Dregen (born Andreas Tyrone Svensson; 12 June 1973) is a Swedish musician best known as the guitarist of The Hellacopters, as well as Backyard Babies. As of March 2014, Dregen has also served as the newest member of Michael Monroe's solo band, replacing Ginger as guitarist. He was formerly married to fellow Swedish singer Pernilla Andersson,[1] who is also the mother of their first child, a son named Sixten.[2] The couple officially announced their separation on 1 June 2015.[3]
He is a founding member of Backyard Babies, whom he helped form in 1987. The band announced the start of an indefinite hiatus beginning in 2010. In a 2011 interview with Rocksverige.se, Dregen mentioned the band would eventually come together and be stronger than ever in response to rumours surrounding the band's still ongoing hiatus.[4] During this hiatus, Dregen released a personal autobiography, followed by his first solo record in September 2013.[5] Then, after a 5-year absence, Backyard Babies returned in 2015, going on to release Four By Four later that summer. Its release marked the band's first album in 7 years.
Career
Dregen formed rock band Backyard Babies in 1987 with his childhood friends Tobias Fischer, Peder Carlsson and Johan Blomqvist in their hometown of Nässjö. The band later moved to Stockholm to pursue wider success. The group signed a record deal and released their debut album Diesel & Power in 1994.
Also in 1994, Dregen met singer and guitarist Nicke Andersson who at that time played drums with Swedish death metal outfit Entombed. Together they formed another band, The Hellacopters. The band found success in 1996 with their album Supershitty to the Max!, which won a Swedish Grammis award. It was followed in 1997 by the record Payin' the Dues. The band also toured with KISS. That same year, Backyard Babies released their sophomore and Grammis-winning album Total 13.
By the end of the 1990s, Dregen decided to leave The Hellacopters and subsequently focused on recording and performing with Backyard Babies.[6]
The album Making Enemies Is Good was released in 2001, and Backyard Babies were awarded a second Grammis award. They toured the world several times and opened for AC/DC during a European tour.[7] Since then, the band have released a number of EPs, singles and albums such as Stockholm Syndrome, People Like People Like People Like Us, Backyard Babies and Them XX. The latter resulted in an anniversary tour in 2010, following which the band announced an indefinite hiatus.[8]
Dregen is the perfect choice for this band. We are a group of very strong individuals and we really needed a great personality as a guitar player. Dregen has the whole package together – he's a killer guitarist, a brilliant showman, looks great and has the right kind of attitude and taste in music. I feel very glad and lucky that he was willing and able to join us. Dregen is a real star and a true rocker at heart. I can't wait to start rockin' out with him in the band![10]
As of July 2011, Dregen was working on his first solo album.[11] The album, titled Dregen, was released on 25 September 2013. In 2016, Dregen reunited with The Hellacopters for the 20th anniversary of their debut album.[12] In 2022, the band released their first album in 16 years, Eyes of Oblivion.[13]
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