Fresh from the makers of IKEA, H&M, and surströmming (fermented Baltic herring), please allow me to introduce to you, Moneybrother, Sweden’s Grammy award winning version of “The Boss” (with a lil’ ABBA singing backup). “Well, I really worked on a name for my solo work that sounded cool. Moneybrother, sounded cool when I said it,” provides the accented Mr. Anders Wendin a.k.a Moneybrother. This straight shooter is no stranger to the game even though you might not recognize his name in Swedish.
The Grammy strapped to his hip is thanks to his first solo record Blood Panic in 2003 after leaving pop/ska band Monster. 2009’s Real Control, saw his first full length, English only, album to be released on our fair shores. Which he has regularly been supporting with US tours for names the like of Bedouin Soundclash and most recently Celtic punkers Flogging Molly. Tours partly financed by his buying of Martin guitars on Craigslist in the US and flipping them for a “plane ticket or two” thanks to the nonsensical value of the US dollar in Scandinavia.
I caught up with Moneybrother at Red Bull Studios in Santa Monica where he is recording part of his globetrotting next album and watching a lot of soccer…
I hear you got to see Prince last night?
Moneybrother: You know, I hate saying “That was the best thing I ever saw in my life,” but I’ve been thinking about it all morning and I think it might be. And I go to a lot of shows.
Was it the outfits or the hair?
Moneybrother: It was a combination of everything he does… Being the fu*king coolest guy ever, dancing like crazy, playing guitar, you know, and the songs and the vocals. I don’t know how you can top that really.
How old is he now?
Moneybrother: Must be 50, no? Played for 3 hours with 5 encore’s. And I’m not even a Prince fan, but there was not a second I didn’t love about the show. He had me almost crying.
Anders, welcome to America sir. How’s it been thus far?
Moneybrother: Not bad! Just came off a tour with the great Flogging Molly. I spent a week in Chicago recording some basic tracks for what is going to become my next album. And then I started this crazy tour that I am on right now where I am going to record at all the Red Bull studios that exist… London, South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, LA, Jamaica… I think that’s it.
Genius idea. My little PR birdy tweeted me that you plan to record with various musicians from each of the areas.
Moneybrother: Most definitely. Here in L.A. I’m going to have a session with this amazing girl and guy from a rock-a-billy band. I want to experience some big Zulu drums when in Africa and hang with the Rasta’s in Kingston. The idea is to produce an album that makes listeners feel that they are traveling too.
How long has it taken for you to get this hustle on?
Moneybrother: It’s been about a year maybe more. I met with Red Bull Sweden after I was on the jury for Red Bull Bedroom Jams, and then had to meet this guy, that guy, this guy, and some other guy. I was kind of worried.
The old “Hurry up and Wait?”
Moneybrother: You know the music business. You hear all these rumors that it is going to happen and I never trust it. Not until I hear, “one, two, three, four” and it’s recording. But now I’m in California and I’m leaving for Brazil on Wednesday, so it looks like it is actually happening.
Side note- Said Swedish rock rag Nojes Bladet, “Wendin är som vanligt väldigt bra på att få text, melodi och arrangemang att sponsra samma känslor.” Wait, what?
Words and Photos by Dustin Downing a.k.a “Krydd” in Swedish
