Wired For Impact: Rockett Love Recharged and Ready To Ignite

Wired For Impact: Rockett Love Recharged and Ready To Ignite

A decade in, Sweden’s melodic rock torchbearers return with their most energized album yet.

There’s a certain electricity that hits the room when Rockett Love walk in — a mix of veteran confidence, melodic rock devotion, and the kind of humor that only comes from years of writing riffs, chasing hooks, and surviving the Swedish winter together. With their fourth album Wired for Sound about to drop via Pride & Joy Music, vocalist Daniel Samuelsson and guitarist Stefan Westerlund sat down with Highwire Daze to talk about their creative rebirth, their unlikely hometown scene, and why American fans might already be Rockett Love fans without even knowing it.

What follows is a conversation filled with riffs, reflection, and the kind of honesty that reminds you why melodic rock still matters.

Introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band, starting with Stefan.
Stefan: I’m Stefan, rhythm guitar player and one of the songwriters.

Daniel: And I’m the lead singer — also one of the songwriters.

Where are you guys based out of, and what is your local music scene like there?
Stefan: We live in a really small city about two hours from Stockholm. There aren’t a lot of bands around, and honestly, the music scene is almost nonexistent.

How did you wind up signing with Pride & Joy Music?
Stefan: Our first album was released through AOR Heaven. We sent them the fully recorded album, they liked it, and they released it. But then the owner retired and didn’t want to put out any more records.

Birgitt at Pride & Joy took over the roster from AOR Heaven — all the bands they had — so that’s how we ended up on Pride & Joy.

Your new album is called Wired for Sound. Tell me about the album title and the cover art.
Daniel: The artwork was done by Andrea Bex Beckstone. We gave him completely free hands this time. Usually Stefan is involved, but he stepped back and let Andrea run with it.

The title just sounded cool to us — simple, strong, and easy to build a visual concept around.

Stefan: And if you look closely at the cover, you’ll see references to our three previous albums hidden inside it. They’re sparking that jukebox, which represents the fourth album. Andrea came up with that idea — the energy of the earlier records feeding into this new one.

Let’s talk about some of the songs. Your recent single “I Feel Alive” — what inspired that one?
Daniel: The whole album is built on the idea that less is more. Simplicity. We wanted strong melodic songs but still with the riffing alive. This album is really about melody and connecting with the fans.

Stefan: And it always starts with a riff. That’s the spark. A heavy verse, a catchy chorus — that combination is always cool.

One of my favorite songs on the album is the closer, “Get Out of My Face.” Tell me about the inspiration behind that one.
Daniel: You’re not the first person to say that, which surprises me — it’s not my personal favorite, but it’s a good song!

Stefan: The chorus came from me — “Get out of my face.” It was fun to do something different instead of another love song. Daniel wrote most of the lyrics.

Daniel: Me and Stefan have a funny dynamic. He’s the brainstormer — he comes up with the titles and the big ideas. Then it’s up to me to shape the lyrics around them.

The sound engineer on this album was Mats Eriksson of Degreed. What was it like working with him?
Daniel: We had previously worked with Erik Mårtensson from Eclipse, but early on we felt these new songs weren’t really Erik’s style. So we connected with Mats, and he’s been great — very down‑to‑earth, very easy to work with. A perfect fit.

What was it like working with Erik Mårtensson on the previous album?
Stefan: He’s very easygoing — and he’s like a machine. He knows everything. It was inspiring. We didn’t want to send him a bad song because we look up to him, so it pushed us to write better material. He also gave great suggestions during mixing. He’s amazing.

Next year marks the ten‑year anniversary of Grab the Rocket. What do you think of that album now?
Stefan: It’s a bit dark and pretty heavy. Honestly, we’d like to remix it someday. But for being our first album — and the first album I had ever made — I think it turned out quite well.

Daniel: Same here. We were still figuring out what the Rockett Love sound was going to be. Some of those songs wouldn’t make it today, but at the time it was the right album for us.

Daniel, what’s your musical background before Rockett Love?
Daniel: I started in the extreme metal scene in the ’90s — growling, screaming, listening to Slayer and Metallica. Over time I moved toward classic rock: Winger, Ratt, Queensrÿche. I was in a Swedish band called Twinball — we released two albums, one on Sweden Rock Records. I’ve also played in a lot of cover bands, but I’m too old for that now.

And Stefan, what about you? Any other projects outside of Grand Design?
Stefan: I’ve been in some local bands, but we never recorded anything. Daniel and I were in a cover band together years ago. Before I turned 50, I told myself, I have to make a record before I die. That was 13 years ago. I had never recorded anything before that first Rockett Love album — and now we’ve made four.

What are your plans for the rest of 2026?
Stefan: Hopefully some gigs — if we get offers. Daniel and I are also recording more music. It might become a fifth Rockett Love album, or maybe something else. That’s our focus right now.

Any messages for U.S. melodic rock fans reading this?
Stefan: Please give us a chance. I honestly think we’re perfect for the American audience. Many of my influences are American — Winger, Yngwie Malmsteen, all those bands. So I think American fans would really like Rockett Love. Please give us a chance, buy the record, and listen to us on all the streaming platforms.

In Conclusion

Ten years after their debut, Rockett Love sound more energized than ever — a band that knows exactly who they are, where they came from, and where they want to go next. Wired for Sound isn’t just their fourth album; it’s a statement of identity, a melodic rock recharge, and a reminder that great songwriting still cuts through the noise.

Whether they’re riffing in a tiny Swedish town or dreaming of stages across the Atlantic, Rockett Love remain true believers in the power of melody, harmony, and heart. And if the American audience gives them that chance Stefan keeps talking about, they just might find their next home away from home.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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