Rockfornations Interviews to Sister Sin
An exclusive interview to one of the best female-fronted "old-school” Metal bands in Europe, SISTER SIN on purpose that they’re going to release their 4th album this month. They tell us their beginnings, songs, concerts, musical career ... Without further ado; it's a real honor for me to introduce you to our special guests Jimmy Hiltula (guitarist) and Dave Sundberg (drummer) who answered pleased from Gothenburg, Sweden.
What is “Sister Sin”?
- We are a band from Gothenburg Sweden. Female-fronted and Heavy Metal/Rock is our game!
The name itself originates from the Swedish band Machine Gun Kelly; they had a song called “Sister Sin”. We thought it sounded cool and fitted well with our music, so we went with it!
How did you guys form as a band?
- Dave and our former bass player Chris formed the band in 2002. They put out an add looking for singers. They auditioned a bunch of singers and Liv showed up one day and totally blew the other guys away with her voice. So you could say that that was when the band was officially formed.
Do you think women’s presence is taking more spaces in the bands Rock/Metal as in your case?
- Yeah. If you mean there are more women in metal now compared to before? Definitely, in our eyes music has no gender, race etc. Best guy/girl for the job!
Who are in the lineup at present?
We have had a solid line-up since 2010, which is important to us. Sister Sin today is made of Liv-vocals, Jimmy-guitar, Strandh-bass and Dave-drums.
Why are you considered one of the best bands at Metal charts in Sweden and on "Top Heatseekers in the US?
- We have been releasing albums since 2008 and we have been touring a lot and getting a lot of attention so we have been getting quite some exposure. We also have a label that pushes us very hard with promotion and marketing. “Heatseeker” and other charts are based on the amount of albums we sell. Best band is in the eye of the beholder.
How do you inspire to compose?
- It’s kind of a complex process to get inspiration. Sometimes hearing an awesome song can get us inspired to write and sometimes the riffs just comes from a feeling that you have or it could also come from simply nothing. And if you are lucky, you get into a writing mode and write a bunch of songs on short time.
Is the video “On Parole” that you performed in 2008 based on a true story?
- No, it is not in any way based on a true story. It´s completely fictional. This was also our first video we ever made. We are still to this day quite happy with it. It was a great experience to shoot a video and it is very important to have something visual to promote a new album with.
I read in an interview that Liv really feels herself when is on stage, why?
- Guess it goes for all us; the stage feels like a natural environment for all of us and our music is created to be listened to and performed in front of a live audience.
What do you remember when you play at Norway Rock festival in 2009?
- It´s a while ago now... But I remember the beautiful surroundings and the great food mostly. Also I remember it was an early set. Too early perhaps, but overall, a great experience.
You have supported some world-renowned bands such as Motörhead, Arch Enemy Michael Schenker, U.D.O. Group and Otep. Which other band or musicians would you like sharing the stage and why?
- Judas Priest would be really cool, of course, as they are still the metal gods! Twisted Sister is another childhood favorite that would be awesome. We´ve done a few shows with Motörhead as mentioned but it would be a dream come true doing a full out tour with them!
In 2011 you released a cover of Motörhead’s "Rock 'N Roll", how did you have the special participation of the extraordinary German singer, Doro Pesch featuring?
- We´ve done a few tours with Doro in the past and Liv did some guest vocals on an album of hers. So when we asked her to do vocals on “Rock n Roll” she was immediately up for it! She´s awesome in every way and one of the kindest people we´ve ever met in this business.
What is the most memorable experience you have had performing in a gig?
- Think it has to be Sweden Rock Festival last year. They placed us on a small stage kinda early in the evening so expectations weren’t too high. But 4,000 people showed up and the whole experience was overwhelming! Definitely a highlight!
What song should not be missing in your set list?
-“Outrage” or “Fight Song” for sure!
How was the fantastic production of “End of the Line” video clip?
- It was great! It’s not every time that everything clicks with the storyline, producers and production team but for this video it all worked out and the end result came out fantastic! We had a “Terminator 2” /Judgment Day idea for the video that would work with the lyrics and it truly did!
Is your third album “Now and Forever” (Oct.2012) your bestselling release to date? And why did Liv Jagrell just appear on the cover of this album without the other band mates?
- According to the sales we´ve seen Now And Forever is the bestselling to date, yes. Having Liv on the cover was an aesthetic choice more than anything else. It just worked better with the concept we had for the album cover. Just like Dee Snider is on the cover of “Stay Hungry” or Blackie Lawless on “Last Command”.
What is “Chaos Royale” about? What do you mean with its lyrics?
- It just a fun number, tongue in cheek kinda number. It´s a heavy metal track but with a fun comedy twist to it. Most people will understand that when they hear/read the lyrics.
What are your impressions about your 4th record “Black Lotus” that will be released on Oct. 27th? Will it be more emphatic than the previous one?
- Think it’s our most diverse work in every sense and the most elaborate. We´re very proud and I think we´ve taken it one more step towards metal rather than sleaze. Hopefully, we´ll attract a bunch of new fans as well as pleasing old ones.
To conclude our talk, do you want to say something to your fans around the world who read this interview?
- Stay true, Stay Metal, and Hail to the Chaos Royale!!!
Hail to Sister Sin!! \m/\m/
Thank you very much Liv, Dave, Jimmy, Strandh… and Rachel from Victory Records for granting us this exclusive interview. It was an honor and pleasure, a warm hug from Venezuela. See you on tour someday.
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