Alberta Cross have had quite a 12 months, supporting the likes of Oasis and Bat For Lashes as well as touring constantly to promote their blues-rock sound. Originally from London and Sweden, they’re now living in Brooklyn but we caught up with their slightly jetlagged lead songwriter and singer Petter Ericson Stakee to talk music, New York, Glastonbury and Abba…
Tell me a bit about your current single ATX - it’s a beautiful song…
“It was one of the first songs that came out from the new band and it came from a jam we had in Brooklyn really late at night. We came up with chords, a beat, a guitar lick. I had the chorus and then I started to write the lyrics after I watched the Bowie movie The Man Who Fell To Earth. So the lyrics are about David Bowie being an alien.” (Laughs)
Is that how the whole album Broken Side Of Time came about?
“Some of the songs came from a few writing sessions in Austin and Virginia, but mostly I write the songs at home, bring them to the band and then we arrange them and jam them.”
The video to ATX and Lucy Rider both feature the band performing - are there plans for any more glitzy videos soon?
“Those videos are just something the label did to promote the tracks so don’t blame us! (Laughs) They’re just performance videos, not really music videos. The Lucy Rider video is probably one of the worst videos I’ve ever seen in my life - we can only get better though can’t we?”
Perhaps you could all get dressed up in leotards and do a Beyonce?
“That’s kind of what we’re planning…” (Laughs)
The album is a bit darker and angrier than your first EP The Thief And The Heartbreaker - why was that?
“The anger came from the stuff we were going through in London - we were going a bit mad there and then we moved to New York when Bush was still president and everyone there was broke and hated him. It was a strange time but quite historic too.”
Do you prefer living in New York to London?
“I’m from Sweden but had lived in London for ten years, so London still has a place in my heart but we needed a change and New York is a great place. I love it musically too - we live in Brooklyn and there are loads of bands around there who inspire us, so that’s cool.”
You’re from Sweden - are you a fan of Swedish pop gods Abba?
“I’ve never really listened to them…”
You’ve never listened to Abba? Really?!
“I’ve heard their songs of course, but I’ve never listened to a whole album. They’re definitely great songwriters, but not really my sort of thing. I’m not dissing them though!”
You played Glastonbury this year - how was that?
“It’s the first time I’ve been there so it was amazing to go and even better to play there too - we’ve done loads of festivals in America so it was good to do one here. We did Hard Rock Calling with Neil Young too which was crazy - meeting him backstage was a highlight.”
You’ve supported Oasis, The Shins, Bat For Lashes and Simian Mobile Disco. They’re all quite different artists - which was the best and worst to support?
“I love Bat For Lashes so it was great to play with her - she’s awesome. Playing with Oasis was cool too because Noel called us and said our album was one of the best he’d heard in ages, which for him to say that was unbelievable. Their crowd was a hard one to please but it was definitely the biggest we’ve played to yet.”
What’s the most played song on your MP3 player right now?
“Walking In My Shoes by Depeche Mode.”
If you could be the love child of any two pop stars, who would you choose?
“Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.”
Alberta Cross’s album Broken Side Of Time is out now. For more: http://albertacross.net/
(Clare Lydon)
