60 Seconds with Europe’s Drummer Ian Haugland

Exclusive interview by Karen Beishuizen

Today’s guest is part of a Swedish Rock band who rose to fame with the great song “The Final Countdown”: Europe’s drummer Ian Haugland. He has been with the band since 1984 and enjoyed all their great successes.

KB: Europe rose to international fame with their 3rd Album The Final Countdown: How did this feel that all of a sudden the world was into Europe and gigs everywhere?

The album had a slow start, but once it caught on everything seemed to happen everywhere at the same time, it was like a rocket launch! Of course, it was a blast, but I didn’t really have time to grasp the success since we were constantly touring around the world.

KB: The single The Final Countdown went to number 1 almost everywhere in the world: What was the story behind this song?

If I remember it right, Joey got a request from a DJ to write an intro for his show that used to start at midnight at a club in Stockholm. That became the first version of what later became the intro to TFC. I think it was John Leven who told Joey one drunken night at this club, that it might be a cool idea to write a whole song based on the intro. Joey liked the idea… and so did the rest of the world!

KB: Europe had another huge hit with the song Carrie: Who is Carrie? Is she a real person?

No Carrie is not a real person, but I think the song might be representing more of the general feelings in a breaking relationship.

KB: The band broke up in 1992 and got back together in 2003: What was the reason for breakup and reunion? There was a combination of reasons for the extended “lunch break”.

At the time we had some domestic problems with our management, our record company didn’t back us up properly on the Prisoners In Paradise album, since grunge was the “new thing”, and, I think we were generally burned out after a decade of hectic touring. In the winter of 1999, we accepted an offer from a Swedish TV/media company to perform TFC on the Millennia New Year’s Eve, and that event kind of planted the seed for the full-scale reunion in 2003.

KB: Have you anything new in the pipelines? Your last new album was in 2017?

Yes, we are right now writing new material for the next Europe album.

KB: Are there any artists you admire, and you haven’t played with? Who would you like to jam with?

Oh yeah, there are so many great artists out there, and I’m sure there will be lots of interesting interactions in the future, but so far, I’m really proud that me and the band got to play and jam together with artists like Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Michael Schenker from UFO.

KB: The world was in lock-down for almost 2 years due to the pandemic: How did you and the band sit out the time where you couldn’t do anything ? Did you write new songs, record? Any hobbies?

I’ve been kind of busy working as a radio DJ here in Stockholm, l also tried to play drums as much as I can in my rehearsal studio. Other than that, I’ve been taking long walks in the woods every day and just staying safe.

You can check out Europe’s website: HERE