Hey Lizzy, how’s it goin’?

It’s good. We’re in our van driving around and I have no idea where I am. It’s cool.

Tell me about playing with Poison and Ratt this past summer.

The Poison tour was great. I got to be on the same bill with two of my favorite bands. When I was growing up, Ratt and Poison were the only two bands in my life. To be on the road with them was like a dream come true. Playing in front of all those people was cool as well.

How does it feel to be one of the only new acts Poison’s taken out on the road? They usually have bands that have been touring for 10 or 15 years or longer…

It was so cool. We got on that tour because the guys from Poison came to a few of our shows and liked what they saw.

How did it play out when they saw you live? Did they approach you to join the tour?

No, they talked to our manager about it. There were rumors that we would be on the road with them but we didn’t know until two days before the tour started. Then we got the final decision. We jumped on it.

It seems like you guys have toured non-stop since you arrived in the States. What’s the longest break you’ve had?

A little over a month. We like to be on the road as much as possible. That’s the only way to spread the word and get people to notice you. The more we’re on the road the happier we are.

That’s impressive. Too many bands now think they just have to have a MySpace profile with a ton of friends to get signed. They’re forgetting that they have to get out and play!

Too many people rely on MySpace too much. You can have a million friends and it doesn’t mean shit. You’ve got to be out there. You have to be promoting the shit out of yourself. You’ve got to play live. That’s the main reason we’re in this business.

I first saw you guys at the Whiskey in LA a couple of years ago. The band has had a ton of positive stuff happen since then. Tell me about it.

It all started with that gig at the Whiskey. Two days after that gig we were cutting tracks with Gilby Clarke. Then we started touring and all of a sudden Bam Margera from Jackass noticed us and he started a record label. That was a dream come true. What can we dream about now? Amphitheaters and arenas were next. We thought it’d be impossible. Then the Poison tour came along and we got to do that. Nothing seems impossible as long as you’re willing to take chances and have fun.

You guys are from Sweden. Are you making LA your new home?

I guess now it is because we haven’t been to Sweden in over a year. Our visas just expired and we extended them for another year. We want to make this our home but it’s so hard these days to get a permanent green card. We will make it here one day because we’re so sick and tired of Sweden. We’ve been there all our lives.

What are rock audiences like there compared to here? I’ve always heard there’s a big difference.

The European scene these days is pretty damn good because people seem to be into the genre of music we’re playing. We never wanted that. We’ve only done about five shows in Sweden and almost 300 here in the States. There are so many bands in Europe that dream about coming to America. They’ll tour all over Europe and never get the chance to come here. We decided to take a chance and do whatever we can here.

What about your gear? Did you leave it all behind when you first flew over?

We flew over and borrowed from other bands around here. We were as broke back then as we are now! We got a little worried last year because we sold everything to get plane tickets over. Then BC Rich hooked us up with guitars and Carvin got us some amps so we were pretty lucky there!

What do you think of the music scene in LA?

We knew what it used to be. There are a few really good bands out there but there is a lot of shit. Some people think it’s 1989…I can’t even describe it. So many people come to LA with dreams and if they don’t make it they start using drugs and destroying their life. That’s sad. It feels like LA is getting a strong rock scene again.

You’re on the Viva La Bands tour with a much different audience than what you’re used to…

That’s fucking great. I like playing in front of different crowds. We want to spread the word as much as possible. If we can convince Cradle of Filth fans to like us then a whole new market is open to us. People think we’re crazy but it’s a good thing.

The Viva La Bands CD features a new track, too…

Yeah, it’s called “Enemy In Me.” It’s a lot better than what we have out now. It’s better production. Brent Woods helped us out producing it. It’s more melodic and aggressive but it’s heavier and it’s still rock ‘n roll. Some people may be a little shocked when they hear it. It’s just an evolution of the band.

Lizzy, thanks for taking time out for this. What would you like to say to your fans?

Don’t be afraid to check out new music. There are so many good rock bands out there in the world that never get noticed because mainstream radio and MTV plays what they want to show the world. Go out there and look because there is so much more out there.