Crazy Lixx was born in 2002 by singer Danny Rexon and guitarist Vic Zino. Their debut album was released in 2007, and the future looked bright for this 4-piece band from the southern parts of Sweden. But everyone knows success neither come cheap or easy, and a few months after the release of "Loud Minority", Vic Zino leaves the band for Hardcore Superstar, and a search for a new guitarist take place. In June, the band announced they had found the new guitarist in 19-year old Andy Dawson. The other members of the band are the drummer Joey Cirera and the bass player Luke Rivano.

Q1. Hi Danny! How are you?
I'm fine thanx.

Q2. You recently released a new single from your debut album "Loud Minority". How did you decide to pick "Make ends meet" to be the new single?
We wanted to release the single not only as a physical product for our fans but also to send out to mainstream radio. We decided on 'Make ends Meet' because we figured it was the most radio-friendly song we had on the album. We also added the radio-edit version of 'Want It' because it hadn't been released before.

Q3. It has been really hard to miss the release of "Make ends meet", both regular e-mails, and also guestbook messages on the popular Helgon.net site about how to download the new single for free and how to vote on Crazy Lixx on "Trackslistan". So, how much time do you put on promoting the band? So far, have you received the result you wanted?
We put a lot of time and effort in promoting the band and that is the reality of many bands on our level today. You have to get that message out and win the fans, that's just the way it is. So far, the results of this particular single have been okay. We didn't make it on 'Tracks' but we have had a lot of positive feedback on the free download of the single so all in all it's an ok outcome.

Q4. Almost a year has passed since the release of "Loud Minority". The album received great response from both media and fans, some even consider it to be the best album released in 2007. How does it feel to start off with such a strong album? Does it feel like it's going to be hard to top "Loud Minority" with future albums?
First of all, it's great that so many liked our debut album and I think you have to start off with strong material to stand a chance against the big guys in this business. In the good old days bands had three or four albums of experimentation before they did that one breakthrough album. I mean look at bands like Aerosmith or Judas Priest, they were mediocre rock bands on their first few albums. Nowadays you don't get that amount of time. If your first album isn't good you rarely get another chance. Problem is, you have to beat your last effort all the time and that really puts pressure on bands, I sure as hell feel pressure about our next release. I really want it to be great and beat the crap out of 'Loud Minority'. I want people to know that our debut album wasn't just a lucky shot. But it's gonna take a whole lot of work and commitment to make it happen.

Q5. How long will it take before we see a new Crazy Lixx album in stores? How should our expectations be?
We've started to write and records some demo material and it really depends on how quickly we can get those 10-12 great songs that we need. I will not agree to a release an album that I feel is inferior to 'Loud Minority', that would do more bad than good for Crazy Lixx right now. I'd really like to have the album out by the summer of 2009 but as I said, it really all depends on what kind of material we can produce until then.

Q6. "The Gamble", a song really different from the rest of the album, how come you chose to bring the album to the end with such a slow and heartbroken song? The song feels so tragic and sad compared to the other songs on the album. Did you have any purpose, or did it just end up that way?
Our producer, Chris Laney, had a vision about the song and it included to have it as the last track on the album and with the 'sad' feeling that it brings. Originally the song started of with drums, guitar and bass guitar (like the way it is in the end now) but Chris wanted it to just be that lonely guitar and vocals in the first half of the song. I think it turned out quite nice but you are right about it being a large contrast to the rest of the album. Some people love it, others hate it. I think it's the one song of the album that people have most different opinions about.



Q7. You have a lot of great songs from your time as a demo band, like "Daddy's little girl", "Bad in a good way" and so on. Have you any plans to re-release your old demo songs in future albums or perhaps a demo collection or anything?
Actually, 'Bad in a Good Way' was recorded along with the rest of the album and has now been released on the Japan-edition of the album, along with another previously un-released song calle 'No Guts, No Glory'. About the other demo-material I can tell you that we have been working on some of the old songs for the new album so maybe there will be an old goodie on our next release, who knows?

Q8. Vic Zino left Crazy Lixx for Hardcore Superstar. How did you take it? Was it frustrating to lose a band member when the band more or less was balancing on the edge of a break-through? Was it a tough decision for the band to make, to force Vic to choose band?
It's always tough to lose a member of the band and in this case it was one of the founding members and of the main drives behind the band and as you said, the timing couldn't have been worse. Instead of trying to promote our debut album we were forced to cut down on our gigs (the only gigs we made during spring of 2008 was the ones were we were supporting Hardcore Superstar, where Vic could play with both bands the same night), and instead start looking for a new guitar player. The decision to force Vic to choose bands wasn't really a decision so much as the only thing to do. We knew right from the start that with the busy touring of HCSS we couldn't share our guitar player with them; we had to get a new one.

Q9. Did you get many applications for the empty spot in the band?
Yes, quite a few. Some of them from crazy places like Peru and Brazil. Some were really great guitarists and some could barely play so we really covered the entire spectrum.

Q10. It's been a few months since you announced Andy Dawson as your new guitarist. How has it been going? He's also young, so has his young age affected the band on any way, good or bad?
It's been going great. He's a great guitarist and a cool guy to hang out with. Even though it's almost 7 years between me and him we get along really good and him being young as mainly a good thing. He's ambitious and has the drive that you need in this line of work. The only downside to his age is that he likes to sleep so damn late in the mornings, like all teenagers.

Q11. What's the most amazing gig you've ever done with Crazy Lixx?
That would have to be Sweden Rock Festival 2007. Thousands of people were watching the show, and it was a nice weather outside. Nothing can beat the feeling.

Q12. If Crazy Lixx, for the rest of the bands career, only could play one song, and you had the decision in your hands to make, and you were allowed to be completely selfish, which one of all Crazy Lixx songs would you pick? And why? Does the song you pick mean much to you personally or what's your reason to pick it?
If I was to be totally selfish I'd pick 'Want It'. It sums up my feelings about playing in a band and it's a catchy tune that I haven't grown tired of yet. But if we play it for the rest of our career I'm sure I will be tired of it at some point.

Q13. On your (www.crazylixx.com) website it says that all current members have a non-Swedish descent, so from which countries have Crazy Lixx their origins?
I and Andy are of polish descent. Luke's father is from Chile and Joey's dad is Spanish. I'm actually the only one that hasn't got any Swedish blood in me at all. Both my parents are polish, but I was born in Sweden.

Q14. Since your band name contains the word Crazy, I have to ask, what is the craziest thing the band ever done?
You know, contrary to what our name might say, we're not really a crazy band at all. Sure we get drunk and do stupid things from time to time but most of the time we're the pretty boys of rock n' roll. The main reason for this is because when we're out on tour we're there to give the fans a great show and you just can't do that when you're drunk or high all the time. We put the music first, and if that makes us boring then I guess we are.

Q15. How much do music really mean to you? Can you imagine yourself without music in your life? Is there something in the world that you could sacrifice your music for?
Not a day goes by when I don't think about music. I don't know what I'd do if I turned deaf all of a sudden, probably go crazy. Sacrifice music for.... hmmmm... World peace?

Q16. You have a tattoo on your left arm, picturing some kind of bird and also a short text that looks like it perhaps could be Latin. What do the tattoo and the text really mean? Do you have any other tattoos?
The tattoo is the only one that I have. The eagle is a symbol of Poland and the text is in Latin. Translated it would mean something like: Blessed by heritage, not bound by it. You figure out the rest.

Q17. What are the band's upcoming plans for the nearest future?
As I said, we're currently working on new material and that means we'll not be doing a lot of shows in the near future. The next show we have booked is the 'Rest in Sleaze'-festival, honoring the memory of late Dave Lepard.

Q18. In 10 years, where are Crazy Lixx? What are your hopes and dreams for this band?
In 10 years I hope we're on the road to promote our say, fifth album. I hope to make it big, like everybody else who picks up a guitar with dreams of becoming a rockstar.

Q19. There are many sleaze bands in Sweden, but few of them are signed to a label. What is the difference between Crazy Lixx and those bands? Why did you succeed and they don't? What do you think make you greater than most other swedish nu-sleaze bands?
The main reason I think is because we're not all that sleaze. The name is probably more sleaze than our music and we don't look all that sleaze either. I think we're not as genre-specific as many other bands. And I do think that our song material is better than most. Some bands just write the standard 'party-all-night-long-rock-n-roll'-tune that has been done a million times before. That won't do it.

Q20. Some quick questions:
Would you prefer being support act for Mötley Crüe or for Guns N Roses? Mötley, I think Axl has become somewhat of a lunatic, he´d probably post-pone the entire tour by 13 years.
Vodka or beer? Beer
Harry B James or Pub Anchor? Harry B James
Pizza or sushi? Pizza, unless it's in Japan and you get to eat it of a naked Geisha
Morning or evening? Evening

Thank you so much for taking your time. Good luck and keep on rocking.
And thank you. Oh, and one more thing: "If you book us, we will come..."


Interviewed by Johanna Salo