Brian Rademacher: Erik…Hello and welcome to RockEyez
Erik Heikne: Thanks Brian, my pleasure.
Brian Rademacher: I’m sure many people in the United States don’t even know that in Europe the band you are in MISS BEHAVIOUR is exploding with excitement over the new release "Last Woman Standing". Do you feel eventually The U.S. will notice the band?
Erik Heikne: I really hope so Brian. We have a great record label in Avenue of Allies and they have done a great job in Europe. We recently signed a management deal and great things are in the making I can tell. It’s a part of the strategy to establish MISS BEHAVIOUR in the states and personally it’s a dream for me to come over and perform live in the U.S. But first thing first, U.K is priority now and we’re going on a tour there in April/May.
Brian Rademacher: You had a prior release in 2006 "Heart Of Midwinter" that also got great reviews. Was there anything you did different beside new songs on the new release?
Erik Heikne: Almost everything to be honest. We have a whole new band now and a new lead singer in Seb Roos. "Last Woman Standing" marks a new era in the history of this band.
Brian Rademacher: On "Last Woman Standing" do you feel your guitar playing was held back at all?
Erik Heikne: Not at all. We focused 100% on the songs and did not wanted too much guitar solos. On this album I’ve tried to play guitar solos that fit the feeling and the mode of the songs. I love guitarists as Yngwie who just tend to go crazy, playing long and intense solos but it would not fit in on this album. When playing live, you can always stretch the solos a bit and play a little more weird stuff if you like.
Brian Rademacher: The band has been together since 2003 did you release any demos or anything in any other bands before MISS BEHAVIOUR?
Erik Heikne: Yeah, Henrik and I have played together in different bands but MISS BEHAVIOUR has been our main focus since 2003. I really believe in this band.
Brian Rademacher: Why did you decide to start MISS BEHAVIOUR since you are a co-founding member?
Erik Heikne: We used to be heavy metal fans (and still are in a way) but when we discovered AOR and bands like MAGNUM, FOREIGNER and JOURNEY we felt like "this is the music we wanna play, let’s make it happen". We wanted to reincarnate the 80s feeling of joy and positivism in this band. For me music is about having fun and giving people a moment of relaxation.
Brian Rademacher: What was the name of your first band you ever were in as early back when you first started playing?
Erik Heikne: Ha-ha funny question, I think it was called LED LADY actually, we where huge IRON MAIDEN fans and not good musicians at all. It sounded terrible but we learned a lot. We started that band at the age of 13 or something like that. Henrik was in the band too. Did not last long though!
Brian Rademacher: Do you remember what your parents said to you when you started playing?
Erik Heikne: They totally supported me and have done so ever since. It must have been a nightmare for them, I was sitting in my room constantly playing the guitar and listening to music. I have always enjoyed playing loud ha-ha.
Brian Rademacher: Do you remember your very first guitar?
Erik Heikne: Absolutely! My father bought it for me. He came across two guitars. One ugly Ibanez Les Paul Jr. replica and one really cool ivory white Stratocaster. He said to me that he would keep one for me and sell the other one and I think he was pretty sure that I would choose the Strat, so he said like "The decision is yours son". I thought the Strat looked like crap and said "I definitely want the Ibanez!". Ha-ha I realized later that I made a terrible choice and later my father told me how disappointed he was, but he promised me that the decision was mine and I have always had an iron will. Nowadays I always use a Stratocaster, but the ugly Ibanez is still hanging on the wall in my studio.
Brian Rademacher: Tell me what it was like the first time MISS BEHAVIOUR got together to rehearse?
Erik Heikne: It was pure fun from the first day. The pieces fell together almost immediately and Henrik and I realized we had a really good chemistry.
Brian Rademacher: What was your first job and looking back what are your feelings now about that job?
Erik Heikne: My first job was in the summer vacation when I was 15. My mother thought it would be a good idea for me to make some money so she set it up. I was answering the phone at some company and totally screwed up but I actually enjoyed it. I bought a guitar amp from the money I earned.
Brian Rademacher: Tell us a little about Erik as a school kid before Baltic Business School?
Erik Heikne: I did good in school and enjoyed it. Not much of a rebel kid at all.
Brian Rademacher: What was the first record, CD or cassette you paid for by yourself?
Erik Heikne: I think it was "Bad" by Michael Jackson. Great album! It was on cassette actually.
Brian Rademacher: Did that have any impact on you?
Erik Heikne: Yeah! I’m still a big fan of Michael Jackson. He was a genius.
Brian Rademacher: How about the first concert you attended?
Erik Heikne: My mother took me to a EUROPE concert in ’92 I think. "On the Prisoners in Paradise" tour. It was cool, I’m still a fan of them. PINK CREAM 69 was support act. I remember it quite well actually, even though I only was at the age of 10. Later our singer Seb told me his mother brought him to the very same show.
Brian Rademacher: Now you are in a relationship how is it on the road when you have women after you?
Erik Heikne: Ha-ha I’m doing this for the love of the music not for the love of the women. My girlfriend is very supportive, I’m blessed.
Brian Rademacher: You guys were just in the Swedish Rock magazine. What’s the feeling like with that kind of exposure?
Erik Heikne: It’s great. I mean, the response in the European press has been amazing and it’s also an absolute necessity for success. Feels great cause it shows that we have done a great album that editors want to write about.
Brian Rademacher: You’re signed to Avenue of Allies, how did that come about?
Erik Heikne: We had offers from different record labels and with AoA everything felt right. Gregor is a great guy with a passion for music. AoA have done a great job so far.
Brian Rademacher: You guys are friends with HOUSTON and H.E.A.T both bands are friends of ours and you are going on tour with HOUSTON. Can you give us any hints of some songs you will be playing on tour?
Erik Heikne: It feels really good. The guys in HOUSTON are great and it’s going to be so much fun to hit the road with them. We haven’t decided the set list yet, but we’ll definitely perform songs like "1988", "Cynthia", "Til We Meet Again", "Emergency" and "Give Her A Sign".
Brian Rademacher: What are you hopes for this band?
Erik Heikne: With our new management it feels like the sky is the limit. They have great plans for us and we are really focused on making it big.
Brian Rademacher: Tell us a little about your relationship with each member of the band and your feels toward each one?
Erik Heikne: For the first time in my career everything feels perfect. We have had some trouble with the line up in the past years but now everyone is willing to give 100% and we support each other and have a great working relationship. These guys are like brothers to me and we will do this journey together. Feels great. We got together the other day to write some bonus songs for a coming U.K edition of the album and everything went so smooth. We had some ideas and a couple of hours later we had come up with two killer songs.
Brian Rademacher: In ending you have a great new video "Till We Meet Again", can you tell us anything about the video shoot? And will there be a second video?
Erik Heikne: It was very emotional. We wrote this song in the loving memory of a friend that tragically ended his life a time ago. I hope it shows a lot of emotion. It was our first professionally shot music video and it went really smooth. We definitely want to shoot another one, maybe for the song "Cynthia". Don’t know when it will happen though. Maybe we’re going to shot some material from the U.K tour and put together a video.
Brian Rademacher: Erik it’s been great talking with you success too the band and well wishes. Would you like to say anything in ending?
Erik Heikne: Thank you so much for the support Brian, I really hope that we make a US tour happen in the coming years! Many of my favorite bands come from the states so that would definitely be a dream coming true.
