M

The Power of The Dark Side

I see this and I melt!

Amazing!
/ M

Lights, Camera, Action!

Today, my new camcorder arrived. A Sony HDR-HC9. And so it begins. My friend and co-producer Johan Kronlund is in Greece for a week. So we've put the studio sessions on hold and will pick it up this weekend. Which is good, cause I'll get a chance to really check it out and learn how to use the camera. This whole filming buisness is kind of making me a bit nervous. I've never done anything like i before. Hopefully it'll work out fine. I'm throwing a party this friday. I guess that would be a good thing to start off the film with!

Here's a list of songs we are recording for the third album:

1. Welcome to Stalingrad
2. Last Year in Marienbad
3. One Kiss
4. Click Click
5. Dancing Shoes
6. 10 years ago, 10 years from now
7. Unknown Pleasures
8. The Stares of The House That Haunted This Town
9. My Valentine
10. Anything can happen in California
11. Do You Remember Annabelle?
12. I Love You Annie

Looks good.
/ M

Bergman

Today, Linda and I are going to the Nobel Museum. We are going to have a look at an exhibition about Ingmar Begman, entitled Bergman In Focus. I studied film when I was 20 and (just like everyone else) I fell in love with Persona and especially Cries and Whispers. That's when I started collecting his films, books of him and about him and also a lot of screenplays. I'm really looking forward to the exhibition, as I'm sure they've put together a nice coffee table book with all the pictures of him. It would look so good in my bookshelf.
/ M

Once every Autumn

No matter how much you try, you just can't plan days like these. They just happen. For me, once maybe twice each year. See, I got off work early and my plans to have lunch with Patrik Berg got cancelled, so I thought I'd just stop by my favorite book shop, Papercut, before I'd head home to get some more work done. But then I found myself turning left, instead of right by the end of the street and as the leaves slowly fell towards the pavement I put on Miles and Sonny Stitt, live in Stockholm '61 on my iPod. I walked around for two hours, inhaling the architecture in the south part of my hometown. This awkward, grand, small-minded, embracing, inhibited, anxious and beautiful city. I bought three issues of The Believer and some OJ. I'll spend the rest of the day on my balcony, reading.
/ M

Are you ready to Believe?

I'm an addict. Dave Eggars, you bastard! I picked up one of the latest issues of The Believer a couple of months ago and I just couldn't put it down. Now my collection of the back catalogue is slowly growing and I must say, it's probably the best magazine ever. In the fifthy fourth issue, there is an awesum interview with Kristen Schaal (Mel from Flight of The Conchords). Brilliant! They have also published parts of Michel Houellebecq's "Against nature, against life" about H.P. Lovecraft. Very intreging and well written.
Here's a clip with Kristen Schaal from the Edinburgh Festival. Hilarious!

She's my idol. Anyway, The Believer. You really should check it out. Well, anything published by McSweeney's Publishing is worth both your money and your time, I promise you. They also make a terrific DVD magazine, Wholphin. It's collections of short movies and documentaires. What can say, I'm swept off my feet.
/ M

Modesty Blaise in a new suit!

I'm proud to announce that you can now hear the re-recorded single version of the song "Modesty Baise" on my myspace. It's released in the UK only by the beautiful lable Ruffa Lane.

Enjoy!
/ M

Your right to Comment!

My god! I had no idea that my blog had the "only-google-members-can-leave-a-comment" nonsense. Anyway, it's gone now. Thank you Erika for mailing me about it. And please speak your mind! / M

When will we start writing real songs again?

Would-be hipster's alright with me

Yesterday wouldbehipster.com posted a review of "Introducing... the best of Montt Mardié" which will be released early next year in the UK. Here's the whole review:

"I cannot take a man seriously if he's a)Speedo-clad, b)holding a crayola-colored drink with a tiny umbrella, or c)singing excessively in falsetto. While I don't consider the first two to necessarily be to my detriment (quite the opposite actually), chances are "c" has caused me to miss out on more than a few compelling musical artists. Thankfully, Montt Mardié (pronounced mar-dee-yay), who's non-music goals include "make[ing] a frame-by-frame remake of ‘When Harry Met Sally’ with him playing the role of Harry," doesn't ask that you discover the meaning of life though his music - only that you listen.

Full disclosure: there is currently no USA release date for Introducing the Best Of. I hate when people run stories about artists and forget to mention this important little fact. Thanks for getting me excited over nothing. Jerks. However, both of Mardié's previous efforts, Clocks/Pretender and Drama, are available on both iTunes and eMusic. Buy them both and cherry pick your own favorites. Yes, that is an order.

For those who aren't flush, or are simply looking to test the waters, Introducing the Best Of is a strong introduction to Sweden's latest golden boy. Weeding out multiple versions ("Smile Charlie" finds a home on the album, bumping the less compelling, nearly identical "Bag of Marbles"), we're left with seventeen single-worthy pop gems. Turns out falsetto isn't such a bad thing - I can sing along!

And sing I do. The world Mardié lives in is hopelessly cinematic, even when singing about his own romantic ineptitude. Somewhere between pleading to have his name written in the clouds after his death and asking the untouchable girl next door to the prom, Mardié still finds time to duet with fellow Swedish musical royalty Hello Saferide and Jens Lekman, again lending credence to the belief that all that musicians in Sweden do is sit around in rooms together being made of awesome. It's a rough life, as evidenced by the aforementioned smooth-as-silk falsetto. (I know, I know, this is the third time I've mentioned it, but the sweetness of his lyrics is directly proportional to the unnerving quality of the boy's range.)

There's a name for this type of music. A name that I've been violently shoving to the back of my mind as repeated Introducing the Best Of listenings have threatened to bring it forward, allowing it to spill over my lips and escape into the world. Oh how the truth burns! Here it goes.... What Montt Mardié has created is boy band music. But, it's boy band music at its hookiest, ear-wormiest finest. There. I said it. Oh heck, grab me a stool and get the guy in the Speedo to order me one of whatever he's drinking. I'll be here awhile."

Damn straight! And thank you.
/ M

Are you filming this?

The idea is that I'll be filming everything that goes on while we (me and Johan Kronlund) are working on the new album (!) and that I'll eventually turn it into a "behind-the album"-documentary. Thing is, "everything that goes on" is pretty unflattering business. Mood swings, comfortable (and oh-so-ugly!) clothes and 35 takes for each line that I'm singing. Do I really want people to see that? Of course, I could cut all that out, but then the film would just be a couple of guys drinking coffee talking about their girlfriend troubles and telling bad puns. Well, I guess I'll just have to start wearing a tie to the studio.

I've been trying to come up with a title for the new album. Right now I'm kind of keen on just calling it "Montt Mardié". Clean and simple. If you have any other suggestions, please share! We could make into a competition. The one who comes up with a name for the album gets the "very special thanks to" in the liner notes. Are you up for it?
Talk soon.
/ M

Sing along with Pat Boone

I survived the night. I sang myself to sleep at around 6.45 and woke up at 10.00 with a song in my head. "Speedy Gonzales"! What a great tune! It might have some racial issues, and it absolutely plays around with a very stereotype picture of espanic people, but still it's a marvelous song. Pat Boone, 1962. You can sing along if you like:

Awh, terrific! I will spend the rest of the day playing Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on my xbox360. Thank God for George Lucas and for his direct and fearless path towards becoming the worlds greatest sell-out of all time! I love every second of it!
/ M

Insomnia, 25 and David Sedaris

I can't sleep. It's 5.29 and I can't sleep. I close my eyes and a reel of thousand thoughts start spinning. So I read. I read David Sedaris' "When You are Engulfed In Flames" and I cry. I'm 25 now. I turned 25 last week. The early twentys are gone forever.

I've started to record another album. Krille Eriksson just laid down the guitar tracks for a beautiful number entitled "Elisabeth by the Piano". I'm sure it'll be one of my favorites. I also just finished writing my very own "Walking on Sunshine", I named i "Welcome to Stalingrad". Wonderful.

People keep telling me that if I want this whole blog thing to work I need to update twice each day, instad of once a month. Well, we'll see.

Don't fall asleep.
/ M

Only The Best Is Good Enough

The Greatest.

One Kiss and Helvetica

Just saw the documentary Helvetica, which was brilliant. It's about the typeface and design in general, and it really got me thinking about the style of the Montt Mardié album covers. Maybe they are a little messy. I think I'll have a chat with Patrik and see if we could do something really clean the next time around.
Also, I wrote a new song today, "One Kiss". You're gonna love it!
/ M

All is OK in the UK!

A lot of stuff is happening in the UK right now. "Set Sail Tomorrow" has gotten a lot of attention.

1, It went straight onto the A list on NME-radio.
2, It's on H&M instore radio from July 2nd for a month going out to 1,200 stores across 23 countries.
3, I'm Rookie Of The Week on BBC 6music.
4, "Out in the city" put me at the top of the hot list.



And we've only just started.
/ Monty

Chandelier Prod.

As you might already know, I write songs. If I were a Barry Manilow song I'd be "I write the songs"! Johan Kronlund is also a songwriter. And he's a gifted producer, as am I! So together we've started our first production company. Candelier Prod. I've very ecxited 'bout this. Our portfolio is a wide elegant proof of craftsmanship. Next week a logo (designed by Patrik Berg), a website and a bunch of business cards will be ready. There will be a lot of music made this summer. Just the way I like it!

Tell it like it is Hasse!

The last time I saw Monty

Life sure is full of surprices. Yesterday on my way to the subway, my dear friend Johan drives up next to me in his new convertible. He asks me if I wanna go with him to have lunch with Tom Jones. "Whatever you do though" he says with a straight face, "Don't start singing 'What's new, Pussycat?'" Johan knows that whenever I meet a songwriter, whomever it is, something inside forces me to start singing one of their songs. It's really stupid, still there's nothing I can do about it. So I say "no, but thanks" and continue my way toward the trains. "Tom Jones, Jesus, he's a legend". I make my way pass the controls. "Oh well, pussycat, pussycat I love you..."

Patrik, one day you and I will be free!

My good friend Patrik Berg took me to dinner tonight. It was real fancy and so great. I think I need to spend more time with my friends this summer. I've forgotten how fun it can be. Stockholm is really beautiful now. I know it's such a cliché, but I really love this town during these three months. The blue sky is a band-aid for my heart. Talk soon. / M

Introducing... Monty.

So, 2 new songs, 6 re-recorded songs from my first album "Drama" and 10 songs from the double album "Clocks/Pretender" are being put together for my very first UK release! It feels pretty good. Apparently it will be called "Introducing... the best of Montt Mardié". If I had gotten my way through, I would have named it "Death".
Talk soon.
M

Bobby, do you know my name?

Cecilia B Jonson included my song "Highschool Drama" in her latest DJ-set. A wise move indeed. Primal Screams very own Bobby Gillespie walks up to her and asks her who the artist is. Well, why wouldn't he? It's a great song. Still the 21 year old that recorded the song in his bedroom in 2004 never thought the guy behind Swastika Eyes would take notice of it... Take a look!
/ M

It was me, Luke Skywalker and his father

I'm sick. My throat is killing me. And I can't sleep. When I close my eyes I see the strangest picture. Almost frightening. There is a girl, floating in water, some kind of lake, the picture is taken under the surface. She has a white night gown on, and it looks as if she's sleeping even though I can't see her face, since it's on the other side of the surface. It's in black and white. Looks classic, but not old. Dramatic, but not pretentious (at least to me). I don't know, I've got a fever.
I've tried to write some lyrics for the new songs, but I really suck right now. Can't seem to find a theme strong enough to last more than a verse and half a chorus. I think I'm gonna start writing everything by hand again. I hate my computer.

Have you seen my dancing shoes?

Where to start… I guess I’ve grown sick of what I’ve been doing for a while now. Nothing, really (in Sweden anyway). So I’m thinking of recording another album. Then it hits me: Why? Why should I write all these beautiful songs that basically goes unnoticed by the larger amount of listeners? Am I doing this for a crowd I’m dying to get away from? Then I realise it’s all I got, and a bad conscience comes creeping up from every corner.
To be honest, these are all lies. Of course there will be another album. The thing is though, it will be different. If there is such a thing as a montt-sound, it won’t have it. In my head I have all these melodies, jumping me all the time, just like always, only they are sadder now, more direct and melancholic. I don’t know if it’s a good thing. If I should start to produce now, I guess it would basically sound like a bad post-punk rip off and I’m not interested in doing that at all. That’s why I asked Christian Zellinger to start producing some songs for me. We’ve worked together before on a couple of tracks for an EP and he did the great track “Hacienda” on my latest album. His style and way of making music is so different from anyone else I know. Also he has no references to all the bands that come to my mind when I hear the songs I’m writing now. That’s why I think it maybe will work. Sad songs through the eyes of a Funk/Soul/Chill-out kind of a producer.
You see, the stuff I’m writing now is in a whole different genre than the songs I’ve written before, and I don’t know why. Well, a lot of people around me are dying at the moment and of course, since I’ve been shielded from death for 24 years now, it really makes me uncomfortable. It doesn’t scare me, just makes me bitter. Though it would feel so cheap to start writing songs concerning this, as if I had anything of value to say about it. I really don’t.
I am in the middle of re-recording old songs for my first UK album. It will be released by Ruffa Lane during the summer I think, maybe autumn. My album “Clocks” have just been released in Taiwan, and we are right now working out a deal with a label in Japan.

Talk soon.
M

Grip

Photos for Grip Magazine:

I’ve started to make plans for The Funeral

1. Take Pictures
2. Choose Songs
3. Pick Flowers
4. Write invitations