Roulette: Captivating Melodic Rock from Sweden

Roulette: Captivating Melodic Rock from Sweden

Roulette is a long running melodic rock band from Sweden ready to capture the senses of music fans all over the world with GO!  Soon to be released via Black Lodge/Sound Pollution, GO! presents a band at the very height of their creative energies, delivering timeless songs that should be blasting all over the radio airwaves.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed bassist Hansi Fellbrink to find out more about the musical journey of Roulette and their exhilarating new album GO!  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Roulette, and how long the band has been together.
Hey there! I’m Hansi Fellbrink, bass player for the band Roulette. We’ve been rocking together since 1985, and yeah – it’s still the same crew.

Where is the band based out and what is your local music scene like there?
We’re from a city called Sundsvall, in the middle of Sweden. Back in the late ’80s, there were lot of rock bands doing what we do – but most of them faded out. We’re still standing, still releasing records, and still hitting the road.  These days, there are more punk and heavy metal acts in town, but when it comes to melodic rock – we’re pretty much the last gang in town.

How did you wind up on Black Lodge/Sound Pollution?
It’s a long story, but I’ll keep it tight. We recorded a bunch of demos and sent them to different labels around Sweden. One of them was Sound Pollution, but we didn’t hear back. So I jumped on a train to Stockholm, walked into their record store, and started chatting with one of the guys working there. Turns out he already knew who we were and liked our sound – he helped connect me with the right people. Once they heard the tracks, the label was all in. They signed us on the spot.

Any story or concept behind the album title GO!
We like short, punchy album titles. Our last record Now! was all about “this is who we are right NOW!” When it came time to name the new one, we felt like something bigger was coming – like we were shifting into higher gear. Our singer Thomas just said, “Let’s go!” and bam – it became GO! Perfect name for our upcoming European tour this fall.

What is the inspiration behind the song Fire In Your Eyes?
Thomas shares this story:

The lyrics to one of our songs came after my dad had back surgery. He loved dancing, but after the operation, he couldn’t anymore. It was a tough time. But there was still that fire in his eyes – that hope that maybe one day he’d dance again. We all get older. Our bodies give us hell. But as long as there’s fire in your eyes, there’s hope.

What is the inspiration behind the song We Remember You?
“We Remember You” is a tribute to our former bandmate, Thomas Nässlin, who sadly passed away in 2021. He helped write many of our early tracks and, honestly, he was the coolest, best-looking guy in the band. But he lived too fast and too hard – and in the end, his body couldn’t keep up. Losing him was brutal. This song is for him – we hope he’s smiling somewhere up there.

Select any other song on the album and what inspired the lyrics.
“She Can’t Hide” is about a girl I dated a long time ago. She was beautiful, amazing – everyone loved her. But there was something dark in her past she kept hidden. She wasn’t in a good place mentally, and I never found out what really happened to her. The song’s about trying to help someone who’s hurting, but not being able to – because they can’t let you in.

What did producer Chris Rehn contribute to the overall recording process?
Our producer, Chris Rehn, is practically our fifth band member. We’ve been working with him for years, and he just gets us. He always pulls out the best in our sound. He produced our Now! album in 2019, the EP From Now Until Today in 2024, and honestly, I can’t imagine working with anyone else.

What was it like playing Scandirock in February 2020 right before the pandemic?
It was awesome! We met tons of killer new Swedish bands and rocked the stage at a brewery as Saturday’s headliner. It turned into a party, and the vibe was unreal. Nobody knew the pandemic was just around the corner, so we went all in. And it was totally worth it.

What was it like playing the Malmö Melodic with Dare, Wildness, and JD Miller in July 2024?
Malmö Melodic 2024 was another high point – incredible weekend, amazing lineup, and fans from 29 countries! After our set, we were signing merch for over an hour. One of our best shows ever – and we gained a ton of new fans. We’re not playing it this year, but we’ve already been invited back for 2026. Can’t wait.

Has Roulette ever played here in the States or is that something you would like to do in future days?
We’ve never played in the U.S. – yet. But we want to, badly. People say we sound like an American band, and Thomas sounds like an American singer. So, if you’re into this kind of rock, we know you’ll love us live. Help us spread the music across the States. If we get the chance, we’ll be on a plane before you can say “Encore!”

Only The Strong single in 1990 – 35-year anniversary. Looking back on that song, what do you think of it now on retrospect?
Back in 1990, we dropped our single “Only the Strong” on a CBS sublabel. It was meant to be a full album, but only the single made it. Still, it’s one of the tracks we’re most proud of – and yeah, we still play it live. It’s pure ’80s energy and still hits hard.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Roulette? What goes through your mind knowing you’ve been doing this band for 40 years?
Can you believe it’s been 40 years? Sure, we’ve taken some breaks, but the fire’s still there. We’re just as hungry as ever. What’s wild is how much fun we still have hitting the stage, especially with the new material. We’ve been reborn in a way, and we’re never gonna stop giving it everything live. Playing live is just pure joy.

Are you involved with any other bands or projects?
Sometimes we jump in on local Sundsvall bands’ recordings – backing vocals, a little guitar, drums here and there. But that´ s it! Oh, Thomas even sang on Talk of the Town’s 1998 album Reach For The Sky on a few tracks.

What’s up next for Roulette?
Our new album GO! drops July 25th – same day we’re releasing a new single and a video. Then, we’re throwing a huge 40-year anniversary bash in Sundsvall on July 29th. After that, we hit the road in Spain and play a few more cities in Sweden.

Any final words of wisdom?
Keep the music alive. Keep showing up for live shows. Keep spreading love – and stop with all the hate.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!
Thank you for having me, Ken! Rock ON!

LINE-UP:
Thomas Lundgren – Vocals
Magnus Nelin – Guitars
Hansi Fellbrink – Bass
Mats Nelin – Drums

Interview by Ken Morton

Roulette on Facebook