ENGLISH BELOW
Tesne pred ich čínskym turné mala redakcia hellmagazine.eu tú česť porozprávať sa s Elinou Siiralou z Leaves’ Eyes o ich najnovšom EP, vystúpeniach a mnohých ďalších zaujímavých veciach, takže vás pozývam, aby ste si prečítali nasledujúce riadky a užili si to s nami.
Je skvelé ťa zase vidieť. Turné za vami. Ako sa máš?
Mám sa dobre. Trochu som nachladla, ako možno počuješ, ale inak všetko v poriadku.
A už si sa zotavila z turné? Viem, že tentoraz to nebolo dlhé.
Áno, bolo to sedem koncertov a bola to naozaj pekná séria show pri príležitosti vydania EP. A ako hovoríš, nebolo to príliš dlhé, ale veľmi príjemné. Všetky koncerty boli naozaj skvelé.
A vo všeobecnosti, ako dlho trvá, kým sa zotavíš, kým si znova oddýchnutá a tak ďalej po turné? Pretože niekedy hráte naozaj dlhé turné.
No, naozaj to záleží, musím povedať, lebo závisí to od, povedzme, ako si sa cítila na turné, či si bola chorá alebo nie, a potom koľko si spala. Teraz máme dosť šialený rozvrh, čo znamená málo spánku a hneď po príchode som išla opäť učiť. Takže dnešok je vlastne môj prvý voľný deň. Možno potrebujem ešte tento víkend a potom budem znova v poriadku.
Každopádne, keď hovoríme o turné a živote ‘na ceste’, stáva sa ti často, že by si napríklad ochorela?
Posledné pár turné, som nebola chorá, čo bolo skvelé. Môžeš sa trochu nachladiť, ale byť ozaj, ozaj chorá, to je už dávno. Takže som teraz mala trochu šťastia, čo je vždy super. Ako speváčka, to je vždy tá vec — ak ochorieš, je to nočná mora.
Viem. A ako to riešiš, ak sa to stane? Je možné pokračovať v turné?
Musím zaklopať na drevo. Doteraz som nikdy nemusela zrušiť koncert, ale spievala som, keď som bola veľmi chorá, a to rozhodne nie je zábavné. Ale nikdy som nestratila hlas, len to nebolo ideálne.
A všimla som si, že máte nového gitaristu, vlastne basgitaristu. Ashok, však?
On vlastne len zaskakoval toto turné. Môj partner Dominic — on je teraz vo vedľajšej miestnosti — hrá pre nás na basu, ale bol zaneprázdnený so svojou kapelou a inými vecami. Takže Ashok prišiel a vypomohol na tieto koncerty. Bolo naozaj príjemné mať na pódiu niekoho, kto s nami skutočne hrá.
A poznali ste sa predtým?
Stretla som ho len raz veľmi krátko na Mystic Festivale, ale Alex ho pozná omnoho, omnoho dlhšie.
Možno si počula, ako sa rozišli s Ashokom a aj s klávesáčkou z Cradle of Filth. Aký máš na to názor? Mali by sa vnútorné problémy kapiel riešiť verejne, alebo nie?
Áno, to je trochu zložité.
Pýtam sa len preto, že neviem, čo si mám o tom myslieť. Lebo hudba je jedna vec a osobné vzťahy druhá. A v tomto konkrétnom prípade som sa trochu bála, že by to ovplyvnilo samotnú hudbu. A bolo by mi to veľmi ľúto.
Áno, to je to, čím viac osobných vecí vyťahuješ, tým viac musíš počítať s tým, že ľudia nebudú milí. Takže osobne by som to nerobila, lebo nechcem, aby môj súkromný život bol takto prepieraný. Ale nebudem nikoho súdiť za jeho rozhodnutia. Nie som ten, kto by mal hovoriť ľuďom, čo majú robiť. Ale áno, samozrejme, je lepšie čo najviac nechať také veci za zatvorenými dverami. Myslím, že je to lepšie pre všetkých v dlhodobom horizonte. Ale niekedy to tak jednoducho je — nikto nie je dokonalý. Ako si povedala, osobné vzťahy a takéto veci to veľmi ovplyvňujú. Niekedy sa to jednoducho nedá oddeliť.
Na druhej strane, byť v kapele je inými slovami niečo ako byť v rodine. A v rodine sa vždy občas háda, však? Takže je prakticky nemožné nehádať sa, nemať konflikt.
Áno, myslím, že to nie je len kapela. Vždy keď máš pracovnú komunitu ľudí, najmä kreatívnych ľudí spolu, je normálne a dokonca potrebné mať isté napätie a konflikt. Záleží len na tom, ako s tým naložíš. Je to ako každý vzťah — nie je správne mať neustálu harmóniu, to by nebolo úprimné. Potrebuje tam byť malý iskra, iné názory. Ale samozrejme, musí existovať rovnováha, lebo inak sa to všetko zničí, ak sú prítomné len negatívne veci.
Poďme hovoriť o vašej novej hudbe a novom EP – Song of Darkness. Je to o stredovekej islandské sage, mám pravdu? Čo ťa pritiahlo, čo ťa inšpirovalo k tomuto príbehu?
To by bola otázka pre Alexa. Pretože on je hlavne ten, kto prichádza s konceptmi piesní. A vždy si vyberá naozaj skvelé témy. Táto sága, ako si povedala, je veľmi známa islandská sága o Gislim. Je to o vražde, pomste a takýchto veciach, čo je pre neho dokonalé. A možno si videla videoklip — je tiež skvelé to vizuálne stvárniť. V klipe je veľa symboliky. Je to trochu aj fantasy, samozrejme. Všetko nemusí byť vždy úplne presné. A to sú príbehy. Ale je to dokonalé plátno pre pieseň. Takže áno, myslím, že preto ho tá téma prilákala.
Ako klasicky vyškolená speváčka máš v hlase presnosť, však? Ale táto hudba je o čistých emóciách. Ako to vyvažuješ?
Áno, to je naozaj zaujímavá otázka. Povedala by som, napríklad, ak vezmem pieseň „Song of Darkness“ z EP, táto skladba má slohu, ktorá je veľmi, veľmi temná a akoby nižšia. Spievam ju úplne inak, technicky inak než refrén. A refrén je zrazu dosť vysoko, ale tiež ho nespievam, povedzme, naplno operným hlasom. Takže je to o vyvážení toho, čo funguje pre hudbu, pre pieseň, pre príbeh. A to rozhodne nie je vždy ľahké nájsť. Preto aj experimentujeme v štúdiu. Snažíme sa nájsť najlepší spôsob, ako mám skladbu zaspievať, a aj čo chcem vyzdvihnúť z postavy, čo treba zdôrazniť. Niekedy je to ťažké, lebo máš veľmi éterický hlas nad veľmi tvrdými gitarami a bicími. Ako to vyvážiš? Takže, ako si povedala, nie je to vždy jednoduché, ale je super nájsť tie časti. Ešte by som doplnila, že niekedy je to zložité kvôli rozsahu môjho hlasu. Musíme naozaj nájsť perfektné polohy pre určité pasáže. Niekedy by bol optimálny iný tón vyššie alebo nižšie, ale potom iné časti piesne nefungujú. Takže občas sa musia robiť aj kompromisy a hľadať iné spôsoby, ako to obísť a urobiť funkčné. Áno, je to občas náročné, ale zaujímavá a super práca.
Koľko času zvyčajne potrebujete na prípravu celého turné?
No, teraz sme už v tempe. Hrali sme veľa piesní. A teraz sme pridali nové skladby, tak znovu nacvičujeme. Ale keď k nám príde ďalší muzikant, napríklad teraz Ashok, tak tiež nacvičujeme. Máme novú pieseň s Dominicom, tak opäť skúšame. Nie je to tak, že by sme začínali od nuly — skôr pridávaš kúsok skladačky a potom to ide pekne ďalej. Každý si samozrejme cvičí doma po svojom. Sme profesionáli, takže keď sa stretneme, dáme to dohromady a potom to začne fungovať ako kapela.
A ty osobne Elina, koľko času potrebuješ, aby si sa naučila všetky texty naspamäť?
To dosť závisí. Niektoré piesne sa učia ľahšie než iné. A jedna vtipná vec je, že ak som k piesni natočila videoklip, zväčša to veľmi pomôže — musíš ju toľkokrát zopakovať a zapamätať si text, že potom je to ľahšie. Napríklad „Hall of the Brave“ nemá veľa textu, ale trvalo mi to chvíľu — musela som si ten text skutočne ‘napchať’ do hlavy. A z nejakého dôvodu sa niektoré kúsky lepšie ‘prilepia’ ako iné, neviem prečo. Niekedy je to tak, že aj skladbu, ktorú som spievala miliónkrát, náhle zabudnem — a potom si hovorím: čože? Je to divné.
A musíš si ‘opakovať’ piesne, napríklad — neviem — keď je nové turné, nová hudba, nové piesne sú samozrejme čerstvé a pamätáš si ich, lebo sú nové. Ale čo tie staršie skladby? Musíš si predtým napríklad prejsť texty?
Áno, do určitej miery. Ako som povedala, myslím, že sú dva druhy pamäti. Je jedna, ktorá sa uloží hlboko, a potom krátkodobá pamäť. Napríklad „Swords in Rock“ je jedna z tých piesní, ktorú si pamätám odvtedy, čo som prišla do kapely pred 10 rokmi. Má veľa textu, naozaj veľa. Pamätám si, ako som počúvala, písala texty, hovorila ich, spievala všetko — je to tak hlboko v mojej pamäti, že tá pieseň takmer vždy príde sama. Aj keď ju rok nespievam, je tam. Ale pri iných piesňach si niekedy musím, samozrejme, texty znova osviežiť a zaspievať ich. Záleží to veľmi od piesne.
Používaš alebo si vieš predstaviť používať — neviem, nevšimla som si to, tak pravdepodobne nie — nejaké obrazovky, kde by si mohla čítať text alebo niečo také?
Nie, nie. Iba raz som to musela použiť, keď som sa naozaj práve pripojila ku kapele. Mala som piesne len dva dni pred koncertom a myslela som si, že to nezvládnem. Tak som mala na pódiu nejaké papiere, aby mi to trochu pomohlo. Ale je to pre mňa nočná mora. Neznášam to, lebo potom rozmýšľaš: kde som? A raz som robila vianočný koncert a papiere mi spadli z držiaka — no katastrofa. Takže radšej spievam naspamäť. Ak to fakt musí byť, tak áno, ale nepáči sa mi ten pocit, že musím pozerať na papier alebo tak.
A čo ak zabudneš, napríklad jednu vetu alebo niektoré slová?
Stáva sa to stále. Milujem to. Fakt milujem, keď vidím fanúšikov, ako so mnou spievajú. A niekedy sa stane, že zabudnem a proste zaspievam nezmysly, fakt len jednu vetu. A potom sa niekedy ľudia na mňa pozerajú zmätene, že čo to bolo. Ale vieš, samozrejme sa to stáva. Len spievam ďalej, čokoľvek, a potom sa vrátim k skutočnému textu. To je jediný spôsob, ako to zvládnuť.
Ktoré piesne ti počas koncertu pripadajú najťažšie na spievanie?
Z technického hľadiska je dosť náročné napríklad „Who Wants to Live Forever“—koncovka je dosť vysoko a musím ju spievať dosť silno, takže to môže byť občas zaťažujúce, aj keď to posluchateľovi nemusí tak znieť. Potom „Forged by Fire“ má veľký rozsah, takže to tiež nie je jednoduché. „Realm of Dark Waves“ je dosť majestátna skladba, kde musím použiť celý rozsah, a „Song of Darkness“ tiež technicky nie je jednoduchá. Závisí to, každý song má iné nároky, nie je to vždy jedna vec, ktorá robí pieseň ťažkou.
Vizuálna stránka vystúpení aj štúdiovej práce — ako dôležitá je pre teba?
No, vizuálna stránka vystúpení aj štúdiovej práce je pre mňa veľmi dôležitá. Predovšetkým preto, že všetky ságy a príbehy sú také vizuálne. Vidieť to vo videách, všetko úsilie, ktoré sa do nich vkladá, aby sa príbehy zhmotnili aj vizuálne. A to robí celý ten balík kompletným. Takže áno, je to veľmi dôležité.
Vieš si predstaviť vystupovať v teplákoch?
No…
Alebo v džínsoch?
Áno, teoreticky áno. Za mňa nakoniec vždy hovorí hudba. Napríklad kapela Arkona nemala na celom turné prichystané pódiové kostýmy, nedorazili im počas celého turné, takže museli hrať v džínsoch — čo už s tým spravíš, musíš to odohrať. Nie je to nemožné, ale samozrejme, je to krajšie a dá ti to väčší pocit, že si viac v hudbe, keď máš outfit. Ja tiež veľa šijem. Napríklad sukňu, ktorú mám teraz, som si ušila sama. Je fajn robiť si veci sama, vizualizovať ich a byť v tom kreatívna.
A tiež je to pravdepodobne jednoduchšie, aby ťa to dostalo do správnej nálady?
Presne tak. Vždy to tak je — oblečieš si kostým, zapneš in-eary, vezmeš mikrofón a začneš sa nalaďovať. Presne.
Možno na záver ešte k tým folklórnym symbolom a tak. Lebo mi to vždy pripomína a núti premýšľať o tradíciách. Každá krajina, každý národ má svoje. Ktoré sú tvoje obľúbené? Tieto, vieš, tradičné veci, ktoré robíme občas. Čo máš rada? Aké tradície máš rada?
No, myslím, že to pravdepodobne nemá veľa spoločného s tým, čo presne znamenajú, ale napríklad Vianoce. Vianoce boli vždy pre mňa najdôležitejšie rodinné stretnutie. Je to čas stretnúť všetkých, výborné jedlo a príjemný čas, veľa čokolády. Takže to je asi jedna z vecí, ktoré mám najradšej. A potom je to skôr miesto, napríklad náš letný dom — to nemá až tak veľa spoločného s tradíciou, ale vždy sme tam chodili, odkedy som bola dieťa. Tam sa stretávam s príbuznými a je to pre mňa šťastné miesto. Takže áno, sú to skôr miesta a ľudia než nejaké konkrétne tradície.
Ako Fíni, pokiaľ viem, máte veľa rôznych zaujímavých tradícií spojených napríklad s letným slnovratom alebo tak niečo, však?
Áno, áno. Máme všelijaké tradície. Musíš vraj nazbierať sedem rôznych kvetov a dať ich pod vankúš. Potom by si mala snívať o svojom manželovi alebo niečo také. Sú to rôzne naozaj zábavné veci.
Robíme niečo podobné na Slovensku. Ale toto je niečo, čo pravdepodobne, no aspoň podľa mňa, u vás nie je. V našom kalendári má však každý deň meno — volá sa to meniny. Napríklad myslím, že 13. december má meno Lucia. Mladé dievčatá majú napísať mená na papieriky, každý večer jeden spália, a ten, čo zostane, bude manžel tej dievčiny. Takéto veci — lebo viem, že fínske folklór je tiež dosť zaujímavý.
Áno, máme veľa takýchto vecí aj my. Ale ja som to nerobila — myslím, že aj zubná víla máte, hádam, to je medzinárodné. Ale áno, keď to povieš, som si istá, že aj my máme niečo podobné.
Ešte pár otázok k najnovšiemu EP, ktoré predstavuje ‘úsvit’ nového tvorivého cyklu. Čo môžu fanúšikovia očakávať od pripravovaného albumu? A začali ste už na ňom pracovať?
Áno, vlastne sme už celkom v tom procese. Momentálne máme zmapované vokálne aranžmány. Chalani stále pracujú na gitarách a samozrejme na všetkom ostatnom, čo k tomu patrí, a toho je veľa. Sme na ceste, len to ešte chvíľu potrvá. Dúfam, že čoskoro začneme aj nahrávať naplno. Vždy chceme posúvať hranice ďalej, a myslím, že príde niečo zaujímavé. Z mojej strany dúfam, že do nového albumu budem môcť vokálne priniesť viac. Viac zatiaľ prezradiť nemôžem.
Áno, určite, a je mi to jasné. Možno nejaké spolupráce by boli fajn?
Presne tak, áno, určite. O tom sme veľa hovorili, takže naozaj veľmi dúfam, že sa to podarí. Minule s Clementine to bolo naozaj, naozaj skvelé, skladba „Black Butterfly“. Takže by bolo naozaj pekné urobiť ďalšiu spoluprácu.
Takže nič neprezradíš, haha. O pár dní idete na turné do Číny a do ďalších ázijských krajín. Aký to je pocit?
Áno, prvý raz som tam bola v roku 2019. Bola som v Japonsku s Leaves’ Eyes a bol to vlastne nádherný výlet. Teraz idem druhýkrát späť. V Číne som ešte nikdy nebola, takže to bude ďalší ‘odškrtnutý’ bod na zozname. Teším sa na to. Je to tak trochu iný svet — iná kultúra, iné publikum — a vždy je zaujímavé vidieť, aký dav tam bude.
Presne, a keď si tam bola naposledy, vieš porovnať napríklad publikum, reakcie davu, alebo správanie? Lebo napríklad pri Japonsku si vždy predstavím naozaj zdvorilých ľudí, upravených, nie tak divokých ako napríklad v Nemecku, však?
Áno, vlastne o tom niekto hovoril, že turné s inou kapelou prinieslo v niektorých mestách dosť nezvyčajné reakcie — ľudia len rýchlo zatlieskali a potom ticho. Keď som však bola v Japonsku, bolo to naozaj skvelé. Asi záleží na mestách, miestach, možno aj na žánri hudby. Myslím, že to všetko robí rozdiel — kto je tam prítomný. Neznamená to, že si to nevážia, len reagujú inak.
Podľa harmonogramu, budete mať čas trochu preskúmať tie nové miesta?
Áno, viem, že sú to štyri koncerty za sebou, takže to nevypadá, že by sme mali veľa času, ale dúfam, že aspoň trošku. Milujem ázijské jedlo, vieš, sushi a všetko. Takže dúfam, že budem mať čas sa popozerať po okolí.
Iná krajina – znamená to aj iný spôsob prípravy na show, keďže pred týmto publikom stojíte prvýkrát? Budeš sa pripravovať inak?
My vždy prinesieme náš svet na pódium a pozveme ľudí, aby sa k nám pridali. A myslím, že to je všetko, čo môžeš urobiť. Nedá sa to predpovedať. Prinesieš to svoje a ako som už povedala, pre mňa hudba musí hovoriť sama za seba. Niektorí ľudia radšej len počúvajú, iní sa chcú pustiť do moshu. Nemusí to byť vždy len jeden spôsob. Robíš svoje a potom je interakcia s publikom niekedy iná. Uvidíme, bude to zaujímavé.
Sme prakticky na konci a moja posledná otázka je, či môžeš prezradiť viac plánov na rok 2026.
No, momentálne máme pár koncertov naplánovaných — v máji a aj počas leta. Ale naším hlavným cieľom je teraz album. Chceme ho naozaj dokončiť načas. Keď máme každý svoje vlastné životy a povinnosti, musíme si naozaj nájsť čas ísť do štúdia a skutočne to zrealizovať. Takže to bude veľká priorita cez leto. A potom na jeseň, dúfam, budú ďalšie plány na koncerty a všetko ostatné.
Znie to naozaj skvele. Vždy je veľmi zaujímavé čakať na novú hudbu. A mne sa naozaj páči obdobie pred tým, než kapela vydá nový materiál.
Áno, áno. A pre kapelu je samozrejme vždy vzrušujúce vydávať novú hudbu. Teraz máme vonku toto EP a je skvelé hrať tie piesne naživo.
Chcem ti veľmi poďakovať za tvoj čas a za trpezlivosť s mojimi otázkami.
Nie, bolo to naozaj super. Veľmi som si to užila. Naozaj pekné otázky.
Všetko dobré. A bavte sa v Číne.
Ďakujem.
Elina Siirala: ‘I absolutely love seeing fans singing along with me.’
Right before their Chinese tour, hellmagazine.eu had the pleasure to sit with Elina Siirala from Leaves’ Eyes to discuss their latest EP, performances and many more interesting things so let me invite you to read the following lines and have fun with us.
It’s so nice to see you. The tour is over. How are you?
Yeah, I’m good. I caught a bit of a cold, as maybe you can hear, but other than that, all fine.
And have you recovered, you know, from the tour yet? I know it was not a long one this time.
Yeah, it was seven shows and it was really nice, you know, run of release shows for the EP. And as you say, not too long, but very nice. All the shows were really great.
And generally speaking, how old does it take to recover, to, you know, to be relaxed again and so on, and so on after the tour? Because you sometimes play really long tours.
Yeah, it really depends, I have to say, because it depends if you, let’s say, how you were feeling on the tour, if you were ill or not, and then how much sleep you got. Now we’ve got a pretty crazy driving schedule, so not much sleep. So now it’s, and I went straight back to teaching work. So today’s actually my first day off. So then, yeah, I’m still kind of, now I caught a cold as well. So it’s a bit annoying. So maybe I need this weekend and then I’ll be fine again.
That’s really cool to hear. That’s really nice to hear. Anyway, speaking about touring life and life on the road, does it happen to you often so that you, for example, would get sick?
It really depends. The last few shows, sorry, tours, I was not ill, which was great. I mean, you might have a little bit of something, but like to be really, really ill, that was a long time ago now. So I’ve been a bit luckier now with this, which is always great. As a singer, it’s always like the thing, if you get sick, it’s such a nightmare.
I know. And anyways, how do you deal with it if it happens? Is it possible to continue the tour?
I have to knock on the wood again. Up till now, I never had to cancel a show, but I have been singing while very ill and it’s not fun for sure. But I never lost my voice, you know, but it was not optimal.
And I noticed you have a new guitar, well, bass player, actually. Ashok, right?
I mean, he was just filling in for this tour. My partner Dominic, he’s actually just in the next room. He’s playing bass for us, but he was busy with his own band, other bands. So Ashok came in and filled in for these shows. So it was really nice to also have someone actually playing on stage with us. Exactly.
And did you know each other before?
I met him only once very briefly at the Mystic Festival, but Alex knows him much, much longer.
You may have heard how they split Ashok and also the keyboard player with Cradle of Filth. What’s your opinion? Should internal problems inside of the bands be speaking out publicly or not?
Yeah, this is a little bit tricky.
I am asking just because I am really two faced. Because music is one thing and personal relationships, that’s another one. And in this particular case, I was a little bit afraid that it would affect the music itself. And I would feel so sorry for that.
Yeah, that is the thing that it’s also the more, let’s say, it’s of course everyone’s choice. But the more personal things you bring out, then you have to be prepared that people will not be nice. So, it’s something I personally wouldn’t do because I don’t want my personal life to be out there. But, you know, I’m not going to be judging anyone for their own choices. And like, I’m not the one to say what people should do. But yeah, of course, it’s always better to, you know, kind of leave it behind the doors as much as possible. Because it’s better for everyone, I think, in the long run. But, you know, sometimes it’s like this, then people are never, no one’s perfect. And as you said, personal relationships and all these things, they affect so much. It’s impossible to separate it sometimes.
On the other hand, being in a band is, in other words, it’s sort of similar to being in a family. And there are always some arguments in the family, right? So, it’s impossible not to argue, actually.
Yeah, I mean, it is the thing that I think it’s not just a band. It’s every time you have a, let’s say, working community of people, especially creative people together. I think it’s normal, it’s necessary to have some, you know, tension and conflict also. It’s just how you go about it. It’s like any relationship. It’s, you know, important too, it’s not complete harmony all the time. It’s not maybe the best thing. And it’s not truthful, it’s not honest. There needs to be a little bit of spark and, you know, opinions. But then, of course, the balance has to be there. Because otherwise, it’s just going to destroy everything. If it’s only negative things.
So, let’s speak about your new music and the new EP, Song of Darkness. It is also about a medieval Icelandic saga, am I right? So, what drew you, what inspired you to that story? To use that story?
This would be a question for Alex. Because he’s mainly the one who comes up with the concepts for the songs. And he always picks really cool topics. This saga, as you said, is a very famous Icelandic saga about Gisli. It’s about murder, revenge, and all this stuff that’s perfect for his eyes. And maybe you saw the music video. It’s also great to bring this in a visual way. It has a lot of symbolism in the video. It’s a little bit of fantasy, of course. Everything doesn’t always have to be always so exact. And these are stories. But it is a perfect canvas for a song. So, yeah, I think that’s why he was drawn into this topic.
Well, of course, as a classical trained singer, there is precision in your voice, right? But this music is about pure emotions. How do you balance these things?
Yeah, that’s a really interesting question, actually. I would say, for example, if I take an example of the Song of Darkness from the EP, this song has a verse that’s very, very dark and kind of like more low. I sing it completely differently, also technically differently than the chorus. And then the chorus is suddenly quite high, but I’m also not singing it, let’s say, full on powerfully with my operatic voice. So it’s balancing what works for the music, for the song, for the story. And this is definitely not always easy to find. And that’s why we experiment also, of course, in the studio. We tried to find the best way for me to sing it. And also that I want to bring the character out, you know, what needs to be brought out. And sometimes it is difficult because you have a very ethereal voice over very heavy guitars and drums. And how are you going to balance it? So that’s, yeah, as you said, it’s not always easy, but it’s also very cool to find these parts. And one other thing I would add to this is that sometimes it’s tricky because of my voice. We have to really find the perfect ranges for certain places. And sometimes it is difficult. And sometimes another key higher or lower would be optimal, but then the other parts of the song don’t work. So sometimes you have to compromise with this as well and just kind of like find other ways to then go around. And how can we make this work? And yeah, it’s challenging sometimes, but cool, cool work to do.
How much time does it take to get ready to prepare the entire show? You know, to rehearse everything and so on, so on. How much time does it normally take?
Yeah. I mean, now we’re kind of in the swing. So we were playing a lot of the songs for a while. And now we added new songs. So then we, of course, rehearse again. Or if we have another musician joining us, like now Ashok, then we, of course, rehearse. And now we rehearse again. We have a new song with Dominic. But it’s not like you need to start from scratch, you know. You kind of add and then you alter. So it’s like adding a little piece of puzzle there. And then we just keep the machine kind of going. And everyone is, of course, practicing on their own time at home. So, you know, we’re all professionals. And it should be that then we come together and we put it all together. And then it starts to work as a band.
And you personally, how much time does it take to memorize all the lyrics?
This depends a lot. I mean, some songs come easier than others. And one funny thing is that if I have done a music video to the song, it usually helps a lot. Because you have to do it so many times. And you have to remember the lyrics. So then it’s easier to remember them. But, for example, now with Hall of the Brave, it doesn’t have so much text. But it took me a while. I had to really drum the lyrics in my brain. And for some reason, some bits just stick better than others. I don’t know why. Sometimes it’s like even the song I’ve sung a million times and suddenly I just forget. And it’s like, what? It’s a weird thing.
And do you have to refresh the songs that you, for example, I don’t know. Let’s say that there is another, well, the new tour, new music. So, of course, the new songs are fresh. And you remember that because it’s just new. But what about the older songs? Do you have to like, I don’t know, revise the lyrics before?
Yeah, to an extent. Like I said, maybe one. I think there’s like two different kinds of memories. So there’s the one that really goes into the deep memory. And then there’s the short term memory. So, for example, Swords in Rock is one of these songs that I remember when I joined the band 10 years ago. It has a lot of text, like a lot. And I remember I was listening, listening. I was writing the lyrics. I was speaking it. I was singing everything. And it’s so deep in my memory that I think this song is like it almost always just comes. Even if I don’t sing it for a year or something, it’s just there. But then with the others, sometimes I have to, of course, and I have to also sing them again. But yeah, it depends. It depends really a lot.
Do you also use or can you imagine? Well, I haven’t noticed, so probably you don’t. But if you do, then this is really good work. But you’ll tell me. Do you use any kind of screens, you know, where you can read the text or something? I mean, the lyrics?
No, no. I mean, only one time I had to do it because it was like really when I joined the band. I had a song like two days before and I was like, oh, sorry, I won’t be able to. So then I had some papers on the stage just to help me a bit. But it’s really a nightmare for me. I hate it because then you’re like, oh, where am I? And then one time I did a Christmas concert, you know, whatever. And then the sheets just fall off the thing. And I was like, disaster. So I would rather just know by heart. If I absolutely have to then, of course. But I also don’t like this feeling of having to look, you know, look at some paper or whatever.
And what if you forgot, like, you know, one line or some words?
It happens all the time. I love it. Like, I love, I absolutely love seeing the fans singing along with me. And sometimes it happens that I forget and I just sing gibberish, really gibberish just for one line. And then sometimes people look at me confused like, oh, what was that? But, you know, of course it happens. I just keep singing, whatever, just something. And then I get back to the real text. That’s the only way you can do it.
This is probably different because you are evolving and developing the voice and practicing more, rehearsing more and, you know, you name it. But which songs do you find the most difficult, singing-wise, during the concert, during the show?
Just from the technical point of view. Actually, Who Wants to Live Forever is quite difficult to sing the ending. It’s quite high and I have to sing it quite powerfully. So this is one of the maybe sometimes quite straining songs, maybe even if it doesn’t sound like this to a listener. And then maybe also Forged by Fire, it has quite a range to sing. So that’s not an easy song for sure. And Realm of Dark Waves also is quite a majestic song. I kind of have to use all the range. And Song of Darkness is also technically not an easier one. But, you know, it varies in which way, you know. Sometimes it’s one thing that makes it a bit difficult and in another song is totally something different. So this is maybe a little bit, you know, like boring technical stuff. So I’m not going to go into it. But it’s not only just one thing that always makes the song difficult.
Well, the visual side of, well, both shows and studio work. How important is it to you?
I mean, it’s really important. I would say especially, of course, because all the sagas, all the stories are so visual. So you can see it in the videos, all the effort that it’s put into them to bring the stories also in visual form. And that’s what kind of makes the whole package you want to… I know that it all blends together. So, yeah, it’s very important.
Can you imagine performing like wearing sweatpants?
I mean…
Or jeans?
Yeah, like in theory, of course, yes. Like for me, it always is the music ultimately that speaks for it. So it doesn’t really like, for example, Arkona, they didn’t have their stage clothes arriving for the whole tour. So they had to perform in their jeans. So what can you do? I mean, you have to then do it. So it’s not like you can’t do it. But of course, it’s nicer. It gives you this feeling of being in the music more when you have the outfit. I also make my… I sew a lot. So, for example, the skirt I’m wearing now, I made it myself. So it’s cool to also make things and visualize it and be creative in this way.
And also, it’s probably easier to put you into the right mood.
Absolutely. It’s always the thing. You put on your clothes, you put your in-ears and you have a microphone and you start getting in the mood. Absolutely.
Maybe the last thing related to these folk symbols and so on. Because it always reminds me and always makes me think about traditions. Every single country, every single nation might have their own. Which are your favorite ones? Those, you know, traditional things that we do from time to time. What do you like? What kind of traditions do you like?
Well, I mean, it’s probably nothing to do with the actual meaning of, let’s say, Christmas. But I mean, Christmas has always been the ultimate family gathering for me. It’s the time to meet everyone and it’s the dark time of the year. And you have great food and great time, lots of chocolate together. So, this is maybe one of the things I like the most. And then it’s, other than that, it’s maybe a place like our summer house. So, that has nothing to really do with tradition. But it’s like, you know, we always went there since I was a kid. It’s always where I meet my relatives and it was a happy place for me. So, yeah, it’s those things that maybe it’s about the places and people more than the actual, whatever, tradition.
As a Finnish, as far as I know, you have a lot of different or interesting traditions related to certain, I don’t know, like summer solstice or something like that, right?
Oh, yeah, yeah. I can’t even remember the word now. Gosh, there has been way too much. But yeah, in June, we have this thing where we burn the, whatever it’s in English, I don’t know. So, yeah, that’s also, and we have all kinds of traditions. You have to, I think, pick seven different flowers and put them under your pillow. And then you should dream about your husband or something like this. It’s like all kinds of really funny things.
We do something similar in Slovakia. But this is something you probably, well, as far as I know, you don’t have this. But in our calendar, every single day has a name. And we call this tradition name day. For example, I think it’s the 13 December and the name is called Lucia. And we’re supposed to, the young ladies are supposed to wrap up the name written on a piece of paper. And then every single night, they burn one. And the one which is left will be the husband of the lady. You know, these kinds of things, because I know that Finnish folklore is quite interesting. Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, we have a lot of these things as well. But I wasn’t doing so, like, it was all about the, I mean, tooth fairy you also have, I guess. That’s international. But yeah, now that you say that, yeah, I’m sure we also have this.
Still a couple of questions about the newest EP. Which is presenting as the dawn of a new creative cycle. So what can your fans expect from the upcoming album? And have you started working on it yet?
Yes, I mean, we are actually well on our way. We have kind of, kind of, we have the vocal arrangements mapped at the moment. And then the guys are still working on the guitars. And of course, everything else that goes into it, which is a lot. But we are on our way, but it will still take us a little bit of time. I hope we start recording properly soon. And there will be, I mean, we always want to push the boundaries forward. And I think there will be some interesting stuff coming up. Also, from my side, I hope I can again bring more vocally into the new album. Can’t give too much away.
Yeah, for sure. Maybe, what, some collaborations will be cool?
Absolutely, yeah, absolutely. We’ve been talking about it a lot. So I really, really hope it will happen. Last time with Clementine was really, really cool. Yeah, this Black Butterfly. So, yeah, it would be really nice to do another collaboration.
Okay, so you’re not going to reveal anything. In a couple of days, let’s say you’re going to tour China and some more Asian countries. How does it feel?
Yeah, it was my first time ever in 2019. I was in Japan with Leaves Eyes and it was a wonderful trip, actually. And now it’s my second time going back. I’ve never been to China before, so it will be another tick on the list. So, yeah, I’m looking forward to it. It’s kind of like a different, a little bit different world. A different culture, a different audience. And it’s always cool to see how it will be with the crowd there and everything.
Exactly, and the last time you were there, can you compare, for example, the audience, the response of the audience, or maybe the behavior? Because, for example, if you say Japan, Japanese people, I always think of, you know, really polite people, really neat people. And it’s probably not as wild as, I don’t know, somewhere in Germany or so.
Yeah, I mean, someone was talking about this, actually, that they were touring with another band. And in some cities it was kind of, yeah, very unusual reactions that people would just clap quickly and then be quiet. But when I was in Japan, it was not like the crowds were really actually cool. So, I don’t know, maybe different cities, different venues, maybe different kinds of music, maybe also. So, I think it all makes a difference, you know, who were kind of proud. And it doesn’t mean, of course, that they don’t appreciate it, it’s just a different way of reacting.
Judging by the schedule, will you have some time to explore the places a bit?
Yeah, I know, it’s like four shows in a row, so it doesn’t look like we have much time again, but I hope a little bit at least. I love Asian food, you know, sushi and everything. So, I hope I will have time to go around and see.
I see. Does it mean a different preparation for the show since it’s the audience you’re standing in front for the very first time? Are you going to prepare in a different way?
I mean, we will always bring our, you know, our world on stage and invite people to join us. And I think that’s all you can do. You can’t really, like, predict things anyway. So, you bring, and like I said before, for me, the music should speak for itself. So, you know, some people also prefer to listen more and then some people prefer to do a mosh pit. So, it’s not always like it has to be a certain way. You do your thing and then you have the interaction with the audience, sometimes differently, sometimes other ways. So, yeah, we’ll see. It will be interesting.
We’re basically coming to an end and my last question is about if you can reveal more plans for 2026.
Yeah, I mean, it’s at the moment, we have a few shows coming up. We have it in May, during the summer also. But our main focus really is the album now. Like, we want to really finish it on time. And with everyone having their own, you know, lives and stuff, we have to really find the time to go to the studio and actually make it happen. So, I think that’s a big priority over the summer. And then in the fall, hopefully there will be more plans for shows also and everything coming up. So, yeah.
Sounds really great. Yeah, it’s always really interesting to wait for new music. And I really like the period of time before the band is about to release the new music.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it’s always, of course, exciting for a band to release new music. Now we have this EP out and it’s great to play the songs live.
I want to really thank you so much for your time. And for the patience with my questions.
No, it was really cool. I really enjoyed it, actually. Really nice questions.
All the best. And have fun in China.
Thank you.
