Introduce yourself briefly, what kind of music do you release and what do you do in the label? Who do you run the label with?
My name is Roger Andersson, a 47 year old father of 2 children from Gothenburg, Sweden. I would like to say that the label is genre-free, but that we have an extra focus on hard and dark music. I started Suicide Records myself in 2006, but since 2017 the record company has a division in Tampere, Finland run by Taru Honkonen.
If Suicide Records was an animal, which would it be and why?
Then I will probably choose a cat. I myself am a cat person, and have had a cat all my life. A cat is very independent! You can never get a cat to "straighten up" It's just like with Suicide Records. We will never align ourselves!
How did the label originally come together?
Music has always been very present in my life. My big brother played in a punk band when I was around 6 years old. Then I started playing drums myself at about 13 years of age and did so until I was about 18.
After that came a rather dark period of my life with a heavy abuse of all types of drugs which eventually gave me 2 choices. Live or die! Once I found my way out of the darkness, I felt a great need to engage in something creative, where I could still use my dark history for something positive. That was the starting point for Suicide Records.
You are originally from Gothenburg, Sweden. How have the surroundings shaped the record label? What do you think of the Scandinavian scene right now?
Because Gothenburg is Sweden's metal Mecca (haha), it is very easy to make new contacts in that genre, and there is a very strong DIY culture. You support and help each other. I think I had a pretty clear picture in my mind when I started Suicide Records in 2006 what I wanted it to be and stand for. And that image has only become clearer and stronger. I think the Scandinavian scene is both big and strong, both when it comes to music and those who release music and those who put on shows. I feel that there is a huge driving force in the music culture right now.
If someone arrives in Gothenburg what are the three MUST things to do or see there?
1. The first thing you should visit is the best and most genuine metal rock bar in Gothenburg "The Abyss".
2. The second thing to visit is the area around Stigbergsliden in the part of Majorna. Here you will find the largest and best record store in Gothenburg (Bengans) and there are about 5 different venues that have a good range of live music.
3. If you visit Gothenburg during the summer, I think you should buy a mixed bag of beer, bring a bluetooth speaker and settle down in Slottskogen. It is Gothenburg's largest nature park on 137 hectares, located in the middle of the city center. A bit like Central Park in New York.
