From their early forays in death and doom to their current incarnation as a progressive metal quintet, Swedish band Katatonia have been in constant motion, but the one thing that unites their work is a strong emotional thread. This creates a tangible bond between the group and their fans and in the live environment it becomes even more pronounced and makes a Katatonia show an unforgettable experience. As the band will be hitting the UK for a run of dates (starting on the 31st October and including a date at KK’s Steel Mill) we had to sit down with Jonas Renkse to get his thoughts on the upcoming dates and all things Katatonia.

Your latest album Sky Void Of Stars has been out in the world for almost two years. How do you feel about it now? Anything you’d like to go back and change?

I still feel very good about it. Wouldn’t change a thing to be honest. We’ve been touring quite a bit for it and the songs get a life of their own when you start knocking them out live regularly.

As an artist, how do you know when something is finished and when to release it to the public?

Usually because of deadlines. But I also tend to feel when I can’t do anything more on a song to make it better, after you reach a certain point a song will start to suffer when you work too much on it. 

Katatonia has been a band in constant musical evolution, did it ever feel risky in terms of losing your core fanbase? As it transpires, it must be nice to have fans who move with you.

We feel blessed to have fans that progress musically at the same pace as we do, or at least they accept our progress. I don’t feel that we ever took a risk, since we always let the music come from the heart, as cliche as it may sound. 

Have you thought about your next album. What musical direction will you move with your next record?

We have impending plans. The direction is very much Katatonia, that’s for sure!

You’ll be heading to the UK for five dates soon. How do you feel about playing in the UK and do you find the audiences here vary from elsewhere?

Love it in the UK, always been very supportive since the beginning. Good crowds and lovely vibes!

You’ll be playing a date at Wolverhampton’s KK’s Steel Mill, the venue owned by former Priest guitarist KK Downing. What does KK Downing (and Judas Priest) mean to you as musicians? Did they have an influence in your formative years?

Yeah, we’re huge fans of Priest. I grew up spinning their records over and over so they have been a significant reason for us doing what we’re doing!

Your songs have very personal lyrics and dark subject matter. How easy is it to “leave” these songs on stage? Does inhabiting these songs on stage have a negative impact on your psyche, or is it a kind of therapy?

For me it’s way more difficult to pen the lyrics than bringing them to the stage. In a live situation I feel the kinship between me and the people that I sing the lyrics to. It’s a great feeling of being among people that have a clue of what the topics really mean.

What can people expect from a Katatonia gig? Do you try to replicate the tracks as they appear on your albums as closely as possible, or do you think that in the live environment the songs should be a little different?

A bit of both. We don’t want to stray too far from the album versions, but usually there’s more emotion involved. It’s such a nice feeling to have the whole room (including us on stage) investing in the music. 

You already have a show booked for 2025. What else does ‘25 hold in store for you?

Hopefully busy playing shows and promoting the next chapter for the band!

Finally, you have achieved a lot with Katatonia, so how do you keep finding new goals to reach? If I had a magic wand, what rock n’ roll dream could I make come true for the band?

We have progressed slowly but surely which keeps it easier to set up new goals instead of just blowing up with everything at once. Please use the wand to send us back in time and let us open for Priest when they toured for “Defenders of the Faith”!

Connect with Katatonia: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube Channel

Catch Katatonia live:

Thursday 31st October – Engine Rooms, Southampton

Friday 1st November – Roadmender, Northampton

Saturday 2nd November – Whitby Pavilion, Pickering

Sunday 3rd November – Epic Studios, Norwich

Tuesday 4th November – KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton