Do you have fond memories of your visit to Australia last year?
Marie: Oh yes, it was fantastic, the tour was totally sold out everywhere and the audiences were absolutely brilliant - they knew all the songs - just fantastic.
Per: (nodding) It was great, yeah.

Is it true that you're both scared of flying?
Per: Yes! And that's not very good 'cause we fly a lot.  Everyone who is with us hates flying...but what can you do?!
Marie: I don't like it at all. That's the only thing I wasn't looking forward to about coming to Australia, 'cause it's such a long way to go. I've never liked it!
Per: It's not a natural thing, sitting up in the sky in a little...bird! But we haven't really had any incidents. I have friends who have been through emergency landings and stuff like that - I would hate that. We had a car accident, me and my father, when I was 18, but that was nothing. We fell down a five metre cliff...so it could have been! It was really scary.

Have you ever lost your voice in the middle of a tour?
Marie: (whose voice is rather husky at the moment) Oh no, in the morning you're always a little bit hoarse because you've done so many concerts in a row, but in the evening it's good again.
Per: Marie has more of a problem 'cause out of 20 songs, she's singing 14, so she's pulling the big load.

So what's your favourite Roxette song?
Marie: Well it goes up and down. Like now it's 'Perfect Day' because that song is so special to do live, it has a very special atmosphere. 'Soul Deep' is also my favourite song because it is totally opposite, and we improvise a lot with the audience singing along, so there's a lot of surprises.
Per: I still think 'The Look' is a great song. When I hear it on the radio or at a club or whatever, it alway jumps out at you - it sounds like nothing that has ever been made.

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote?
Marie: Yes, the name was 'Heart Broke Up', it was in Swedish. I think I was 13...would I sing it to you now? (Laughs) No!
Per: I started writing songs when I was, like, 14. It must have been something like 'Summer Song' or something about a girl.

How do you relax when you're on tour?
Per: In the two minutes a day we have off? Um, play tennis! The tour accountant is really good, and so are the drummer and the keyboard player, so we have tournaments.
Marie: It depends on the city. Some hotels are really good - they have a pool and a sauna and you try to use the fitness centre. Sometimes it's nice to take off for a long walk. Sometimes we do some serious shopping! (Laughs) Now for a few days I have my sister with me, and it's always nice to have your family with you.

What do you miss most when you're away from home?
Per: I think I miss the normal way of living: getting up, sleeping in your own bed, drinking a cup of coffee from your own cup...and your friends of course - you never really see them.
Marie: I think it is friends and...my grand piano! But tour life is a very special life to live and you learn to live with it. When you are in it, it is so much fun.

Do you get recognised in Sweden when you do normal things like grocery shopping?
Per: Oh yeah, a lot, but I never do the grocery shopping - ever! You get recognised everywhere. I've been used to that since 1979 when I started out. If I want to go out, I stop and think "Hey, it's Friday afternoon, it's too crowded. If you go out for dinner, you always check. You learn how to deal with it.
Marie: Yeah, in Sweden everybody knows who we are, but they're used to us, so it's okay.

How often do you cook for each other?
Per: I only ate her food once or twice and it was a long time ago - we're never at home now and when we're at home for  4 or 5 days you don't really socialise that much because you're always together on tour.
Marie: (cracking up with laughter) He can't cook at all!
Per: I can't, I'm a terrible cook!
Marie: His girlfriend is a really good cook, but Per...he can cook coffee! (laughs)

Which household chores do you hate the most?
Per: Aahh, cleaning windows, it's terrible. But I always do the vacuuming, I like that a lot.
Marie: Well, I don't hate any of them! We are so seldom at home that I love to do all that, because we are always staying in hotels. So I love to wash and clean up and do all the usual things at home.

If you could swap places with another pop star for one day, who would it be?
Per: Ooh, I would have loved to have played with Tom Petty's group, The Heartbreakers, he's my favourite artist.
Marie: I think I should change to Prince, 'cause it would be really nice to dance it that special way. He's a brilliant dancer!

So how would you rate yourself as a dancer?
Marie: Well, I'm really good at dancing but I'm not dancing with a lot of choreography, I just do what I feel at the time. It's not like Michael Jackson - that's not our music at all.
Per: I'm a terrible dancer - I'd rate a one and a half! My girlfriend always dances, I always...stay at the bar! Most dance music is so boring. I love to dance to rock music like John Mellancamp or the Rolling Stones, 'cause it's really sexy music. When I go to a club they don't really play my type of music so I feel on the wrong planet.

If you could have chosen your own name, what would it be?
Marie: (without hesitation) Michelle - I've always loved that name, even when I was a kid, it's my favourite.
Per: Marlon Brando - that's a great name.

Do English speaking people ever make jokes about you being a fruit?
Per: A pear? Sometimes. I always say that my parents run a fruit business so they named me after a fruit!