Emanuel Lundgren cashed in vacation time a few years ago to record some delightful pop songs, inviting his friends to drop in and collaborate in his Jönköping, Sweden apartment. 28 acquaintances accepted his invitation and came bearing maracas, kazoos, banjos, and a tuba. Lundgren coined the project after a "Fawlty Towers" reference, solidifying the group's whimsical nature. What was supposed to be their first and last show in August 2005, featuring the entire 29-member band ended up being just the beginning of the international tweecore phenomenon, I'm From Barcelona.

Their song catalogue consists of multi-layered, lush yet incredibly cohesive folktales celebrating tree houses, friendship, chicken pox, and stamp collecting (not to mention the open letter defending Britney Spears shaving her head). Touring in support of these songs, as one might imagine, is another logistical matter entirely-- as is having an uninterrupted conversation.

psychoPEDIA lasso'd 10 of the members of what Time Magazine deemed one of the 'Best Live Shows' of 2007 into the basement of the Brooklyn Masonic Hall to find out, exactly, what life on the road is like:

Mind if I do a little roll call?
All: You can try! We are: Emanuel, Frida, Martin, Jacob, Richard, Johan, Frederic, Henrik, Bear, and Mattias.

How is it not having a tour manager this time around?
Jacob: But we do! [points at Emanuel]
Emanuel: [with a pained look] I'm like an intern... we do have a tour manager usually, but he's on vacation. In Barcelona, funnily enough.

How many of you are here tonight?
16.

And in total?
32.

Do members have to audition?
Emanuel: They're just friends. Actually, people I thought of having along for the first ride, but didn't have a chance [to ask]. It's a long list!
Bear: We've also lost some people along the way.

To what?
Richard: Well actually [slapping Henrik on the back], we sold this one yesterday to another band we played with, Dusty Rhodes! After the show tonight he is all theirs.

Have you ever left anyone behind, like at a gas station?
Emanuel: We've tried.
Martin: They've left me in the bus.
Emanuel: That was nice, because there is this special bed, the driver's bunk. We all went off to soundcheck, then later after the gig, we found him in the hall wandering around. It does happen-- we usually find them before we leave the city.

You swung through Barcelona on your tour. Did they embrace you as Swedish people or honorary natives?
Emanuel: [laughing] They embraced us as.... freaks.

Your stage shows utilize an insane amount of props. How do you prepare for overseas travel with everything?
Emanuel: We had some balloons waiting for us here in New York, but we brought some confetti from Holland, because they're the best.
All: Dutch confetti. Definitely.

Did you bring along the famous yellow raft?
Emanuel: Actually, I stopped doing that because we have a nurse in the band, and he threatened to sue me. Plus, combined with alcohol, it's not the best idea.

How many rafts have you gone through?
We lost count... at the Willy. The Killer Whale.

Has anyone ever offered to sponsor you?
All: Mental institutions.
Bear: We have a nurse on board, traveling with us. He plays the guitar.
Emanuel: No tour manager, but we do have a nurse.
Martin: I like Other Music! Do they sponsor bands?

How would you describe life on the road with the band?
Emanuel: It's like a David Lynch movie.
Jacob: No, a Tim Burton movie.
Richard: More like an Adam Sandler movie.
Emanuel: No David Lynch, because it's the most beautiful dream. And the most terrifying nightmare all at once!

What do you miss most when you're on tour?
Emanuel: The other guys in the band that can't come along. They are missed. Frida: And we get text messages and they say they miss us, too.
Frederic: Showers.

Favorite city to play in?
All: New York! And not just because we're here.

What about New York is special?
Frederic: Our favorite baseball team, the Mets!
All: No no no no no. We're not going there. Do not go there. Moving on. We love Brooklyn, Chinatown-- our Tuba player Erik likes skateboarding in Harlem...
Henrik: I like the sandwiches, with plenty of stuffing.

Favorite gig?
Jacob: The thing is, we've never had a bad show. Maybe the fans thought it was bad, but we've never had a bad show amongst us.
Richard: It's like there are no bad clothes, only bad weather.

Who do you identify more with: Jackson 5, The Osmonds, or the Von Trapp Family?
All: The Muppets!

~Abbey Braden


Second photo by gopster via Flickr
Third photo by Jodie Bailey via Flickr
Fourth photo by John Lewis via Flickr
Fifth photo by boatfriend via Flickr
Sixth photo by forklift via Flickr
Seventh photo by Jason Bergman via Flickr
Eighth photo by kinkyfantastic via Flickr
Ninth photo by jirob via Flickr