Sebastian Murphy, the lead singer of Viagra Boys, is sitting across from me and lets out a loud burp. We are in Helgis, illuminated only by candlelight. A fly darts past my face, and I swat it away. Unfortunately, Murphy interprets this as me dismissing his burp, and he looks at me incredulously.
“It doesn't smell that bad,” I try to comfort him.
Sebastian and bassist Henrik ‘Benke’ Hockert have unexpectedly joined me for a trip to the UK, where we convene at a haunting East London bar. Surrounded by dangling skulls and flickering candles, we chat about their forthcoming fourth album, ‘Viagr aboys’. The title ‘Bog Body’ from the tracklist inspires me to suggest a photoshoot in Helgi’s porn-covered ‘bogs’, which are as iconic and crude as these Swedish musicians.
Initially nursing hangovers, Sebastian and Benke turn down a beer, but once I order one for myself, they change their minds and join me – it's a classic case of hair of the dog! “I really adore that little guy,” Sebastian remarks about his actual dog, who inspired their new single, ‘Uno II’. The song, written about his dog getting its teeth extracted, reveals a gentler side beneath Sebastian’s tough, tattooed persona and his strong love for animals. “His name is Uno II because he had a brother called Uno. I felt like he deserved a song, and I’m naturally drawn to little creatures. I often imagine what it would be like to be a shrimp or a dog.”
Returning to the burp, Sebastian freely expresses himself while we converse. Oddly, it doesn’t seem offensive; in fact, there's something refreshingly sincere about it, and dare I say, it’s somewhat... endearing? Just as he is unreserved physically, he also candidly shares his anxieties about releasing music. “I’m very pleased with what’s on the way, but I have this inner demon that despises me and everything I create. So that feeling is always there, and I often feel insecure about putting music out. I find the concept of music a bit strange.”
“It is incredibly personal, but it’s fantastic that people enjoy our music. It continues to surprise me. I rarely feel I have something truly significant to convey, so I probably use humor to communicate my message. I think everything should have a hint of humor. It helps us cope, especially in this incredibly dark world we’re living in. You need to laugh. Otherwise, what’s the point? What’s the point of existing, you know?”
This mentality is evident in the upcoming album, particularly in the opening track, ‘Man Made of Meat’, inspired by a stroll through Walmart while on tour with Queens of the Stone Age. The song begins with Murphy’s characteristic burp, setting the tone for the remainder of the album. But why does he think this attitude resonates so well with a UK audience? “Because you’re all crude and nasty. Burping is practically a British tradition, you know (laughs). But I believe people, including myself as a kid, are always attracted to the opposite of what life is supposed to be – pristine and composed. It’s a kind of rebellion, I think.”
“I’m a bit gross on stage; I tend to vomit and engage in odd self-touching and sexualization. That’s what I’ve always been drawn to. I’ve always had an attraction to gore, heavy music, and anything that makes me go ‘AAAH!’ you know?”
Something is evidently working for this Swedish band. As they gear up to headline Sweden’s largest venue, the Avicii Arena, on November 26th, their primary concern isn't selling out the place; instead, they worry about performing in front of their local crowd.
“Playing in our hometown makes me the most nervous because I know so many people in the audience. I appreciate being anonymous, and playing at home can feel a bit strange. However, it’s also when I derive the most joy. Hearing cheers from my own city brings me a lot of happiness. I have a great fondness for Stockholm; I often romanticize my city and love living there, so it’s wonderful to represent it. It feels like I’m entering a big celebration with all my friends.”
This new album is self-titled, which I remark is typically expected of a band just starting out, not one that’s released four albums. “Having a self-titled album is essentially a sign of the accumulation of your work. Like, ‘Okay, this is the pinnacle,’” he chuckles. “No, but this is the essence of Viagra Boys. Although, who knows, maybe all our future albums will be self-titled. The next one could be called ‘viag raboys’.” He adds, “I want to keep doing this for as long
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Sebastian Murphy, the lead singer of Viagra Boys, is sitting across from me and suddenly lets out a loud burp. We are seated in Helgis, illuminated only by candlelight.