Narnia are a promising Neo-Classical band out of Sweden.  The past few years have seen their profile grow to the point  where they are beginning to make in roads into becoming one of the biggest bands of this genre.  This interview with lead guitarist Carljohan Grimmark will give you a good insight into the band and their music.

Could you start by telling our readers a bit about your background and the early days / formation of Narnia?
Christian and I played together in a rock band called Modest Attraction. We played seventies rock like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. We started talking about forming a new band to play more melodic hard rock. We recorded some songs that turned out to be our first album and then we put the rest of the band together. After eight months we changed drummer to Andreas and since since then we are the same lineup.

 You have a strong vocalist in Christian Liljegren, how did you hook up with him and what has he given to the band?  
Christian gives the music the more melodic touch. I am basically into much heavier music than what we play in Narnia so Christian kind of keeps the heavy weights up a bit.

  How do you write the majority of the tracks, do you come up with the music and leave the lyrics to Christian, or is it an amalgamation of input from both sides?  
I write all the music and send it to Christian. He writes some lyrics and melodies and presents it to me and we work it out together.

Your debut album 'Awakening' saw a strong Yngwie Malmsteen influence in the guitarwork and structuring of the tracks, obviously you are a fan of his style, but the religious overtones of the lyrics made the tracks you're own.  What do you look for in a song musically and lyrically?  
I have listened pretty much to Yngwie and Rainbow. Musically I look for anything that is interesting and good. The music styles I listen to varies VERY much. (As I'm typing this Frank Zappa runs in the background)

Your second album 'Long Live The King' saw a more traditional metal slant along with the neo-classical sound enter the fray, what drove this change in the songs?
I don't know...the Awakening album doesn't feel very personal to me... the LLTK -album is much more original...not as much Yngwie-influenced. I wanted to do something that was more of my "own" style.

  You supported Dio in Europe,  did this exposure help open up a wider market for your music and what did you learn from your time with Ronnie James and the rest of the band?
We really had a GREAT time and became good friends and we always meet when Ronnie and the band is in Sweden. It was a great challenge to meet Ronnie's audience. I think we won some listeners there. 

  I believe you are currently writing / recording a new album, how is it progressing and what can your fans expect?
It will be a darker album musically. The fast songs will be faster and the slow songs will be heavier. The lyrics will deal with problems all people meet.

  Have you any working song / album titles?
We have a working title for the album...it is "Desert Land"

  Who else is playing on the album and when can we expect the release?
We are the same lineup as on LLTK. We expect a European release in February 2001.

  Who are your main influences [guitar and band wise]?
I like guitarists like Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen and Tony Iommi and a few more.
Band-wise I listen to VERY much different kinds of music. Dio, Black Sabbath, Stratovarius, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel, Yes, Genesis and....a LOT more.

  Do you intend to do a track around the CS Lewis novel 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe'?
Maybe, maybe not...we'll see.

Who's idea was it to have 'Aslan' the lion as sort of an unofficial mascot?
A friend of ours came up with the bandname Narnia so Aslan was a natural mascot. I guess he was Christians idea.

  Are you a fan of CS Lewis's work?
I've only read the Narnia books and screwtape letters...I don't have enough time, if I had I would read more.

  You have a gig in London on the 25th August - is this your first visit to England?  Are you looking forward to it and do you know any other bands on the bill of the 'Greenbelt Festival'?
Yes, it is our first England concert. I don't know yet what other bands will play there.
I look forward to it a lot.

  Where do you see the band heading in the next few years?
Hopefully we have made another album, maybe a Live album and we want to play as much in Europe as possible. We would also like to play in the U.S. and South America.

  Any parting messages for your fans?
Thanks for reading and listening...God bless You