Exclusive: Molly Mole speaks out about the new School, Sweet School recording

In this exclusive interview Molly Mole, former member of Krashen, gives her views on School, Sweet School and her participation on their new recording.

Q: Hi Molly. I think a lot of people wonder what you have been doing since the breakup of Krashen. Tell us a little bit about that...

A: Well, I have two children now and I live on Prince Edward Island. It is everything you imagine it to be. I guess you have read the books.

Q: ... and even more people probably want to know what really happened when Krashen split up...

A: Well, I guess it was a matter of us, or some of us, failing to cooperate. You cannot imagine the hours we spent trying to write songs, with someone just strumming the same chords over and over again. I mean for hours. Imagine that with a bear in the same room. For years and years. It just didn't work out.

Q: OK. Do you have any news on the other former members, what they have been up to since the band split? I heard Bear Paw lost his mind again.

A: I didn't know that he ever did. But no, I have not had any contact with any of them. Until now, that is, when I got to play with Jerker and his new, I have a hard time saying it but it is what he calls it, band.

Q: Yes, that takes us to School, Sweet School and the new recording which you where an important part of, as I understand. First of all, what is your opinion of this new band, or what you want to call it?

A: Honestly, I think it is a disaster. You shouldn't call it a band, really. You can hardly call it a duo even. It is still just this guy playing the same chords over and over again and hoping that something will happen. Just like it was before. And this other member, Lobster Girl, I never quite figured what she really does, what function she fills. If any. I don't really “get” her. On the other hand, I don't really “get” any of them. On the yet another hand, I think their “Bladen Brinner”-record is amazing, a masterpiece.

Q: OK. Tell us a little bit about the song you recorded together. I understand that you were a part of writing the song.

A: Yes, I wrote the lyrics, although it got changed a little during the recording. In the first version the “getting high”-bit was actually “Gettysburg” and “Hindenburg”. Then Lobster Girl held a lecture about “the new raw sound of School, Sweet School” and said we had to change the lyrics. Actually I think it was the only thing I heard her say during the whole recording, and it was quite funny. We changed the lyrics though, first to “getting high” and “Hinseberg”, then it became only “getting high”. I think Lobster Girl thought that sounded cool. The music was written in the usual fashion, he plays those same chords for hours and hours until he finally opens his mouth and starts to sing.

Q: Oh, so you wrote the lyrics. Did you ever write “songs about your parents”?

A: No. I don't speak about my family. And that is not the point.

Q: OK, so what is the point then?

A: Look behind you, a three-headed monkey!

Q: OK. Could you tell us a bit about the recording session? I hear the recordings were made under quite special circumstances.

A: I arrived at this weird place called Hinseberg. Later I was told that School, Sweet School had made a tour of Swedish prisons for women during the summer. And this Hinseberg-place was their last stop. On the recording I played the drums first. Then Jerker tried for hours and hours with the guitar. That guy has no sense of rhythm whatsoever. Lobster Girl, I guess she did... Lobster Girl stuff. And oh, there was this woman who came and played the flute. Everyone called her “Tyskan” and they all seemed a bit uncomfortable with having her around. But she seemed OK to me. Maybe she was a prisoner or something. She sure could play the flute, though.

Q: So, one final question, what did you make of Sweden?

A: I didn't really see much more than that prison we stayed in. I watched some TV. It was OK. And I heard about this guy called Evert Taube. What an awful, awful man! I hear he is quite popular in your country, and I just can't see why. I guess he is dead now, but you really should stop liking him anyway.

OK. Thank you.

And here is that song they recorded.