The Ark. Biography:

With their third album, state of the ark, one of sweden's most eccentric rock bands takes a surprising step in a new direction. The result is an album jam-packed with the kind of irresistible riffs, melodic hooks and energetic grooves most bands only dream of - in short, it's the difficult third album made easy. With a string of hit singles in sweden, the ark's operatic glam rock sound has created a huge fan base since they broke out in the Autumn of 2000. Fronted by the flamboyant lead singer Ola Salo, the ark burst on the scene in the aftermath of the "britpop/shoegazing" pop era. They arrived in a firework of flashy self-designed outfits, declaring open war to every written or unwritten law in the current Book of Rock. "We were sick and tired of everything that was supposed to be hip, cool and ironic. It just felt like a big mask people were hiding behind. And we never bought into that authenticity bullshit either - that you somehow were more credible if you were going on stage in an anorak, looking completely emotionless. And that's why we built the ark as this big un-cool, un-hip thing, because for us it was always about expressing something bigger - we were looking for something larger than life," Ola Salo says. Pretentious? Well, you can throw whatever you want at Ola Salo - he's heard it before and knows how to roll with the punches. Growing up as the priest's son in Rottne, a quiet furniture-making village in the never-ending belt of lakes and woods that makes up the heart of "Ikea country," Salo realized early on that he would never be like everybody else. "I was raised in an environment where things like ascensions, apocalypses and magic legends was a natural part of your everyday life. A naked man nailed to a cross. Oceans dividing. I always had a feeling that I was destined to do special things." Fortunately, Salo was not completely alone. Guitarist jepson and bassist Lasse "leari" Ljungberg, shared his vision, inspired by equal shares of 60's psychedelia, 70's art rock - and The Book of Revelations. "At that time I was convinced that the apocalypse was near, and that the ark had to spread the message around. We just threw everything in there. Outrageous music and home-made stage outfits - whatever it took to shake people up and make them live every day like it was the last." As the months passed into years, the band realized that the apocalypse obviously was postponed until further notice. But the ark soldiered on, basing their theatrical rock approach on bands like The Doors, early Roxy Music, David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" and Kiss. Suspecting that the bigger life they had in mind probably was going on elsewhere, the band relocated to the nearest city, Växjö. Guitarist martin axén saw them perform, becoming an instant fan and a relentless motivator before finally coming on board as a permanent member. Having relocated again to Malmö in the south of sweden, the band started organizing parties, happenings and concerts - even writing "the Arkist Lust-Manifesto" to get their message across. They soon started to make a name for themselves, getting to know The Cardigans and the "in-crowd" around the famed Tambourine studios. For years the ark, and other Växjö groups like Melody Club and The Mo, had struggled to make a noise in their hometown. Now they started to get national exposure - eventually finding themselves labeled as parts of "the Växjö scene." "The Ark, Melody Club and The Mo were all complete nobodies outside Växjö, when I joined the band. But a few years later all those groups would meet again - this time on top of the charts," Axén smiles. The last member to step on board the ark was ex-Tambureens drummer sylvester schlegel, whose mere presence came across as more Ark-ish than the other band members themselves. leari remembers: "We were known for our strange looks, but Sylvester was something else. He had an Afghan fur coat, extremely long hair and the widest bell-bottoms we'd ever seen. And he could play drums too." Having completed the ark's line-up, the band spent Spring 2000 writing and recording their debut album, we are the ark. Preceded by the critically acclaimed hit singles "Let Your Body Decide" and "It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane," the album became an instant success and made the band overnight stars in sweden - and Italy, where "It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane" spent four months in the Top 10. Musically, the ark's breed of joyous pomp rock was hailed as "the new glam." Hints of classic Bowie, Queen and the mad boogie of Marc Bolan blended nicely into the band's own brand of quirky modern-day rock. The combination was a smash. After dedicating most of 2001 to touring and promoting we are the ark, the band withdrew to prepare the next assault. Their second album in lust we trust (2002) further sharpened the ark's message - and thanks to its rather explicit lyrics and exuberant "hallelujah" chorus, the single "Father Of A Son" added fire to the already heated debate on homo adoption rights. in lust we trust spawned another major hit single in "Calleth You, Cometh I," and as a whole the album proved that the group had become masters of fusing poignant lyrics with glamorously overblown hard rock. All very well, indeed - but did it dance? Not enough for the ever-searching Salo. During the ark's 2003 summer tour, he started work on a new master plan. "I wanted to develop our sound, expand our scope and simplify our approach. I decided to give us - and everybody else - a kick in the ass by writing songs that rocked so hard, it would be virtually impossible to stand still." Sensing that committee decisions might not be the best way to forge out a new musical direction, Salo asked for - and received - creative control. He and the ark's unofficial sixth member, Jens Andersson, formed a production unit with renowned film music composer Nathan Larson (Boys Don't Cry, The Woodsman) and sound wizard Per Sunding of Tambourine Studios. "I knew what I wanted to do. Rock with a disco beat. Music that would make you want to move your body. Music that didn't just talk about lust, but simply was lust. And I wanted it to come out like a crisp futuristic production, but with all the energy and immediacy of a four-channel demo." Spending the autumn of 2003 making demos and most of 2004 recording, the ark finally unveiled their third album, state of the ark, on December 27. The first single, "One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young," had already zoomed up to the top of the Swedish charts, and the album would follow the same path in the first weeks of 2005. The new Ark sound was met with overwhelming reviews, although some complained that they missed the band's complex pomp rock style. "I don't think the songs on state of the ark are less complex, they just sound simple - and we've worked our asses off to make them sound that way. It's dead easy to make a song sound like it's difficult - I can write a string arrangement in my sleep - but to strip a song of all unnecessary baggage and make it move, make it immediate, that's the hardest thing of all." With songs like "This Piece Of Poetry Is Meant To Do Harm," "Rock City Wankers," "Clamour For glamour" and "Trust Is Shareware," the ark has written a new and surprisingly entertaining chapter in their ongoing "Arkist Lust-Manifesto," which takes them back to the core of the band, re-inventing their sound in the process. Propelled by a relentless beat and surrounded by buzzing low-resolution guitar riffs and weird keyboard noodlings, even Salo's crystal clear voice sounds more relaxed and inspired than ever. "I guess we all felt we didn't have to prove ourselves anymore," he smiles. Judging from the assured performance on state of the ark, he's probably right.

THE ARK Sweden's sextet, THE ARK, is well on its way toward making rock 'n' roll history. Having shattered sales and radio play records in their home country and Italy, and consistently playing to sold-out crowds on tours in Scandinavia, Europe and North America, the band is a growing force to be reckoned with. You know these Swedes have got to have something the moment you witness their ability to explosively transform anyone-from a repressed, suited-up executive to a cynical, jaded hipster - into part of a chanting, pulsating, hungry-for-music mob. It is undeniable that whether playing in a stadium for thousands or in one of New York's fabled rock clubs, THE ARK puts on an unforgettable show. Fans know to expect a visual, visceral event - or in the words of frontman and songwriter, Ola SALO: "Lots of spontaneity and over-the-top drama, with bone-crushing riffs and epiphanies." Combining the raw theatrical power of legendary glam bands, and carefully crafted melodies with clever and meaningful lyrics, an evening with THE ARK approaches something akin to an other-worldly experience. That said, everybody in THE ARK is really nice, they all like beer, a few are a vegetarians, and one of them secretly likes fermented herring (a stinky Swedish delicacy)... Getting back to the story: the almost religious experience at an ARK show is no small coincidence as the origins of THE ARK are rooted strongly in spirituality. His father a Lutheran minister (and violin player) and his mother a church organist; Ola SALO's early life was always surrounded by religion and music. Together with childhood friends Leari LJUNBERG (bass) and Mikael JEPSON (guitar), Salo invoked the name of Noah's mythological ship for his budding band. Not only would THE ARK allow the trio to escape the confines of growing up in a small industrial town in Southern Sweden - where there was nothing else to do but drive around on mopeds and play football - but it would also be a symbolic vessel for the survival of mankind. Heavily influenced by the Book of Revelation, a young SALO saw signs everywhere of a coming Apocalypse, a time when old concepts of truth would be turned upside down... and only rock 'n' roll could save the World. But the gospel of THE ARK would be anything but a traditional Christian one; the band would gather people into a community and preach a message of liberation: ‘Life is short so dare to live it in the here and now.' Drawing inspiration from HENDRIX, THE DOORS, THE WHO, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, CREAM and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, and The Rocky Horror Show - as well seventies glam rock icons such as KISS, T-REX, QUEEN and David BOWIE - on 1991 the three friends embarked on their journey. The stakes were high but there was no other option: one day they would be stars. The road wasn't easy, especially because THE ARK braved to be un-cool and outrageous in a time dominated by grunge and shoe gazing. "In the 90's there was this sort of ironic/cynical cultural atmosphere," explains Ola. "Nobody really dared to have fun or even say something explicitly with their lyrics, or do something that was over-the-top... and if you did it had to be a parody." Soon, however, the tide would turn with new reinforcements Martin AXÉN (guitar) and Sylvester SCHLEGEL (drums) joining the band. On 2000, the band had its breakthrough with the singles Let Your Body Decide, Echo Chamber, and It Takes A Fool To Remain Sane; this last song, most importantly, encapsulated all that THE ARK stood for, calling people to "break the walls of attitude." The release of their first album, We Are The Ark, followed, instantly selling more than 100,000 copies - something previously unheard of in Sweden for a debut album in English. Additionally, the record put the band on the road to superstar status in Italy. The second album, In Lust We Trust, was released on 2002. It included the singles Calleth You Cometh I, Tell Me This Night Is Over, and Father Of A Song - this last one an anthem about gay adoption rights set to a chorus of "hallelujah". Though released a few weeks after the Swedish government legalized gay adoption, the controversial song has contributed much to the social discourse of this issue in the band's home country and abroad. Featuring simple, yet sophisticated and catchy tunes, such as Clamour For Glamour, the band's third album, State Of The Ark, saw its release in 2005. The lyrics found in the record lend to the quirky and slightly addictive nature of the music, hitting a stride in One Of Us Is Gonna Die Young, which became the first single abroad and the standard bearing the band's message on its first forays into American territories; this single is classic THE ARK with its themes of carpe diem, liberation, and earnestness. State Of The Ark also included the pulsating The Others and the climactic Deliver Us From Free Will with its elegant transitions from raunchy rock rhythms to disco and back. Starting with the induction of long-time collaborator and keyboard player Jans ANDERSSON as the sixth member of the band, 2007 is quickly becoming an exciting year for THE ARK. The single The Worrying Kind - with its bluesy shuffle or what Ola calls "a glam-boogie song about anxiety" - has been chosen as Sweden's official entry in the Eurovision Song Contest to take place in May in Helsinki. Additionally the band's fourth album, Prayer For The Weekend, is due out in Scandinavia on 11th of April and it is already breaking records in presales, downloads and radio-play. The aforementioned Eurovision entry and the second single, Absolutely No Decorum (a song which brings to the forefront what the sextet does best as a rock 'n' roll hymn about freedom of speech), have taken their place respectively as number one and number two on Swedish radio's Tracklistan - the first time in Sweden's radio history that anyone has landed simultaneously on the top two spots. Prayer For The Weekend is set to satisfy fans of THE ARK, new and old, while revisiting familiar territory from the previous offerings and, more than anything, rolling in new surprises. With a good mix of up-beat, danceable tunes and more meditative ballads, the polished and mature lyrics and melodies prove that Ola SALO, is not just a flamboyant showman with a crystalline voice, but also an accomplished wordsmith and composer. The title track opens the record with a flourishing church choir that suddenly metamorphoses into a driving disco beat - or what the band calls "Charles BAUDELAIRE goes to Studio 54." The next outstanding track, Little Dysfunk You (scheduled to be the next single), described as THE MINISTRY meets THE BEE GEES, is an urban story that evokes a dark underground club atmosphere. The religious tone of the record is palpable up to its last moments; the final song, Uriel, was written by Ola when he was 16 and named so because he thought the name was a beautiful one for a girl - unbeknownst to him that Uriel ("the flame of God") in Christian tradition is the angel of Arts and Poetry.... ...Divine inspiration, perhaps?

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