Interview with Eye

Eye are an AOR/hard rock band from Sweden who have an album due out soon. I recently got to interview drummer Rob Degén and guitarist/songwriter Oz Osukaru to find out more about this band.

MM-Hello, please introduce your band and tell us what instrument you play.

Oz: Hi Mark, really nice to talk to you!! Well, we are a Swedish west coast based rock group called EYE. Our music is pretty much inspired by the American FM Rock from the mid. 70's to early 90's and got some elements from Scandinavian AOR. I'm the guitarist and one of the songwriters.

Rob: My name is Rob and I'm the drummer of EYE. We are a Swedish rock band recording the last part for the forthcoming record "2 Hearts". We are 5 members in the gang; Me and Oz of course, and then Ivan "Ivve" Höglund on lead vocals, Jace Fevero on bass and Mathias Rosén on keyboards and piano.


MM-Tell us a little about how you formed and your band history.

Oz: The idea behind this band came early 2006, but then as a side project with me and a singer only. But as time went by, we went separate ways. I started to search for new members and it turned out to be more of a band then just a small side project. I wanted to make this group a bit more special so instead of searching among different melodic rock and glam outfits, I asked some of the best local musicians I know from the independent music scene, musicians that have played everything from pop, funk, rock and punk to a more aggressive kind of metal. In early 2008, the last piece of the puzzle was found in the amazing voice of ex. Sharp's lead singer Ivan "Ivve" Höglund. I saw him perform live and I knew he was the right man for the job!

MM-What are you currently working on?
Rob: My fat belly! I want to lose some weight... Oh, you mean the band? Haha! Well, we're recording and mixing the songs for the record "2 Hearts" right now!

Oz: Yes, we are in the final stage of recording our debut CD. Can't wait to get it out for everyone to enjoy!

MM-I know there are plenty of glam bands coming out of your country, are there many other AOR bands like yourselves playing around there as well?

Rob: Well, in our area, Gothenburg, there is mostly metal and glam rock.

Oz: There are a few bands in the melodic scene here in Sweden today, H.E.A.T. from Stockholm for example. The beautiful thing about this is that none of the bands sounds exactly the same. Every one of us marks a different part of the huge stadium rock scene.

MM-I know that some of you have been in other bands. What bands have you been in?

Oz: All of us have been in other bands, and some of us still are. I play the guitar in the hard rock band Katana since 2004 and I'm also doing sessions with various artists. Ivan was the lead singer of Sharp for a couple of years and are now, except EYE, singing in a sleaze rock act called Pretty Wild. Jace played bass in Rattlesnake since the late 90's or early 00's and Mathias are the keyboardist of a death/black metal project called Deletion. He's also doing sessions with various artists.

Rob: I'm in a progressive metal band called Masugn and I have also played the drums in Damaged Dolls plus a few demo acts.


MM-How does being in this band different from being in those others?

Rob: This is a band where you don't wait, you just do it. We're all in it and we all put as much effort as we need into it! And you'd better do it good or Oz will... well, you know Oz hahaha!

Oz: Hahaha!

Rob: In my other bands, there have been a lot of waiting and other things that have stopped us from doing what we wanna do 24/7. Thats not the case with EYE.

Oz: Well, it has been a while since we started the recording of the CD. We're all perfectionists so it's gonna be good I tell you, haha! But to answer your question, Mark, EYE gives us all a musical freedom that I haven't felt in an other band before. If we write a blues, a pop song or something that sounds a like Van Halen, it doesn't matter! We can always "Eyealize" it, haha!

MM-Who have you played with live so far? What have been some of you more memorable shows so far?

Oz: We have not yet performed live with EYE. But the most memorable show I've done must be Katana live in Halle/Saale, Germany 2006! The audience we're quite few in noumbers, but they really did know how to treat a band well! Katana also did a show at Armageddon Open Air in September '07 and we were opening for Treat, Freedom Call and Nocturnal Rites among others. Hanging and partying with the guys in Treat and Nocturnal Rites after the show was totally awesome and we had loads of fun!

Rob: I played with a local demo band at valand in '06. That was an amazing show and I had loads and loads of fun with those dudes back than. That is definatly my funniest gig so far, no doubt!


How did you link up with Rock It Up records?

Oz: Katana had a distribution deal with Rock It Up Records for our EP "Heart of Tokyo" in 2006 and when I mentioned for the label that I had this project coming up, they were interested in signing us for a record deal! I really love working with Rock It Up Records and that they are a great label for this record!


MM-I noticed on your Myspace page that you have some dates lined up for the fall and the end of the year including some dates in Texas. Have any of you ever played in the states before? How excited are you about playing those dates?

Rob: Its my first time ever in the states, so it's very very exciting. I'm really looking forward to it !

Oz: Neither have I been in the U.S. before so this will be awesome! I can't wait! This visit is set up by our wonderful booking agency for North America; Heaven Productions in co-operation with our fantastic U.S. management Saba Records USA.



MM-Will you have more U.S. dates coming? Are you going over with another band or will you just be playing with local support acts?

Oz: No, this time we're only visiting 4 citys in Texas; San Antonio, Austin, Fort Worth and Dallas. I don't know which other bands who will be playing but in San Antonio we will support the American heavy metal legends ByFist, with members from David Wayne's Metal Church and Reverend. It's a bit different kind of music then what we play, haha, but it will be really interesting!


MM-Judging from you list of influences it seems that you are very much into late 70's-80's AOR/hard rock. What do you think was so special about those bands and that time period?

Oz: It's all in the melodies and the lyrics. You still had so much left to give back in the days! The special thing about this kind of music is that it brings so much hope and happiness. The lyrics really means something and it's about love, life, faith and hope. The music really touch your heart and stays.


MM-What are some of your favorite albums of 2008 so far?

Oz: Journey - "Revelation"! What a fantastic and heartful album!! H.E.A.T.'s self titled debut album and Steve Lukather's "Ever Changing Times" are 2 other surprises this year!

Rob: Journey - "Revelation".


MM-What are you bringing to the AOR/hard rock sound that makes your band different?
Rob: We bring it back the way it's meant to be played.Oz: Well yeah! But I also think it's that we're trying to create classic rock for the future. We take the best from 1988 and update it to 2008, if you know what I mean, hehe.


MM-Pick the band from each of the following pair that you prefer and tell why you picked them.


Dokken or Europe
Oz: Hard one, but I must say Europe. They are the reason why I first got interested in harder rock when I was a child.
Rob: Europe! A childhood classical band. I just can't vote them down!

Asia or Toto
Oz: It's getting harder, haha. I love Asia's latest album, but Toto are always Toto. So Toto it is!Rob: Toto! Great inspiration! Great musicians in both bands, but Toto has always been the favourite.

Scorpions or Whitesnake
Oz: Whitesnake, no doubt! Their music is full of passion, hunger and soul!Rob: Whitesnake! David Coverdale is amazing and the songs are just stunning!


Foreigner or Journey
Oz: Journey! The best band there is if you ask me! Foreigner is good but Journey is fantastic!!Rob: Journey! I find them more inspiring and I like their material through the years much better!


Is there anything else that you would like to say about your music or your band?
Oz: I think the most of this interview covers it all up! I just want to say thank you to everyone who supports us!! Thank you for all your trust and belief! And thank you so much for this interview Mark!
Rob: Whatever he says, haha! And thank you so much Mark and everyone else that supports us!

http://www.myspace.com/eyeofficial