I have already reported about the concert of The Gems at Aschaffenburg some time ago. Being a trio, they hired a legend as their tour bassist. None less than Crucified Barbara’s Mia “Coldheart” Karlsson. Spending the whole afternoon with the band included also an interview with Mia Karlsson. So here it is, we sit down somewhere in the cozy artist’s area backstage.
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Hello Mia!
As I already said, welcome back. I’m really, it’s really lovely that you’re back because the first and only time I saw you was nearby Darmstadt in the Steinbruch Theater together with Crucified Barbara short before the last album’s release. But I first heard you on the Summer Breeze. We were having breakfast and there was a band playing and the band was amazing, but it was too late to go there. And then I said, okay, I must see the band. When are they playing in Germany? So that’s the first time and the last time and the only time. So far, how is the tour running for you?
I’m having a great time
It’s been good. I’m having a great time. I’m opening with my acoustic set and I’m playing the bass with The Gems as their tour bass player. I thought it would be really hard to do two different things every week, but it’s actually been very fulfilling for me because I keep myself busy and I get the contrasts because I want to play the acoustic music and get the chance to perform it. We are all very tired now.
It’s nearly the end of the tour…
Yeah, we’re living in our rough environment, but everybody is so nice, and I love the girls. So, in that manner, it’s really easy going because everybody on the tour is so nice to be around. I knew that when I said yes to go with them and that hasn’t changed.
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Bass on a few shows
That’s good to hear. So, you already mentioned your double function is support and bass. How did it come that you have this double function instead of saying, okay, I’m only going to play bass or I’m only going to be the support?
They asked me if I wanted to play the bass on a few shows. It was like a year ago, actually, in October. So, I said, yeah, why not? I don’t know if I can play the bass, but I’ll give it a try. So, I just picked it up and I really love doing that. So, I’ve been playing with them like almost every show they’ve done this for a year. And it’s been a great time. And I really like to have that position, like I’m not in the band and I’m playing the bass, something new, and I get to see the stage from a different perspective. But when they asked me to go on this tour, I first was like, no, because since I burned out from before, I was like, that is too heavy for me to go on a tour like this for so long. And it’s not a band. It’s not a 10 kicks show. Six months, six weeks on the road. I’ve been on many already.
But then they were like, okay, but can you be the opening act with your acoustic set, because since I just released something, I want to promote my music. And it was all of a sudden it became a wonderful opportunity to actually reach out to my new music in Europe at the same time as I’m releasing them. And then everything came in another perspective because I still, I love to play with them. It was just like the tour part might be too heavy. And now I thought it was worth it.
I play acoustic versions
What can we expect from your acoustic set? Are these versions of old songs on electric guitar now played acoustic or completely new songs?
I play acoustic versions of the album that will be released I 2025. There’s a band playing, like I have musicians, but when I perform, I mostly do it by myself. Like tonight I will play solo with an acoustic guitar that I have in here. And yeah, I play my new songs that I released since September. I have five songs out on Spotify and iTunes and all that.
I listened to them last week.
You know, these are the five new songs that I would play. And I usually play a Crucified song now because I love to play it. And I used to also play like ‘Like a Stone’ of Audioslave, but I have so many covers that I love to sing. So sometimes I… Now I’m having a cold, so I’m wondering, but I still, I always manage somehow to sing, so I hope it will be OK.
call it Singer-Songwriter
Which musical style will your album be? It will be released in March, right?
Yeah, I hope so, March or April. It’s scheduled for April, but I think it’s wrong because it should be March. So, I’m saying March. The style, it’s like a, I just call it Singer-Songwriter thing. All songs are a bit different from each other, but I mean, it’s the same band playing, it’s me singing and it’s my song, so even my producer has a hard time labeling it like Singer-Songwriter. I think it’s up to the listeners to decide because I’m not really good at, ever been good at like genres, like what is this, what is that? I just listen and enjoy or not.
You mentioned that you have a cold. Do you have a vocal coach to come over things like this, to handle colds or something like this?
I learned, I mean, toured for almost like 10 years quite heavily, so I learned how to handle most things. But if you get a cold that really gets to your throat, I think like the only thing you can do is like take some medicine and just rest, rest, rest. But I’m never nervous if I’m having a rough voice, for example, because I know how to warm up and handle it. And usually like the longer the tour is, the better my voice gets.
Most people are the opposite.
Yeah, I can feel it’s a bit rough, but I still like I’m warmed up in another way. To be honest, I never had this super clean voice. Actually, I can sing that better also like the longer it goes. Unless, but I’m not used to get sick like this either. I always manage to stay out of it. But if I need like advice, like sometimes I go on YouTube, but there’s so many good coaches as well now that have new like information. So, I just need some, like I want to warm up and I don’t have any inspiration I can put on YouTube. But normally I don’t even warm up now at this part of the tour.
Karlsson instead of Coldheart
So, your solo project, as far as I have seen, will be Mia Karlsson and not Coldheart anymore. Why did you decide for Karlsson, your Christian name and not your artist’s name?
That was my artist’s name for Crucified Barbara. And when we split, I wanted to distance myself from all that. So, I cut off everything. Totally. And I didn’t want to be connected to that anymore at all. So, because it was a lot of like anxiety and stress for me. And I didn’t think I would ever be on stage again like this. Never. So, I just, and I, didn’t ever really feel comfortable with my stage name. So, I just wanted to be myself. Now I feel like when I play with Crucified, I could be like, I feel like that’s easier to get back into that role then. And then I don’t have any problem with that name.
But for me as an artist now, I want to have my own name because then I can do whatever I want. It’s not like even if I release an acoustic soul album now, I can still do some guest appearances. I can go and play with other musicians just with my own name. It’s not specific projects or something. I think if I should like start a new rock project, then that would be like a different name for that. But now when I do music, I just want to be me doing different things.
Crucified Barbara reborn
You mentioned the Crucified Barbaras, I heard the news that the Crucified Barbaras will come back.
Yes. Spoiled. Yeah.
You spoiled it yourself.
Yeah. But it’s already out there.
I burned out
How did it come?
The break was because I burned out. I didn’t want to do music anymore. And then I still got back into what I wanted to write. I would say it’s been a process to come back. Like slowly waking up the passion for music again. During many years, I only played with a cover band, maybe three times a year. They invited me as a guest singer. I got well paid. It was fun. And I would have to sing a couple of songs and I could go there, have fun and realize like, OK, it’s still fun to sing and play rock music. It’s not that it’s something else.
But I still didn’t want to play in a band again. And then I also have worked on myself a lot, like therapy and all that to find out how, where, why did I end up in that position? And then I was asked to play guitar as a stand in with Donna Canone. The other previous line up from Thundermother with Georgia and Tilda and Björn Strid from Soulwork and Luca D’Andrea on bass and vocals. And it’s a fantastic band and they’re really good friends of mine. And I was like, I don’t want to play guitar, but I love to be around them, and I want to. Why not? It’s a few gigs. So that was the start with guitar back on stage again. And it still wasn’t that fun, but it was fun to be on tour with them.
I like to be organic
The Gems asked me to play the bass. So, I’ve been slowly like coming back to the stages and I realized everything is still the same. I just have a different mindset now. And also, when I do my acoustic things, that gives me the inspiration that I need. I need contrast. I don’t want to do only rock music. The main thing for me is the acoustic music. I say acoustic, but it’s still like I play with bands sometimes, but I need to do this. I need the creative part and the dynamic part of playing, not just pushing, being as loud as possible. I like to be organic. So, it’s been some steps and so that’s how I ended up.
I felt like, since I enjoy this, I felt it would be fun to try to go and rehearse sometime with the girls from Crucified because we had met like once, two years ago, we just met again and had a beer together. And it was really nice because we haven’t spoken for many years, about six years or so. So, it was a big relief to meet them again. Just a few months ago, we were like, shouldn’t we just try and rehearse? And we met in the rehearsal space, and it was like, wow, the songs are still there. It was amazing. And then we said, why don’t we start again and see how it is.
we just want to play
And we just want to play now and keep it fun and not play too much because we don’t have the time or energy and we just want to play our songs and have a good time the way it’s supposed to be. So that means it will be a few shows and no whole tour or something like that. I don’t know what happens. We haven’t made plans like that. We want to, we said like we, do next summer, we play festivals.
If we have fun, if it works out well, we continue and we don’t want to like decide or make too big plans because we’re like really keen on keeping it like non-stressful this time because the business is crazy. You know, as soon as you get out there, it’s like, oh, what are you going to do next? What’s going to happen? And can we do this and that? And I was like, ‘no, we just focus on playing music.’ Otherwise, you end up with doing 10 things at once.
Then you are again very stuck. Yeah. And then it’s no fun.
So, for us now, it’s really important that the four of us, we’re still the original line-up that we always have been in. And yeah, we’re just happy to be back together. So that means there’s also no new song or something like that.
Just the famous songs.
Yeah, exactly. Because we thought like that’s what we wanted to do. At least for me, I don’t have any new albums in me that I want to write. I mean, if everything works out, maybe we will write new songs together. Who knows? But for now, it’s just now I’m on tour for five weeks and we just have to find time to rehearse for this, to make good shows. So, we take one thing at a time.
The songs are ready
Did they also listen to your acoustic songs?
Yeah, I think they did.
What if they say, can we play one of your acoustic songs as a metal version?
Yeah, sure. I mean, I think we have difficulties to choose from our four albums. Yeah, so it’s enough.
So, about your solo project, do you want to tell more about your solo project? You said it’s going to be April, hopefully March. The songs, how will they build up? Do you have it already in your mind, all the songs?
The songs are ready. I have released five songs now already because the label wants to put out all the singles, all the songs as singles first. Not all of them, but most of them. I think it’s interesting to try that because it shows that each song gets its own life as a single. And some songs have been really old, and some are brand new.
How old is the oldest song?
18 years, it’s called ‘Breathe Now’, and I released it as my second single. I wrote it for a friend who committed suicide and I wrote it just to deal with my feelings, you know, just about that and kind of wrote it to him. And I never thought I would release it because at that time I was only writing songs for myself to play at home.
.songs that touch me
So that means in many parts it will be a very intimidating album when you release a song like this, which was meant to be your personal song.
Yeah, definitely. And I write quite personal lyrics as well, like in many ways. And also, the covers I choose to play are songs that touch me, like the first single ‘Nothing in My Heart’ is a cover song. And when I heard it, it was just, I couldn’t stop listening to it. It was like, and after a few days I felt like I have to do a cover of this song because I love it so much. I want to do music that feels.
When you spoke about the cover songs, do you also have idols or role models where you say, okay, these are the musicians I would like to cover, or I take as a role model?
Not anymore. For many years, that was even when I was only playing rock music, I was very inspired by, for example, Alison Krauss, because I love her voice that she can sing so clean, but it’s still Alison Krauss. The way she sings so clean and perfect, but it’s still, for me, it’s never boring. It’s like always, she tells a story with her voice. There are many, but when I’m in the creative process, like now, it’s difficult for me to listen to much other musicians because I don’t want to be influenced. And mostly I’m in my own head with everything. It’s difficult.
just piano and vocals
I have a lot of like, I like the rawness of rock music and I love the stillness of just piano and vocals. But I wouldn’t say that I have a main influence when I write my songs, it’s just more feelings I get from songs. I have a long list of like, when I hear something, I just say, oh, this is a good influence for my album.
And then when I listen to it, I never go back and listen to them. I just get a feeling I want to have. So, I guess that makes me feel some kind of purpose, I guess.
So, it’s more like getting inspired.
Yeah, by a feeling, exactly. I’m very feeling driven.
That’s cool. Something else about your album, you said, almost all songs will be released as singles.
Yeah, and the full album will be out sometime in March.
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we did great things
How many songs will there be, who else is involved?
Ten. Also, I’m working with the producer Pontus Frisk and I worked with him ten years ago as well. We did a few songs together and it worked really well, but I was not ready. I was on my way to burn out. I didn’t know that, of course. So, we wanted to do different things, but we did great things. So, he contacted me last August and asked if I wanted to do music again. And I was like, no, because at the time I had one year left of my studies. I was studying social work for three and a half years at university.
So, I was like, no, it’s going to be too intense. I can’t start making music like that. But let’s talk again in a year or so. And then I hung up the phone and I thought that was the wrong answer. It was the first time like that, because I’ve been learning to say no to things, to everything for so many years because I don’t have the energy, I don’t have it like that. But now I felt, no, I have to say yes to this. And then we started working together. And he’s working with the two musicians, Johan Karlsson and Anton Frängen that are the musicians playing on the album. So these three are a team and the band is called Ten Feet and they are from Sundsvall in northern Sweden. They are a really incredible team.
I’m used to handpick
Sounds good. So that means they really also fit in.
Yes. So, because I was worried in the beginning like, oh, how it’s going to be. He has musicians that he wants to have on the album. I’m used to handpick, like, I want this drummer. I was like, okay, let’s see how it goes. And I met them, super nice guys. And they were so, I mean, when Johan plays the drums, like he kicks it with just one beat. And I’m like, I could listen to this all day because he’s such a good drummer. They’re amazing musicians.
And Anton, the guitarist, he plays electric guitar, banjo and like all these strings instruments. He’s also like super-fast picking up exactly the atmosphere you want. So, they are like behind the sound and Pontus Frisk’s production, he plays the keyboards and he’s the mastermind. So that’s really cool. Because I imagine first like having just maybe acoustic guitar, bass and drums or something, but now it’s much richer sound on the recordings. And I really love, how all the songs turned out so far. So, it’s great working with them.
So when will be the first song of this album out really in the version of the album? Because so far you only have the acoustic versions.
No, no, no, they are going to be like this as you can listen to them on Spotify or YouTube already. So, the acoustic versions are different and the ones I do live. But the released versions are that are the album versions. So that’s how they’re going to end up.
Food and beverage trivia
So, changing the topic, what’s your favorite food? I know you’re still going to have dinner are sound check.
Anything that is not sandwich, because that’s what we had at the restaurant. Now we got really good food at some venues. Otherwise, difficult question. I’m vegetarian, so I eat mostly like today.
Oh, a lot of vegetarians say they like Indian food.
I love Indian food. I also like Japanese food, like with noodles and stuff. I love chili. I grow my own chili, habaneros and stuff, and like spicy things, because that’s like anything with like garlic, chili and yeah. But without meat. Yeah.
As a vegetarian, do you eat fish?
Sometimes, that means I’m not a puristic vegetarian, but I don’t eat fish like on a regular basis. Sometimes it can happen.
And now you’re drinking water. What’s your favorite beverage?
Oh, actually, on my own personal rider, I had a bottle of water and a what is it, basic things. So yeah, I like water, but I drink most things.
So, you don’t prefer white wine, red wine or beer or something?
It depends. It depends on the occasion, I think.
So, let’s, for example, let’s say occasion, last show, last show of the tour and you celebrate a little bit, if you’re not all ill.
Yeah, then I have a glass of sparkling wine or just relax with a beer, I guess.
Nuremberg was really, really amazing
On this tour, did you have a venue which you liked the most, in case of how it was looking, like in a theater or food was especially good or well-visited show or just good audience?
We had a lot of good venues, I think. But yesterday at Hirsch in Nuremberg was really, really amazing because we had some days off before that and it was quite hard. I slept in the bus, I didn’t show, but it was really getting sick. Yesterday was amazing, everything was amazing, because the venue was fantastic, they had great food for us only, and we could shower and rest in big rooms, and the venue was great, and the stage crew was, amazing.
And they had this great beer garden. Lovely to sit outside before the show in summer,
Yeah, I saw it from outside the window, but it was closed, the disadvantage of the colder seasons. And the sound crew was amazing as well, so even if I had this cold, I could sing better than on any gig, because it was such a great evening.
Sound check!
Even without the call from the outside, we are at the end of interview anyway, but:
“Come in. Sound check. Sound check.”
Time to go downstairs, time for sound check for them, camera check for me and the Meet and Greet Guests.
It was a lovely and very honest interview with a down to earth Mia Karlsson. Even though she had this cbeasty old, she did most of the talking without me interfering. I am so glad; this legendary personality is back on stage, and we will hear more of her soon. That is something I nearly gave up hoping for. Overcoming here crisis and her burn-out is making Mia Karlsson a true role models for those who face the same fears.
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Interview and photos by Friend.X aka Mr. Deep