Piston Damp returns with sophomore album ‘Mastermind Vol 1: No Points For Trying’ – Out now
Piston Damp returns with sophomore album 'Mastermind Vol 1: No Points For Trying'
After teasing their audience with a remix EP and 5 singles since their debut album ‘Making The World Great Again’ in 2021, Piston Damp released their new album ‘Mastermind Vol 1: No Points For Trying’ today. We had some questions in store, and the band quickly answered them!
(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange)
Side-Line: What’s the main difference between the previous album and this one?
Piston Damp: Well… Most the songs on MTWGA were old songs. Only ‘To My Knees’ and ‘The Day Of Departure’ are older than 3 years.
We’re a little older, and we’ve experienced some great stuff the last few years, playing gigs around Europe. We’ve grown more confident in the genre and we have a clearer message, and the vision of Piston Damp is clearer too.
S-L: The title hints for a series – will there be a ‘Mastermind Vol 2’, 3 etc?
PD: Sure. Hahaha. 🙂 Yes, you can expect at least one more volume.
S-L: A little side-track to the single ‘To my knees’; earlier Vince Clarke have been mentioned as an inspiration, but when listening to the “B-side” ‘Come to me’ it sounds like a track The Human League would envy. Who or what are your inspirations in general?
PD: Our inspirations are pretty main stream synth pop. Erasure, DM, The Human League, A-ha and so on.
Come To Me was written at a time when Construction Time Again was played a lot.
S-L: Any tracks you would like to highlight or elaborate on?
PD: The album has death, departure, separation and loss as a hovering theme. We’re in our 40’s, and we’ve experienced some losses the past decade that has been quite devastating – especially Jonas. And since he writes the lyrics, this is quite obvious.
The first and last song is about death in near family. While ‘Downfall’ and ‘Now You Know’ is about a childhood friend of Jonas who passed away last year.
S-L: Any upcoming plans or gigs?
PD: Yes! 2025 is looking really good for us. Come and see us at these dates:
01/03 – Gothenburg, Sweden
26/04 – Thallwis, Germany
03/05 – Glenghuset, Sarpsborg, Norway w/The Lund Commission
24/05 – Lucy-Fairs Garden, Ditmarchen, Germany
05/07 – Eastside Festival, Germany
16/08 – Manchester, UK
Album info
All songs by Jonas Groth
All song arranged, recorded and produced by Piston Damp
To My Knees – co-produced by Stephan L. Groth
All songs mixed by Magne Johansen, Piston Damp and Stephan L. Groth
Emilie Aurora Groth – additional vocal harmonies on ‘Downfall’
Stephan L. Groth – vocoder recording on ‘To My Knees’ and ‘Down, Pt. 3’
Truls Kristian Nygaard – additional lead vocal on ‘Sacrifice’
Kaja F. Pettersen – cello on ‘Blue Fields’
Ted Skogmann – additional percussion on ‘To My Knees’
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