Getting to Know… Longfield & Super Skeleton | Interview 🎤

In the 300^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from the Norwegian six-piece collective, Longfield & Super Skeleton.

“As far as live shows go, the train is leaving the station and the conductor, Jarle, will lead you through the journey.” Um, please elaborate, 🎙  Longfield & Super Skeleton: “For every show we play, we grow a little and find new ways to connect on stage. Both with the audience and with each other.” Right on! Like our many other Getting to Know Q&As, we get the inside scoop on this six-piece band from the stormy Norwegian coast: their genesis, goals, musical influences, and of course, current, and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into 🎤 Getting to Know… Longfield & Super Skeleton: Interview No. 300!

For those who may not be familiar with Longfield & Super Skeleton, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

🎤 There are several things that make us stand out in a crowd; matching Adidas tracksuits, all-white guitars, a line of Fender amps lit up by white LEDs, or the fact that we do -everything- on our own – whether it is making songs, recording, mixing, design, photos, music videos or booking. As far as live shows go, the train is leaving the station and the conductor, Jarle, will lead you through the journey. For every show we play, we grow a little and find new ways to connect on stage. Both with the audience and with each other.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Longfield & Super Skeleton form and what were some of the goals or visions you had early on?

🎤 We didn’t really form as a band intentionally. Just one of those, “Oh, so this is a thing now?” 6 years ago, we were a small group of friends, and friends of friends, messing around in a studio out in the sticks. After a few recordings and a couple of shows, it started turning into something serious, and shortly thereafter we moved our studio to its current location. From there it has slowly, but steadily, grown and changed over the years, to what it’s been for the last year and a half. 

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

🎤 We love what we do. The process of making a record allows you to step out of the real world and into a creative one where everything depends on nothing but yourself. There’s always a feeling of angst tied to starting over and making new music, but when you end up with a new record in your hands that you made yourself, the feeling of both pride and relief triumphs everything else. Our goals are just to keep making and releasing new music, and to keep our hands occupied.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

🎤 All of us have been influenced by an endless amount of music in every shape or form, so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what has influenced this band musically. We all share a love of country oldies from the likes of Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn and George Jones, but I don’t know how much their music has influenced Longfield & Super Skeleton. I read in an interview years ago that Nick Cave has an office that he punches into early every morning and that in that office there’s basically only a couch, a piano, and a typewriter. In the interview, he talked about how challenging and self-loathing the writing process can be, and how he really has to work to create something that he is happy with. I think that’s a great example of determination and work ethic, and I find that truly inspiring.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.  

🎤 A couple of months ago we played a rather unusual show in the middle of nowhere. They had built a scene for us, and had a barbeque and enough beer for a whole platoon. Mid-show Ken went out in the audience with the cowbell. There was a brute on the ground who had a few beers too much, and he got his eyes on the cowbell. They started having a playful sword fight with the stick and cowbell. En-garde!

The fight was over, but not for the brute. The Adidas suited cowbell player went away, and you could hear the brute stomping the ground. He was ready, took to flight, and charged the black and white male. Tackling him hard to the ground and keeping him down with all his weight. The victory lap was on his chest, growling like a gorilla. Finally, he had won life. And bruised ribs were born shortly after.

Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?  

🎤 We cover a song with no longer title than 🎵 “A Child of a Few Hours is Burning to Death”. It’s part of 4 songs we have put together without any pause. It’s a really nice blues lick, and in the bridge we break down the song. This breakdown has just evolved more and more over the years. To see it evolve makes it so fun to play, and you’ll just dive deeper and deeper in it. We go from a heavy synth, hard guitar and rocking drums, to Wurlitzer, ambient guitar, and rimshots on the drums. The raspy vocals and muted bass is the cherry on top.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?  

🎤 We do everything in this band ourselves. Music videos, graphic design, photos, recording, and mixing. Our hidden talent is to produce as much mediocre material as we can muster – and to do that we can only trust our own, unsteady hands.

Closing out, what is Longfield & Super Skeleton currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.   

🎤 This summer we just started our fourth studio album, in addition to just having put the finishing touches on another release that is TBA. Hint: the Norwegian word ‘gymsalen’. Other than that: our album 💿 Daylight, the Devil, dropped on August 26^th, 2022!

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.

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Getting to Know… Longfield & Super Skeleton: Interview No. 300  [📷: Brent Faulkner, Darkmoon_Art, Longfield & Super Skeleton, luis2500gx, The Musical Hype, Pixabay, OpenClipart-Vectors]