At long last, international superstars The Sounds have a new album! Something To Die For was released on March 29 on SideOneDummy Records.

The Sounds made a splash at SXSW 2011, with a stellar performance at The PureVolume House, as pictured here. The Sounds’ live show is not to be missed. Often described as a New Wave, electro dance party, the band’s energy is rivaled by few. And it’s rare to see a sight such as singer Maja Ivarsson land a jumping split kick in 3 inch heels. Even Pete Townsend and David Lee Roth wear a low heel or flat shoe.

And on the eve of their album release, The Sounds signed autographs for over 1000 fans who showed up at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood for the album release party.

ChinaShopMag chatted with singer Maja Ivarsson while she was at the SideOneDummy headquarters in Hollywood on the heels of the band’s sold out show at the Avalon and completion of their Red Bull Studio session.

What are three words you would use to describe your experience at SXSW?

Maja: Pimples, dirty, and noise pollution. Basically, it’s just a dirty week, but as long as you’re prepared for it, I think it’s good. You get tour pimples cause it’s so dirty.

Walking the streets of Austin can be quite surreal during SXSW. Did you have any interesting encounters on the streets?

Maja: Walking down the street in Austin during SXSW you have to prepare that a lot of people will come up to you, they’re drunk and they just want to give you a hug and they wanna have autographs and take photos and all that which is really flattering. Our friend Bam Margera came to visit us and stayed on the bus. He is a trooper. We were out having dinner one night, it was me, Bam, and my boyfriend walking down the street at SXSW and I’ve never been stopped so many times. And it wasn’t for me: It was for Bam.

Everybody wanted to take pictures with Bam and he doesn’t turn down anyone. He’s a real trooper. Anyone who comes up to him and wants to take a picture, he always takes pictures with all his fans. I learned something from that. He told me that his friend was waiting for Samuel L. Jackson once to get an autograph, and his friend waited for 7 hours. Finally when Sam comes out and he asks for an autograph, Sam goes “No, I don’t have the time, I’m just going to take off” and he just took off. Bam remembered that, his friend told him and he still remembers that 7 years later he remembered: “Man, I hate that guy now.” So that’s something you need to remember. If somebody comes up and wants and autograph or wants to take a picture you should do it cause sometimes you never know, that person might hold that against you for the rest of your life. That was very surreal, walking down the street with Bam Margera at SXSW.

Did you have any Texan BBQ in Austin?

Maja: Yeah, for sure! I usually try to go to Stubb’s every time we go to Austin. We play shows in Austin [during the year] even though it’s not SXSW, and I think Stubb’s has really great BBQ. Unfortunately, they don’t have corn on the cob. So if anybody who works at Stubb’s who gets to see this: put that on your menu, please.

The PureVolumne House show was incredibly awesome! What was your highlight of the show?

Maja: I can’t say that I have one particular moment that I remember more than any other, but I think that SXSW in general is always a lot of fun. You just gotta roll with the punches. I think I would say the whole week in general was just a really good memory for all of us. We had a really good time. There were a lot of die hard Sounds fans at that show, in particular. That is always nice to see them come and support our band.

Something To Die For is your first release with indie label SideOneDummy. What lead you to sign with SideOneDummy?

Maja: For us, in the band, it’s always been very important to surround ourselves with people that are equally as passionate about music as we are. We got offers to sign with really big labels, but that usually means that you’re signing your life away for at least another 10 years and you never know cause it could be like one guy working at a big company and that guy might end his work or get kicked out of his work and work for another label 2 months later and then you’re stuck in this big corporate system. So for us, it was very, very easy and very natural for us to work with SideOneDummy cause it’s a great label and everybody there is passionate about music. Either they’ve been in bands themselves, or they play music themselves. For us, it’s the best thing ever. Really. I think we’re onto something really, really good together.

Being from Sweden, were you looking forward to hanging out in Hollywood for The Sounds sold-out show at the Avalon and the Hard Rock Cafe album release party meet and greet?

Maja: Since we’ve been a band, we’ve been to Los Angeles so many times, I practically live here when I have my time off. So Hollywood, especially East Hollywood, has become my home away from home. I feel really comfortable here. Avalon is such a great venue. We sold it out pretty fast and that Hard Rock Café signing was amazing. There were literally a thousand people waiting in line outside. I still have to pinch myself after so many years. I get really humble and very, very happy when I see all these fans coming up and they just want to take photos and autographs. Their support means everything to us because without our fans we wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing right now. Definitely, Los Angeles is one of our better markets in the world, so we love it.

Maja, you sang vocals on the All Time Low track “Guts” for their forthcoming new album Dirty Work. How did the collaboration with All Time Low come to be?

Maja: All Time Low was looking for a girl singer to be part of one of their tracks on their new album. They had a couple of different girls in mind. They finally went with me, which is very flattering. I remember my manager sent me the track, cause I wanted to hear the song before I said I wanted do it, cause obviously I wanna like the song. I really liked the song so we decided to go for it.

I recorded my vocals in LA. The band was not there, I was just doing it with the producer. But I met the band in Germany, at a festival. We hung out for a little bit. And I think Mark [Hoppus] from Blink 182 has been helping that band out a lot. it’s like a family business almost.

The Sounds track “No No Song” was just featured on an episode of the new Hawaii 5-0. Have you ever been to Hawaii? Or surfed or been in an outrigger canoe like on the opening credits of the show?

Maja: No, I’ve never been to Hawaii. I know my guitarist, Felix [Rodriguez] has been there. He thought it was amazing. I’m actually planning on going there. My boyfriend is from San Diego. He’s a surfer guy/skater boy so he definitely wants to go to Hawaii as soon as possible, and so do I. But I’ve never surfed or been in a canoe.

THE SOUNDS TOUR DATES

April 5 – Santa Barbara, Calif. @ Velvet Jones

April 7 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Popscene // Rickshaw Stop

April 9 – Bogota, Colombia @ Estereo Picnic

April 16 – Santiago, Chile Club Fauna

May 13- London, England UK @KOKO

June 3 -  Hässleholm, Sweden @ Siesta

June 11 -  Muenster, Germany @ Vainstream Rockfest

June 13 – Nickelsdorf, Austria @ Nova Rock Festival
All Ages. Nova Rock Festival with Iron Maiden, System of a Down, Linkin Park, Flogging Molly, and more

June 17 -  Seinajoki, Finland @Provinsi Rock

June 18 – Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany @ Southside Festival

June 19 – Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane Festival

July 1 – Borlänge, Sweden @ Peace & Love

August 12 – Piestany, Slovakia @ Grape Festival 2011

August 13 – Zofingen, Switzerland @ Heitere Open Air

Words and photos by Lisa Johnson

The Sounds – Something To Die For