Lauri: “I suggested family holiday on the tourbus” [MeNaiset Interview]

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

Lauri about Stranger video&song in IltaLehti

Thanks for the scan to Oana

In today’s IltaLehti [01.06.2012] there is a 2 page long article with picture, in which Lauri and Aku Louhimies tell about the video of Stranger, and also about the song. You can read a translation below. Thanks for the scan and notification to Oana.

As an exception to the previous videos The Rasmus have done, this oe has been made on a low budget, because it was planned very little and the result is a documentary-like.
Aku Louhimies, one of the most known directors of Finland has directed the new The Rasmus video.
-We have invited the local friends of Pauli for a barbeque, we drank and recorded all night long. We have improvised a lot and during Aku had to calm us down and remind us that we are in the middle of shootings, Lauri Ylönen tells.
-We have been shooting during the night, so we have been up for long and because of this, also really crazy, Aku continues.
The group of people didn’t know about the shootings beforehand at all. The ammount of people and the idea was all made up, but permission for shootings was not asked, either a very exact screenplay.
Lauri has been given a gaudy king dress, in which he has been marching among Singapore’s streets beeing given different reactions of people on the streets.
-People who were shooting were hidden, and they shoot the reactions of the people. Surely in metrotunnel we were like chased, when around such places it’s not allowed to film. But it wa really normal too, Lauri laughs.
-It was really great to film video with such a band. This was not a normal video or project, Aku tells.
Very lonely?
Music video has been made for the beautiful Stranger –song. The main character of the story is a king, who wanders in the world of people alone. Lauri tells that part of the feelings in the music video are his own.
-The king carries his crown, but no one sees it because of the clothes. There are all the great things, clothes and crown, but he is still alone. Maybe he sometimes wants to get rid of this, Lauri describes.
The songs also tells about a brake up, in which still there is something positive.
-There is a hopeful mood in it. One that maybe this was good as it was. In a way the song is very personal, cause there are mixed experiences of mine and also of the friends of mine.
-We live here just once, so just give in everything, Lauri tells.
The two men have just met and got to know each other only at the trip.
-I have been making some music videos before, but this was stil different. We have become friends during the trip and we are planning to continue working together, Aku promises.

Tuuli brings more income?
Lauri Ylönen has been working with the competitior of Robin, Tuuli.
The interest of Lauri in being the business is found in different reasons.
-We have too many songs, it would be nice to release more material. Tuulis’s music is fully pop which just simply fits into the idea, Lauri tells.
The musician has been suffering of artistical block a few years ago, because the songs that he wrote have been released only leasurely.
-Somehow i was wondering a few years ago if i can call myself musician. During 18 years we have released 8 albums. Since the previous album it has been four years and i would like to be more active.
Composing for the kid-star fits to Ylönen perfectly, despite the music style is not really his own genre. Radio plays will surely bring more income for the musician.
-We have met Tuuli, we were really excited about and it did the songs carefully. The project has been ongoing for a while now, but we have just released material now, Ylönen tells.

Second single from ‘The Rasmus’ -Stranger

Stranger cover

Stranger was released as digital single in Finland on the 15th May; you can buy it on MTV3 Store [only available in Finland]. As also The Rasmus said, they will be making a video for the new album. They are flying this week to Singapore, where the shootings for the new video will happen. During a chat on Facebook, Eero revealed that the new video will be directed by famous movie-director Aku Louhimies, and that it will be a crazy new video. We’re looking forward for it!

The Rasmus in Soundi

Photo found on Tumblr

There is a 5 pages long article with The Rasmus in the new Soundi magazine. Scans can be found here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Thanks to whoever did that!!!!! Translation of the article can be found below! Please link back if you use it [even if for translation], thank you!

The Rasmus – after the crazy years

No more compromises. No more orders from outsiders. No more forced rock songs. Maybe not even more last minute flights to Las Vegas. The Rasmus have grown mature, but the band have also finally found the final balance.

We go back to last year , to a sunny October evening. In the studio in Stockholm we live in a high tension atmosphere. The Rasmus have returned after a few previous recording sessions to the good old city (“we came by ferry and we ate shrimps , just like in the old days”), and the band intends to start the recordings for their 8^th studio album, still on that evening. About the recordings cares the old friend Martin Hansen, but the band has their own free will to realize themselves as they want. No record deal. No comments from anyone.

How did the million albums sold, and giant gigs playing band ended up in a situation like this? The search of the answer takes us even more backwards.

The popularity of The Rasmus culminated in working together with worldwide known producer, Desmond Child, almost four years ago with the album Black Roses. The album then presented a similar sound to Hide from the sun, although it was the band dark music trademark completely off of Black Roses. This came as a surprise, because Desmond have been working with names like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper and Kiss rock bands.

-Hide from the sun is the follower of international breakthrough album, Dead Letters. Back then we had such a feeling that also Hide from the sun has to be rock, although the heart of the band was more into popish songs. Halfly forced working makes its disservice, because the composing has to be fully sincere and free, Ylönen tells in the backstage of the studio.

-In the case of Black Roses we gave the bridles in the hands of Desmond, and it was in a lot of ways extreme thing to do. When the authority is enough hard, then the own opinion can be blurred. He wanted to compose with us, and surely the work with a worldwide known producer sounded very much like interesting. Desmond influenced very much the songs on Black Roses, pretty much how the purpose was too, but the working process opened our eyes in the same time. We realized only then, that we know already very well these things.

After the Black Roses tour, hands of The Rasmus were not finally locked. The relaxing moments came in handy to the band that has been working for years without a break. After the relaxing period, the working again lead to an observation that the new material does not sound at all like The Rasmus (“in the songs of a rock band it’s good to have also guitar, so the band does not have to go to dance lessons). Then Lauri had the idea to release a solo album –and so it happened, that New World soloalbum worked also as an inspiration source for the reborn of The Rasmus.

-I went to studio, made the solo material, and went to ask if there’s anyone who wants to release it. A freedom like this in the making process felt extremely good. In the same time I realized that The Rasmus also has to work the same way. In other words, we make everything including the promo videos and album cover, and if anyone wants to invest money in it, for example in marketing, then it’s surely pretty okay, Lauri describes.

-We’re not doing anymore that way that there are all kind of people in the studio telling their opinions about it. When we made album about 15 years ago, all the guys from the record label were 30something years old. Now we are those guys at same age, and we know how the things work. Studiowork is anyways a lot more free and relaxing when we’re not there to waste someone’s money. We have come back to ‘practice’ music, and it feels great. There is no anger, no musts when we do things without compromises.

Someone should anyways have the last word.

-Pauli has just been laughing about that Lauri has started to dominate more. It can be that way! But it’s great that we don’t have to tell okay to anyone’s work –besides of course the band members, but we all have pretty much like the same taste. And if it comes to fighting, then I’d rather fight with the others from the band than with some guy from the record label. And if I have to give up on my own ideas, then it’s seemingly better than subordinating myself to someone, the singer emphasizes.

-But it’s great we didn’t have to fight. I was really blissful to write and record, when no one sticked their nose in and said ‘you can’t sing like that, people don’t like that at all’. About those comments comes a feeling like, go to hell now I will sing just as I want and like; and now I just don’t want to sing about a dangerous cat woman in the Los Angeles night.

The works for the 8^th The Rasmus album have actually started during summer 2011. The working name for the album was Kissa ja Hiiri [Cat and Mouse] and also Four Cocks.

-There was no planning on the schedule of the studio session, and either about anything else. The guys just came to Finland, Pauli from Singapore and Eero from Italy. We had really nice conversations and tried old riffs, but the whole thing was like open. There was also a double or nothing feeling. But if anything has been born out of this? And if there wouldn’t have been born anything out of this then we would have tried again in a year or in five years again, Ylönen tells.

-We have looked through the cards, and went to Helsinki’s Nosturi training camp everyday for a couple of months. We bought food and drink from the gas station next to it, and threw long work days among the cables. We have wrote the material for Into album the same way, and remember songs like F-f-f-falling still with a good mood. It has not taken long until the pieces started to fall into one piece. There have been born interesting songs – and really songs that worked only on acoustic guitar. We haven’t really went into a sound world deep, like it happens today usually.

-There was nothing else to do in the end than to start to plan the making of the album. I called to Martin to Stockholm and asked what kind of schedule he has in the next months. It turned out that his previous studio session ended at the beginning of october. Okay, things clear, let’s make an album!

Just a few months later, in April 2012 everything is ready. The Rasmus entitled album last touches has been long finished, and the band has focused on other pririties concerning the release of the album. The band have for example been in Tokyo to make a new video for the single I’m a Mess. Lauri Ylönen sitting in a cafe in Helsinki, he has all the right reasons for smiling widely:  the preliminary plans for The Rasmus have finally started to come true.

-We made everything ourselves – and then we got marketing support of Universal. This went just like in the old times. Then we also said in an interview „the band makes what it wants and the guys from the record laber give the money”. Back then we had Warner Music’s Pekka Ruuskaa, who has been laughing about this, Lauri remembers.

I’m a mess has been playing on the radios for weeks long at the moment of the interview. And not without impressions.

-A lot of people have noticed that I’m a Mess sounds more like my solo material. Same time it come to my mind what a rude hustle the chose of the debut single is, especially these days. The first ‚taste’ has an incredible weight. And still some song has to be given the top rate, the singer shakes his head.

-It’s surely clear that I hear our music in a very different way face to our fans. In my opinion I’m a Mess sounds like The Rasmus should, and i wouldn’t put the song to my solo album by any chance. The song opens with an A-dur, and it’s like…ordinary. It won’t bring the Moon from the sky. After my solodebut i have been continuously writing songs in two different ways, one for The Rasmus and once for my solo album. It was interesting to realize that the more i compose, the more new ideas are born.

It’s anyhow safe to say that these days The Rasmus is more pop than rock – almost seven years after Hide from the Sun.

-Really like that. Also in the studio there were comments like Aki close that hihat so that the song won’t be too rock. We didn’t wanted to make at all a new Hide from the Sun. For example in Friend’s don’t do like that it could have gone really wrong. And also previously we have gone wrong. Now the songs are based more on melancholic positivism, and encourage the sadness. Let’s take for example It’s your night –song –there can be found melodies that remind of J. Karjalainen.

We go back a little to I’m a Mess, and to it’s lyrics. The themes of a remorse are strongly present in it, and the question of ‚how personal the lyrics are’ can not be avoided! Same question can be presented also in case of a lot of other songs.

-Surely in the lyrics there are a lot of personal remarks, but there are not at all diary entries. There are also experiences of other people close or less close to me, Lauri describes.

-Surely the ritous rock life is fun in its time, but sometimes should also remember to break and take a pause. Luckily I haven’t got to oblige myself in anything. I have never had such feeling, that now i should close everything behind and end the great parties. Because of the family and also other important things, being sober in the past years have felt natural and senseful.

Aren’t you missing those crazy times?

-As i said, partying back then back cool. A fitting ‚drunkness’ brought also to the gigs a bit weird and over-energized mood. Nowadays it feels just great to being able to achieve the same feelings without anything added. Also on the tour is always hazy mood and tired feelings, even if we’re not partying all night long. And if we add to that the drunkness and the hangover…well, of that can think a lot. Like, does life goes til end like this?

Sometimes during 2003 – 04, when The Rasmus have been severely touring, the speed was the same during the tour and also while being at home, having a small break.

-We came home from the tour for a few days, but of the relaxing and fitting into the normal life, nothing happened. Wasn’t even able to sleep in own bed. All the time was a feeling like so bored, what should invent to do, Ylönen remembers.

-Happened then when left with friends to a roadtrip. One of them lasted for 6 days and that included a lot of interesting happenings. Like we went to the yard of churches to listen to Slayer’s South of Heaven while worshipping satan. I mean in quotation marks. And when we went to the shop, we went in with commando hats on our heads. At least the cashier didn’t ask for papers!

Maybe Finland has not offered hard challenges to these brave roadtrippers.

-We sometimes invented that we go for a drink to Las Vegas. And we left. Really.

Bassist Eero Heinonen have done movie in India – The hard disk of the camera does not work in heights of over 3km

Bassis Eero Heinonen has not been relaxing too much while The Rasmus was silent around. Before The Making of Black Roses documentary maker, has now spent a few months in India to make a new movie. Still in progess movie’s title is Walker / Kävelijä.

-I have been thinking about making a fictive movie, during the past few years. The final decision has been born when i read the book of Tero Tähtinen about walking. I work in the project as director and producer, but I sometimes appear also in front of the camera. In the main role, there is again my friend Leo Honkonen. Walker is made for television, but presentation in the cinema is not impossible either.

What happens in the movie?

-Getting out of the squirrel wheel  and from the aimlessness, a Finnish youngster goes to Himalaya and India to search for the truth and options. On the road the main character detects, that he has to be brave and give in to life. Walking on the mountain is a main act in the movie.

How was to work in India?

-All kind of things happen there. We could not for example prepare for the fact that the hard drive of the camera stops working higher than 3300m. Sometimes also lot of people came along with us – felt like we would have been on the stage performing. For sure also the diarrheal diseases belonged to the journey.  I threw up in the yard of a monastery right ahead when I told to the actor ‘please’.

-Generally impact have the burning bodies of the saint city of Varanasi and the Ganges river. And Ganapatipulen beach and the ocean. And of course Indian trains. We have traveled with those at least 25 times.

Does music have a big role in Walker?

-Themes are handled a lot with music and moods, less with talking. Lauri Porra composes the main score of the movie, and  the music of the movie will also be released on a separate disc, on which worked among others James Black and Nicky Wells. I might be also fit the voice tracks and the effects, but for sure I will not compose.

What is the schedule of the movie?

-The movie will be ready latest in December. It would be great to show a few minutes long trailer for example at Flow-festival.

Interview with Lauri & Eero @ Prominent24

Photo by Prominent24

Thank you to The Rasmus Germany for sharing this article with us, and to Julia for translating it. Please credit them if you use the translation.

The album sounds like, like The Rasmus should sound like.

The Rasmus are back with their new album “The Rasmus” after a break of almost 4 years. The Singer tells in an interview with Prominet24.de, that it sounds exactly like The Rasmus should sound like. The band made a step back to their beginnings with their record and did they everything on their own. (writing the songs and recording them). They didn’t even have a record label or a contract.

Prominent24.de: Lauri, yesterday (23.4) it was your birthday. Was there any possibility to celebrate?
Lauri: Yes, I went to bed really early. (laughs). I went to bed at 10pm. But I had a great experience when I was in the plane – I went to the cockpit as they knew that it was my birthday.

Prominent24.de: A lot of fans congratulated you on Facebook. How important is Facebook nowadays for artists?

Lauri: It’s really important. We have a lot of fans all over the world, who are communicating with each other on Facebook. It’s also a way for us to know what the fans think. It’s really cool as it connects the fans all over the world.
Prominent24.de: Do you read the posts of your fans?

Lauri: Yes, we read them and we try to be active on Facebook with uploading new pictures or posting something else that the fans know what we are doing right now.

Prominent24.de: You released the new album after almost 4 years. Why was there that long break? What did you do in the meantime?

Lauri: After the last album we’ve been on a big tour, played in 40 countries and that took a lot of time. I made a soloalbum with electronic music. And we just took a break. Aki became a father and wanted to stay at home to care for his family. And Eero directed a movie.

Prominent24.de: What kind of movie is it?

Eero: It’s a mix between fiction and documentation. We made the movie in winter with real people at real places. It’s about a finnish young guy, who goes to Himalaya to find a new way of living. I directed the movie and edited it.

Prominent24.de: Lauri, you said that it was really easy for you guys to make the new record. How comes?

Lauri: There are many reasons. After the break there was no pressure for us. We were not tired and we just wanted to make a new record. And this time we did everything on our own. We just thought that we go to the practicing room, write a couple of new songs and record them and then we go to the record label and say “hey, we have a new record!”. It just felt like in the beginning when we started to make music.

Prominent24.de: Two of you are living abroad. Isn’t it difficult to work as a band when you live in different countries?

Eero: Last summer there was a time when all of us have been in Finnland and we met every morning at 10 to write new songs. Of course it takes more organisation when we are not all at the same place but that’s ok.

Lauri: Pauli lives in Singapore. We’ve been there already 4-5 times to meet him. He owns a studio and we’ve been there two years ago with the whole band to write songs. The world is getting smaller. No matter where you want to be, you can be there within 20 hours. All you have to do is to get in the plane and you wake up at the other side of the world

Prominent24.de: Lauri, you just said that your drummer is now a father. Also you have now a son. How difficult is it to be in a band and to have a family?

Lauri: It’s not difficult at all. Just like Eero said, we’re always focused on what we are doing. Last summer we said: “We have two months and we write songs everyday”. It was good because we were concentrated on what we were doing. But when I’m at home with my son it’s totally different. We are doing puzzles and I play with him – just what you do at home. There’s a good balance as my son doesn’t care how the band is doing and he needs the whole attention.

Prominent24.de: Is being a musician just a “normal job”?
Lauri: You can’t really say that. I always think of writing new songs and even when I’m going to bed, sometimes I can’t sleep because I’m thinking of the setlist for the concert next day or of the lyrics for a new song. That’s why it is good if you have a way to get your head free. Eero for example is doing yoga and meditate. I draw everyday a bit and I love to go running and then to be totally without power.

Prominent24.de: In which way is your new album different to your older ones?

Lauri: Someone said that it sounds like “Into” which we released 2001. I can agree with it somehow because we made a small step back to our beginning. The record is less melancholic and more pop than our last record. I think it also sounds like The Rasmus should sound like. We did everything on our own and didn’t have any songwriter or producer. We did everything as a band and that’s how it also should be in the future.

Prominent24.de: Often people describe your music as “dark”. Do you agree with that?

Lauri: Well, some songs are darker than others. But the first single “I’m a Mess” is not dark at all. We wrote the song within a few hours as also the whole record was written in a short and spontanous way/time. That’s why the song was perfect as a first single.
On the record there are also songs which are a bit darker. For example “sky” which talks about death sentence. There are different moods on the record but the dark mood is always in our music, somehow. We just don’t do “happy pop”. Even our poppiest song has dark elements.

Prominent24.de: Is it because you are finns?

Lauri: It might be a cliché but I think there is a bit truth about it. We just have a loft of darkness in Finland. Even when you have here spring, there is still snow in Finland and summer and the time when the sun shines is really short. You can see how the mood of the people changes. I personally love it to play with dark and mysterious thoughts.

Prominent24.de: You are playing music since 1994, you really worked hard for your international success. What do you think about casting shows?

Eero: We just had a performance at a casting show. I think it’s a great possibilty for people who can really sing. But our career is based on so many other things and not just on singing. We write our own songs, think about the cover for a record or how we want the video for our song. I think some people in the show were really good but for me it would not be the right way. I like how music develops in the band, our work on it and I ask myself, if the candidates in the show know about those processes as well. Of course there is the possibilty as a talented and charismatic singer to start a big career with that show but for me that wouldn’t the way I want to go. (he doesn’t mean the success but to start it with that kind of show.)

Prominent24.de: Could you imagine to participate at the Eurovision Song contest?

Lauri: I don’t think so. It just doesn’t feel right for us. We performed at the finnish final als guest act, that was enough.

Eero: The problem is that when you do it and then don’t win it’s really stupid.

Prominent24.de: Your song “In the shadows” was a huge hit in Germany. You had a lot of fans in the goth-scene. Can you identify yourselves with that?
Lauri: We don’t decide which people we want to have as fans. We just do our thing and either people like it or not. I think we changed our own style with every record and didn’t think about what the fans could think aobut it. Some like the change and some not. We just don’t want to repeat ourselves. Wit the new record it feels like we went back 10 years. But no one knows what the next record will sound like. Maybe it’s going to be a hard rock or a classic album. First it has to be interesting for us and then we can present it to the people.

The Rasmus @ Korkojen Kera

I'm a Mess cover

The Rasmus have been at Korkojen Kera on the 06.04, where we have also been there. The interview and the performance of I’m a Mess Acoustic can be found here, on the video archive of MTV3. Summary of the interview can be found below:

- when asked what does come to their mind about Playboys, Lauri tells that his dad gave him as present a Playboys magazine in which was Pamela Anderson; Jenni tells that Lauri told in Jyrki show that he will end the rock career when he is 27/29 at which Lauri doesn’t want to hear how much he will be in a few weeks, but doesn’t deny he said something like this back in time; when asked why they stay in Finland still when Pauli and Eero are in Singapore/Italy Aki tells that he has been asking the same when on that morning he was setting up a tramboline on the yard and it was snowing;