{"id":14043,"date":"2025-12-17T17:03:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T16:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurovisionandfriends.com\/?p=14043"},"modified":"2026-02-18T17:05:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T16:05:41","slug":"interview-smash-into-pieces-melodifestivalen-2026-hollow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eurovisionandfriends.com\/en\/interview-smash-into-pieces-melodifestivalen-2026-hollow\/","title":{"rendered":"Smash Into Pieces: \u00abWe're coming to Mello 2026 like Rocky Balboa!\" \u00bb"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the Swedish rock band Smash Into Pieces<\/a> is preparing to return to the Melodifestivalen stage for the third time, we spoke with Benjamin, the creative mastermind behind Smash Into Pieces. Between a workout and guitar rehearsal, he talked to us about AI, their new track \u00abHollow \u00bb\" and their burning desire to finally secure a ticket to Eurovision.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Smash Into Pieces \u2013 Credit Smash Into Pieces AB \/ Jesper Malmberg <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Benjamin, thank you for taking the time to talk to us. For those discovering the band for the first time, how would you describe the essence of Smash into Pieces?<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I would describe it as sharing a very clear vision: never stop, as we like to say. It's always looking forward. Even though we've been doing this for nearly 20 years, every day feels like the first day of our career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You released the album Harmaheaven<\/a> In October, a new chapter in your Arcadia saga. It deals with digital warfare and AI takeover. What inspired this theme? <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning, Arcadia<\/em> was a somewhat amusing concept about the \u00abMatrix \u00ab. But today, we see this reality becoming more real than ourselves. We spend an incredible amount of time playing avatars online, and AI is starting to take us out of the hierarchy. We had to make an album about how humans are becoming more and more \"empty \u00bb (Hollow<\/em>). What is our purpose if a machine does everything better than us? We need to come together. It is no longer us against ourselves, it is us against this new technological art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incidentally, your song for Melodifestivalen 2026 is called \u00abHollow \u00bb'. Is it a song tailored for the competition or one that ties in with your latest album?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn't originally written for Mello, but for the next album. We always write to feed our overall narrative. But when we saw that the track had been selected, we thought, \u00abWow, what timing!\u00ab \u00ab. With AI exploding everywhere and this feeling of loss of bearings among humans, \u00abHollow \u00bb\" comes at just the right time. Unlike \"Six Feet Under \u00bb\", which was very personal for Adam, \"Hollow \u00bb\" takes a macro, almost philosophical perspective on our place in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is your third time participating in a short period of time. What motivates you to return to Mello once again? <\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It's addictive! Once you try it, you're hooked. It's a family of creative minds, an incredible bubble of energy. And let's be honest: it's the best showcase in the world for a rock band. Underground scenes are shrinking, so when you have a platform like this, you go for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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