Helge Rognstad is a musician and co-founder of The Fluffy Jackets, a blues rock band formed in 2006 in London. Initially starting as a duo with drummer Ian Robinson, the band gained recognition with their self-titled EP in 2007. Their first full-length album, Fighting Demons, released in 2014, featured renowned guest musicians like Neil Murray (Whitesnake) and won the “Best Studio Album of the Year” award from listeners of The Blues Hour radio show in the UK and France. Rognstad, serving as the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist, has continued to evolve their sound through subsequent albums, including Something from Nothing in 2019 and the newly released The Rise And Fall Of The Songwriter in May 2024.

Liam : First, I’d like to express my gratitude for taking the time to participate in this interview, Helge.

Helge: my pleasure!

Liam : It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly eight years since we first met during Manny Charlton’s homecoming tour in 2017. What stands out to you from that time?

Helge: I have fond memories of sitting back stage chatting to Manny and his band before the gig in Glasgow and I loved hanging out after the final gig in Dunfermline, meeting his family and friends; yourself included! At that point in time, I was filming content for The Fluffy Jackets’ bonus DVD “Something from Nothing”, so I got a lot of cool footage of Manny and his stage set-up at the time. One of my best memories is interviewing Manny at Linton Osbourne’s house just outside Dunfermline.

Liam : It’s difficult to wrap my head around the fact that Manny is no longer with us. How has his legacy influenced your work and the music you create today?

Helge: I have been a Nazareth fan from a very young age and Manny was always my number one guitar hero growing up. So there is inspiration coming from that. By the time we actually started working together in the studio, I was more interested in developing my own songwriting and learning about recording music in the studio so Manny and I bonded over our shared love of making music. He basically became my mentor and I learned most of what I know from him. So, when we talk about his influence, it is totally ingrained in everything that I do today, so much so that I can no longer say what is me and what came from him. I have a picture of him in my studio, and he is still overlooking everything that I do.

Liam : As a long-time fan of Nazareth, what was your first introduction to the band, and what drew you in?

Helge: I grew up in a small rural community called Follebu, close to Lillehammer, Norway. There was not much of a live music scene there, but I was always interested to listen to music at home. My two older brothers got into Nazareth before I did. One of my earliest music-related memories is of sitting in my brothers bedroom, playing a cassette tape of “No Mean City” on the stereo system he had bought. I remember being totally blown away by the opening track “Just to Get Into It”. That song literally got me into it. My brother also had a No Mean City album poster that he got at a Nazareth gig in 1985, and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen.

Liam : Which other artists influenced you as a musician while you were growing up?

Helge: One of the first bands that made an impression on me was a southern rock band called Blackfoot. Their “Highway Song” album from 1982 is one of the best live recordings ever made. Other than that, I was a fan of Elvis Presley since I was a little kid. As I grew older, I got more into the heavy rock bands like Nazareth, AC/DC, Free, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Whitesnake. Those bands all had great blues-influenced vocalists and featured great guitar playing which I really like. From there, I kind of travelled backwards in time to discover earlier masters, such as Chuck Berry and John Lee Hooker. I have always loved slide guitar, so I got into Ry Cooder and Lowell George. Eric Clapton has always been part of my record collection too.

Liam : You founded The Fluffy Jackets in 2007 with a self-released EP featuring ex-Whitesnake bassist Neil Murray. What projects were you involved in before that?

Helge: Before starting The Fluffy Jackets, I was lucky enough to stumble into a band called “Random”. We practiced in a tiny rehearsal room near Ham in West London. That band had two guitarists including me, a bass player, a drummer, a saxophone player, a keyboard player and two or three singers, depending on who was available. It was my first opportunity to hang around creative people, so I really enjoyed that. That is also where I met Ian Robinson, the drummer with whom I formed The Fluffy Jackets. He was the first person I knew who was into writing poetry and lyrics. Before that, the only experience I had of playing live was at a charity fundraising event organized by Alison Cooper, who is a fantastic singer based in Hastings in the south of England. Actually, you can hear her singing a duet with me on the track called “Better Place,” which is the opening track of The Fluffy Jackets’ 2019 album, “Something from Nothing”. We recorded the vocals together at Westpoint Studios in Acton, London, and it was wonderful to reconnect with her. On that album DVD, Alison tells the story how we first met complete with old photos from that first gig, so it is a great treat for us to have got that on film. She was really the one that set me on the music path to begin with.

Liam : What’s your first memory of wanting to pick up the guitar? Do you remember what your first guitar was?

Helge: When I was young, we had a basic Spanish acoustic guitar with nylon strings lying around in our house. I didn’t know how to tune it, so I used to play out of tune along with music that I had pre-recorded on VHS video machine from the odd music program that was beamed through our television set. We only had one TV channel back then, but the TV was connected to a VHS recorder so I could record the odd music performance when something was playing on the TV. I did not know any chords, so I played single-note runs, until I learned the Chuck Berry style of double string play. I remember I was heartbroken when one of the strings broke. I did not know that it was possible to change the strings, or where to get them. So, I basically played on that five string guitar for years, until the top string also broke and that was the end of that. The first electric guitar that I bought was a black Les Paul copy. Unfortunately I sold that guitar a long while ago, but I still have the small Marshall MG Series amplifier that I purchased along with it. I still use that amp in my studio today.

Liam : Can you share your first breakthrough moment when you realized you were writing music that you were truly happy with?

Helge: I wouldn’t say there has been a definitive breakthrough moment like you describe, though I love the process of creating new music. By the time one of my songs is ready to be released, I have already listened to it countless of times, which makes it hard for me to assess it objectively. It usually takes me several years to get enough distance on a song in order to judge if it is any good or not. Occasionally, I will revisit one of my earlier songs and find myself happy with it for various reasons. Take, for example, “Why Don’t You Smile” from the Fighting Demons album; I appreciate that song now in retrospect, though it really only came into its own when Manny added his incredible guitar parts. Everybody’s jaws were on the floor. So while I enjoy that song today, I think it is mainly to do with the memories I have from creating it. To me, a song is like an audio snapshot, capturing a moment in time, with warts and all. Sometimes it is enjoyable to listen back, to ponder over the choices we made at a given point in time, or to celebrate that we made it happen in the first place.

Helge Rognstad performing The Fluffy Jackets’ “Why Don’t You Smile” with The Manny Charlton Band (MCB) ahead of the memorial “Concert for Manny” that took place on the 3rd of February 2024 in Cordoba, Spain. Left to right Antonio Bravo (drums), Charly Rivera (bass), Nacho Papote Perez (lead guitar), Helge Rognstad (vocals, rhythm guitar).

Liam : How did the collaboration with Neil Murray come about for your debut EP? Did you have him in mind specifically for this project, or were there other contenders?

Helge: I saved up a lot of money to record our first EP, and I hired a recording studio with a professional engineer. At that time, I knew that the drummer Ian Robinson and I were playing really well together and finding a bass player who could match that level of tightness would have required months of additional practice. So, I realized we needed a studio musician for the session, and Neil Murray was at the top of my list. Knowing that Neil was based in London, I reached out to him. He responded positively but with two conditions: first, that we weren’t “shit,” and second, if he had to miss a day of playing in the We Will Rock You musical with Queen, we’d need to cover the cost of his understudy. We were over the moon, and it was such a honour to have him in the studio with us. I am still grateful to Neil for doing that, because he didn’t have to do it. That really gave us some confidence that we were on the right track back then.

Liam : When the debut EP was released, did you sense a bright future for the project, or was it more about seeing how the initial reaction unfolded?

Helge: Once I got into recording music with my own band, I knew that this is something I will do till the end of my days, come hell or high water. So, making that first EP was just a step in a journey. To be successful at anything, you have to work consistently at it over time. Success takes time, so you have to keep going to keep growing.

Liam : You began your songwriting partnership with the late Manny Charlton on the Fighting Demons album. How did you and Manny come into contact, and what was your process for writing music together?

Helge: Manny and I got in contact on the internet several years before we actually met in person. So, at one point back in 2007 or 2008, he was the executive producer of an album that was planned as a tribute to Nazareth’s 40th anniversary called “Ruby” or something similar. That album was designed with two sides: Side A would feature well-known artists — Metallica and Guns N’ Roses were among those approached — while Side B would spotlight unsigned talent. Given that The Fluffy Jackets had included two Nazareth covers, “Whiskey Drinkin’ Woman” and “Salty Salty,” on our 2007 EP, I submitted those tracks to Manny. I also remember my good friend Emil Gammeltoft from Sweden submitted a fantastic version of “Fallen Angel” for the project, Motorocker from Brazil covered “Telegram,” and there was also an outstanding version of “Light My Way,” although I can’t recall who performed that version. Unfortunately, the tribute album never materialised due to legal wrangles. However, Manny really enjoyed many of the cover versions. In fact, he ended up collaborating with or releasing music alongside several of the artists involved, including The Fluffy Jackets. He also recorded a No Borderz project with Email and he performed “Telegram” live in Brazil with Motorocker later on.

So, fast forward to 2011, I invited Manny Charlton to record with me at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. At that point, I had already written four songs for what would become the Fighting Demons album. However, we couldn’t finish the four tracks at Sun Studio due to limited studio time. Manny very kindly knocked on my hotel door the next day and invited me to continue the recording at his home studio in Haslet, Texas. It was there in Texas that we connected and became good friends. Once in his studio, Manny would offer to look over the lyrics and suggest improvements where needed. I offered him a writing credit for his contributions, but he declined since the changes were minor. Instead, we agreed that he would take on the role of producer, as he had essentially produced those four songs we did in the USA. After I returned to Europe, Manny sent me a song he had written called “Can’t Stop the Rain,” which I then recorded and produced at Cowshed Studio in London. So, while the first album wasn’t exactly co-written, we both contributed our own songs to it. Four tracks were produced by Manny, and I produced the remaining five tracks on that album.

When it comes to the process of actually writing together, I think you can hear more of our collaborative songwriting effort on “Something from Nothing” which is the second The Fluffy Jackets album. We recorded that album at Manny’s home studio in Cordoba, Spain, and we had a lot more time to sit and write together. I found it easy to work with Manny from a writing point of view because we came from the same place in terms of the music we liked. I think we worked to each other’s strengths, because I used to bring in a lot of new song ideas, and he would know how to take those further. Manny wasn’t the type to settle for anything less than what he thought was excellent. If a song didn’t meet his standards, he would give honest, constructive feedback. He wasn’t afraid to restructure a song or tweak the lyrics if he felt it was necessary. However, all the feedback he gave came across as well-intentioned, so I always felt that he was on our side and that he had our back. He was a great person on so many different levels.

Liam : Given Manny’s reputation as the genius behind much of Nazareth’s success and his work with Guns N’ Roses, did it feel daunting to have him directing you? Was there pressure to improve your recording techniques with each release?

Helge: Manny had a unique way of bringing out the best in a session without making it feel forced. I think that was one of his core strengths as a producer. So, although we were aware of his considerable reputation, we kind of jumped straight over that and got into the recording mode without thinking too much about it. It was more about getting the job done.

Liam : In 2019, you released Something from Nothing, which included a bonus DVD. How did the band’s growing success influence the direction of this album?

Helge: We had a good momentum built up at the time, so we wanted to create something more ambitious than our previous work. The idea was to make a “studio album” in the truest sense, rather than just capturing a live sound with a few overdubs, as we had done before.

The bonus DVD aimed to document The Fluffy Jackets’ journey and to show how far we had come since the early days. The DVD features a lot of archive footage, including interviews with both current and past band members. The interviews with Manny Charlton and Neil Murray turned out to be popular on YouTube, probably because we asked questions nobody had asked them before. For example, I’d always wanted to hear Manny talk about his guitars, so that DVD includes his one and only interview focused on that topic, making it really unique.

Liam : The Something from Nothing album marked Manny’s first sole production credit. Did you have discussions about handing over the producer role completely, or were you comfortable working under his direction?

Helge: The main reason I got Manny in as the producer was because we wanted to take a more dedicated approach to the songwriting and recording process. With Manny Charlton at the helm, we knew that the quality of the output would be better than it otherwise would have been. At the same time, I also knew that this meant that we had to force ourselves to open up and let him take us to unexpected places, some of which I knew would be challenging for us. Given his vast experience, it was often hard to argue against his judgement, as Manny could be very persuasive when he felt the need. I guess it is never easy to hand over complete control of something that feels very personal like your own words and music. But at the end of the day, having him as the producer was a unique learning opportunity for me and I knew the music would benefit as a result. So it was really a no-brainer. Besides, who could turn down the opportunity to work with their childhood hero?

Liam : In 2024, you released The Rise and Fall of the Songwriter, and I had the privilege of contributing to the track “Now That She Is Gone.” I’m really grateful for that opportunity!

Helge: Yes, thank you so much for doing that; it is such a pleasure and honour to have you on our new album. That track was one of the two pieces that was earmarked for Manny, but sadly he never got to hear it. After he passed, I could think of nobody better than you to help me finish it, so I will be eternally grateful. Your solos fit perfectly with the song.

Liam : On the official Fluffy Jackets website, there’s a wealth of information about the recording process and the equipment used for that record. Without getting too technical, I was intrigued by your choice of DAW. You mentioned that you use Luna instead of more widely known options like Pro Tools, Cubase, or Logic. What influenced your decision to go with Luna?

Helge: There are a couple of good reasons behind that. First, since I was a newbie without prior hands-on DAW experience, I was not bound by any set workflow. Secondly, and more importantly, my work-experience in various IT markets has given me a clear understanding of the advantages of choosing a system from a compatibility perspective. I know that versioning issues can often rear its ugly head in similar IT landscapes. So, when I was looking into the audio market, I noticed that UAD was releasing some of the best sounding audio plugins. Then I saw that UAD are also selling good quality audio interfaces / hardware which enable real time audio processing and helps to reduce the processing burden on my laptop. So, if I was going to use UAD hardware along with UAD plugins, it made sense to acquire UAD Luna DAW software as well, mainly because it is already tightly integrated with their audio interfaces. This basically makes my system future proof; I know that UAD will not release a DAW update that will render their UAD plugins out of date, and similarly that I will not have to face any hardware compatibility issues either. Essentially this made Luna a safe choice for me, and I also found the user interface easy to use.

Liam : How did the process of working remotely with Neil Murray and Matija Bajtal go, especially since you all use different DAWs? Did you notice any audible differences when mixing?

Helge: we do not share sessions, mirror DAW projects or anything like that. I prefer a more basic workflow of sending simple wav files back and forwards. Such audio files can obviously be imported or exported easily into any DAW. As long as the source material is well-recorded through good microphones and quality pre-amps, I rarely notice any audio issues. Problems only typically arise if the sound has been altered or tampered with in some way. For example, if a file has been heavily compressed, pre-EQ’d, or loaded with reverb, etc. These adjustments can restrict my ability to shape the final mix later on. That is why I always have to be clear in my communication up front, to request raw audio files which I freely can work with, applying the effects later in the mixing stage, in order to achieve the best overall sound.

Liam : What are your thoughts on audio formats? Do you have a preference for stereo, mono, quadraphonic, or Dolby Atmos? Would you consider releasing any of your back catalog or future projects in a different format?

Helge: When I work or track most instruments in my studio I use mono format, which I can then place where I want in the mix. For example, placing one guitar on the right, the other on the left, and so on. However, the main song output file is always a stereo file, which is the most common file format today when releasing music to Spotify, Vinyl or CD. When I tracked the latest album, I did actually think about whether I should record four rhythm guitars so that I could have some spare alternative files just in case I ever needed to remix the album for a future Dolby Atmos release, but I quickly decided against that. There are too many decisions to make as it is, without having to consider what instruments should potentially go top roof, at the back of the room, or whatever. Also, I question if Dolby Atmos will ever take off? We have had surround sound for a good while already, but how many people bought all those surround speakers? and how many actually switched them on when they listened to music? When I see my kids playing music at home now, they always use Spotify and they run around with cheap earphones. The only potential successful Dolby Atmos application I can think of would be inside cars, because you already have speakers installed everywhere in a car. But, I don’t think the various car manufacturers would work together and settle on Dolby Atmos as a standard? But, I have been wrong before. Never say never. In future, you might well be able to buy a Fluffy Jackets album in the Dolby Atmos format. Who knows?

Liam : Manny has been a significant influence in your career. How did you get into the headspace of producing The Rise and Fall of the Songwriter on your own?

Helge: When I built The Fluffy Jackets Sound Studio during the pandemic, I already knew I wanted to produce and mix the next album there. I talked to Manny about this prior to his passing, and we agreed that he would send me overdubs for his parts for me to mix, so that was already settled. Besides, I had already produced parts of the first album myself, and I learned a lot from Manny and other engineers I have worked with though the years, so I do not feel awkward about it or anything like that. However, it is so strange and sad for me to think that I will never be able to ask for his advice again. I take comfort that he is with me in spirit though. I have several of his guitars and his picture in my studio, so he is never far from my mind..

Liam : For this release, you managed the packaging and distribution yourself. How has that experience been for you, especially with the media support?

Helge: Yes, I found out that it is now easier than ever to produce and distribute music ourselves, rather than trying to get paid from a label or distributor, or expecting somebody to promote stuff in return for their cut. In terms of self-distribution, it does take a lot of time to get everything set up, from website, product listings, integration with payment providers, online fulfilment processes, etc. If you talking about media coverage, we actually had more radio play this time around than what we ever had before, and we even hit the TV headlines in Croatia. But, these days, you kind of don’t need the media anyway; people can get their news directly from The Fluffy Jackets’ official website or our official YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels, in addition to official channels on Spotify and Amazon. That way, we are able to distribute both videos and news without any media support. So, we are doing everything ourselves now. More work, but more rewarding, and more money – if we actually manage to sell some stuff! So we try to promote our own little community. We have T-Shirts, Posters and CDs available for sale on http://www.fluffyjackets.co.uk – and you can download the new album free of charge from our website until 31 Dec. 2024.

Liam : What does the future hold for you? Are there any specific projects or goals you’re excited about pursuing?

Helge: I have already started to write some songs for the next album. I just love being in the studio to work on those tracks. Music has been good to me so far; it has already taken me to many places that I could never have dreamt about. So, I hope I will be able to continue to write and record songs and continuing this journey with The Fluffy Jackets. I would love to record some songs in Nashville at some point. There are so many great songwriters and musicians there. We only have one life, so why not do something enjoyable with it, right?

Liam : Thank you, Helge, for taking the time to participate. I really appreciate it!

Helge: It is my pleasure. Thank you so much for doing the interview and keep on rocking!

*Pictures provided courtesy from The Fluffy Jackets www.fluffyjackets.co.uk *