Lauri in MeNaiset
The previous edition of MeNaiset magazine contained a 2 page interview with Lauri. Pictures of it can be found at the end of the post, and the translation of the article can be found below, made by us.
“I suggested family holiday on the tourbus”
Singer of The Rasmus, Lauri Ylönen quitted drinking and being crazy, but he won’t give up on his shoes. Now he is clearing hiw own land for the house that he has desgined. He is wishing for being an architect.
33 years
„I had a nice time during all my years, but right now i’m enjoying being at this age. 33 years old. I enjoy being myself. I can take now more easily things, i’m not that crazy as i was. When at look at my friends of the same age, it feels like the past few years has been good for everyone. Also mind seems easier than to the twentysomething Lauri.
I think that being a rocket had taken off my young years. But not taking into considerations the years, there is always a teen in me, because of my work.”
3 companies
„My most important job is being a singer, musician, but around music there have come a lot of roles. Sometimes i also remember that oh yeah i’m also a director. I’m in 3 companies, out of which one is my own. But i’m not a secretary or financial person. Luckily i have found people who sort out the number-things for me. My sister is a complete opposite, she get’s angry if something is not organized.
With The Rasmus we ended having our own studio. We have been lazy to sell it’s services, and of the place it become a very expensive 300mp place to hang around for everyone. Sometimes we also had brainstorming about own clothing brand, but we didn’t have time for that. Also i have put the recording laber a bit to pause, i want to focus on our band. That’s enough for now.”
1 homeland
„Bandmate Pauli has moved to Singapore and Eero lives in Italy, but i really didn’t wanted to move away from Finland. It’s great to go to cities all around, but my home is here. In Finland i can enjoy all the seasons and during the spring see how everything reborns. Soon I’m leaving for a holiday to Los Angeles, but who wants to live in a place where there is always above 21C?”
8,6 average at school
„School in Northern Helsinki seemed very easy, especially in secondary when my attitude to school was still at its place. I have never been against school, it pretty much gave humour. The people in the music class had been always together, and my wish was to get to Sibelius-high school.
In Sibelius was special, bohem. On the introductionday i went to admire the guys with the Nirvana t-shirts and long hair, who has been playing drums in the cellar of the school. There was a nice singing in the main hall, and i was so impressed that i wanted to pass there.
However i quit high school. It was must, so i could focus on Rasmus-career. Sometimes in 1998 when our record deal has ended and also our drummer left i went back to evening school aula sometimes and was thinking about going back to learn. However, just walking around in the aula was enough.”
3 years with the cap on
„A few years ago i felt like my things are not going anyways. Luckily i guessed that it is because of the too much alcohol i usually had. Now that i don’t drink everything works other ways: i’m less selfish and i can do things better. A person with hangover can be fun, but moreover hard to handle.
It’s true that when the artists have drunk a bit, they have an interesting and more charismatic stage presence. Now i think that it’s quite a skill to achieve charisma without having a hangover.”
4 dictators
„In the present The Rasmus we have 4 dictators. Everyone wants hell of a lot to decide on everything, but of course it’s not always working, but the idea is that every decision taken in the end should be common.
On my solo career is different. I’m used to making things to an end fast, and when i decide alone on everythng, then it’s made fast. Don’t have to wait for Pauli to wake up in Singapore and answers his Skype. Also to The Rasmus there are more expectation from people. I want to keep my solo project as a homely made hobby.”
8 albums
„When making the new album we have went back to our roots, not really to the very beginnings but back to the 2000’s. Previous one we have made with an american super producer, and we have been recording it for a ridiculous 9 months. It was cold work. This one we have gathered and made it all ourselves in 2 months.
Spontaneous feeling fits us and also the feeling is better in the band. During the years we have gathered professional confidence. Also ourselves can do it, and we can do good.”
3,5 million albums sold
„I don’t quite count the number of albums sold, but according to Wikipedia The Rasmus has over 3,5 million sold albums. No one knows how many pirates are somewhere in Mexico and Russia. Number of sellings are pretty hard to keep in hand. When we have sold 12.000 of our first album, i imagined the same number of people in front of me. It felt unbelievable.
The success came late. We have been touring in Finland for 8 years before our first contract to outside of Finland came. Some loved us, some hated us. Young mind oli a lot of time wondering when one came throwing with the bottle and the next one came to kiss. Lately, when we go to the venue for example in Mexico and 10.000 fans jump into our bus, that feeling is simply cool. Or, a but scary but cool.
65 countries
„We keep a list of those countries where The Rasmus have performed. On the list there are now 65 countries. At its very hardest times we have been on tour 270 days a year.
Being on the road-life it’s outstanding, and you can easily miss it. Sometimes i have been missing it so much that i have been suggesting family holiday on the bus, but it did not get too much support. Leaving now is a bit more special, now that i’m a dad. Feelings are closed to home, and the word home is now more concrete than before.
When the tour starts we select the beds and our tourmanager puts tapes on them. There is then born a world of each of us. One has in the bunk book, the other one bottle. After the performance we go through the events of the day, eat on the bus and during the night we go to the next city. The next morning wake up for example in Paris.
On the tour we have a tight pace, we make 6 gigs a week and Sundays are free. Still the tours are creative time to spend with writing music. I train the songs at the venues, in the showers of the backstage, where there is good acoustic. Nothing else than guitars to shoulders, doors locked and singing.”
1 houseproject
„During work i’m always surrounded with people so much, that when i have some free time i like to do things that get me some alone time. I run or do some gardening. I also make food, it’s nice to try something hard. In my soul, i’m a minimalistic, and that can be seen also in what i cook. If possible i make just one stuff. If we eat aspargus, then we eat just that.
I also have a small motor boat, by which i sail on the same waters that i used to sail with my grandpa when i was a kid. However, for this i have very few time.
Architecture is the most powerful out of my hobbies. When i draw i enjoy the moments when the lines to join each other, and a clean whole is born out of them. Then, everything is just perfect.
The high point of my architect hobby is the house that i designed for my own family. I have been designing it for 4 years, now the construction project have started, and also today morning i have been there cutting trees for the basic works to start. I’m very keen on this whole thing. In a few years maybe can move in.”
2 wishes
„I have this funny-sounding wish to go back to school. I would like to do that to be able then to study architecture. When other hobbies have come and gone, architecture has stayed. I’m stuck to it for now 6 years. It feels somehow therapeutic to draw houses, and bases, why this place feels good and the other one doesn’t.
I’m wishing also for an own restaurant or caffee. The idea sounds romantic, but the reality is other. In the plannings it turned out what a hard and always-be-there business is.”
57 pairs of shoes
„I think i don’t have too much shoes, but when we lately moved and i had to pack, one 250 litres sack was filled only with my shoes. There were 57 pairs. I was like where these have been!! Unneeded clothes went to Uff [charity], but shoes had another value. Even though the shoes have been overused when skating, i could not give up on them.”
10 best friends
„The Rasmus has on facebook over 400.000 likers. To me there are close friends with whom i’m together almost daily – like below 10. Friends –not only aquintances - i call also people i have met all around the world. Of those there are a lot more. During the upcoming European tour we have in almost every city a person to send a message to that hi, we’re coming.
Due to my nature i’m not very good at making and keeping up friendships. When we come together with the family friends i’m always with the kids in the playing room, rather than with the adults.”
Lauri in MeNaiset
Lauri in MeNaiset
Lauri in MeNaiset
