JOHNOSSI - FOREVERS

Swedish rock duo Johnossi are back with new album “Forevers”

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Swedish Grammy Award winning rock duo Johnossi are back. John, Ossi and their long time partner keyboardist Mattias Franzén went back to basics and spent a lot of time together in the rehearsal room to write their eighth album "Forevers" (Universal Sweden). It was released September 27th and it entered #9 on Swedish album chart and #1 on the vinyl chart. "When we were younger, that's where we did everything," the band explains. "Our instruments and our interplay were all the inspiration we needed and now we simply wanted to return to that feeling of tireless belief in ourselves". The result is an album described by the band themselves as "a distinct, big and fearless album". The album is produced by Måns Lundberg (Håkan Hellström, Deportees, Hurula etc.) and was recorded in Stockholm during spring. The album release will be followed by a big tour.

The singer, guitarist John Engelbert and drummer Ossi Bonde tell us more about the process and the songs below.

"Big Buck" is the second single (release August 23rd) taken from the upcoming album. A grand song about the importance of perseverance and hope in a relationship. A powerful reminder that the struggle is worth it. First single “San Antonio” was released back in May.

Focus track on the album is the majestic and powerful “Gemini” where Johnossi capture both sadness and strength in the same breath.

Johnossi is one of Sweden's biggest and most loved rock bands since about 15 years ago. Have basically toured the world almost since day one. With the new album "Forevers" on their back, the band is once again embarking on a long tour through Sweden, Scandinavia and Europe starting on October 11th in Gothenburg and ending in Bergen, Norway in February 2025. More shows to follow.

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JOHNOSSI TALK ABOUT THEIR EIGHTH ALBUM, "FOREVERS":

"We spent an unusual amount of time in our rehearsal space when we wrote the album. When we were younger, it was where we did everything. Our instruments and our interplay were all the inspiration we needed and now we simply wanted to return to that feeling of tireless belief in ourselves. Sometimes the past is the way up and forward.

When we asked Måns Lundberg if he wanted to produce, we were looking for an album where we wouldn't rely on old merits and mannerisms. Rather, dare to take a step forward, perhaps even inward. He was asked if he wanted to record our best album ever. It doesn't always feel that way...

We think the result is a distinct, big and fearless album.

All the songs are written together with our longtime keyboardist Mattias Franzén. The fact that Mattias not only plays with us live but has also been involved in writing the last three albums now feels very obvious. His songwriting has influenced our development incredibly, but also Johnossi as a whole. We met over lunch 10 years ago and there began a new chapter for us. His talent, personality and friendship have since been a big factor in why we still think we have the best job in the world. And the best band for that matter.

It feels like together we managed to capture many of our different sides in the songwriting. Allowed us to ride on the kind of ideas we normally give up or put aside. Remade, finished. Redid again. The lyrics are a natural way for us to express things that stubbornly stick in our heads; love, fear, ego, existence - but, not least, hope.

We obviously haven't reinvented the wheel, but it's a damn grooving, great and well-written album that we're rolling out.

The second single on the album; 'Big Buck' seems to be a song about persevering and walking through the fire again. There is something worth fighting for on the other side. 'Big Buck' is an anthem about the importance of perseverance and hope in a relationship, a powerful reminder that the struggle is worth it. It's really one of my favourites, a song I'm very proud of, says John Engelbert. It will definitely be a future live favorite, made for the arenas.

The album's focus song 'Gemini' (or 'Westside' as it was called for a while), is a great and in our opinion irresistible song about leaving something behind with a view to a new place and a new life, Ossi Bonde says. A song where we managed to capture sadness and strength in the same breath and which has a powerful chorus that never needs to end. I have a feeling that 'Gemini' will accompany us for a long time in our live repertoire and I don't mind that.

A writing process can look different from song to song. Although we have our fixed routines when we (John, Ossi and Mattias) meet in the rehearsal room or the studio, there is a constant creative flow that you have to deal with. Ideas that you have to process and filter down to something that might be achieved. We slowly turn that faucet on when it's time to write a new album and pretty much turn it off when we're done and thus ready to go into the studio. Once there, the focus was on sewing the best costume for each song and Måns came in well prepared, but also with an open mind to turn things upside down. He is very confident and clear in his ideas, which allowed us to relax and thus give everything we had when the light was on. Piece by piece or many long takes. We like to work with details in the music that should be felt, but not necessarily heard We prefer to start from a few elements that, if necessary, are expanded with a few well-chosen building blocks. Måns likes to emphasize that how you play, what you play and when you play should have a clear purpose and goal, and we have always liked that. Måns was a perfect collaboration partner for this album and was fantastic to work with. We have known him for many years, but never worked with him before so now was the time. We recorded the album in Studio Gröndahl in Stockholm in the spring of 2024"

- John & Ossi