On a usual evening, in an unusual situation in the world at the moment, I had a very nice telephone conversation with the founder and guitarist in GOTTHARD. In a relaxed way we thought about something else for a while and we laughed many times. Leo Leoni describes ”GOTTHARD year 2020”, what can happen while waiting in the backstage-area, what concerts he has seen and liked very much, all about the drummer-situation, about how it will be with their touring and concerts this year, as well as a fun wish of what he would like to do in the future, and much, much more.

Anna: How has the reactions been so far of your newly released album “#13”?

Leo Leoni: Well, it’s really hard to say. On the professional side it’s pretty good, because we get the chance to do all the interviews. But as you can imagine now, when everything is locked down, we don’t have many reactions from the fans, because we have no contact to anyone at the moment. Let’s see what happens when this Corona-virus is over. It’s a tricky moment actually, a difficult moment for everybody. With music it’s even worse, but we can only pray that this virus will end as soon as possible.

Anna: Almost thirty years has past since it all started. How would you describe GOTTHARD 2020?

Leo Leoni: As you said, it’s almost 30, so it’s 3.0 (laughter). It’s very simple. I think 3.0 is a good definition. Actually it’s a little bit more than 30 years now, 31 (he laughs). I started with Steve 1989 (Steve Lee, 1963 – 2010, R.I.P). Things change along the road. We have the beginning, the middle section and the third session is this one with Nic. Today is 3.0. We started a new chapter on this journey we started a long, long, long time ago. I never expected 30 years ago that we would be talking about this, that I would have to think “oooh, what am I supposed to say, looking back at 30 years?” (Laughter)

Anna: You have worked together with Paul Lani many times as a co-producer, like on your new disc “#13”, is there any particular detail that Paul is good at?

Leo Leoni: He is a great engineer, producer and a great artist. We started working with him on our third album, in 1995-1996, so I have known him for 25 years now. But everyone has their own schedule and he is a well known producer, with a lot of projects going on, so a few times it did not work out because of schedule time. Paul is very artistical. He works with many different kinds of music. From pop to R’n’B, from Hip hop and Rap, to Rock and Metal, so he is 360 degrees oriented. It is very interesting and very important for an artist to get someone like that in front of you. You chat and see what you can come up with. He has a lot of information and he did a great job. Me and Paul did some other records together, with CORELEONI (a project that started in 2017, to pay tribute to the early years of GOTTHARD). We have always kept in touch. That is great.

Anna: “Bad News” and “Marry You” were created during a song writing session with Eric Bazilian (THE HOOTERS). As an additional songwriter of “Missteria” we find Francis Rossi (STATUS QUO), who has worked together with you previously, on the song “Bye Bye Caroline” (2018). Before all this, how did you get to know these two gentlemen?

Leo Leoni: It started with some tours and concerts back in the days. Our roads crossed eachother and we met on different festivals and live performances, but we never had the chance to chat. But a few years ago we had a tour with this show called “Rock Meets Classic” (well known musicians from different bands perform on the same stage, in a cross-over project that combines the world's most famous rock songs with a symphony orchestra), with among others Francis Rossi and also Eric Bazilian. Actually we met and started talk together and all of a sudden we spent hours and hours on the backstage-area. We had nothing to do, just chat and get to know eachother. Then I said to Francis that instead of wasting all this time when waiting and waiting, maybe we can come up with a song together. He looked at me like “What the hell are you talking about?” (Laugh) This was the expression in his eyes. But it did happen and with an acoustic guitar we made this work and wrote “Bye Bye Caroline”. And after that we chat and keep in touch. It was different with Eric Bazilian. We did not write anything together at “Rock Meets Classic”, but especially Nic stayed in touch with him. When we started writing for “#13” I said “Let’s involve these guys. Maybe they have some ideas, which may turn out to be great.” And this is exactly what happened, you know. A funny thing while we were doing this song writing session: “Marry You” was actually a song Eric had wrote, sang and recorded on his phone, to his wife. He did his proposal with this song. He said that they went to the restaurant and all of a sudden he put his phone to his, at that time future, wife’s ear…this was his way of asking her to marry him. (Anna: “Wow!” followed by laughter from both of us.) He brought his phone with him and played that song to me. Then I jumped and said “This is great”. And that night, after playing that song, we got back into the studio and recorded it.

Anna: What adds a nice feeling in ”No Time To Cry” is the sound of a violin, or is it keyboard?

Leo Leoni: We did some sections with keyboard, yes.

Anna: Who is playing this instrument?

Leo Leoni: Matthias Ulmer. We have been working together since a while now and he does all these good string arrangements, and it is pretty cool I think. So we keep in touch.

Anna: What a surprise that you made a cover version of an ABBA-melody. When I was a child they were my first idols for a number of years and like many Swedes I know most of their tunes very well. Therefore, of course, I listened even more intensely than usual and can note that "S.O.S." with GOTTHARD is a very good version. You keep it close to the original, but have added some of your own rock sound. Who came up with the idea and why was that particular song chosen?

Leo Leoni: Also here is a very interesting situation and a story. It goes a little bit back in years. Nic got a request from national television in Switzerland last December, because they were going to do a tribute to ABBA. Then he played, to us, what he wanted to do and it was this pianoversion, kind of like on a demo. And it was pretty cool, so we started talking together. Many years back, about 14 years ago, after the “Made in Switzerland”-time, GOTTHARD wanted to do a complete cover-record and this ABBA-song “S.O.S” was also on our list. This we wanted to do, because Steve was a huge ABBA-fan. Later Nic came with this idea and we brought it back to the mixer table. I think most rockmusicians likes ABBA. They did so great music. You can compare them to THE BEATLES. It is great melodies. Of course you do not want to ruin a song. You do this with respect. But all of us thought that the lyrics would not fit the music, because it is sad lyrics, you know. Like “S.O.S, what happened to our love?” Everything is apart. We thought that the dark side of it was missing, and blues was missing in the melody. This is exactly what we tried to achieve and I think we did, somehow. Like you said, we did not change a lot. We made it a little more dark. I think we slightly changed the chords, without changing the melody. But for sure we got this dark heaviness, what we thought was correct from our point of view. Well, everybody has their own point of view of course, but we are happy that we brought our own GOTTHARD-touch, the rock-touch. With ABBA it is always difficult. Some people love it, some people don’t.

Anna: The photo on the albumcover. At first glance I thought it was two bulls in a fight, but in fact it is a combat between cows, deciding who is highest in rank. Is it only a cool picture or has it a deeper, symbolic meaning to why you chose that pic?

Leo Leoni: (Laughter) First of all it is two Swiss cows, that is the main thing. And it is not the first time GOTTHARD has Swiss cows on the cover, you know (he laughs). On “Made In Switzerland” we also had two cows, but the picture was different and the meaning was different. But now we were looking for something else. Something that shows energy, some power. Actually the event we have in Switzerland every year is a traditional event. In French it is called the “Combats des Reines”, which is the “Fight of the Queens”, and the Queens are of course the cows. This also happens in nature, without man looking what is going on. No cow is going to die or something bad like that. This picture shows real power, this raw energy. Those two cows are like “Ha! I’m gonna be the Alfa of the stall.” (Laughter) And we liked that, that it is a Swiss tradition, and GOTTHARD is a Swiss band, so...

Anna: It has been three years since your last studio album, but you seem to be a band that never rests. I know that you have been very busy with touring and your successful acoustic album "Defrosted 2" (2018). How has life and free time been like for you, personally, in these past few years? Have you managed to do other things too and not only working?

Leo Leoni: (Laughter) Well, you are talking to the person who takes the least vacations in the whole music business. Maybe that is sad, but as you know I did two records with my second band CORELEONI, with Ronnie Romero among others. On my holiday I keep myself busy.

Anna: Have you had the time to watch another bands concert? In that case, which one was the latest one or the best one?

Leo Leoni: Yes, sometimes I have the chance to watch some bands on a festival, but the problem is that you get into the festival to do your own show and then leave, so there is not much time left to see some others. But we had this support act for CORELEONI called MAXXWELL. A Swiss Heavy Metal band, which I think is pretty cool. The latest band I saw that was pretty cool was a Swedish band, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR. I saw them on a festival, and we played together actually, years ago. They are full of energy. When I first saw them I jumped back, because they have the same energy that we had back in 1992-1993. I also had the chance to see one of the last shows with MOTÖRHEAD, which was of course pretty cool. And I was impressed by an Italian artist called VASCO ROSSI. In 2017 he had over 200 000 people in the same park (a huge concert, to celebrate his 40-year career, that broke other world records), in Modena. I think he is the biggest artist in the world, all times. Everyone was singing the songs, from the first verse to the last word, so that is brilliant and very impressive.

Anna: Do you have time to listen on music, more than your own? (Laughter)

Leo Leoni: Yes, sometimes I take my time to do that. I listen to new CD’s and demo’s. When we are touring, new bands give me some CD’s to listen to. I have not so much free time. But you know, when you are working with a computer and sometimes have to wait for something, then I take my time to listen to some of this material.

Anna: Which was the latest music you heard by another artist?

Leo Leoni: A band from Italy. I received a CD from a guy, who is in this band called CREAM PIE. I think it was pretty rocking and cool. This was the latest record I listened to. It was yesterday.

Anna: It is fourteen years since GOTTHARD's second DVD was released. Have you had any thoughts of recording a new one in the future?

Leo Leoni: That is a good question. We don’t know. Actually, we presented our new “#13” live on the internet, a live streaming. In fact, that was our latest concert we did. It was not a DVD, but at least it was a live performance. Maybe you can check it out. Then let us see what is going on and what the future brings. I think a lot of people now are going to change a little bit the way of making music. Very possible that they will do music out of a box and that it then will be streaming. So I do not know if a DVD is the right answer, but for sure there will be some camera action somehow, on venues or from a concert hall.

Anna: Maybe it is me who is old-fashioned. I like to have the CD’s in the shelf and… (laughter)

Leo Leoni: I understand. I know what you are talking about, because I am the same myself. When my amplifier for my record player broke I was like “What am I going to do now?”, you know (laughter).

Anna: The drummer Hena Habegger has taken a pause, to not miss being with his children as they grow up. Temporary replacement in the studio and on the new production was Alex Motta. Live it will be Flavio Mezzodi from KROKUS instead, which of course is fun and great, but why not Alex?

Leo Leoni: We were looking for a drummer to do the job of course. Alex’s name came on the table. He is touring with me in the other band and we asked him if he would be interested to do the tour. He turned it down, saying “No, no. I liked to do the record, but I have enough to do this year.” Among other things he is touring with CORELEONI and have some other projects going on, so it was too much to do for him. So therefore we were looking for somebody else. Meanwhile KROKUS announced that they were on their farewell tour. Flavio called and said that he was interested to do the audition with us. We knew him from touring. He is a nice dude. We all know eachother. The audition was very short. He was sitting behind the drum kit and suddenly we knew that he was a guy who could do the job. Meanwhile Hena is going to enjoy his family, his kids and then see what the future is gonna bring. For sure, on the family side it will be bright. On the rock’n’roll side, after 30 years, I think he is legitimate to take a break. I think he would have regret it for the rest of his life, if he could not see his kids grow up. One of his “kids” was GOTTHARD and this kid is already 30 years old now. “He” can walk by himself (laughter).

Anna: April 13 your tour in Europe was supposed to have started. How does it look now?

Leo Leoni: At the moment it looks very bad actually. We postpone everything, so the tour that was supposed to start in April is “off” at the moment. We are gonna re-do those gigs, that tour, in January 2021. More or less the whole tour is gonna take place. The first part of the tour will start in Switzerland in October and the rest of the European tour will continue in January. It will be in Sweden, England, Spain, Germany and Hungary, for example. We are also hoping to be able to play at some festivals this summer, but if this is going to take place, we do not know yet.

Anna: If we look further ahead, do you have any future plans for GOTTHARD. What are you dreaming about or wishing for? Something you have not done yet, but would like to do?

Leo Leoni: Maybe play in space, beside the moon. That would be nice to be the first artists to be performing on the moon, or somewhere there. (Surprised laughter from Anna.) I think that would be something cool to do. I think it is about time to do some rock’n’roll up there. Why not? So now, everytime you watch the moon, you are gonna think “Hmm…maybe this guy is crazy, but maybe not…”

Anna: Do you want to tell our readers and your fans something else?

Leo Leoni: First of all I would like to say thankyou for all your support, not only now, but also through all of our 30 years. And just…never give up. Don’t give the bad luck a chance.

Anna: Thank you for your time.

Leo Leoni: Thank you!

Anna: I wish you a great 2020, with a lot of concerts, when everything finally can start again.

Leo Leoni: Thankyou, this is the most important thing (small, hopeful laugh).

(Fotos: gotthard.com)