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Comprehending is a solo project out of Uppsala, Sweden, self-describing as “…a project for me to explore and evolve my understanding of music. I will not be held back by a single genre but instead, see the possibilities in combining different elements.”
What are the origins of Comprehending?
The band kind of started as a coincidence back in 2019-2020 in Uppsala, Sweden. I had just written my song “Spring” and wanted a good recording of the song to have for myself. I decided to contact my friend Richard Stöök who helped me with recording and mixing the song. After this, he told me that I should make it a real project and release my music, so I did.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Comprehending?
They should expect instrumental, kind of weird but still very chill and well-arranged music. Starting Comprehending I didn’t want to limit myself to a certain genre, so I’m kind of using this project to play what I feel like. I tend to write more towards math-/post-rock though and that’s what probably can be expected from most of my releases.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
It felt great! The first gig came like 2 years after I started so I had really been looking forward to it for quite some time. Being a one-person band I have the challenge of finding available live musicians to my gigs though, so that’s why it took so long for me to get to that first gig. The feeling when I finally got up on that stage was amazing!
The new music scene is bursting at the seams at the minute with fresh talent, in what ways do you feel that a band has to stand out to build a name for themselves?
I feel like you have to have some kind of musical value to your music, but a lot of your success comes down to if you can entertain. That can mean a lot of things really. If you have a really great social media presence you can get quite far, but also being able to put together a memorable live show goes a long way. I don’t think actual musical talent matters as much though, which can be both good and bad. As long as you can ensnare your followers in some way you will likely move forward.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
My latest single “Try”; it’s instrumental math rock with kind of a jazzy feel to it. It was a really fun song to write and was an experiment in the usage of odd time signatures. I came up with the main riff of the song in 4/4 and then tried to push it as far as I could without ruining its integrity. I ended up changing the riff to 11/8 and really liked the result. It’s now available on all major platforms.
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the minute do you feel you would be best suited to open for?
There are a lot of great instrumental mathy bands out there, but I feel like Via Luna would be a great match for me to open to. That would really be a dream come true if it happened!
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
I’m a really big fan of the Argentinian post-rock band Leña. They are really great people and I really hope they’ll go far. Their music is amazing. I’ve known them for a couple of years now and the guitarist of the band makes most of my album covers.
What are your own first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
My earliest memory of something music-related is going to see Iron Maiden in Stockholm in 2000. I was 8 years old back then and it was my first ever concert. It was this that made me want to start playing and creating music of my own.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
The last gig I went to as a true fan must have been Enter Shikari in Copenhagen. They were amazing as always. They are my all-time favourite band and has given a lot of inspiration when writing synth parts for Comprehending.
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about?
Working as an arborist I really care about nature and the current state of the forest management in Sweden which isn’t sustainable. There are a lot of things that need to be done both by the Swedish government and the EU. Please look into it if you have a spare minute after reading this. It’s a problem you can find all over the world.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
I think “No Time To Bleed” by Suicide Silence. Before getting into math- and post-rock I listened to a lot of different core- and metal-genres. I also play guitar in a metalcore band called Scent of Surface. So a lot of people who find me through Comprehending might get a bit shocked about where I come from musically.
What does the rest of 2023 hold for you?
I’m hoping to release a couple more singles and I’m going to book some shows around Sweden for this fall. Other than that I’m just going to try to promote my music as much as I can to try to grow my fan base.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
I try to upload occasionally but I’m more active around releases. Between releases, I mostly upload riff ideas and shorter songs, but I also enjoy live streaming to connect a bit more with my followers. I’m the most active on Instagram and Facebook where I go by @comprehendingband. Come by and say hello sometime, I always enjoy talking to new people.
