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From FatWreckWiki
Biography from Fat Wreck Chords Real bands are hard to find nowadays, but Randy is definitely the real deal. When members in other bands happily avoid each other after a long tour, Randy go on vacation together. They are their own family, their own subculture that would take a sociologist (or a psychologist) months to examine. That’s why the title of their new, sixth album is a well chosen one: Randy the Band. Randy is a band in the way that you can only be if you have grown up in a no-hope small-town and played together since childhood. This has brought them the knowledge that nothing comes for free, and an ‘us versus them’-attitude that is still intact after all the years. Together they have walked the long road, from the DIY-gigs at the youth-centers in the north of Sweden, to becoming a well-renowned name in punk circles all over the world. Last year they played the Hultsfred festival, Sweden’s most important musical event, for the fifth (!) year in a row. It’s something that few bands can compete with, and says a lot about the status that Randy has achieved over the years in their native country. Even though they have never gone gold or platinum they have an immaculate reputation as performers. The Swedish national radio, P3, knew that when they nominated Randy for the prestigious Golden Michrophone (award for best live act) in 2004. The same year they also got nominated for a Swedish Grammy in the category of ‘Best Rock’, and also got another nomination for ‘Best Live Act’ at the independent Manifest Awards. They also got their first hit on Swedish radio, with ‘X-ray Eyes’, a song that was featured in the Swedish blockbuster movie ‘Smala Sussie’. As if all this wasn’t enough, they also recorded the song ‘Don’t Let your Babies grow up to Be Punkrockers’, featuring longtime Randy-fan Fat Mike from NOFX on vocals. They also continued to prove that they are one of the hardest working bands in showbiz, touring all over the map and doing several prestigious dates with bands like NOFX and Bad Religion. They also visited Japan for the first time and did their first real US tour, in the company of Hot Water Music and Bouncing Souls. On Randy the Band, Randy shows their most melodic side. The aggressiveness from the last album, Welfare Problems has been put aside to some extent, in favour of self-adhesive sing-along-choruses in typical Randy fashion. ‘Razorblade’, ‘Bahnhof Zoo’, and ‘Punk Rock High’ are classic examples of high quality punk-pop, where singer Stefan Granberg has perfected not only his song writing, but also his tongue-in-cheek reflections of every day life. But most of all the record is a tribute to the band itself, and a tribute to the romantic feeling of being involved in a holy mission against the rest of the world. ’The boys and me got some history/We’re a mystery/We’re still getting it on/Writing our songs/And still do everything that we can/sticking it to the man.’ ‘Randy has always been around and will probably always be around’, Stefan once said at a concert. Reassuring words, and if they continue to glow like this they are more than welcome to keep on delivering albums for another twenty years. Biography from Epitaph Records Sweden's Randy formed in the early nineties, and soon became the fast, energetic punk band heard on their first album, 1995's There's No Way We're Gonna Fit In. The sound was hard and fast, and the lyrics had a strong political, revolutionary, Red message. This political touch started and stayed with Randy, even as the music continued to develop. In 1996 they released The Rest is Silence with the goal of making the fastest punk record ever made. A lot of touring followed their second album, including a month-long stint through Europe with Lagwagon. From this time onward, Randy toured relentlessly; first conquering Sweden, then Scandinavia, Europe, and the World. After building their reputation with months of grueling shows, RANDY went through some changes: a new label (Ampersand) and a new bass player. The addition of Johan Gustafsson on bass and the experience of so much live playing effected the band's sound, and Randy found a fresh, stronger energy in their new beat. In 1998 they released You Can't Keep a Good Band Down, their first U.S. and Canadian release (through G7 Welcome Committee). The boys had really come together as a band and tapped into the spirit of purpose every band searches for. You Can't Keep... was well received by both critics and fans around the world. The songs, the sounds, and their newfound energy merged with their anarchistic, hard-hitting lyrics. Randy's live shows grew even stronger, the crowds grew larger, and their message of revolution and defiance was a call to arms to kids around Europe. After hundreds of shows around the world, they signed to Burning Heart Records and Epitaph. Randy commented: "After being in this punk / antiestablishment / PC / always broke / underground movement - which is where we still are, and will always be -- for a long time, it feels like you want to take a step ahead. Burning Heart was in this case the only alternative, if you want to stay punk. So, we are all satisfied and pretty exited about it". Excited is exactly what Epitaph / Burning Heart Records is about RANDY's first release for the label, the thrilling album The Human Atom Bombs. This is the album where RANDY takes their past, their present, their beliefs and motives, melting it all together in a gumbo stew that never tasted better. Randy has put their lives on stake badly contaminated by the rockin' pneumonia and the punk-rock flu in their effort to write a punk rock classic, and The Human Atom Bombs is the one-finger-in-the-air proof that they achieved their goal. Songs like the Buzzcock-esque "Addicts Of Communication", the Jerry Rubin-ish "Karl Marx And History", the thoughtful and brilliant "If We Unite" sit side by side with 14 other great songs that shows the high standard of Randy's songwriting. With sharp-penned radical / socialist / anarchist / anti-capitalist / revolutionary lyrics, The Human Atom Bombs is an outstanding album in every sense. The album was recorded with Pelle Gunnerfeldt, producer of THE HIVES, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY and others. Before recording, the band actually helped Gunnerfeldt build the studio, showing Randy takes the "do-it-yourself"-spirit to a new dimension. Biography from Dolores Records The life and times of a band called RANDY.... Everything began way back in 1987-88 with the forming of Heffa-Klump . Cousins Stefan Granberg (vocals , guitars) and Fredrik Granberg (drums) joined up with a friend of theirs - Putte Trydvall (bass) and made three demos and a 7". 1991-92 they replaced the name with Randy at the same time as a an additional guitarist joined in - Johan Brändström . The change was also evident in the music - they went from playing stale punkrock with swedish lyrics, to the energetic & international music that we hear today . Soon after the namechange they appeared on the "Really Fast" and "Offside" compilations and sent a demo to three record-companies- CBR , Burning Heart and Dolores .
-I'm fed up with ska at the moment, so it's doubtful that there'll be a follow-up. It's become a trend now. Everyone does it and it feels boring. Possibly we'll record something if we feel up to it. Something different, but right now it's doubtful that there'll be another ska-single, Fredrik says... The record was later released by the english label Rugger Bugger as a 7". When Randy came home from the hugely successful "Adrenaline" tour (with Mary Beats Jane & Refused) they focused on their full-lengh debut- There's No Way We're Gonna Fit In" - recorded in november 1994 at Soundfront studios, Uppsala with Daniel Bergstrand. A lot of people have been categorizing Randy as hardcore, but this isn't the whole truth , even if hardcore sprung from punk.-There's so many variations of punk, and so many lousy punkbands around, -I think we play punkrock. Fast, yet not really brutal music with alot of melodies and harmonies,is Fredrik's comment on the subject. When it comes to revealing where they've found their inspiration the band is reluctant. as it'll only show up in reviews and become a springboard for categorization, but everything from Courderoy , Quicksand and Propagandhi is mentioned. As well as the "Education For The Unemployed"cds(with an acompaning video) a Randy/ Refused split mcd was also released. The two bands simply cover two of the other one's songs.The bands have been friends since before they started their respective groups, and this idea was born on the Adrenaline tour, mostly for fun. A compilation-track was yet another thing on Randy's busy schedual. The Dolores release of Prince's "Purple Rain is a bunch of bands doing cover versions of all the different songs on the album, and Randy contribute a version of "Computer Blue". After a well deserved break, and a European tour supporting US punkers Lagwagon, Randy has just got out of the studio where they've been recording their brand new album-"The Rest Is Silence"- set for release on the 26th of August 1996. The mixing of the record was done with the help of Hans Gefvert from Sator. The beginning of August will also see the release of the single & video "At Any Cost", and Randy can once again embark on their worldwide crusade to claim the hearts and minds of all living creatures!
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