When did it all start?
It started around 1998/99. I’ve always liked Abba, from being a little girl really, and I used to play Abba when I was a child.
Then I was already performing, singing and dancing, when we decided it would be a good idea to put up a tribute to Abba together. I already liked the music so I thought it would be nice to do something that I enjoy. It took quite a while though to get good musicians together and it’s been a long process since the music is very difficult to play, or at least to play well. So initial that was the big thing for me, to get good musicians and then put together choreography and get costumes and all those things.
Has it been the same members all these years?
No. But the members we have now have been enjoying it has been for a while now. They are really looking forward to come to Sweden again and play.
What is so special about ABBA?
I think the songs are so good obviously, but when I was a child I never realized why I loved it so much. It’s not until now I appreciate how great the songs actually are. They are just so well written and it’s only when you break down the songs in order to play them that you realize how difficult they really are. Lot’s of people just think, oh Abba. But for a musician you can’t almost believe how difficult the songs are and how the harmonies are working. The songs are just fantastic really, and I think the four members were as well, from the recording side to the performing. I haven’t been fortuned to see them live but from what I’ve seen from dvd, the girls are great on stage, giving it their all and the guys are good as well. It’s fantastic to watch.
Have you ever got any reaction about why a band from UK would want to put up an ABBA Tribute show?
No I don’t and I can’t work that one out. It’s great for us really. It makes us smile every time we get after calls and we are pleased about the whole thing. Sweden has been great for us and we just appreciate it every single time we go. We don’t take anything for granted. As long as Swedish people enjoy what we are doing, that’s brilliant for us because we are actually enjoying performing for them. So if they can get something out of what we are doing then that’s marvellous. We hope we are doing something right and we just keep doing our best and hopefully the Swedish people like us. If you will keep asking we will keep coming back, hopefully.
You have been to Sweden several times, but also done tours in countries like Russia, Iceland, Ireland and Denmark. Is there any difference between the audience in Sweden and the audience in the other countries?
I don’t really know. Swedish people are all very appreciative but also very observant. Abba is from Sweden and is obviously going to be quite close to the Swedes hearts. But I hope they like us and we do get a good response from them. They are very nice people. But no, there is not that much difference compared to the other crowd.
You look quite a lot like the members of Abba. Are you look-a-likes all year around or only when it’s time for the shows?
Personally, and I’m playing Agnetha, I have pretty much the same look all the time being long and blonde and all that. And Sophia also has the same hair colour all the time. None of us are wearing a wig. The guys also have their natural looks and we just try to help it a little with the costumes and a bit of eye shadow for the girls.
How many shows do you do a year and is this a full time job for you?
We do possible at least 100 shows. Sometimes even more. So this is all we do. Fortunately we came back from a holiday a couple of weeks a go and usually we try to take a couple of weeks of a year. It seems like summer is a good time for us because Christmas can be very busy. So we take vacation at the same time, well not together.
What’s the hardest thing about interpret such a famous band?
Because it is so good and so popular it is difficult to get it so right. They have got so many fans that want it to be right. We just do our best. The singing for the girls is very difficult because they are very strong singers and it is hard to be able to adopt the range. And the guys have the problem with the playing part because the music is so good and it is not easy to play, to really try to get it as right as possible. We do try to go for concerts and playing live rather than in studios and to get the guys to be able to play what these people did in the 70s and get it right is very difficult. It’s very underestimated sometimes how well written the music is and it can be a quite a long process to get a thing, that seems small in the song, right with the band. And we also try to get the guys to sing the harmonies that Benny and Björn did, so that they don’t only play but sing and perform a little as well, and when you put all that together it is quite a lot to do.
Do you change the show from concert to concert?
I wouldn’t say from concert to concert but sometimes we do swap around the songs depending on what audience we have on that particular night. But we don’t change it drastically. Perhaps over six or twelve month we do change it with costumes and songs. Obviously you have the big hits but we also try to put in some more unusual songs and we try to alternate it so that is not the same show when the audience come and see it again. And if someone has seen it before it’s not going to be the same show because it is going to be a few different songs and costumes. I think it is nice to put some album tracks in there because you do not often hear them, especially not live.
When singing together you sound quite like ABBA. Has this been a hard work for you, trying to sound like the original?
We try to sing alike them if we can, obviously because of the language difference. Sometimes an odd little thing gets through with the girls and maybe the guys as well, so we do try to emulate that as much as we can. But it takes quite a lot of time for me and Sophia. When we are going through new songs we have to sit down and listen to how they pronounce things, and it can take quite some time to try and master that really.
Have you picked up any Swedish along the way?
Well, only a little. But I recently bought a Swedish dvd so we will have to see what happens to the concerts now. They probably won’t understand what I am saying but I will give it a go.
But do you think you will ever give a concert where you perform a few songs in Swedish?
That is something that we have discussed, doing a Swedish song. And perhaps we will do just one, for now, and see what happens with it. If it is a success then we will try another one but I think we will just try one at first and see where it goes.
You are being described, at least in Sweden, as the leading group in terms of interpreting ABBA. Does that put extra pressure on you when you perform or is it inspiring?
I don’t suppose we think about it. We just try and go on every performance and do what we do and do it the best we can. The main thing is that we enjoy it and hopefully that comes across as well because we are smiling and having such a good time. And we want to sing and perform and play. So I don’t think we actually go on stage thinking about that but we do what we do.
Have you ever been to Gotland?
No I haven’t. It’s the first time so it is quite exciting.
Have you ever met any of the original members in ABBA?
No, unfortunately we haven’t. There was one particular time when we played in Jönköping and the theatre manager mentioned that Agnetas sister may have been in the auditorium. But that is the nearest. We haven’t met anyone. We would like to.