Oslo trio Hammok have just released When Does This Place Become Our Scene via Sargent House, a loud, physical hardcore record that’s built to make you move. We caught up with singer, guitarist and producer Tobias Osland about garden furniture, dance punk, DIY spaces and one very fast suitcase.
For anyone who hasn’t come across you yet, who are Hammok? I’m Tobias Osland, singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer in Hammok, from Oslo, Norway.
Where did it all start, and where did the name come from? We originally got together as kids. The first version of the band started when we were around twelve or thirteen. The name came from a joke about different garden furniture written in the Metallica font. Everyone agreed that Hammok would look really cool in the Metallica font, so we stuck with that. This version came together in the early pandemic. The old version died down in 2017, but we always knew we had to get it going again. When the pandemic started it felt like the right time, and it’s been going ever since.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time? Loud, energetic, confrontational and very physical. On this album more than our previous work, it’s also meant to be fun. Really this sound is just a result of putting all of our personality into every second of the music.
What shaped the sound of this record? The production really dictated a lot of the songs. It was about getting excited by sounds and letting that lead where the songs go. There was real inspiration in classic early 2000s dance punk, bands like Bloc Party, LCD Soundsystem and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The way that music can create a real existential climactic energy was very inspiring. Bringing that vibe to a hardcore album, where it’s expected for the energy to be high, but doing it in a new way, became a big goal and shaped the overall mix of sounds you hear.
How does it feel to finally have it out? It feels good but also kind of weird. Sometimes when you work for so long on something, it almost feels like it’s never supposed to be released. The band, and me as a producer, have so many vivid memories of these songs from the whole process, so our baggage is very different from someone hitting play on Spotify for the first time. But knowing the album truly is great, and that what we did on it feels special to us, makes it a very proud moment to have it out in the world.
The album leans heavily on community. Where did that come from? It was a response to my own reaction, being so shocked to find people who really give their energy to their local community. Finding all of that makes you reflect on your home, and the feeling you sit with when you come back wishing you were somewhere else. That was a big spark and a constant inspiration for the album.
What did you see on the road that stayed with you? Seeing all the DIY spaces and occupied buildings run by young, optimistic and spirited people was really a trip for us. Just the positivity they have and the support from their local area. These things are the stuff of dreams coming from Norway, where we truly lack safe and well run spaces for alternative kids of all ages to hang out.
How is the scene back home in Oslo? Our local scene is sort of dead but also thriving. Since there aren’t a lot of people, there’s a constant stress about getting them to show up. Norwegians really need to be pushed and almost forced to have fun, which makes an active scene pretty hard. But over the past months there are people and things starting to happen that feel very exciting. There are fewer older men and a bigger influx of younger, really engaged people, which makes me a lot more optimistic and energised than before.
What have you learned about building that community yourself? It’s pretty hard being a lone wolf in this. The biggest thing I’ve learned recently is to create the space you want to see. We started throwing house parties, where every person was invited personally through a video that states their name, time, date and location. Getting to people on a personal level has made a huge difference. Get the community building out of the algorithm’s hands and feed it directly to the people you care about and your friends.
Your production is hugely detailed. What’s that process like? The production on this album is extremely detailed, and I really wanted every moment to be the strongest it could be. That means being very honest with your own reaction to the music. If a part isn’t working, you know it deep down. It makes for a hard process, but one based purely on your own intuition, and following only that. There really is no road map or formula to this music, so it’s up to the way it moves you and makes you feel.
Your shows sound like the centre of everything. What’s coming up live? Our shows have become the main way our music is consumed. The music is always meant to be a physical experience, so the shows are where it all comes to life. It’s very visceral and slightly confrontational, but it’s always about connecting to the audience in that specific moment. We’re very happy to be supporting Nothing on their tour after the summer, and Sparta on a separate tour later in the year. We’re also doing 2000 Trees over the summer, and at the end of the year we’re doing some headline shows back in Norway.
Best story from the road so far? One time I almost killed someone with my suitcase at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands. After a very early flight I let go of my suitcase at the top of an escalator and watched it start to be taken away. It flipped on its side and went down like a missile. There was no one on the escalator except on the bottom three steps, so it reached maximum speed and crashed into a horrified family. Nobody got hurt, but airport security got pretty mad, and everyone thought I was completely crazy for letting go. After it was all over, we noticed there was an elevator right behind us the whole time. We’ve taken the elevator every time since.
And what’s next? For now it’s taking these songs to people and performing them for as many as possible. With community building such a big part of this album’s theme, it’s time to start practicing what you preach. So that’s what we’re going to do.
