In a recent appearance on Jonathan Montenegro‘s Sobre La Dosis podcast series, In Flames‘ Anders Fridén delved into how the band’s most recent line-up additions — Tanner Wayne on drums, Chris Broderick on guitar, and Liam Wilson on bass — have significantly enhanced their performances.
Fridén emphasized (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “First and foremost, they are great people, and that helps bring the whole camp in a good mood. As we go to the stage or the whole surrounding, it’s very, very important that you feel good and you have a good vibe during the day, to make sure everything is set for a perfect evening. So, that helps, for sure.”
Fridén highlighted the importance of having talented and personable members, noting how their presence has boosted the band’s overall performance and morale: “Then, the most obvious, they are great and talented players. But I say it’s equally important that you are a good person as well and the vibe is good. So, it helps. And because these guys are that good, Björn and myself have to be on their level as well. So it boosts us, and hearing us playing together, just elevates my performance as well. So it’s awesome in every possible way. And we spend so much time together offstage, more than we are actually on stage so that that aspect of having a good vibe outside is very, very important.”
Fridén further elaborated on the band’s current lineup in an earlier discussion with Rolling Stone India. He clarified that Tanner, Chris, and Liam are not just temporary additions but integral parts of the band, stating: “They are in the band, so it’s not just hired people. They are part of the band, but it’s Björn and me that write the music and arrange it. That’s what we do and it will not change. But the guys are very important to us and I think the way we sound live, we never sounded better.”
He praised their professional musicianship and diverse backgrounds, which have contributed to a richer live sound. Tanner‘s hardcore punk roots, Chris‘s extensive experience with bands like Nevermore, Jag Panzer, and Megadeth, and Liam’s history with Dillinger Escape Plan have all brought unique elements to In Flames: “I don’t mean that to be disrespectful to anyone who has ever been in the band, but these are really professional musicians and very skilled at what they do, and they all come from different backgrounds.“
Fridén also commented on the synergy between Chris and long-time guitarist Björn Gelotte: “We’ve known Chris for more than 20 years. We were friends way before we thought about him being in the band. It’s been great to have him and him and Björn really gell together and they play a lot of guitar. I’ve never seen Björn play this much guitar, and I think Chris is a big part of that.”
Reflecting on Liam‘s addition, Fridén shared: “Liam came in this last summer because Bryce left us kind of abruptly. We’re still friends, so it’s no bad blood whatsoever. But he had to focus on family and we had a festival booked in Europe, so we had to do something. And then, obviously, I know of Dillinger from before and we met here and there, but we were not friends at all, so I didn’t really know him. But our manager said, ‘I think this would be a great fit for you.’ He knew him way better than us and he came in and after meeting him for an hour, we were like best buddies. He’s awesome and he’s great and he fits in the band really well. He’s a little bit older. He’s not a young kid. He has a family. He has so much experience from the road, so it’s a perfect fit.“
He emphasized the importance of offstage chemistry, adding: “He’s a great guy on stage and off stage, and that’s very important. And I need to say that because we play for an hour, one and a half hours every other day. So that’s what happens on stage. But off stage is also extremely important, how you are and how you behave and how you are socially, how you interact with each other. There’s so much fun and there’s no tension in the van, everybody’s laughing and having a good time. Whenever someone needs to walk away a little bit and be on their own, it’s totally cool. Nobody bothers you.”
Fridén expressed his satisfaction with the current state of the band, especially after the challenges posed by the pandemic: “So I am very happy to be part of this band right now. It’s a good feeling after so many years, as I said before, still feel the vibe, especially after the pandemic and everything that happened. We got back together and we are able to do this. It’s awesome.”
