The Maharajas… An Amazing Garage Rock Band!

The Maharajas are back to soil Iberian soil once again. We are really looking forward to this says the two fat geezers Jens and Ulf, and we will of course bring our two slim servants Mathias and Jesper. Some call our music timeless, while others believe it is pure alchemy. Fans of 60s garage rock as well as 60s moody stuff will be pleased, but we will also throw in some power pop and pub rock.

As always, we simply present a fabulous mix of songs from our long and prosperous career. So, get ready for garage rock deluxe – and more…
But hey? Haven’t you heard about of these guys before? No worries! If you like good music and like having a good time, you’ll be in good (bad) company with this lot. The boys know how to entertain a crowd: Finish before three minutes and keep the songs interesting all along.

Speaking of songs, below follows the Maharajas discography, containing all songs officially released up to this date.

Discography (except compilations):
Something Moody and Groovy – 8 songs, 10″ on Misty Lane Records, Italy (1998)

Wait & Wonder – 4 songs, 7″ EP on Loser Records, England (2001)

H-minor – 13 songs, LP Vinyl on Teen Scene Records, Italy (2003)

Unrelated Statements – 14 songs, CD/Vinyl on Low Impact Records, Sweden (2004)

A Third Opinion – 14 songs, CD on Low Impact Records, Sweden (2005)

Weekend Sparks – 4 songs, 7″ EP on Crusher Records, Sweden (2006)

In Pure Spite – 14 songs, CD/Vinyl on Low Impact Records, Sweden (2007)

Sucked Into the 70s – 4 songs, EP 7″ on Crusher Records, Sweden (2010)

Black Box – 2 songs, 7″ on Chaputa Records, Portugal (2013)

Yesterday Always Knew – 14 songs, CD/LP on Low Impact, Sweden (2014)

Plug Sides – 35 songs, 2*LP on Chaputa Records, Portugal (2015)

Just Let Him Go – 2 songs, 7″ on Moody Monkey Records, Germany (2015)

You Can’t Beat Youth – 12 songs, LP on Low Impact, Sweden (2017)

Opposites Attract – 2 songs, 7″ on Chaputa Records, Portugal (2019)

Maharajas Moody Garage Series – 4 songs 7” on Back To Beat Records, Norway (2021)

Where The Action Was – split EP with The Flaming Sideburns, Chaputa Rec. (2021)

Rock’ n’ Roll Graduates – 13 songs. LP on Chaputa Records, Portugal (2022)

Present line-up:
Jens Lindberg (Guitar/Vocals)- Ulf Guttormsson (Bass/ Vocals)
Mathias Lilja (Vocals/Guitar) Jesper Karlsson (Drums/Percussion)

An Interview with … JENS and ULF!

Athenscalling.gr: Welcome in Athenscalling.gr!
My friend Jens and Ulf, here is the first question… about your music!
I mean Your sound blends garage rock, punk, and rhythm & blues. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard The Maharajas before?

JENS: Focused, well-written songs usually under 3 minutes with strong refrains that all have some connection or roots in rock’n’roll from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

ULF: Catchy and entertaining rock’n’roll, sometimes stupid and sometimes brilliant.

Athenscalling.gr: What were your main musical influences when you first started out, and how have they evolved over the years?

JENS: I started Maharajas in 1996 and at that time my main influences on how the band should sound was taken from moody Greek punk as well from the moody songs I learnt to appreciate from compilations such as Pebbles, BFTG or other. With the arrival of Ulf as a band member winter 1999 and later Mathias in 2000 we broadened our influences and played more up-beat garagerock, pubrock, powerpop and – hehe- action rock!
ULF: We started as 60’s purists, true to what the US bands sounded like on Pebbles and similar compilations, but after a while we allowed our self to venture into the 70s, and for fun we have even released a couple of songs that could be labelled “action rock”.

Athenscalling.gr: Sweden has produced many great garage and punk bands. How do you see The Maharajas’ place within the Swedish rock scene?

JENS: When we made our first live shows around 1999 we only played moody garage. People found it strange but entertaining. I believe we made an impact over the years on other bands but maybe not the audience so much.
ULF: As outliers.

Athenscalling.gr: What is your songwriting process like? Is it a collaborative effort, or does someone usually bring the initial idea to the table?

JENS: We just jam all the songs into perfection! NOT! Ulf is the most productive songwriter since 20 years back now. Ulf has probably done 65% of the songs, me 30% and Mathias 5%. Usually each songwriter makes the lion part at home and then present the ideas for the others to work together.

ULF: Sometimes Mathias comes up with a song, but it is mostly me or Jens who writes the material. Maybe my numbers are relatively finished when I present them at the rehearsals, but we are all open to try different ideas in a collaborative process to find an interesting arrangement. I however find writing lyrics more and more difficult so I try to encourage someone else to do that bit, but I always fail.

Athenscalling.gr: Your live shows are known for their raw energy and intensity. What does performing live mean to you, and how do you connect with your audience on stage?

JENS: Once we go live we’re really trying to do our very best for the audience that have spent money to see these four Swedes! We spend many, many hours discussing the kind of songs we’re about to perform. Since the beginning of the band we probably made 150 original Maharajas songs. Some have never been played live but we have a big catalogue to choose from.
ULF: Those hours before going on stage presents a mixed bag of feelings to me, but once on stage I enjoy it a lot and just play away. I really wish I could go and see the Maharajas!

Athenscalling.gr: Have you collaborated or toured with other bands in the scene? Is there any band you’d really love to share the stage with?

JENS: First of all, we’re not a touring band. We probably do as a maximum 5-7 shows per year. We also play more outside Sweden than inside. During the many festivals we’ve attended throughout the years we played with some pretty cool bands such as Les Grys-Grys, Los Chicos, Les Lullies just to mention a few. A highlight was of course when we opened up for The Nomads and The Crimson Shadows on the 1st of November 2024!

ULF: No proper tours or collaborations with other bands. And contemporary favourite bands is always a delicate subject, so I leave it to bandleader Jens to answer that. If it had been the 60s, I would have liked to tour with the Kinks; great songs performed in a fantastic way combined with erratic and obnoxious behaviour. But separate dressing rooms, please.

Athenscalling.gr: With the music industry constantly changing, what’s your take on the era of streaming and social media? Has it helped or challenged you as a band?

JENS: Sometimes I tell younger friends with a nostalgic tear in my left eye that things was better in the 80’s when you had to write real paper letters and send real copies of cassettes/tapes to spread your music to your pen-pals in Italy, Greece, Germany, Spain, UK and US. Well, I’m a hoarder so I have saved all my pre-email correspondence but it’s so much easier and quicker today!
ULF: I’m very happy that all our releases are available on vinyl, but I don’t mind them being available also for streaming, it just helps spreading our music. Besides, many people don’t have vinyl players in their cars anymore these days. (And I have been told that we have a so called Facebook page, but I never look at it).