KATATONIA frontman Jonas Renske, chats about reinvention, longevity and their upcoming Australian Tour

Q: Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State has been described as your most personal work to date, Jonas. What emotional or creative shift made this album feel different from everything that came before it?

Jonas: ‘’Every album we do is obviously a new chapter but at the same time we like to keep our trademark style, so usually it always comes down to the actual songs, the lyrics, the vibe. This album was very personal due to what was going on in my life at the time of writing. A turbulent phase that ended up creating a very dark musical profile.’’


Q: Katatonia have spent three decades refusing to stagnate, moving from death/doom into shoegaze, prog and beyond. What drives that constant reinvention, and how do you decide when it’s time to evolve again?

‘’It always comes down to curiosity, hunger, and a massive love for music. I listen to all kinds of music, I listen to stuff every day that just keeps inspiring me. We never decide anything, it’s a natural progression.’’

Q: Your live shows are now “astonishingly more metal than ever,” yet still full of dark hooks and haunting vocals. How did this heavier, more aggressive live identity emerge, and what does it unlock for the band on stage?

Jonas: ‘’I don’t know, but we’ve had a shift of band members recently and of course there will be another chemistry and also energy when someone comes in with a new mindset. I love it!’’


Q: Fans will hear material from The Great Cold Distance and Dead End Kings on this tour, albums that represent major turning points in your sound. How do those eras resonate with you now when you perform them live?

Jonas: ‘’Very exciting. Some of those songs get a new dress, a new kind of energy when we revisit them. It’s like rediscovering them in real time. Those eras meant a lot to us, and performing them today gives the songs a fresh life.”

Q: Katatonia’s music often feels like a bridge between introspection and intensity. How do you balance vulnerability with heaviness when writing or performing songs that sit in such emotionally charged territory?

Jonas: It’s a wonderful delicate balance but I never really worry about it because it’s such a natural way of perceiving what we are all about. The lyrics always guide me in the right direction.


Q: Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State suggests a blurring of dream and reality. What themes or experiences shaped that concept, and how does it translate into the atmosphere of your live shows?

Jonas: ‘’Nightmares… we all have them. Usually it’s a relief waking up and realising it was all just a dream. But this album is about the things that are lingering, the real nightmares that are the problems of everyday life. They persist and they are there for real.’’


Q: Across your catalogue, fans have connected deeply with the band’s “vibrant darkness.” What do you think continues to draw listeners to Katatonia’s particular brand of melancholy after so many years?

Jonas ‘’It’s all there in the darkness. We set out to visualise it since the beginning and we keep doing it. There is obviously a demand for kinship, it’s place where they feel understood, and as long as that connection exists, we’ll keep delivering it.’’

Q: Australia has always had a deep connection to Katatonia’s music. What does returning to these audiences mean to the band, and how do you approach shaping a setlist for fans who’ve followed every era of your evolution?

Jonas ‘’We do love ‘Strayya! Been coming back for many years and it’s all because of the connection that we feel and the love that just keeps coming our way! I hope it never ends!’’

KATATONIA 2026 Australian and New Zealand Tour Dates:

Sunday 4th October AUCKLAND, Powerstation

Wednesday 7th October BRISBANE, Crowbar

Thursday 8th October ADELAIDE, The Gov

Friday 9th October SYDNEY, Metro Theatre

Saturday 10th October MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre

Sunday 11th October PERTH, Magnet House

Tickets on sale now from:

https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/katatonia2026/ or https://metropolistouring.com/katatonia-2026/