HALMSTAD (Updated) - Radio Halland's Pelle Hörmander has met Per Gessle for their traditional Christmas talk. The show was aired Dec. 27, 11:30-12:00. (Follow the link, click Dec 27 and select 11:30-12:00, the interview starts after approximately seven minutes.)

Update: Radio Halland broadcast a second part of the interview on January 3.

Welcome to the program. Do they still turn their heads when you walk down the street here in Halmstad?
Ha ha, thanks. No, not really anymore.

Busy fall?
Some I would say. Some TV and radio promotion, but not so bad no. It used to be worse.

Is it still fun to travel around?
Truthful? Not as fun as it used to be. Sometimes it's good, when the full band is with us. When in a hotel bar in Berlin for instance. Press and TV isn't fun. I wish it was.

Same kind of questions?
Yes, oh yes. Lately lots about Marie's sickness. It's very tedious. Nothing about music at all, just about Roxette's past success.

Why not?
I just don't know. When I make solo albums or Plumber, they all talk about music and influences, but when it comes to Roxette all we talk about is US #1s but never music.

So let's talk music Per Gessle! Tell us about the new songs…
It's been a giant step for Marie. It was sensational, at least to me, that Roxette recorded again. So I stepped up to the plate and I wrote a few songs. We thought "Reveal" would be the Big Hit, but in the studio "One Wish" flourished. Not a song we will be remembered by of course, but still as good as we could do under these circumstances.

Once again you will release an album in the US. Do you think they remember Roxette over there?
Yes, the album will be released in January, believe it or not. I'm going over there in January to do some promotion. Our music is played a lot, more than ever actually, especially "Listen to Your Heart" and "It Must Have Been Love," but do they remember Roxette? I doubt it.

How will the future be?
Nothing really right now. The slate's clean. It's a possibility but Marie can't decide now what to do next fall for instance, she takes one step at the time.

Where does that leave you?
I'm old and gray too now, but I don't need that much heads up. We do need at least six months in the studio to make a Rox album, maybe six months to prepare.