My Interview With Liv Jagrell From Sister Sin
Meet Liv Jagrell, the grunger teen who became a heavy metal diva
This article originally appeared here on Rock n’Heavy.
In 2012, Liv “Sin” Jagrell was a special guest on the pages of my magazine, Rock n’Heavy. Liv was the frontwoman of Sister Sin, a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg. These are the words we shared back then:
First of all, Liv, I am grateful for the opportunity to interview you for Rock n ‘Heavy.
You were born in Laholm, in southern Sweden. Interestingly, your first musical references were from Seattle and Grunge, like Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love. Could you talk a little about your adolescence on Laholm and reveal how you found out you wanted to be a rock star?
— I will do my best! My parents have always been very creative, my mother is a poet, and my father is a painter, and besides, they both play music, so I started playing very early, but I never really liked the piano, flute, and all these things. So, when I was 14, I started listening to Nirvana, and then I discovered Hole; from that moment, I knew that was what I wanted to do! If she can play the guitar and be so “cool,” and if she is a woman, then I can do the same. And since then, I have never changed my mind.
Then, in 2002, you moved to Gothenburg. How did you join the rest of Sister Sin’s musicians? And why did you choose that name for the band?
— I put an ad in a magazine saying I was looking for a rock band, and I got a response from our ex-guitarist, who really wanted me to go to an audition. However, he also told me that he was the only one in the band interested in a female vocalist, haha. But we all agreed to experiment, and as soon as my audition ended, everyone said I was in the band if I wanted to, so I think I was better than all the guys they heard. The name Sister Sin is taken from the title of a song by the Swedish band of the 80s, Machine Gun Kelly.
Gothenburg was the birthplace of the melodic Death Metal of the 90s, which had a huge influence on Metalcore and Hardcore. However, Sister Sin followed a different path, favoring hard rock and more “old-school” metal? How were those times in Gothenburg, 2002, while outside the borders of your homeland, many were engaged in “Sweedcore,” and Sister Did Sin remains unyielding and true to its roots?
— Yeah, there were some difficult years, when nobody wanted to hear the music we played, but after a few years, there was a kind of “sleaze” revival in Sweden. People started listening to more “old school” music again. From that moment, I think there is a return to the roots in terms of sonorities that are becoming more and more popular today; of course, you have to bring something new and not just copy old bands, but you understand what I mean. Rock is at the top; although it is not like it was in the 80s, obviously, the fans are still out there, and the bands continue to fight for the music.
But in 2003, you left Gothenburg and went to Stockholm, another important music scene, where Entombed was a reference. There you formed “Hysterica,” a heavy metal band entirely in women. So I think that the story of following the leader doesn’t really fit in with your character. Still, later on, you had to choose what made you choose Sister Sin over Hysterica?
— I always felt that Sister Sin are my family, my brothers and I would never leave them behind, and things could not be otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, damn it, I had a great time at Hysterica! We spent great moments in rehearsals and making music; we were just 6 girls enjoying and laughing wildly. But when I realized that I couldn’t be part of the two bands, I chose the one that I felt was my home and whose music was closer to my heart.
Sister Sin is now in the aftermath of the release of “Now and Forever.” I had the opportunity to analyze the album for Rock n’Heavy, and, in fact, does it sound more complex and intricate than the explosive and vibrating “TSU”? Did the band seek a more passionate and challenging approach to the new album?
— Yeah, that’s true. We felt that we needed to do something beyond our security zone to work more on the melodies, dynamics, and production. This is our 3rd album, so that we couldn’t repeat ourselves; otherwise, it would become boring for us and the fans. But I think we did a good job keeping Sister Sin’s feeling and sound, but still doing something a little different
Recently “Fight Song” was released as a second single, after “Hearts of Cold,” In the analysis, I highlighted that “Hearts of Cold” is a valiant punch in the face, but it is “Fight Song” that sends us to the carpet in the 1st round! What can you tell us about these songs and their meaning?
— In fact, this is the third single, with “End of the Line” being the first, not least because we think this should be the first before the year 2012 ended, given that it is based on that apocalyptic feeling. And that “Hearts of Cold” would be number 2, above all because we had a fantastic idea for this video, and of course, we considered it a good song. But, yeah, “Fight Song” is, without a doubt, one of my favorites, and I’m so happy that we managed to make a video with him.
What are your favorite songs on the new album?
— In a way, I already answered that question, didn’t I? Haha. But yeah, “Fight Song” is one of the most energetic and fun songs to play live, so this is one of my choices, the other is “Chosen Few” since I think it has deep lyrics and a lot of feeling, and I love to sing it on stage.
Sister Sin has the habit of giving us great videos “Hearts of Cold” and “Fight Song” are the most recent examples. The first has a somewhat macabre story behind it and interesting scenes; the second shows all your claw. How was it to record the videos? In fact, do you notice yourself at ease in front of the cameras? If you were invited, would you accept acting for the cinema?
— Haha, thanks! I’m open to suggestions! But yeah, “Hearts of Cold” required two days of filming and a lot of acting, something new, but a lot of fun to do, we had a good time, and the team was fantastic. The video for “Fight Song” is easier and faster to make; it is just me representing myself, as on stage. Actually, I love to record videos, but maybe with a little more sun for the next one. Haha, rays were cold to crack while we were recording “Hearts of Cold.” For the next one, I think I’ll choose the beach as a theme!
Liv, you are now part of the pantheon of heavy metal divas, combining stunning beauty, amazing vocal abilities, and formidable and overwhelming energy on and off the stage. Besides, you are also an experienced “personal trainer” what are your training routines, and how do they enhance your musical performance, namely, how much are you on tour?
— Obviously, I wouldn’t jump as much as I normally do if I didn’t train, so I think it helped me a lot. I need my training; it is my way to relax and forget the world around me, for moments. I try to train four times a week when I’m at home; I mainly do “stronglifts,” basic exercises like squats, dumbbells, etc., and gradually increase the load. I also love to train with kettlebells, so I do a little bit of it at least once a week. When I am on tour or have performances at the weekend, the regularity will be less, but I try to do some HIIT (high-intensity interval training) for 15–20 minutes, at least twice a week, just for maintenance.
You give yourself to music in a very physical way, and you always seem to give your best in every aspect of your life. You recently had some problems with your throat, and it was necessary to have surgery. What happened, and you feel better already?
— Yes, I’m a perfectionist, so being in top shape is very important to me. Since 2007 I had been struggling with occasional throat problems, and things just got to the point where we had to act, go on tour, and my vocal cords couldn’t take it, so surgery was necessary. I already feel much better, but I’m still a little afraid that everything will come back, so I try to be very careful with myself and do many things to keep the vocal cords in shape … Sometimes, it’s bullshit. You want to relax and let go, but then I think about my fans, and it’s for them that I try to do my best and I know I’ll make the right choice.
What does the future hold for Sister Sin?
— I hope we can spend a lot of time on tour! I want to return to the USA as soon as possible and to the United Kingdom; we just returned from there, and it was great. Next, it would be fantastic to go to South America and Russia and Japan; I want to go to Japan. Maybe we would burn a DVD, that would be fun!
Will we have the opportunity to see Sister Sin on stage in Portugal?
— I hope so; I really want to go to Portugal, Spain, and Italy — not least because we haven’t played there yet.
Any final words for your fans?
— Thank you for supporting us; we love everyone! See you soon!
Liv, thank you very much for this interview!
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