Molly Mole – Andra Sommaren

Molly sent us a picture of her and School, Sweet School. Can you guess who is who on the picture (hint: one of them wears a dress which makes the wearer look like a dog)? The first to give the correct answer might win a School, Sweet School t-shirt (you can only guess once, and there is nowhere to send your guess to). (Eventuell vinstskatt betalas av vinnaren.)


It's been more than a year since we last heard from Molly Mole, the lyrical mastermind of Krashen and now the lyrical helping hand mastermind of School, Sweet School. We phoned her to see what she has been up to lately.

Q: Hi Molly! How are you doing?

A: It is OK. No problems. No problems at all.

Q: Being the sverigevän (“friend of the Swedes”) you are, what is your opinion on the recent election in Sweden?

A: I have always been saying that a population with such a high density of Evert Taube fans must be capable of horrible things. I think that this was proven to be correct.

Q: I guess you are right. We hear you have been back in Sweden a couple of times since the last time we spoke ...?

A: Yes, twice. Both times I've been recording new material. And I also took part in the annual School, Sweet School concert at Hinseberg.

Q: OK. Tell us a bit more, did you meet your friend Tyskan from your last visit?

A: Yes, we met and we recorded a song. A Christmas song, actually. It can be found here if anyone wants to listen to it. It was good fun. We talked a lot about runstenar. She seemed really into that.

Q: I hear you also celebrated her birthday. What did you give her?

A: I bought her a book. I think it was the latest novel by a Swedish author called Susanna Alakoski. It was in Swedish so I don't really know what it is about, but an old lady in the bookstore recommended it to me when I mentioned who was to get the gift. But after Tyskan unwrapped the present, she said she already had the book. Actually she had several copies of the book.

Q: Who would have known... How was your second stay?

A: It was good fun. Or not that much fun. But we recoded a song and played at the prison. Then I returned home. I can't stand being with the School, Sweet School people for more than a few days. The first day is OK, then it gets worse quite fast. Lobster Girl seemed in good shape, though. Oh, we took a bandfoto also, do you want to see it? I will send it to you! One of us wore a very special dress which makes you look like a dog. Good fun.

Q: Great, I will publish the photo with the interview (see above). Tell us a little bit about the song you recorded. You wrote the lyrics, what is it about?

A: Well, the song is called Pool Song, it is pretty good and you have no business in what it is about.

Q: OK. One last question, is it true that you are on the label of Systembolaget's 6589?

A: Yes.

Q: That is really good to know. Thank you and goodbye.

A: Au revoir.

Oh, and here is that song they recorded: School, Sweet School – Pool Song

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.