THE BEATS

Viagra Boys Vocalist Sebastian Murphy

Sebastian Murphy is a different kind of cat. Lives in Sweden, fronts punk band Viagra Boys (their song “Sports” is essentially an anthem at The Mission office), works at Stockholm Classic Tattoo and when he’s not touring he spends his summers fly fishing in the Arctic Circle. He serves up our Beats for this issue and answers a few questions.

You’re American originally, but have lived in Sweden most of your adult life. So what language do you dream in? I used to dream only in English but now I dream mostly in Swedish and occasionally in an unknown lizard-like language that is reminiscent of speaking in tongues. Most of my dreams are without language entirely. Just embarrassing and bizarre images and flashbacks to experiences I’ve had in previous lives.

Which are your home waters? Where do you fly fish most often? I only fly fish in the short summer months here in Sweden and when I do it’s either in Jämtland or in Lappland. I’ve recently started fly fishing for perch in Stockholm when I get the chance, but nothing beats being up north and nothing beats trout.

What do you get out of fly fishing? As cheesy as it sounds, fly fishing puts me in a state of complete “here and now” that I find almost impossible to reach in my daily life. I have very intense attention deficit disorder and living in a city is the worst for my brain. A constant barrage of noises and images and lights from screens slowly transforms me into a worm-like creature, a shrimp in an endless sea of other brain-rotted shrimp. I spend most of the year in chaotic situations talking to people I don’t want to talk to; travelling to dark, stinky, beer-ridden venues with no windows in the deepest depths of the Western world; sleeping way too little; partying; eating shitty food, etc. Fly fishing gives me something that is completely the opposite of that. No music. No talking. No thoughts on nuclear fallout. Just a rising trout, the colour of a passing mayfly, a moose, one million mosquitoes.

Your forehead tattoo says “LÖS” (Swedish for “loose”). Is that a reference to the fishing in the Arctic Circle, your casting style, your morals or something else altogether? It is a reference to a top secret Arctic fishing style that is only learned in the highest point of the Marbaten, the “fabled” waters of the Podsol crew. I’m afraid I cannot elaborate because I would put myself in danger. However, I tell most people it is a reference to a way of life or outlook on life. I usually say it means the opposite of “stiff”. Everyone should loosen up a bit

When you catch a grayling, is it compulsory to hold up its dorsal fin for a photo? Usually, if you catch a grayling, you whisper an ancient Swedish curse in its grayling ears and then you release it immediately wishing it was a trout. No photo at all.

When you’re not fronting Viagra Boys, you work at Stockholm Classic Tattoo. We’ve noticed a lot of fish/ fishing tattoos on your Instagram feed. Is that a common Scandinavian thing or do you have a lot of anglers as customers? Whilst fly fishing and fishing are common in

Scandinavia I am drawn towards those people and they are drawn towards me through my interest in fishing and from meeting other anglers on my adventures.

You occupy what we imagine might be a small space at the intersection of punk, fly fishing and tattoos. Have you ever met anyone else who does all three? It is more common than one would think, especially in the tattooing world. There are lots of amazing tattooers who have a heavy focus on fly fishing and trout imagery etc, much more than I do. Some of them have even started their own fly fishing tackle shops and clothing brands, which is very cool to see. On Instagram check out @dannyreedtattoo; @crookedcreekholler, @dan_santoro; @ housefly_fishing and my buddy Drew Wilson, @drewlr.

What’s the distance between who you are when fishing and who you are when on stage at a gig? Are you exactly the same person or do you feel like two versions of yourself? Of course they are the same people in a sense, but I don’t think fishing with me would be a very peaceful event if I was the same person I am when on stage. I am much quieter, calmer, and contemplative while fly fishing, which I would say is closer to my true self… sort of who I was as a child.

In your lyrics Viagra Boys take the piss out of far-right conspiracy theories, toxic masculinity and other rightwing bullshit. Is that just a reflection (and rejection) of the times or more of an overt political stance from the band? It is a mix of both. We are socialist Swedes and that shows in our mockery of right-wing bullshit, although I believe when I started writing music it was more a reflection of my world view and a general hatred for everything going on in the world. Most of the first few songs I wrote were about drugs, body fluids, and strange worlds I had built in my head. Shrimps, frog traps, bog-bodies, funny little dogs, the evolution and devolution of man. It’s not all politics and I don’t want it to be all politics. I enjoy the fact that all sorts of people like my music and, in the end, it is just cosmic energy being spewed out of our brains. Afterall, it’s just music and I am grateful people enjoy it.

What do you and Viagra Boys have lined up for the rest of the year? We are currently working on new material as well as creating material for our side project known as Shrimptech Ecstasy Lab. We are also gearing up for playing at various festivals in Europe this summer (Glastonbury, Way Out West, etc). As for fishing, I am making plans as best as I can with what little time off I get from playing music. But I will most definitely be found somewhere up in northern Sweden doing what I enjoy the most.

Visit vboysstockholm.com to listen to Viagra Boys latest album Cave World and check out their range of merch.

PLAYLIST #39

Sebastian’s playlist is less punk than you might expect, featuring a curated selection of country and bluegrass along with some heavier bangers. Expect everyone from The Rolling Stones to Sturgill Simpson, RL Burnside, Hank Williams, Discharge, Beastie Boys, Beau Wanzer and Elvis Presley. Visit the missionflymag.com to listen