NOW OR NEVER INTERVIEW

NOW OR NEVER INTERVIEW.
(unreleased #2)

Well Destination Recordings believed that this interview is the most fulfilling interview Now or never has done so far so we wanted it on the website. By the way this interview is very personal and the member who answered is Tomas (Vocalist and writer). Everything that says is his view not the view of Now or never because they are five individuals with five different views.

What’s the story of Now or never? When did you start up etc.?
As a thought of a band it came up in the early summer of –96, and the first time we practiced was maybe in July of –96. We recorded our first song just after one hour of practice. First I came up with, starting a band like final exit, with militant songs, presented in a militant way. But then we wanted to start a punk band just as the Old Swedish goodies, but it ended up with deadly serious lyrics presented from my thoughts. And we were kind of looking for our own style, and we didn’t found it before like a year ago or something like that, when we recorded or songs for the new record, and nowadays we have became more original and we’re creating something we believe nobody have done before. Even though we’re using the same riffs. Nowadays we have been around for like 2,5 years and in that time we’ve changed bassist, drummer and we have gotten a new guitarist also. So we’re kind of changed on all contents, we have developed a lot as persons, but also as a band I guess. It’s kind of hard to see all contents in the beginning and to see now what we did and what we didn’t do you know. The story of Now or never will never be told as a whole, and that’s it.
You released a split 7" with hint from Lkpg a while ago. What have been the Reponses of that record?
Yes we released a record together with Hint, and it came out like a half a year ago. We simply released it because we were happy about the songs at the time, so we´re happy with it. The 7" is released at our own label: Destination Records, so we´ve been working with it ourselves so we have also gotten all the response in our hands. And I must say that I am really surprised, pretty much all letters and phone-calls we´ve gotten so far have told us that they love the record. The music is presented raw, straight, guitar-riffing and just pure fucking HC you know. People like the simplicity in the music, and we are in it to freak out on you. Live, at the records, in an all time manner… We´ve gotten letters actually from almost all over the world saying it´s fucking great. From Singapore, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and more and more. I just love it. It get´s me really happy to get response on what we create. This is our kind of art you know. It´s our creation in this world lacked from fantasy. The people in this world is forced upon this political system we have, built by oppression, we lack for our own fantasy, because we accept the substances for the "real". We love to have a cosy moment with our pets just simply because we can´t live in the beautiful nature which capitalism is forcing away. But I really feel that Now or never is my expression of my own true art. I mean we create our comps, we create our accords, we create our style and our own lyrics (ideas), and that´s simply why I love positive critics about our band. And when I say our band, I´m just saying to you that we´re a unit, but still we´re individuals, pretty interesting though.
Why did you split the record with Hint? How did you came in contact with those cool guys?
Well, we simply thought that Hint was a great band, with a lot of opportunities to do something very good in this scene. We liked their exclusively great music, and we could relate to the lyrics, and we thought that their art and expression was something that we sure would like to be together with on a record. So that´s kind of why, and about the contact we came in contact with them for about 2 years ago, when we got a demo recording from them. They asked if we would like to release something with them and we say yes. We started up with releasing their demo tape, and we putted the label Destination Records on it, and we sold about 350 or something like that. I don’t really know. We’ve given the rights to an Asian label to copy and spread how many they wanted and I have heard that they sold about 100 pieces over there but I’m not sure about it. Anyway it sold out pretty well, and then we said that we wanted to do a record with them and they wanted it really much. We also sent our recording (with now or never) to them as friends, and they said that they wanted to split the record with us. And we thought it was a good idea and it turned out that way also. So that’s the outcome of everything. We love Hint guys, they’re great and we’re really sorry that they have quitted now, they may rest in peace. A great band and great guys within it.
I know that you and the guitarist Svante are the men behind destination rec. Tell us something about the label!
Well, we started for about 3 years ago I guess, when we released a compilation tape, and then it has gone pretty much further, and now we´ve released 3 records and a couple of demo tapes. The bands we´ve been working with is: Forced into, Renascence, Now or never, hint, and some local bands which is RIP bands so no idea to tell.. Our plans for the future is to repress the Now or never/hint split, and also with new covers. Before we did everything by hand. There were different pictures at each record and shit. But doing that took us so much time that we couldn´t simply deal with it anymore. So we´ve been doing a new cover, and I like it. Then we´re going to repress the Forced into seven inch very soon also. But the big plans for us right now are to get our two new labels to work out. We have been creating two subdivisions of Destination Records. And they´re called Drive by entertainment and Blacksuit industry. At Black suit we´re releasing rock bands in the future, and the first release is a 10" with the great rock n´roll band Spoonfed. They´re in the studio right now to do the vocals. Then it´s ready to press. And at Drive by we´re going to release hip hop/rap bands, and we have two bands in the hook. Two demo tapes with local hip hop bands pretty soon. The local heroes are Killaquest and defcon 3, and we´re happy about it all. So now we have three labels, with three different kinds of music. But I love it, to get to know more people, with different experiences in life, and different views. But it´s darn much work with it all. Do the flyers, promotion, getting gigs for the bands, making cover, catalogues and shit, but this is a big part of my love so I deal with it. Why? We have those music labels is because, well we love music, and we love to spread messages, and new noises and new experiences in this world. We like to create a punkrock community stronger than it is. We´d like to become a threat to the system, we´d like to spread alternatives. And we love Hardcore, punk, hip-hop such as rock n´roll. So…
What do you think about the other band members? Tell us something about them..
I don´t really know them all so much but I can tell you a bit about everyone as an individual. Mike (bass) is a guy who is vegan, he hangs out with friends, goes to parties, and are pretty strict about the vegan lifestyle, though he ain´t that politically interested. He´s an emotional guy, who I think you can hurt pretty easily, but I don´t really know. He has a cool attitude towards life and its comings. I like him. Erik (drums) is vegetarian, he´s a tricky guy, who like to play tricks and fuck with people. He likes to hang out, checking out girls and stuff. He´s a cool individual who you can make some heavy jokes with, he´s funny, and he makes cool face looks when we play with Now or never. I like him to. Hans (guitar) is our new guitarist together with Svante. I have known him for a while, and we have had loads of nice discussions over veganism, direct action, homosexuality and stuff. I pretty much relate with the things, and wibes he spreads. I mean he´s anarchist, veganX, and philosophical and that´s pretty much what I can relate to. I like the chats we have in the car to the training (now or never jamming). I go from my girlfriend Louise in vänersborg and that´s where he lives so we often go together and that´s cool. I like him to. Svante (guitar) is my closest friend, he´s fucking great, and we work a lot together with the record labels nowadays. He´s creating the melodies to Now or never, and together with Svante I sit at home and lay the vocals in the best way we can. Otherwise he does the zine; Fabriksmagazinet, which will turn out great. I must say me and Svante have had a lot of fun through the years together, we have been making funny movies, joking a lot and at the same time we have been very serious and we have had a lot of interesting discussions. Sometimes I feel that he has a lot to say but he don´t say it, but I guess I´m wrong. He´s awesome and I like him very much.
What influences you as a) person b) band member?
As a person I get influenced from many corners, I mean different chats give me different meanings. When it comes down to love, sex and feelings in entirety I get inspiration from my wonderful girlfriend Louise. She´s amazing and I love everything about her. We have a lot of discussions about feelings. Before I met her I was not very much a sensitive guy, and I had a pretty hard time showing what I felt. But she´s magic, she says all those beautiful words, and we’ve a lot of cosy times together, and nowadays I can always say what I feel. Happiness I get from her to. But happiness I also get from my band, zine and my organizations (political/personal) projects. When it comes down to inspiration in entirety I am a very interested person, almost everything I read, and everybody I talk to feels interesting in a way. I love to get filled with information, other people’s life experiences and stuff like that. One of the most inspiring nights I ever had was in Copenhagen, Denmark. Now or never were there to play, and we are middle class kids so we haven´t really seen that much in this world. When we came there it was like graffiti all over the place and it smelled like shit and drugs (pot and shit). It was dust all over the place and the people drank and smoked pot. We weren´t really use to it that much so we got a shock. But when we started to talk to the people they were awesome. They had wonderful life experiences, some were living in the streets, and some hadn´t got any money to buy food and shit. And they were great people. So I had a lot of decent discussions with those people. And later on we met the band Catharsis from the states (Crimethinc, Inside front crew), and we had a lot of political discussion, and also about sexuality and views on morals. And I must say those guys inspired me more than anyone had done. They got me to understand so much, and I got some zines and shit from them, and I also met this wonderful guy named Eric. He was one of the greatest guys I ever met. Inspiration is something really big, I mean everything we do in this world has a meaning to another beings. Whether it´s an animal or human. Just an eye from a cow, crying for help can inspire me to do something. A fast read in a zine or whatever can be really inspiring, and to philosophize myself. That´s probably the most inspiring part in my life actually. That´s when I get the ideas of spreading my wibes. Almost all ideas I´m dreaming about is something I have philosophized about. Like the collective I´m dreaming of creating, or all my personal revolutions, all my political projects and yeah everything I do. I believe that everything you do comes from something and everything and everyone has a meaning. It ain´t many times you can replay a feeling, and that´s why I believe in making the best of each exclusive situation. Cultures inspire me a lot. Different cultures from different countries with different views. The punkrock community looks pretty much the same all over the world, even though it has its tiny differences. I might as well end here about my personal inspiration because I promise I could write a book about this. Maybe you get a little clue though. As a person in the band I´m just getting inspired of different bands with very influential vocalists, with a lot of beautiful charisma. People in other bands, or people in entirety who represent something in the punk-rock community. It´s really inspiring to just stand up at stage looking at all people, shocking people, to tell them what I feel at the moment and to see the reactions from their faces. It´s the most beautiful thing to feel, but sometimes I really feel this hierarchical guy standing up stage. I´m standing there with the microphone, I´m the one who everybody listens to, and so on, I´m the only one with the "right" to say anything, and it feels fucked. So from now on I´m going to try to talk without the microphone to be on the same level as the "audience". That would be a great feeling though. Now or never inspires aggression, frustration, and the chance to focus and concentrate on what I have to say, and its giving me the chance to express my views to masses of listeners. I love it, and it´s the same here, I can´t really explain all things which inspires me, it´s just a great feeling to stand up on stage, playing in front a lot of people and to get response to our art, our creation.
Name some of your favorite bands..
Forced into (for their beautifully made-up melodies), Spoonfed (great rock n´roll), Catharsis (because of the most free, wonderful lyrics ever written), Neverending (great emocore from Sweden), Fatal justice and Victimized (German cool hardcore with great lyrics), Painted thin (Canadian pop music), Only of you call me jonathan (for just pure fucking great music, swedens best emorock band), Unison (for great music, and vocals that makes me shiver) otherwise Outlast, Battery, Earth crisis and some other bands I always will listen too. Pretty much all bands are exclusively made up, because all have different accords and different meanings in the lyrics, different voices, so I like pretty many bands even though there´s no meaning in writing the names down here.
I know that you put a lot of effort in writing lyrics. How important are the lyrics for you?
Well lyrics are my creation, which also shows my frustration about existing masters, capitalists, and greedy people. I have had mixed feelings through the years alive, through my childhood, and haven´t gotten the chance really to separate different feeling, and I haven´t gotten the chance to express myself until now. And the lyrics have a very deep meaning for me. Almost everything I believe in is based on some experiences I have had. The ground in all writings is thank to my beliefs in straightedge, I wouldn´t had been the person I am today if I hadn´t became straightedge. I write a lot, I maybe write 10 texts with the same meaning, and than I pick the one that I really am satisfied with in the meaning of covering up the subject I´m talking about. Long sentence.. I have a lot to say, and I have a lot of feelings about all kinds of things, and in each lyric I´m trying to create a project through what it means. Like the lyric "my everyday struggle", I was trying to figure out why I do certain things in certain ways, and many of the reasons why I do some things is because of the evil mechanism capitalism. I figured out that most of the thoughts a human being have about sex, power, violence is about forcing yourself upon another being. And most of things I read I believe, and most of the movies I see, are made up lies and a hidden project who´s fooling my mind in it. I mean everything like that needs a struggle, and it´s about making all those daily revolutions, to change myself. To stop judge, to listen, and to create. You can understand my wibes by reading the name of the song "My everyday struggle". And it is really an everyday struggle, you need to fight yourself. You need to destroy the made-up morals you have been taught since you were a kid. That’s my project, which comes out through that song. I also have a new lyric for the new record we´re soon recording and it´s called "Week 45, for the revolution". I think we need to decentralize the power/hierarchy, and we need to centralize/focus the struggle, so I came up with an idea that we need a week where we gather all socialist believers and struggle unite, against all authority, in all possible ways; in demonstrations, in writing etc. If you’re interested in a manifesto about this project, please send me a stamp or something, write the collectives: V45@kurir.net. And tell me if you can help me copy, and spread or anything, because I want this to become a storm of read/black people entering the streets. Don’t care for what I say about "what to do", make your own ideas and create what you think might interest people or whatever. This is also one of my projects. We also have a song called "Global Suicide" which cover up the suicide we are going to, by the way we act. Capitalists are trying to hide information nowadays, that we have gas from down under. To be exact under the Aral-Sea we have gas, which lies in ships from world war 1-2. It’s Russian ships, also filled with plutonium. They are breaking in rust. It would take billions of $ to take them up because of the deepness in the water, and it would be very dangerous. The states and the capitalistic org. has the money to stop this global suicide. But no one want lay money in a project, which is meaningless to our generation. The gas can blow an area as big as the whole European County away, and the next generation will die. But the song "global suicide" ain´t just about that, it´s about the beautiful nature we have in many places here in Sweden, I love those places and I can´t see why we´re killing it by brutal machines, by throwing shit in the nature. Everything are going to an "global suicide" if we ain´t gonna change today or tomorrow. I hate to see it. And my project is to educate about the nature, and when it comes down to it, we will fucking burn and destroy those machines. We´ll not accept the forthcoming shit. The song also covers up our materialistic behavior. I would write a book about this so I will end here. Ask me more specific questions on what you wanna know more about and I will tell you, okay?
Why the name Now or never? What’s the meaning of it?
I came up with the name from the beginning just because it sounded direct and straight on, you know. I guess that the name Now or never is just a name for the other band members but it have came to mean very much for me. Politically and personally. -Politically- I believe in a change that starts off now or never, because we’re really on the way to get to involved with capitalism and greed through European union and other big corrupted organizations. Maybe one day we’re living under total dictatorship and oppression through capitalism, I think that there’s still a chance to change what we have in this world, and we need to revolutionize ourselves in the manner of desires for bodies/money etc. We need to think about what we do, and why we do? We need to stop our day and think about what we’re saving our time for. And we need to get rid of the fact that we’re being recognized for our profession not as the individuals we are. I believe that this change should start here, and I’m starting myself you know. I think we should act militant and peacefully in different situations. To change we need to infiltrate the lies in the community of today and we need to start revolutionize ourselves, as I said. –Personally- I don’t believe in waiting. I believe in doing what I’d like to do when I want to. Okay I still obey the forum called school but that’s probably for my own survival right now in this society. I believe in the change NOW, not later on. Because everything slips away from you and your brain. I do not obey anything when I don’t want to, you know. Personally I want to be recognized as the individual I am, not for the labels I have, as straightedge, vegan etc. Those who don’t know me shouldn’t bother spreading rumors about me, and you shouldn’t call me as just another veganstraightedge. Because that’s not what I am. I am Tomas and I am a person, I am an exclusively individual just as you are. I think that we in the Hardcore scene almost have became trapped in the manner of capitalist behavior just as commercial entertainment. We idolize famous bands, and we’re often doing this passive entertainment just as Madonna does. I mean Now or never aren’t here to entertain, we’re here to indicate that everybody are artist in some manner. You don’t have to be good at playing you can create something unique anyway you know. But personally I want to end this with: It’s up to us maybe it’s now or never, think about it.
Do you believe in god?
No, I don’t. I am brought up as a Christian, and I went to study god in the church when I was a little kid, and for many years I believed in god, and I believed in souls. I do not believe in any masters and neither not in gods. God is just something hierarchical which tries to control people and their minds. God says that homosexuality is an illness, and worships in god have killed so many believe through the years. Why should I stop living, by praying everyday, not doing and thinking what I’d like just to fit the beliefs? Well many times in my life I’ve been in those situations where you could believe in contact with higher powers. When I visited the grave of my murdered friend Lina, it really felt like I was in contact with her, but also I believe that physiological stimulation can create moments that really can indicate that there’s a higher power around. Though I’m not a believer. I can not understand why a 12 years old have to die. I would really like to ask your God that, all this misery around the world, probably you have an answer to this, maybe over-population or something like that. But which people should die then is my next question. I wake up and see all this misery and I wonder who the hell can create all this shit. Drug addiction, global suicide in the form of rainforest destruction etc, addiction in all kinds, murders of innocent beings as animals just as the human holocaust during Second World War. Then in those cases, Christians say that there’s a devil, but that’s just like a fucking cartoon. People paint a guy as bad and then there’s the good guy called god, and I think it’s all fucked up you know. Two higher powers fighting each other, which is just stupid. But I think we really cannot escape from the forum called religion, because the morality of today is made-up by religion, all our lives are controlled in some way. And we will not escape from morality, even though we’re hypocrites also in the way of that. We do also interpret the bible in different ways, some says it’s just fascism, some says it’s reality, and I should interpret the things I have read it encourages oppression of animals, homosexuals, and also one of the disciples of god were also carrying out incest. I think it speaks for itself.. But also some things are good, so I don’t really care so much. I’m gonna live my life as I want, not as god wants, and I’ll not bow down to worship. But as I say, not everybody in Now or never thinks the same about the things I write in this interview. This is personal for the individual as me. But also I want to say that I think religion is also a kind of escape mechanism from reality. People can’t understand that other people do evil actions and by that they believe in god and devil as an escape from the reality and its problems, people actually kills in the name of god.
You write a fanzine called sense of guilt and had so far released one issue. What has been the response of that? I personally like it a lot.
First of all thanks a lot for your positive critics, it will be there in the back of my head. Would be nice to hear from you specifically what you liked about the zine. Okay, I have gotten really great critics, and I can´t really understand everything. But it´s really cool, because I totally handed out myself about my life, death of my best friend, about the love of my life; Louise and some other things like my mother kicking me to the curb. The next issue will be even more personal, with some writing about the burial of my grandfather, when my father broke down in cries and how I felt about suddenly seeing my father with messed feelings, and when I was his help. Also a lot of political stuff, with personal believes, and also some writing about my Louise (my girlfriend), when we were on vacation and stuff like that. Besides that I will have some interviews with some bands I like or I just want to support you know. Sense of guilt started from the ashes of destination fanzine (which I did together with Svante), simply because I wanted an own creation, and I wanted to write in english also (which Svante didn´t at all wanted). Sense of guilt, the name, came up because of the guilt I feel for loads of things. I won´t write a whole essay about that, but that´s kind of why. I love to do this zine, because it makes me getting rid of loads of feelings, which I have a hard time dealing with. The most important ain´t to get response to my feelings, the most important is though that I love what I release, and that is why I don´t set a deadline. Because good writings don´t come in a certain time. I´m gonna release #2 when I feel I´m ready and that will probably be this autumn/Winter. But as I say I have gotten a lot of great critics about it, from all over the world. If you want it, send me 4$ppd (world), 30sek ppd (Sweden).
Why is it wrong to eat meat?
What’s wrong and what’s right? I can not decide for you, but personally I recognize animals as living, feeling beings with the right to exist. The oppressors of today’s world own the slaughterhouses, the vivisection laboratories, the fur-farms etc. And I feel that all kinds of oppressions don’t have the right to exist. We produce animals, then we murder them and then we consume. We have seen animals been treated as products for to long, it’s time to change this so-called civilized world, but it’s hard because from the beginning of our lives we have been brainwashed that we are in command to do what we’d like to with animals. We like to play with our substances for real nature, called as pets, goldfish’s etc. Just so the capitalistic system can take the real one, ex. rainforest. We think that it’s healthy to eat meat, but I tell you that the industry of rainforest destruction and animals, will create this global suicide. We have been tricked into the evolution, but something that is true is that we never can be a part of the evolution for real. We’re just forcing us into it, and we use our machines and hands to put us there. I think we should reconcile the evolution. With the big advertising projects of milk, from the state, presented as healthy and good for your body. It’s just such a lie. The casein, which is in milk, just limps in the stomach and stops the calcium to reach your body, and also it makes many nutritive substances to disappear. I don’t believe in any form of animal oppression and I do not understand how the human nature can still live in this huge lie of oppression. Meat is very wrong to consume, and we have just been tricked to it by mega media and by the state so they still can keep the innocent oppressed. Think about it yourself when you eat, when you chew the stake, think that it’s a dead body, and when you eat it think about the warm blood which you have stopped from going through. Think about all the death you’re supporting by supporting the death industry, animal industry. There is no excuse such as being lame or anything, we must destroy this sick industry of total madness. Civil obedience is needed because this world will not understand, because they claim that their morality includes the rights to kill non-human individuals. Live VEGAN.
I guess you have a lot to add so c´mon!
To begin, THANKS you VERY MUCH for putting an interview with us in your zine. THANKS A LOT for giving me the chance to create an interview in the form I wanted, and to give me the chance to write as long as I wanted. Thanks for letting me express myself under no conditions, and thanks to you for putting effort in even making this interview. Thanks. I guess the thing I wanna add is that each man/woman need to start question their own behaving, in the form of morals, politics, personal acting. First off with morals, you don´t really know that right and wrong is right and wrong, because you have been told that your whole life. To follow laws even though the cover up oppression. I think you shall skip the religious morals and start acting from your own heart. Just that is a life long revolution, but maybe you can give your experiences to the next generation? Ask yourself; What do I really want in my life? Do I want high grades, do I really like the shitty Tv shows? Whatever, but you need to start questioning. Politics. I think that everybody needs to ask themselves do I feel comfortable in this system? Is it right that some hierarchical high ranged guy can buy my time (my life), is my time not more exclusively than I can sell it for a little payment? I think everybody need to think about the consequences from being passive. I wanna create a community, with the chance to work to survive and to make personal progressive steps. I wanna centralize the individual rights and I want no one to think they are better than anyone else just because they own more "things". I am an individualist (anarchist) or whatever you wanna call label me, but the importance is that I want freedom, I want my hand cuffs to be liberated from me ankle. I want to be released by cutting the ropes around my hands. Personal acting. Well the two subjects I covered up in the sentences before are pretty much what the last (third) also is about. But also I think that people should wake up and see that drugs, alcohol, and nicotine can’t come to any progression. I hate the production of those destruction mechanisms. A drunk driver killed my closest friend. Many relatives have died cause of smoking and drinking, and just to those dussins of people who´s getting hurt by the consequences in addiction. I don´t care what other people do, but I´m just saying that I don´t like it. I don´t like to get it inside myself, and that´s it. I am an abstainer of all kinds of drugs. I think all people around should consider veganism, because it´s a sick industry which comes from the ground shape existence of greed and capitalism. It´s sick to value certain beings lower and higher. It´s absolute fascism, I read about the eradication of Jews during the Second World War, and I see no difference, besides it´s animal beings we´re talking about. The treatment is the exact same in todays slaughterhouses and todays transporting. I would like to see and end of consuming and producing animal products. Okay that´s it, about my views. Everything written in this interview is MY PERSONAL VIEWS, even though some people in the band agree with almost everything I said just before. But don´t nag at Now or never if you don´t agree. Nag at me. Send me a mail or whatever. Thanks Diving I love you, your commitment is fucking great. And anybody else wanna book us, we´ll come for gasmoney and rock your butts of. If anybody wanna take us with in their zines, through a profile or an interview. Please write, and check out our seven inch, buy it for 4$ppd and 25sek ppd (world), also check out our new recordings, and if any label would like to release something, please get in touch and we´ll send you a promo. Book us, we´re a liveband. Thanks for your support. We appreciate it a lot. EMAIL ME: destinationrec@hotmail.com