Hi! Are you doing?
We’re just about to go to the studio to record our album – so we’re not feeling too bad.

Where are you come from ? Copenhagen, Denmark

Introducing the band… What instruments do you use and what is each member’s activity?
Johannes: lead singer, guitar, songwriter
John: guitar
Schultz: keyboard, synth, and backing vocals
Benjamin: drums
Steven: bass

When this project has started? What was or is the general idea behind this project?
We formed the band in summer of 2001. Right from the first practise the ambition was to worldwide – even though we weren’t actually the best musicians in the world.

How did you come up with the name Campsite?
It wasn’t taken and it didn’t sound too dumb. No secret or deep message in the name.

Which emotions or messages do you like to spread to your public with your music?
We want our music to have it all. We want it to be double sided, so it’s not just melancholic or happy, we want people to relate to it on different levels and with different emotions.
Our music is also about searching, for God, for other people, for good and better things. So it’s a positive approach, but at the same time the songs’ situations are mostly described through a more dark perspective.

How could you describe your sound ?
It’s a mix of danceable pop and structured rock n roll.

You are going to record your debut album. What is its name ? Would you talk about it ?
We haven’t come up with a title yet, but are of course thinking our heads off. The album will be produced by Minco Eggersman from Sally Forth Records, and we are excited to finally get the album done. We expect a catchy and smooth sound, and It is expected to be released late this summer.

Which are the tracks of this upcoming album you think may describe better the sound of Campsite ?
Hopefully they all do, but songs like “Interstate”, “Clean Cut” and “Parade” have got just about all the elements of Campsite in them. There’s danceable beats, clear melodies, rock n roll, substance and lightness.

What is the inspiration for your lyrics?
(Johannes): In general it’s a feeling of distance and separation from others that incites me to write the lyrics. Writing is a way of overcoming that distance – by expressing. Then when it comes to collecting imagery and situations, the inspiration can come from anything like a night of dancing at a local discoteque to stuff that has excited me in a good book.

Can you describe the process you take in writing your music?
Johannes (lead singer) writes a song and then presents it to the rest of the group, then we all arrange, combine ideas and argue for several hours or weeks. In the end we’re all satisfied. We structure and organize in order to present the feeling in the best and clearest possible way.

Do you attach particular memories, ideas, and/or emotions to any or all of the songs you compose? Or, even when playing, do you ever find your songs taking you somewhere, perhaps unexpectedly?
It’s one big mess of memories, ideas and emotions, all redefined and rediscovered in the songs. It’s not like writing a country song, where you know exactly what situation or story that is being described, each song is more like an abstract collection of thoughts, experiences and conflicts.
When we play live the songs really reveals themselves, when there is a reaction between the music and the audience. Sometimes we get surprised of how they work, for better or for worse…

What do you hope to achieve through your project?
World domination :) First, we hope to make an album that people will receive well and get something out of. And we hope that it’s gonna take us as far as possible when it comes to living by the music.

Who are the past artists who have formed your musical culture?
Older bands: New Order, Joy Division, Talking Heads, The Cure.
Newer bands: Interpol, Strokes, Phoenix.

What are you listening to these days?
As schizophrenic as these: Brand New, moneybrother, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Talking Heads, The All American Rejects (the drummer insisted), Beach Boys.

What was the most exciting experience during your work so far?
It’s hard to name just one thing and call it “the most exciting experience”, but the time we have right now – making the album, playing around the world, and see some of the dreams come true – it feels right.

Music helps to...
not to get stuck inside yourself with a creative overload.

What do you think about the actual indie rock scene in your country?
We don’t really feel related to the actual indie scene in Denmark, and we’ve never really felt like we’ve been a part of it.
Mostly we disagree with what is being hyped in Denmark, but we do think that bands like The Raveonettes, Lampshade and Mew are doing a good job.

Future projects ?
Our debut album will be out in several countries in Europe, and we are working on getting it released in as many countries as possible. So the next year will hopefully consist of touring and promoting the album.

Final comments…
We honestly hope to come and play and have our album released in Italy. It’s so incredibly cold and boring up here.