Kamchatka are a Swedish power trio highly influenced by late 1960s and earl… Read Full Bio ↴Kamchatka are a Swedish power trio highly influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s blues rock bands. Their sound combines elements of blues, stoner and psychedelic rock. The band took their name from the volcanically active Russian Kamchatka Peninsula that divides the Okhotsk and the Bering Sea.

Growing up in Varberg, a small town on the west coast of Sweden, Roger, Thomas and Tobias were all rehearsing at the same place, though in different bands, except for the occasional weekend jam session. In their mid teens, Roger and Thomas moved to pursue their musical career elsewhere, Roger to the east and Thomas to the north, while Tobias continued his back home. Some educational years of touring and recording albums with all kinds of different acts later, they met up again in Varberg for a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert in 2001, and after a successful performance the guys simply came to the conclusion that they should start a band. This match was too good to go to waste. Kamchatka was formed.

A few years later, after saving up enough money, they decided to record an album in their own studio (which has been developing ever since), with the help of an old friend of Rogers, Nicholas Elgstrand, who recorded,
mixed and produced it together with the band. Bullen & Sillen, friends of the band, mastered it at Studio Mega in Valinge, just outside of Varberg. An old friend of Thomas’, Per Wiberg, who also designed the album cover, hooked them up with a New York based indie label called Grooveyard Records, where the first Kamchatka album was released January 1st 2005.

After about a year of an occasional gig here and there, which were all well received, the guys started to get restless, so they decided to record another album, subsequently known as “Volume II”, this time recording it themselves on an eight-track, Tobias bringing the technical expertise. Once again they called in Nicholas to help mix and produce, but this time mastered it themselves, lending the gear from Jonas Eckerström, another old friend of the band, mainly with Tobias behind the controls. Per, again, standing for the artwork. It was released on Grooveyard Records in January 2007.

After yet another year of an occasional gig here and there (there is a serious lack of venues to play at in Sweden), they had started recording their third album when the American rockband Clutch, whom they had opened a few gigs for in Sweden in 2007, invited Kamchatka to open for them on their US-tour, which gave the guys their first opportunity to prove themselves to the American audience. After 21 successful performances they returned back home to complete “Volume III”, Tobias standing for the technical expertise, and Per Wiberg adding his magic, this time both with beautiful keyboards,and magnificent artwork. It was mastered by Johan Eckerblad at Mintelligence Studios and released on Swedish label Superpuma Records
at the beginning of March, 2009.

In November 2009 Kamchatka were once again invited by Clutch to open for them, this time on a month long tour of 23 gigs throughout western Europe.

2010 Kamchatka first and foremost focused on the writing of their fourth album. It was recorded and mixed in their very own Shrimpmonkey Studios, once again mainly with Tobias behind the controls, during the winter and spring of 2010/2111, and mastered by Johan Eckerblad at Mintelligence Studios. Like on the previous albums, the cover art is the work of Per Wiberg, who also appears on keyboards on one of the songs. The album is released September 5th on GMR.

Who Am I
Kamchatka Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who Am I?

Who am I?
What's my game?
I can not
stay the same.

I never stopped to think

I am a product of my expectation
of what others expect from me.
That I expect more from myself
than I do from anyone else
is something I have not been able to see.

Who am I?
What's my game?
I can not
stay the same.

I have to pick myself apart
so I can make a brand new start
once I have sorted out the muddle at hand,
and when I put myself together
I'll be built to last forever

and then finally I must come to understand
who I am.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kamchatka's song "Who Am I" delve into a common yet profound question that most people ask themselves at some point in their lives. The song talks about the uncertainty of self-identity and the changes that one goes through as a result of external influences. The opening line, "Who am I?" is a direct invitation to introspection, inviting the listener to question their sense of self.

The second line, "What's my game?" suggests that the singer is trying to understand their place in the world and the role they play in it. The line "I can not stay the same" acknowledges the impermanence of identity and the inevitability of change.

The song discusses how the singer has lived their life without reflecting on their identity and lived up to the expectations that others have of them. They have set higher expectations of themselves than those around them, but are unable to see their self-imposed pressure. The lyrics suggest that the singer realizes the need to take apart and examine their identity to create a new beginning that is authentic and true to who they are. The song concludes with the idea that through self-discovery, the singer seeks to understand their place in the world, and "who I am."

Overall, the lyrics of "Who Am I" are introspective and thought-provoking, encouraging listeners to reflect on their sense of identity and the influence of external expectations.

Line by Line Meaning

Who am I?
Questioning one's own identity

What's my game?
Asking about one's purpose in life

I can not stay the same.
Feeling the need to change and evolve as a person

I never stopped to think
Not taking the time to reflect on one's self

I am a product of my expectation
One's sense of self is shaped by what they believe others expect of them

of what others expect from me.
The pressure to conform to societal norms and expectations

That I expect more from myself
Having high personal standards and goals

than I do from anyone else
Holding oneself to a higher standard than others

is something I have not been able to see.
Not recognizing this aspect of oneself

I have to pick myself apart
Examining oneself closely to identify areas for growth and change

so I can make a brand new start
Using self-reflection to create a new beginning