Jens Lindberg of the Maharajas: the Garagerocktopia interview

When it comes to garage rock, Jens Lindberg is a true OG.

Well, OK, granted, he may not quite be as OG as the Standells’ Larry Tamblyn or Moulty of the Barbarians, who go back more than 50 years. But Lindberg’s 32 years – and a member of cutting edge bands in the ‘80s – are nothing to sneer at.

For those of you not in the know, “OG” is short for “original gangsta” and originally referred to people known to wear intimidating clothing and have a lifetime of casual concern for following the law. 

These days the term’s usage has sort of evolved to include anybody – upstanding citizens included -- who have been a part of something for a really long time. But here at Garagerocktopia, it’s obvious what OG stands for: Original Garage-Rocker

But back to Lindberg, currently plying his trade as guitarist and keyboard player for the awesome Swedish garage rock band the Maharajas, themselves around since 1996.

But Lindberg has been part of many bands, and if you’re talking early ‘80s, then Lindberg is as OG as you can get. His first band, the Crimson Shadows, is regarded by many garage rock fans, especially in Europe, as one of the most important bands of that genre, helping to revive it and bring it to a level of popularity not seen since the late ‘60s.

“I started playing music in bands in 1983,” recounted Lindberg by e-mail. “There were other bands in late ‘70’s and early 80’s from Sweden who played garage music before us,  such as Problem and the Nomads.”

“But the Crimson Shadows were the first band, along with the Stomachmouths (of which Lindberg has also been an occasional part), Cornflake Zoo and the Back Door Men who not only played the music, but also emulated the look and the attitude from our 60’s heroes. We really dug the Music Machine, and also the Chesterfield Kings and the Fuzztones.”

“We just lasted for about one and a half. We split up in March 1986 and only made two singles, plus a song in the Declaration of Fuzz compilation. Somehow, though, we managed to make quite an impact. That’s something that really makes me happy.”

Nowadays, the Maharajas – which also includes bassist Ulf Gutormsson, drummer Jesper Karlsson, and Mathias Lilja  (also of the Strollers) on lead guitar and vocals.-- are probably the best-known and best regarded group of which Lindberg has been a part.

But he has been a part of many bands, including the Highspeed V, the Stomachmouths, the Blindshag, the Cliffhangers, Hymen of Tongues and the Friends just to mention a few. All of Lindberg’s bands have been garage, including what is perhaps his second best- known affiliation, the Maggots, sometimes listed as a punk band (perhaps confused with a band that really was a punk band called the Maggots).

The Maharajas, whose driving keyboards and aggressive guitars very faithfully recall their mid-‘60s heroes at their rocking-est, are more polished and more commercial, in the positive sense of that word. This is the case simply because Father Time has been a good buddy to Lindberg and company.

“In some way you can say that (we are more proficient),” Lindberg commented. “But I also believe its natural progression  -- that we’re better musicians as the Maharajas than we were in our other bands. We’re also a little older, we have much more knowledge on how to write interesting songs and we have much more knowledge on how to work in a studio.”

“But, again, when we play live or in the recording studio, we can put up a hell of an energy that not many other bands – including younger, more contemporary bands -- can match, if you ask me.”

While the Maharajas can never be accused of being mopey or depressing, the idea behind the band was to present a more introspective, brooding brand of garage rock.

“The inspiration for Maharajas comes from Greece, and the bands I met there in 1995,” Lindberg recounted, “the Frantic V and the now-defunct Cardinals. I went there in May 1995 to meet these guys, and I was very impressed with their demo tapes.”

“Their focus was more on moody-styled garage, perhaps best known through some of the bands from the Boston/New England scene. Their music blew my mind, and when I got home I just had to write a couple of songs like theirs. I released a 4-track EP on the Italian Teen Sound Records under the band name “Hymen Of Tongues.”

“This was what, by the fall of 1996, evolved into the Maharajas. Our first three records --  “Something Moody & Groovy,” 4-track ep Wait & Wonder and the LP H-minor were all full of slow, moody party-killer songs which all had their influence from my Greek friends, as well as the ‘60’s bands that played stuff like that.”

The road to Lindberg’s long, illustrious career in garage rock began as a child. Both parents played music and exposed Lindberg to American rock and roll.

“Both of my parents play instruments (piano/violin) and they put me in piano school at the age of seven,” Lindberg recalled. “They liked to listen to Elvis and the like. I began to buy records in 1974, mainly the Sweet and Kiss. By 1980 I turned into a mod, and soon after I discovered a lot of 60’s music. I took the

step into garage and psychedelia a couple of years after that.”

“I like all good rock’n’roll, and all kinds of good music from any decade,” Lindberg said “from ‘40’s boogie woogie to ‘50’s rock like Little Richard, to ‘70’s hard rock, Black Sabbath, Budgie, Kiss, Stooges and so on. Most of the music I like consists of songs that are seldom over 3 minutes long, are catchy, freaked-out, naïve, wild, and mostly written by desperate people.”

Lindberg doesn’t consider or advertise himself as any kind of virtuoso. That’s not really a big requirement in garage rock anyway. Where he will take credit is for his ability to conceive a plan – then make it happen.

“As I’m not a great musician in any way,” Lindberg admits. “I’ve always tried to surround myself with people that are good at their instruments. I believe that I act like a healthy injection, getting things happening in the bands that I’ve been part of over the years.”

As any watcher of pop culture can tell you, no trend, no style, no genre ever really dies – it just goes on sabbatical for a while. And no genre demonstrates that better than garage rock, which faded by 1969, stayed gone for a while, then surfaced again in the ‘80s. Then, once again it faded. Lindberg is only too aware of those ebbs and flows.

“I really had my doubts (about garage rock lasting) in the beginning of the 90’s,” commented Lindberg. “The first years of that decade were not very good to the garage music, at least here in Sweden. At the same time I also spent quite a lot of money in the studio, with studio musicians, recording demos of Hammond organ-dominated blues and jazz stuff that was never released. But I always believed that, to 95% at least, I would always play rock’n’roll in some form or another. It is my hobby, and hobbies are quite hard to quit.”

And then, garage rock – which since the ‘80s has peaked and dipped but again never completely died – started to find its audience again, particularly in Scandinavia.

“Things started to happen,” said Lindberg, “when the second wave of neo-garage bands appeared, not only in Sweden with bands like the Strollers, the Roadrunners, but also in other parts of Europé and of course in the USA.”

In fact, even bands come and go again and again. Certainly, many of the bands we have featured on this blog have disappeared for giant chunks of time. Add to that list Lindberg’s own Crimson Shadows.

“The Crimson Shadows have reunited,” announced Lindberg. “Of the original members, it’s only Måns and myself. We played a couple of shows in Italy, Germany and Spain between 2008 and 2011. Now we’re back again and we’ll play in Valencia on the Wachina Wachina festival in early February next year. If every thing works out we might do a short tour in Greece in April next year along with our friends the Frantic V!”

But the re-emergence of the Crimson Shadows need not worry Maharajas fans. Just a few months ago, the Maharajas released a single, “Just Let Him Go” and Lindberg reports new projects are in the works.

“We’re very happy with that single,” Lindberg declared. “The great Cecile Musy chose it to release on her record label, Moody Monkey Records. Right now Ulf, Mathias and I are writing songs for a new album, which we hope we can start to record in March next year. This time it will be back to the moody roots, and we’ll record it in the rehersal locale again, to get this true live sound.”

In an age when bands sometimes go half a decade between releases (or, in the case of some of our favorites here, four or five decades), the Maharajas have lots in the pipeline, including a double single release with another Swedish band on Chaputa Records of Portugal, expected for release next year, as well as a song for a compilation, They Came From the North Part 2 out on Swedish label Zorch Records next year, plus a UK re-lease of their third album A Third Opinion.

If you’ve not done so, please check out our other feature stories on bands from Scandinavia, including fellow Swedes Stupidity and the great Norwegian garage rock band the Dogs.

As is our wont, we have two great stories in the works. Our next feature will be on the Count Five, a truly legendary band whose sound continues to be a profound influence on punk and garage rock. We have also been in contact with a well-known producer who was the leader of one of the ‘80s best power pop bands. Stay tuned!