Added: 30 December 2012

Missing in Discography
- Demo, 1984
- 7tr Unreleased, Demo 1984-1985
- 5tr Demo, 1986
- 3tr Demo, 1987
- 5tr Unreleased Demo, 1989
- 13tr Advance CD-R, 2007
- Tomorrow Never Comes (2011)




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Motherlode (Swe)

Motherlode (Swe)
Band Info
Genre
Christian Melodic Hard Rock / Heavy Metal
Country
Sweden (

Örebro

)
Active
1982 - present
Media
Photos
Links
Official Website
Members
Sonny Larsson - Vocals (Leviticus, Silver Mountain, Charizma, Swedish Metal Aid, Narnia, XT, Björn Stigsson, The Rise, Inner Planet, Rolle & Planeterna, Kings of Modern Swing, Snake Charmer, Wolf)

Tom Nilsson - Guitar (Swedish Metal Aid)

Johan Evertsson - Bass (Giant, Heatstroke, Fair Land)

Pär Hjulström - Drums

Fredrik Backman - Keyboards
Former / Past Members
Conny Lind - Vocals (Tryckvåg, Shock Tilt, Lion's Share, Vision, Iron Fist, Unit-X, Odessa, Trezpass, Sin City, Mud & Blood, Hang 'Em High, Raceway, Electric Savage, Eddie Meduza, Rednex, Great King Rat, Iron Fist, Amaze Me, State of Mind, Talk of the Town, Boogie Machine, Boys Are Back, Harmonica Henry, History of Rock, Jeff Paris, Sqrammel, Tommy Denander, RC/DC, Van Häljen, Thunder 'n Blues, S 'n R Boys)

Per Englund - Vocals (220 Volt, Blacksmith, Voltergeist, Dedication, Garbo, Mandrake Root)

Peter Rundström - Bass (Swedish Metal Aid)

Patrik Nordlander – Drums (Season, Bruse)

Martin Hedberg - Drums

Bengt Eriksson - Drums (Swedish Metal Aid, Ice)

Johan Lindström - Keyboards (Life Line, Avenue, Rio, Slyside (guest))

Rickard Nilsson - Keyboards

Special Guests
Kit Woolven - Backing Vocals (Cathedral)

Mark Stanway - Keyboards (Magnum, Philip Lynott,  M3, Stanway, Laurence Archer, Grand Slam, The Dogs D'Amour)
Örebro's MOTHERLODE dealt in a reasonably soft Melodic Rock style and first appeared in 1984 with a three track demo, although drummer Bengt Eriksson quit in 1985 to be replaced by ex-HOLY MESSAGE drummer Martin Johnson. Keyboardist Johan Lindström also parted company with the band soon after. The Kit Woolven produced album featured MAGNUM keyboard player Mark Stanway. But, after the album, vocalist Sonny Larsson quit to join Christian rock act XT. He was replaced by former BLACKSMITH and VOLTERGEIST singer Per Englund, although from then on MOTHERLODE underwent a period of flux with no permanent singer. Englund would wind up joining MANDRAKE ROOT and subsequently reforming BLACKSMITH, whilst MOTHERLODE were still a going concern in 1996, the latest line-up including keyboard player Rickard Nilsson and drummer Kalle Nilsson, the search for a suitable vocalist continued.

MOTHERLODE had some tracks featured on various compilations, most known is the Sonet compilation 'Swedish Metal (1984)' where they contributed with the songs "Moving Emotions" and "Father of Lies". They was also featured on a Aktiv Musik cassette compilation called 'Hårdrock' together with RAMPANT and HOLY MESSAGE.

MOTHERLODE contributed their version of 'Killer Without A Cause' to the PHIL LYNOTT tribute album 'The Spirit Of The Black Rose (2001)'. They also contributed to the 2000 Grand Funk Railroad-Tribute album with the song "People Let's Stop the War".

Sonny Larsson sang on a demo for SILVER MOUNTAIN. He have also recorded several demo tapes and played live with CHARIZMA in Swedan and Poland.

MOTHERLODE Official Biography:
1982: Motherlode was a fusion of two Örebro bands PROXIMITY and LIZARD. The very first line up: Sonny Larsson, Tom Nilsson, Peter Rundstroem, Bengt Eriksson.

1983: The first gig. Word of the band's class goes into Facebook-speed, and after a month it is not a rock club, youth club or venue in the county that's not sold out when the band plays.

1984: First demo tapes begins to spread to the record companies. Contributing on the album ' Swedish Metal (1984)'. Two songs were recorded "Moving Emotion" and "Father of Lies" for the record label Sonet.

1985: Participated on SWEDISH METAL AID to raise money for the sick and hungry in Africa.

1986: The band engages producer Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy, Pink Floyd, Magnum) for the debut album "The Sanctuary" which is recorded in Örebro. MAGNUMS keyboardist Mark Stanway played keyboards on the record, Martin Hedberg replaced Bengt on the drums and the great albums artist Rodney Matthews makes the band's famous album cover. It was released by a national record label, Active Music, which today is known as BMG. Two major tabloids in Sweden (Aftonbladet and Expressen), makes full-page-sized articles about the band.

1987: The band heading out on their first European tour as support for the English band MAGNUM. The coming year the band participates in several music programs on radio and TV.

1988: The band plays at Hultsfred before a large crowd of enthusiastic fans.

1989: Differences of opinion and an absence of major international success, and after hundreds of gigs and a number of member changes, the band was put on hold for a few years.

1995: The album "The Sanctuary" is released on CD with five additional tracks with vocalist Sonny Larsson back in the band. Before then a great deal of bootlegs of the album was made without the bands permission.

1999: The first gig in many years.

2001-2006: The band begins the first tentative steps towards a new album. The chemistry of the band is back! Rumour reaches various record companies which offer the band a place on a number of compilations. Different songs for various purposes were recorded.

2009: Motherlode became number two when Nerikes Allehandas readers are voting the county's best artists of all time.

2010: Ten years of waiting is over. "Tomorrow Never Comes" is released in Sweden. Followed by a number of gigs and festivals in Sweden.

2011: “Tomorrow never comes” will be released in the rest of Europe.

Interview (http://www.rockunited.com/motherlode.htm)

Hello Sonny! It´s really great to hear that MOTHERLODE are back together once again. Please tell us a little bit about your future plans. Will there be a new album?
Right now we are in the studio to record 15 new songs. We haven’t got a record deal, but if you listen carefully you might here the birds whisper...

Would you say that you (Motherlode) will continue with the sound that you guys had in the 80´s or has your songwriting changed or envolved into something else? Will the fans from the past enjoy your new material?
It’s basically melodic blues influenced hard rock like before, but at the moment we don’t use any keyboards. In the future? Who knows. I don’t think that those who liked us before will be disappointed because this is the real motherlode -“The Swedish Motherlode”.

How do you write your songs? Who brings in what into the mix?
It is usually Tom that is writing the music and then we arrange it together. I write most of the lyrics, but even the others in the band are writing. An old friend of mine Jan Friberg wrote a few lyrics and I hope he will write some more, Because I think he is a great poet.

I noticed that only you and Tom Nilsson (Guitar) are left from the original line up. Who are the other members and what have they been up to in the past?
Johan Evertsson – bass (Heatstroke, Fair Land). Fair Land did soundtracks to a movie production in South Korea together with Roxette. He also played in a cover band together with Martin Hedberg and Robert Wendelstam who now plays in the American band KEEL. Patrik Nordlander – Drums (Season, Bruse) made one album with each band. Bruse was played on national TV and radio and they also represented Sweden in a Nordic competition. (And here is the Swedish result, Bruse 12 points)

The first new signs of life from Motherlode on record are your covers versions of Grand Funk railroad´s "People let´s stop the war" and Thin Lizzy´s "Killer without a cause" both on Record Heaven´s tribute albums. I must say that I really like your versions, tell us why you decided to go with just these songs
I’m glad you liked them, we are quite satisfied ourselves. And we think they are great songs with great lyrics.

People always like to put a label on music. What kind of music would YOU say that Motherlode plays? Which bands/artists influenced you from the start.
Like I said before it’s melodic blues influenced hard rock. And I would say that all the music in the 70’s and the 80’s are the foundation in our music. My own favorite band through all time is Pink Floyd, but I listen almost to any kind of music. For example, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Santana, Deep Purple, Carman, Rush, Rammstein, Spice Girls, [-wait a minute??] Queensrÿche, Magnum, Thin Lizzy, Jimi Hendrix, Dalbello, Rainbow, Elvis, Aretha Franklin [-hold it!!!!], Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Stryper, John Holm, Nazareth, Rage against the machine, Queen, Styx, Kansas, The Who, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Bach, Beatles, Brain child, Madonna [-don’t push it!!!]. Okay I was about to say – and every thing on the Swedish scene of course.

Your first album "The Sanctuary" (1986) was produced by Kit Woolven (Magnum) Mark Stanway (Magnum) played keyboards and the art cover was done by Rodney Matthews. How did all this happen? did you want the "Magnum" sound all over the album or what?
Magnum made "On A Storyteller’s Night" and we thought that it was a great record and a great production so we just had to get Kit as producer. Our Manager Dennis Karlsson sent him a demo, and he liked it and took a flight to Sweden to produce our record. And he did a wonderful job. We didn’t have a keybord player at the time so Dennis just asked Mark Stanway and he took “the next flight”. And I can tell you; we had a great time together and later that year we toured together with Magnum on their Vigilante tour as support. You can’t but love those guys!!

If you had to pick one track from "The Sanctuary" which one would be your favourite and why?
I would pick "Line Of Thoughts", because I like the choir part. I think we had 48 voices all made by Tom, Kit and myself. And I remember when we were listen to the choirs without the music and it was almost a religious feeling.

Is it true that you turned down the job as a singer in Yngwie Malmsteen´s band after you left Motherlode back in 1987? If so do tell us a little bit about the whole thing.
One day the phone rang and somebody asked me if I wanted to come and do an audition,but I said no right away. I mean who wants to stand in the shadows of a great guitar wizard When you wanna stand in the front…! The truth is that his harmonies and I don’t mix, mostly because he is the best guitarist in the world and I’m just the second best singer after…..??? After all it might have been a practical joke. Who knows? Yngwie possibly!!!

I know that you sang on a demo for Silver Mountain ,that you became the new vocalist in Leviticus (but never recorded anything) and that you helped out Bjorn Stigsson with his solo album. But did you also sing with CHARIZMA for a while?
I did a few demos with Charizma and we had a couple of gigs in Sweden and Poland. I had a great time with the brothers, they’re a hard working band and they will always be close my heart.

You and Stigsson formed XT in the early 90´s and recorded 3 albums for Viva Records. You started out very melodic but became a bit heavier for each album which of these albums are you most pleased with and why?
I remember when Björn was about to make his second solo album, and he asked me if I wanted to do the vocals. I said yes of course, and we made some demos in björns “studio”, he had in his wardrobe. When we got out of the wardrobe we were XT. If I have to chose I will say the third one “EXTENDED EMPIRE”. We worked really hard on that one, not just Björn and me. Kjell Andersson, Johan Stark, Niklas Johnsson did a terrific job. I like the songs and most of the lyrics are very close to myself, Especially “Kids on the hill”

If you have ANYTHING else YOU wanna say and let the readers know all about please do say it ...
In the “future” there will be released a new MOTHERLODE album the bird said… And when it does, I know that we have worked hard with it so that you will have at least one great album in your CD-collection, I hope to see you soon at a local club in Europe until then...

-Urban "Wally" Wallström
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