Royal Republic

Livewire, turbo-harmonised, disco-rocking Swedes get ready for upgraded UK and Europe dates.

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Poised for a fresh run of shows with their bright and blistering new album LoveCop, Royal Republic can always be counted on for a rollicking, nuclear-grade night out. As frontman Adam Grahn reveals, it's been an eventful road getting here.

You described Royal Republic's 2024 Download appearance as "pure sex". It went well, then?

There's an excitement we get whenever we go back to England. It feels like it's brewing. We just upgraded the venue in Manchester because it sold out. It's the same all over Europe at the moment.

We don't have a 'hit'. We don't have headlines because none of us are politically involved or anything. It's all just music, the live performance.

It's a slow burner, but if you're looking at ticket sales it's never been going as well as it is now.

You were a hit at Bloodstock last year. Seemingly there's a lot of love for sequins and disco in the heavy metal community.

I think the heavy metal community is one of the most open-minded. There's something in the outlet, because everybody carries those kinds of thoughts and emotions and aggressive stuff.

So listening to aggressive music, maybe that's what balances its fans, so you end up with these charming people.

If you could join any metal band for one day, which would it be?

I'd stand in for James Hetfield. Honestly, though, if I could sub for anybody, I would rather sub for Lars [Ulrich], because there's nothing more fun than playing drums. I didn't have any frontman ambition until late on. I was a really nerdy shredder alone in my room with my metronome, until I started writing Royal Republic songs. I'd sang only at weddings and stuff before that.

LoveCop is a banger-heavy album. Any of its songs you've particularly enjoyed playing live?