CHANNELS ROCK2001
By Antonio

Interview with TOMMY DENANDER (Radioactive)

* Well, first at all, thanks a lot for answer my questions. Can you tell me who's exactly Tommy Denander, a mini-bio if that's possible?

- My pleasure!
I'm 33 years old and i started to play guitar at the young age of 5.
I joined my first band when i was about 7 or 8 and did my first live shows when i was 10.
When i was about 12 i started to get asked by friends to play on their demos and when i was 14 i got my first record deal with Polygram/Vertigo and recorded my first album with my band ATC (Cut In Ice).
I always wanted to be a session player and i always listened to all kinds of music so thanks to that first album i got noticed by artists and producers so rather quickly i became a session player.
I played in bands and did sessions in Sweden untill i moved to Los Angeles in 1987, i spent 3 amazing years there and i got to know many of the biggest musicians in the world.
After i moved back i opened a big recording studio in Stockholm and still played a lot of live shows and sessions for bigger and bigger artists.
In 1995 i released my first solo albums "Less is More" and "Skeleton" and since then i don't play live any more, i just do albums for myself and many others in my studio at home.

* Ceremony of innocence is a great album. What's exactly the project Radioactive?

- Thanks, well it started as my solo album but after i had recorded with Toto i had trouble with my label, Sony, and i left them.
Soon thereafter i met Andy Eklund, who now sings in House Of Shakira, and we started working together, i got told by my friend Magnus Söderkvist that it's easier to sell the album as a group than a solo thing and i wanted Andy to sing the album anyway so i came up with 4-5 different suggestions for names and let Magnus chose...and he picked my favorite - Radioactive.
I got the name from the song Radioactive of Gene Simmons solo album!
But the album took so long to make for various reasons and one day Anders from House Of Shakira called me and said that he heard a song from Radioactive on a compilation album and that they were in desperate need of an singer and that Andy would sound perfect for them...i agreed and actually had to convince Andy to take the job and the rest will be his history:-).
I still liked the name Radioactive so i kept it.

* You have played with a lot of stars, Who is your favorite musician? Why?

- I've been blessed with getting to play withso many amazing people but i have to say that nothing beats working with Jeff Porcaro (bless his soul) and David Foster cause both have been such huge influences in my life.
My other favorites are many but Eddie Van Halen, Steve Stevens, Michael Landau, Larry Carlton and Mark Knopfler are some of my favorite guitarists.

* Now, which are your influences in your music?

- I'm such a fan of all kinds of music but Kiss, Van Halen, Steely Dan, Judas Priest, Toto, David Foster, Chicago, Santana, David Roberts, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and Giant are all strong favorites but i even like Backstreet Boys, Frank Sinatra, Dave Mathews and so on.
I've always had a very open mind about music and i don't care what is the latest trends and so on...if it's good to me i listen to it!

* You have a lot of projects, What's the next studio album? Colaborations in brief?

- I know and many people don't realize that this is what i do for a living so therefore i'm always on a lot of records:-)
I just signed a new deal with MTM to keep making Radioactive albums so a new one will be out next year, the new Sayit album called "Again" was just reöeased, right now i'm working on singer Kristoffer Lagerstrom's CINEMA project, i'm doing 2 pop albums for swedish artists, i've just done guitars for a great Boston tribute album for Escape with Terry Brock, Steve Overland and Don Airey among the guests, i'm working with Bobby Kimball and a couple of projects, i've done work with Peter Friestedt and Ricky Delin for their westcoast solo albums and i'm also spending a lot of time writing for other artists and labels so i'm staying busy:-)

* What's your opinion about Internet, mp3, Napster, Sales,....Is a revolution for the music?

- I love it and i don't really think it's gonna hurt the music business in the long run.
Right now it's a trend to download and it's free which always makes people extra curious:-) but everone i talk to still wants to own the real albums for the most part.
I love the fact that as soon as a new album is coming these days i can go out on the net and listen to samples from it and if i like it i'll order it,
I download a lot of MP3's all the time but it's mostly songs i would never buy anyway cause you get buy everything but the good side is that if i like it i might be interested in buying it later on or my friends that i play it to might buy it so i only think it helps.
The record business will change, it already has, so we have to make smart moves to follow this change.
Too many people sit and dwell about how much better or easier it used to be but that isn't gonna help, the "future" is here so roll with it:-)

* Finally, what do you say to all Spanish and latins fans who read this interview?

- ole' :-))...i have a special place in my heart for Spain and i've said this before in other interviews...it's a sad situation but still a good memory cause my dad spent his last days in life in Spain 2 1/2 years ago.
He was very ill for the last 5-6 years in his life but he still made this last vacation trip to Spain and it was the first time in like 20 years that he left Sweden, he had a wonderful time but unfortunately he passed away...butit makes me very happy to know that he spent his last days in a very beautiful place with great people in Spain...so it's a sad but warm memory.
All my best to the lovely people in Spain and thanks for your support.

* OK, Tommy, Thanks a lot!!