Hardcore Superstar are currently on a European tour alongside Fozzy and support from Madame Mayhem and The Last Band. When they played The Limelight in Belfast on 29th October I took the opportunity to do a quick interview with lead singer Jocke. The band have just released a new single, “Have Mercy On Me”, ahead of the release of a new album to be called “You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll” in early 2018. You can find that interview on the Friday NI Rocks Show from 3rd November which is now available from the MixCloud page - https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-jocke-from-hardcore-superstar-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-on-3rd-nov-2017/
Hardcore Superstar are Joakim ‘Jocke’ Berg on vocals, Martin Sandvik on bass, Vic Zino on guitar and Magnus ‘Adde’ Andreasson on drums.
The interview will be transcribed and posted here later.
Playlist for the Show
SAFIRE – Heartbreaker
MADAME MAYHEM – All Around The World
FOZZY – Judas
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – Have Mercy On Me
Interview with JOCKE from Hardcore Superstar Pt1 (3.5min)
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – Silence for the Peacefully
Interview with JOCKE from Hardcore Superstar Pt2 (2 min)
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – Touch The Sky
Interview with JOCKE from Hardcore Superstar Pt3 (2 min)
SAVATAGE – Power of the Night
ONE EYED DOLL – The Devil Is A Boy
SINOCENCE – Full Spectrum Dominance
LEATHERWOLF – Street Ready
BADLANDS – Winters Call
EVERY MOTHER;S NIGHTMARE – Walls Come Down (Live)
BLACKWATER CONSPIRACY – Hanging Tree
TRUCKER DIABLO – When The Waters Rise
JEFF SCOTT SOTO – Feels Like Forever
APPICE – Monsters and Heroes
MADAM X – Resurrection
THE PRETTY RECKLESS – Going To Hell
COBURG – Thy Dagger
AMBERIAN DAWN – Question of Time
THE DARK ELEMENT – Dead To Me
ALICE COOPER – Hurricane Years / Might As Well Be On Mars
NI ROCKS – Hi, welcome back to Belfast and thanks for taking some time to talk to Rock Radio NI. We just played the new single “Have Mercy On Me” which was released on Friday. Tell us something about that track?
JOCKE – That track is about, if you’re not into hard rock, metal, rock or whatever you’re evil! So what we’re trying to do with that song, I don’t know if you’ve seen the video, but it’s a cult and it’s like an exorcism that I do. I pull the bad thing out of them and in with the good, and that’s the rock ‘n’ roll.
NI ROCKS - The single is the first track from the album “You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll” which is due for release next year. Has the album been completed or what stage is it at?
JOCKE – Actually, I did the last vocal tracks the day before we went on tour. So now it’s time to mix it and the guy is mixing it now as we speak.
NI ROCKS – Any idea of a definite release date yet?
JOCKE – No, we just know it’s March or April somewhere.
NI ROCKS – Where was the new album recorded and who did you work with for recording, production etc?
JOCKE – Actually, we recorded it in our bass player’s own studio and we produced it ourselves this time. To get it as we wanted it.
NI ROCKS – And who is doing the mixing for you?
JOCKE – It’s a young guy called Dino who lives in Stockholm. He’s really good.
NI ROCKS – Virtually all your all albums have been released through GAIN Music. You must have built up a very good relationship with the label over those years?
JOCKE – Yeah, actually we’re old friends with the owner. For a few years we were on Music for Nations but that didn’t work out at all and then they had bankruptcy and stuff. We finally got out of that label and went back to Gain.
NI ROCKS –There’s generally a two year gap between your albums, though its slightly more this time. How long do you normally tour to support each album and when during that period does writing normally commence for the next one?
JOCKE – This time it’s going to be three years which is quite long for Hardcore Superstar. But we’ve been touring like hell since “HCSS” and that’s why we’re a little late. We write music all the time. For this album we started to write at least a year and a half ago. We wrote like 60 or 70 songs.
NI ROCKS – Is there a standard approach the band takes to song writing or does each one come together differently?
JOCKE – Almost every time it starts with a riff. Maybe a chorus line, but almost every time we start with a riff.
NI ROCKS – Normally at this point I’d ask you to pick a track from the new album to play, but as its not released yet I thought I’d get you to pick a track from one of your previous albums instead. Which one and why?
JOCKE – That’s a hard question! “Silence for the Peacefully” – I just like it. It’s like traditional hard rock.
NI ROCKS – You’re a couple of days into the tour with Fozzy. How has it been going so far?
JOCKE – It’s been going great. We’d never met the Fozzy guys before, but they are awesome. They’re so nice; it’s a privilege to play with them.
NI ROCKS – The last time you were in Belfast was, I think, with Buckcherry back in 2013. Do you have any particular memories or expectations when it comes to the Northern Ireland gigs?
JOCKE – The last time we were here was the first time for Hardcore Superstar in Belfast so we didn’t have any expectations at all. But I was blown away because the audience were like wow!
NI ROCKS – The two headline bands are on different labels. Where did the idea for a co-headline tour with Fozzy come from?
JOCKE – Actually, I don’t know. I think we have the same bookers in Europe.
NI ROCKS – And what about the other two bands, The Last Band and Madam Mayhem, any idea how they came on board?
JOCKE – I think Fozzy took them (Madam Mayhem) under their wings and The Last Band are label buddies of ours and friends.
NI ROCKS – The tour with Fozzy continues into mid November with dates in the UK and Europe. What plans do the band have after that, particularly around the album release date next year?
JOCKE – This is the last tour for this year. Next year we do Scandinavia and another European tour, then a US tour and a Japan and Australia tour. And festivals.
NI ROCKS – Your last live DVD was over ten years ago and you did a best of album in 2011. Has there been any consideration of doing a live album at some stage – and another DVD at the same time presumably?
JOCKE – We have been recording stuff live, both for DVD and record. But we’re not satisfied yet so we’ll wait.
NI ROCKS - That brings us back to picking another track to play on the Show. Again, which one?
JOCKE – Let’s play “Touch The Sky”
NI ROCKS – The band formed 20 years ago this year and next year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of the first album “It’s Only Rock n Roll”. Is the title of the new album – “You Can’t Kill My Rock n Roll” an acknowledgement of that?
JOCKE – Maybe, but I think it’s more....we’ve been around for 20 years which is a long time for a band. That’s more of a statement – that you can’t kill rock ‘n’ roll.
NI ROCKS – Was there any thought given to doing something to mark the 20th anniversary?
JOCKE – Have a beer!
NI ROCKS – Sounds like a good plan. Several beers.
JOCKE – Let’s make it two!
NI ROCKS – A difficult question probably, but what would be your highlights from the last 20 years?
JOCKE – To be able to do what we’ve done for 20 years. That’s the highlight.
NI ROCKS – And anything that you’d do differently now if given the opportunity?
JOCKE – No, I don’t think so.
NI ROCKS – When you formed the band, what other bands were influencing you musically and have those influences changed over the years?
JOCKE – Of course Motley Crue were high up there, but we also listened to bands like Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer and bands like that. That’s why we try to cross over between the sleaze and the metal.
NI ROCKS – How does it feel when you see Hardcore Superstar mentioned as an influence by new bands coming through?
JOCKE – Old!
NI ROCKS – If you were given the opportunity to guest as the frontman for any other band, for a short period of time, what band would it be?
JOCKE – Aerosmith. I think my voice would fit the band.
NI ROCKS – That’s all the questions that I have. Thanks again for taking the time to talk to us. We’ll finish with another track and I’ll ask you to pick one and tell us why.
JOCKE – From Hardcore Superstar?
NI ROCKS – Anything you want.
JOCKE – Then I want to pick Savatage and “Power of the Night”