Hi and welcome to another "In the Spotlight" where I share with you some of the cool, talented and interesting bands that I come across when I am looking for music to play on my show "Almost Random".

And one of those really talented bands are NATIONWIDE!

Hi Carl and thank you for taking the time to have this chat with us.

Who are NATIONWIDE?

It’s me, Carl Berglund, on guitar and Peter Ledin, also guitar. We started this band while disbanding our previous band Age of Reflection. We have Mikael Hagström on bass. Mikael was already in the summer of 2023, which was natural because he was part of A.o.R, and he hung out with us in the studio and is both a good friend and a stable bassist that you can lean
on. Richard Holmgren, drums, and Peter have known each other since their teens, they have played in several bands together (including Grand Design's first two albums). Richard and I have also played together in the power metal band Haterush, so we both know what he is about, both as a songwriter, singer and drummer. On vocals we have Daniel Groth, which is the perfect frontman and singer for NATIONWIDE.

What is the story behind the name NATIONWIDE?

We wanted a name that was easy to remember and looked good in print.

You have to imagine it on a huge backdrop at Wembley Arena. It also needed to be a name that wasn’t already taken and reflected our vision.

NATIONWIDE is exactly what we want for our music— to reach people everywhere. It also symbolizes music as a universal language that crosses borders and is understood by everyone - NATIONWIDE!

Your Album "Echoes" tell us about it.

As mine and Peter’s previous band started to lose momentum, we started thinking along the lines of writing music for projects, writing for other artists, selling to record labels, etc., because our creative juices never run out.

In the summer of 2023, we advertised for singers, then for what was intended as a project, But everything felt so damn right when we found Daniel Groth (Vocals) and it was so easy and good to write good music together, so we decided that this is not a project but a great band.

Some of the songs on ECHOES are older ideas but most of them are new songs written by me, Peter and Daniel. Me and Peter writes most of the music and Daniel writes most of the lyrics. The lyrics in the songs take up what is closest to us in life and all the feelings and events that we and many others experience on a daily basis.

We want everyone to recognize themselves in our songs. Recurring themes such as love, frustration, friendship and the loss of someone or the time experienced. Then the lines connected to these themes fit well in the mouth and flow well in the songs. It's like poetry. The words and the music must marry each other.

For those that haven't heard you yet, what can they expect from your music?

Punchy, melodic hard rock/AOR. It’s the music I grew up with and fell in love with as a kid.
I’ve always dreamed of forming my own band and playing on the same stages I saw in live videos or on Headbangers Ball. I remember the '80s as a happy decade, and I think our music reflects that

What is more challenging, writing the music or the lyrics and where do you find your inspiration?

Some days both is challenging, and some days they’re not...

it all depends on mood and feeling.

When I write music, the inspiration comes from everything that happens around me, it can be everything from relationships, meetings with people of interest, world events or just sunshine and a good mood. Something that ignites my creative spark is when there are no restrictions or frames at all, but you just sit down, often with Peter, and just let the creativity flow, it's unbeatable.

Recording in the Studio or performing Live, where do you feel the most home?

I love both, but playing live is the main reason why I do this.

Nothing can beat being up there on stage, playing our own songs and to see the response from the audience...hear them sing along. We love playing live, and all our songs are written with that in mind, with hooks, sing-along sections, and great energy.

What are you currently working on?

We are releasing a new single by the end of February and We’re already working on writing and recording demos for the second album, which we hope to release by spring 2026.

In the meantime, we’re rehearsing and preparing for live shows.

We have a few dates booked right now, and we hope to be out there more this spring, performing at festivals and clubs. We’re also working with the record label to promote NATIONWIDE, planning more music videos, releasing the album on vinyl, and trying to reach as many people as possible.

What are your plans, hopes and dreams for 2025 as a band?

Play a lot of gigs, releasing our new single, finishing our next album and to spread our music worldwide

What is the one thing you would like your fans to know?

Keep supporting your favorite bands, it's thanks to all of you that we can do this. Follow us and spread the word, ECHOES is just the beginning...

NATIONWIDE is here to stay.

What is the one thing you would like the music industry to know?

The same... This is just the beginning, NATIONWIDE is here to stay...so listen to us, book us, spread the word and make sure you’ll be a part of our journey.

And that was my chat with Carl Berglund from NATIONWIDE!

I hope you found it as interesting and inspiring as I did.

You can find more from the band here

https://open.spotify.com/artist/06zctsPaTMz3EE7CO9cmdx?si=mO6AH1i2SwuYZCsh2-S2Zw

https://youtu.be/_-vVwOcDdgo?si=Z7Ax7mVDWQaTutaX

https://youtu.be/Oj_6yGxU0VA?si=fKimzNPHkFHDXIFc

https://www.facebook.com/NATIONWIDESweden

www.instagram.com/nationwide_sweden/

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