The impressive new announcement sees the already confirmed NOFX and Bad Religion joined by Less Than Jake, Lagwagon, Millencolin, The Interrupters, Mad Caddies, Anti-Flag and The Bombpops.

The festival will this year be held at Temple Newsam Park in Leeds on Saturday 25 May, and Hatfield Park on Sunday 26 May. Tickets are available now here.

So your upcoming EP is out February 26^th? What’s the background behind that?

When we recorded the ‘True Brew’ LP, there were two other songs that we chose not to put on the album as there were too many on the album. We also decided to re-record ‘True Brew’ – the song – in Swedish, so it actually feels like a new release rather than a digital B-Side. It’s also being released on vinyl.

Do you think we need political punk bands now that Europe is leaning more and more to the right-wing?

Europe has become a bit more racist and right-wing and we do have a bunch of anti-racist songs on the new album. There’s a load of stuff on social media and you get so much manipulated news off Facebook that idiots get too much airtime. Before, when it was more controlled, journalism would be a profession and it’d be your duty to check your sources and look for truths. Now, it’s like you can post misinformation which becomes truth for millions of followers on social media.

You’re doing three shows in the UK – do you love it here or what?

Well we’ve been here loads of times but before we did Slam Dunk Festival last year we didn’t ever do club tours or indoor shows. This time around it’ll be the first time we play club shows since about 7 years ago.

Does the reception here ever surprise you?

We had such a long career and I’m surprised that people remember us anywhere. The popularity of punk rock goes up and down but whenever we tour in the Western world, people seem to still come out for us. The new album was really well received so we are super stoked that we still have a big following. We’ve never been to China or India or Russia – we’ve had offers – but sometimes it doesn’t work out. We got an offer to play right on the Ukraine border and that was just when that plane got hit which was unfortunate. We have a lot of areas to cover yet but we’re going to Australia and the USA after Europe.

Do you ever get tired of travelling then, or is this still fun after all these years?

I hate travelling. I hate airports and everything but I love the venues and playing shows. It makes up for everything. From a tourists’ perspective, we’ve seen all that stuff years ago, but going to gigs and just hanging out is good enough.

So has touring become a bit more comfortable over the last couple of decades?

I’m super happy that I’m able to live off the band, selling records and touring for twenty years. It was right around 2000 that we realised that we could have a good tour bus and not a small van. We’re a big band but we’re not huge. We still have to set a budget – some bands, by the end of the tour, have lost money. I know one Swedish band which hired a bus and some stage props. When they started the tour, the manager told them straight up, “you won’t make any money from this tour at all”. Paying to get on tour won’t work in the long run.

Why is it so hard to make money selling records? Is it the market or the label?

We’re really lucky to be on a label, and what most people don’t get is that the label works for you most of the time rather than steals your money. They want to sell records too and we’re grateful just to be on a label. We’ve got a good contract which is completely fair, and it’s kinda sad that there are less big labels these days. When people started to download music around the early 2000s, it made it harder – I’m happy that our label has managed to withstand that.

What are your plans for the future – when do you decide is a good time to stop?

We’re booking shows for the fall right now and we’ll probably go on touring for this album until early 2017. Then we’ll have to focus on new material, I guess. I can’t do artwork on tour or work on a new album so we definitely need a break sometime to do that.

Millencolin are on the road, kicking off their EU tour at London’s Electric Ballroom on the 12th February 2016, before heading to Australia in April. The band will release their ‘True Brew’ EP on the 26th February.

FEBRUARY
12 LONDON Electric Ballroom
13 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
14 BRISTOL Bierkeller
16 PARIS, FRANCE Le Divan Du Monde
17 BIARRITZ, FRANCE L’ATABAL
18 VITORIA GASTEIZ, SPAIN Sala Jimmy Jazz
19 MADRID, SPAIN Sala Penelope
20 BARCELONA, SPAIN Sala Apolo
21 MARSEILLES, FRANCE Le Moulin
22 TREZZO SULL’ADDA, ITALY Live Club
23 SALZBURG, AUSTRIA Rockhouse
24 WURZBURG, GERMANY Posthalle
27 GOTEBORG, SWEDEN West Coast Riot

Due on the 26th February, the record will feature the album version of the title track, a Swedish version of the same track, plus ‘Balanced Boy’ and ‘Heart VS Mind’.

Millencolin play three UK dates next week before heading back into mainland Europe.

FEBRUARY
12 LONDON Electric Ballroom
13 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
14 BRISTOL Bierkeller

We’re pleased to see Millencolin tracks on their too. We wouldn’t want a band to be on the road not listening to themselves, now would we?

Millencolin are currently gearing up to tour across Europe, and will be stopping off in the UK in February.

FEBRUARY
12 LONDON Electric Ballroom
13 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz
14 BRISTOL Bierkeller

Nikola Sarcevic (bass, vocals) and Mathias Färm (guitar, vocals) of Millencolin, chatted with us about how skating is part of their identity and foundation, and whether there’s a small possibility that aliens are responsible for their greatest hits. After the success of their recent album ‘True Brew’, it seems that everything is going really well for the Swedish skate-punks.

How have you found Slam Dunk so far – have people been welcoming?

Nikola: Oh yeah! OH YEAH!

Mathias: Oh yeah! We played Leeds yesterday and we’ve been here for one hour maybe. We haven’t seen much but it’s great to be back in England, it’s been a while.

So do you find that England is also a warm and welcoming place?

Nikola: I think England, as any other country, is a very separate market. For us, it’s been going up and down over the years. 10 years ago we did Brixton Academy. That was a different time.

Mathias: Yeah it’s getting bigger again, from what I reckon.

Is that off your recent album’s success?

Mathias: That was received well.

Are you happy that people still listen to skate-punk, and it’s not going to die anytime soon?

Nikola: Oh of course, I mean we haven’t been – like Mathias said – to England in a while but it seems like this is a good thing to do, and it seems like there’s a crowd for this kind of music. It’s very positive so far.

Do you guys still skate, and are you a part of that culture?

Mathias: I don’t skate the way I did twenty years ago but I still skateboard, and I’ll probably do that ’til I die.

Nikola: For us, that culture is where we come from, that’s how we got into music and for us it’s a starting point for us. That scene has a lot of similarities to music, it’s the same sort of vibe. You’re doing something creative and that stands out of the mainstream society. Skateboarding is an alternative sport, or thing to do, just like the music that we play.

Mathias: Skateboarding is an important part of my life, and I guess our life in a way, as that’s the reason why we started the band and it’s a very cool thing.

Of course, that’s where your name comes from right?

Mathias: Yes that’s right.

What other influences do you have, like from music, or even literature, or anything maybe?

Mathias: I guess just life!

Nikola: I mean of course, it could be something that you read or a movie you see, or something that people say on social media. It could be anything from life that inspires us to write a song. Most lyrics yes, but when it comes to music, since we’re the two guys writing the music, I think other music inspires us to write music.

Mathias: Most of the time when we come up with a song, it’s just something that pops up in our heads. You don’t really know where it’s from, it’s just….maybe from an alien life-form maybe? You never know. It just happens.

Do you believe in aliens?

Nikola: I try to be open minded, about everything. Including aliens, including other life-forms.

Back to musical influences, on earth, at Slam Dunk particularly, have there been any new bands you’ve caught onto?

Nikola: We’ve just been here yesterday but The Bronx, and Mariachi El Bronx, Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish have been the bands that we’ve checked out. Hopefully we’ll get the chance to discover bands.

So finally, are you looking forward to getting back to Sweden?

Mathias: Nah, not really haha. I mean everytime you get home it’s very nice, but it’s also very nice to be here and I’m very happy to be here, to do this. You have to appreciate the things that you have – it’s great to be back home but it’s great to be here.

Nikola: It’s like having your cake-

Mathias: And eating it too, that’s right!

To coincide with the release of their new album ‘True Brew’, which has come out this week, Millencolin have released a video for ‘Bring Me Home’, from the album. And – of course, you’ll see them at Slam Dunk if you’re going…

Swedish Skate Punk legends (and flat-cap enthusiasts) Millencolin’s new album ‘True Brew’ is up for streaming. It is their eighth studio album. Its released on 27th April.

https://www.facebook.com/millencolinofficial

The video features music from Astpai, Despite Everything, Fuck You Fucking Fuckers, The Mo(R)rons and 4th N Goal (who all played at the festival), and interviews with various bands that played at the festival!

http://www.punkrockholiday.com