Pontus Karlsson (drums), Jakke Erixson (vocals, bass), Karl-Ola Solem (guitar, girls), and John Hårleman (keyboards) grew up in different parts of Sweden and paid their dues with different bands and artists. However each member’s individual history loses all significance when The Pusher enter the stage.
The members came together four years ago and spent an entire summer hanging out at a Stockholm studio. Eating fast food, drinking cheap beer, and making music. They soon discovered that they had a unique chemistry, musically as well as personally.
”You can see it in someone’s eyes if they’re on the same page. If they have the drive and urge to take it all the way”, says Jakke. ”The synergy was there, the talent was there – and the determination. Needless to say the rest has been hard work, writing, re-writing, arranging and producing. And sometimes going back to find a different angle, or take something that’s near-perfect to the next level. Which is just as fun and rewarding. We just won’t rest until each song has reached its full potential”. Judging from their debut single, Blinded By The Dark, the attitude has paid off: it went straight to number one on Swedish iTunes.
The Pusher consists of four very different characters with a common goal:
Some might call Pontus distracted. He’s not. It´s just hard to focus when all he hears is rhythm and melodies. He started playing drums at the age of four and soon evolved into an inventive, tasteful drummer who only plays what’s right for the song. Knowing what he’s capable of, he’s just as happy to provide a steady groove, so the others can shine. Pontus has good ear for melody. As opposed to most drummers, he hears everything that goes on, and often provides fruitful suggestions for the other instruments.
John was classically trained by a harsh Russian piano teacher. He admits that used to cry after some of the lessons, but now he’s thankful for the self-disciplin it gave him. His timeless knowledge of music is complemented by his love for modern sounds and electronic devices.
If the others get into emotional discussions about the music, John is always able to look at things from an objective point of view, and suggest a solution that everyone can go along with. He’s the spaceman, and has the airs of a calculating, emotionless genius, but appearances are deceptive: you can spend a whole day with John without telling anything but bad jokes. John’s family has a direct relation to the late Swedish king Gustaf Vasa. His blood is blue and he arrives on horse.
The other members of The Pusher lovingly refer to him as being insane, ”but then we’re all a bunch of idiots”. On stage, he is a man possessed. One could write a thesis on his moves and facial expressions – he just never stands still. The universe talks to him, and he listens.
In a band of four leaders, Jakke remains the unquestionable front man. Jakke has charisma and warmth. At the same time, he has the steely eyes of a man on a mission, and you get the feeling that you wouldn’t want to stand in his way.
As a singer he’s a natural. As a bass player Jakke has created his own unique style and when he locks in with Pontus, they create a groove that has the perfect mix of relentless drive and cool swagger. Jakke describes his past as ”a mess”. Let’s just say that he’s glad that it’s history. He constantly puts together words and music in his head. There just isn’t room for any other music than hits and his head would probably explode if he didn’t have the outlet that the world is about to know as The Pusher.
On tour, The Pusher are just as single-minded as in the studio, but there’s also more room for craziness, eccentricity and pranks. Let’s just say that there guys love to have fun, even if it means having to wake up staring at some suspiciously expensive hotel bills, and leaving a trail of broken hearts.
For The Pusher, it doesn’t matter if the audience consists of fans or sceptics. They just won’t rest until they’ve won everybody over. ”I honestly don’t think about who’s in the audience, I just do what I do until the job is done”, says Karl-Ola. "Our gigs are well-planned. But it does seem necessary to get together half an hour before a gig”, Pontus adds. ”It’s probably good to be a little nervous, so that the first beat on the snare drum is special and you feel the magic”.
”Everybody has his own ritual before a gig”, says Jakke. ”And then, just 10 minutes before we take the stage, we tend to jump around or whatever it takes to get us fired up. It’s very much like preparing for a sports game. In fact, once we played rugby before we went on, just to get the adrenaline going”, John remembers.
A song can take 15 minutes to write, but then the band can spend a year to refine the arrangement and production together with internationally acclaimed producer Oscar Holter, who’s like the fifth member of the band in the studio. The band usually records the foundation of the song in one single take, to capture the raw energy of a live performance, and then no effort or expense is spared in the quest to make it a magical record. It could be a pop song, a ballad, a rock anthem, a taste of electronica, a pulsating groove track – or all of the above. The songs have one thing in common, though: when you close your eyes you can’t help but having visions of sold out arenas and number ones with a bullet.
”We don’t think in terms of making the album breathe and stuff like that – we want to make every single song sound like a potential hit, regardless of musical style” say Jakke. They all have different musical tastes, but – from Prince and The Prodigy to The Beatles, and Black Sabbath, from Creedence Clearwater Revival to Katy Perry – their favourite music has one thing in common:– it’s topped the charts throughout the world. The Pusher claim to have no real friends apart from each other, and a few hand-picked professionals close to the band: their manager, their co- producer, and a key people at the record company. A potential girlfriend has to adapt to the needs of the band, just like its members do.
”It doesn’t even feel like a sacrifice. That choice was made years ago. You can’t make a lame, half-assed attempt if you really wanna live the dream”. And while they continue creating the best music that the four of them can possibly make, they certainly won’t have any problems enjoying the success that it will bring.
In the end it’s all about the music. That’s where it started, and it remains their main motivation. They only talk about money and success because it seems inevitable. Guess they’ll just have to learn to live with it.
Listen to their song Blinded By The Dark here.
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