Lucem Fero | Interviews | Sonata Arctica

“Paid In Full” - Sonata Arctica keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg dreams success for fifth studio album Unia

By Anthony Morgan

Notching up credits in the likes of Silent Voices, Requiem and Mandrake Root, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg joined Finnish stalwarts Sonata Arctica in late 2002 following the departure of erstwhile member Mikko Härkin. Aware of the man's abilities, the group's decision to recruit the ivory tinkler rest upon his personality. Legendary German Metal label Nuclear Blast Records signed the band in late 2003 given Sonata Arctica's rightful reputation to question musical boundaries. August 23^rd 2004 saw the band garner yet another Finnish number one single in the form of “Don't Say A Word”, followed by a European supporting slot in the wake of fourth effort Reckoning Night for none other than Nightwish. With a decade's worth of memories firmly under their belt, Sonata Arctica now wish to take things a stage further.

Fifth album Unia will see the light of day in late May 2007. Named after the Finnish word for “dreams”, frontman Tony Kakko chimed in with a few words regarding Unia. Hailing the album, Kakko described the opus as “the most versatile Sonata album yet, more hooky, heavier in many ways, beautiful melodies, bigger production... like soul food!” The album was recorded in several studios throughout Finland. Mixing was once again handled by Mikko Karmila at the Finnvox Studios, while Bjorn Engelmenn mastered the album at the Cutting Room in Sweden. Upping the ante, a global tour plans to take them into depths of highs and lows the band has yet to witness.

Henrik Klingenberg kindly discussed the many aspects of Unia, his own projects and various related subjects with Lucem Fero in a lengthy telephone discussion. Shedding light on many recent topics, the keyboardist proved charming and down to earth.

Could you tell me about how Unia came about?
Yeah sure. It began when Tony started writing a bunch of new material, and we heard some demos. After the tour we had a short break, and following this we went to the place in the woods for one month; we just started to play the songs and similar such things. Afterwards we had a few weeks off, and then went into the studio and just hammered away basically.
Was that Studio 57 in the woods?
Yep aye.
Could you tell me about that, and how you recorded your parts etc.?
We started with the drums and bass in Tico-Tico, adding the keyboards, guitars and other parts afterwards. This time we used a lot of different studios; I recorded my keyboard bits at home for the most part, while Tony recorded some keyboards at home and most of his vocals there also. Jani went down to Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki because he wanted to work with Nino Laurenne who's the guitarist in Thunderstone - he's a really good engineer on the guitar sound. We wanted the guitar sound right, and Jani wanted to go there.
How do you feel about recording your parts at home?
At home (laughs)? When you record at home you can record in the middle of the night for example, or whenever you wish. Personally, I like working at nighttime, though in the studio we usually work during the days; if I record during the daytime I get less work finished. I'm really happy I have the equipment to record my parts at home, because if you're bored you can watch a movie and have a break. You can also eat food when you're hungry and nobody has to wait for you.
Is it hard to motivate yourself then if you record your parts at home?
Yeah, I just put my bits on computers. Usually the way we do it is I record some parts and send it over to Tony via email. It's then sent to the other three, it's checked, we make changes, and then we're done.
Why did you use different studios for each part to record the album?
The guitar situation was due to the fact we generally wanted a different guitar sound, while we usually use Tico-Tico Studios so we recorded the bass and drums there. Of course me and Tony like to record at home. Then there was this studio in Kokkola where I live which we used for the string playing for the last song - all the string players lived in Kokkola so there was no point in having them travel across the country. It was easier as I was there already, and Tony came with me to hear them play. The guy who owns the studio is a friend of mine, and he has a great Hammond organ there so...
Do you feel it's bit of a disadvantage recordings your part separately?
Well, umm...no not really. With this technology it's easy to track it and do whatever. Of course when we started meeting and heard it all back for the first time, we thought “Waoh! what's going on there?” with some songs. I don't think there's any disadvantage with that though.
Were you more involved in writing the keyboard parts for this one than the last album?
Yeah. The way we work is Tony makes demos, we listen to the demos with the band, and then we learn to play the songs. Some material he writes is ok as it is, while with some other material we feel “Ok. this doesn't quite work. Change this, this and that.” With all the solos, organ parts and similar such things it's open to do whatever we like.
How would you describe your personal contribution to this album then?
My own contribution? Well, we all worked pretty hard on the arrangements together for one month. Afterwards we used some of Tony's keyboards from the demos, and the rest I just played - I worked on the solos. So, arranging and composing solos; that's my contribution.
Tony said that Queen was an influence on the album. Did you have any particular musical influences for your contributions to the album?
Well no, not any different than before. When I started playing Rock music I was really influenced by Jon Lord (Deep Purple) and Kevin Moore of Dream Theater - Jens Johansson (Stratovarius / ex-Yngwie Malmsteen / ex-Anders Johansson) is a huge influence regarding solos. It's basically the same music that influenced me the most when I began playing; in the organ parts there's some Jon Lord, while in the solo parts there's definitely Moore and Johansson.
Is there anything particular you like about those keyboard players then?
Yeah. I like Johansson's approach to solos because it's really musical - it's not just technically difficult but actually it's really melodic. With Jon Lord I really like the way he uses organ as a compliment to the guitar, which is something I've been trying to learn as well.
Do you feel your chemistry with the band has come a long way since Reckoning Night?
Yeah. We did around 160 shows and toured for almost two years, so therefore became much tighter as a band and also learnt to know each other a little bit better. Some of Tony's songwriting has progressed as well. I'm just happy that we as a band can step up and actually do the songs, because sometimes it was pretty hard.
Do you feel that you knowing the band longer has benefited the album?
Yeah I think so. When I started with the band, I came straight into the Winterhearts Guild tour which was short. Following that we did Reckoning Night - I think all that was basically a learning process mainly for me and Tony on how to work together, because we are both pretty different keyboard players. He also plays a lot of keyboards. I think on this album we are finding the balance more so with the best parts I can do and the best parts he can do; that is something we have been working on a lot, and I think it worked pretty good on the album.
You said that Tony is a different style of keyboardist. Do you feel both your styles compliment each others?
Yeah they do, and that's something we've been working on the most. It's interesting because I did the Classical thing and then Dance for a couple of years before I went into Metal, so I have that technical background. He's never taken a lesson though and just started playing and writing songs, so we have a completely different approach. I think that's a great strength.
Is there a reason you went from Classical to Metal?
Yeah there is, as I played Classical for around 10 years. I eventually realised that if I wanted to make a living from this I would have to practically play more (laughs), and so I didn't want to do that, and then I wrote some Jazz a little bit. I was listening to, not always, but when I was older I discovered AC/DC, and Metallica and other such groups. Finally when Dream Theater came along I found out I could actually play Metal which has something more than just holding down chords, and I could actually play keyboard leads and similar things. That's when I started playing that kind of style.
So you like a bit of everything do you?
Yeah (laughs)!
Do you feel this is more of a band effort than the last CD?
Yeah definitely. With the last one I think we had roughly three songs ready when we went into the studio, and every morning Tony would come in with some really rough demos. We just played whatever because there was not too much time to work out your part or do something fantastic. On this one we heard the demos beforehand, and then practiced for a month - we had all the songs ready before the studio, and that's the way bands usually work. I think the main reason we did it this way was because prior to this, the Wintersheart Guild tour was roughly 50 shows which is really short. As a consequence Tony didn't really get into that writing mode; he had to come up with songs in a hurry, and was a bit late for that. After Reckoning Night we toured for two years, and even one year into the tour he already started writing songs. That's why I think we did it this way - of course we discussed it as a band a lot, and this is definitely the way we wish to do it in the future. We'll give Tony time to write the songs, as I think it works better that way.
Is the band going to write more material for the next album?
I don't know. As long as Tony writes as good material as he does usually, then I don't think there's any reason to start writing.
Do the band get frustrated at times because they don't contribute to the songwriting as much as Tony?
Yeah, but the thing is if we would write a Sonata tune it would always be one album late, because Tony's mind wonders into weird directions. In order to have an album that can carry as a whole with a great thread to hold the songs, we should really be on the same page. If he's been working on something for a year at home then, more often than not, it'll probably be something different than what we would work out. At least for now, I think it's better to have one guy doing all the writing.
So the band is open to exploring other directions in the future?
Yeah, Tony's always been open and says “If you got some songs bring them in and we'll check them out”. I haven't really been in that though as I have other projects that I write with, and when I write they're a very different style. Obviously for Sonata this album is a bit different. If I wrote a song for Sonata I would have to get as close to Tony as possible, because otherwise it wouldn't make the album. I'm basically ok with this, and I think the other guys are also.
Sometimes the impression is it's Tony's band, though I don't know if that's true or not.
Yeah well, basically, that's the truth (laughs). When you have the songwriter who sings and plays parts of the keyboards, you can pretty much say it's his band. I think though the overall sound is the result of the four other guys playing too, and it would sound different if somebody else did it. Tony though, he's the mastermind.
Is everyone in the band ok with that, Tony largely doing that?
Yeah sure, otherwise we would do something else.
Fair enough. Could you tell me what the new album title Unia means to you personally?
Yeah well, you know it's the Finnish word for “dreams” right?
Yeah I know that.
Personally it means... well you're going to understand when you see the booklet at some point.
The booklet?
Yeah. For me it means right now, because all of us are living the dream at the present. We also have future goals that we wish to realise, though right now we're in a really happy place.
So you're living your dreams and would like to expand upon them?
Yeah, exactly.
How did that album title come about?
Well there was a different name, but then sort of the same.
What was that old name then, do you know? Or you can't reveal it?
No I can't say that (laughs), but that was something you get an association with. Tony just came up with this title which basically means the same. We already had the artwork done, and then we changed the name to something that'd end up complimenting the artwork, and I'm not talking about the artwork that will surface inside the booklet. That's why we changed the name; the earlier name was almost the same but it worked in a different way.
But you still can't reveal it?
Yeah, well it would have worked also, but..
Well can you reveal it or not? Could you tell me the name?
No (laughs).
Well that's ok, I just wanted a definitive answer on that. Could you tell me how this album is more progressive than the last one?
Yeah, I think it is. It all started with Tony's songwriting because he was getting partially bored of just writing these fast, simple songs. As a result he began writing and these are the kind of songs that came out. The first time we heard the demos we thought “well we're not entirely sure about this”, though when we started playing them together as a band we realised “hey this is gonna be real cool”.
Are they harder to play live these more progressive songs?
Yeah, as long as it's not too much I think it's also good for us. We're going to tour with this record for a couple of years. It's nicer to have something a little more challenging to play as it keeps us on our toes and keeps things interesting for us as well.
Do you if Tony's going to venture in the same direction with future material, and go even more progressive? Or not?
I don't know, he might. I don't think we're ever going to be a really really crazy progressive band, but I definitely don't think it's gonna be much simple or much more simple than this one. Ok, this is a wild guess here but I don't think that the change from this album to the next one is gonna be as big as the jump from Reckoning Night.
So you haven't spoken to Tony about anything?
No, there were some songs actually left over from the album because we didn't have time to finish them.
Are you going to use them anywhere?
Yeah, we're going to use those when we get them done. There were just parts of songs - we decided which songs we're going to work with, but we were running out of time. Probably we're going to release an EP in the middle of the tour.
Does this planned EP have a name?
No, though we know we have the songs and will finish them.
So there's no working title or anything like that?
No nothing like that.
Do they sound like the songs on the album then?
Yeah, some of them. They're pretty much in line with the album.
So they're complimentary to the album?
Yeah basically.
Could you tell me in what way this album is a new beginning of sorts?
Yeah it is because there are no really fast songs on the album, which is the main difference. One thing that we also wanted to do was escape the sound of the earlier material. We wished to make softer, more organic sounds and not this machine like “Click click click” type of sound - we wanted to take one step closer to music.
You don't like that machine sound do you?
Well it works on some tracks, though if we used that kind of sound on these songs I don't think it would've worked.
Do you use this machine sound in your music that much?
Depends on the music. I got a Thrash band, and for that it works real well (laughs).
Did the band feel the need to reinvent themselves with this record?
Yeah. I think we are not that old yet as a band and as people, so it's a bit too early to just start doing the same thing over and over again.
Like AC/DC?
Ok, yeah exactly, though for AC/DC it works. We are too early into our career to start playing it safe - we are young enough to change. As a band we are now about 10 years old, so we are not getting too wrinkly or old (laughs).
So you think it's a good thing to change?
Yeah of course. I don't think for example Dream Theater would be the band they are today if they wouldn't have changed along the way. I think it's healthy to try to do new stuff.
Could you tell me in what way this new album surpasses the past albums?
Well we're better players now - the songs are better, and so is the sound. Of course there's a lot of stuff from the earlier albums that we really like a lot, and we're going to play them live as well anyway. It's not like it's a very diverse record like some other bands do.
So it's just an extension?
Yeah exactly, it's just an extension.
Do you feel this is the band's most versatile album?
Yeah. There are more than dynamics on this one; when it's heavy, it's really heavy, and when it's soft, it's really soft. We also got Peter Engberg doing slide guitar and all kinds of weird string instruments etc. Yes, I think it's more than dynamics and soundwise it's more wide.
So there's a much bigger range then?
Yeah exactly.
Do you feel Bjorn's mastering of the album is particularly strong?
The mastering?
Yeah, the mastering and mixing?
Yeah, we used Mikko Karmila who we've used before. This time though we told him that we want to get away from the machine like sound, and he replied “Finally!” (laughs). Mikko was happy about that as well. With the mastering we also wanted to try a different thing, as our usual masters have been really compressed, like really in your forehead in some ways. I've never been at the Cutting Room before, but we knew this real good guy called Bjorn Engelmenn who's amazing. We took our shit with us and went there for two days and mastered it with him. I think it sounds great.
Are you going to use the Cutting Room again?
I think so yeah, at least for me anyway. When I talked to the guys they were also happy with the sound. Probably it'll be mastered the same.
I heard the band were unhappy with the mixes on older albums?
Yeah, well that's kind of true (laughs).
Was there a reason for that?
Well I think there were many reasons. One problem was the guitar sound because Jani wanted to have some say about the sound, though the engineer who recorded it tried something a little bit different, then the mixing guy tried to do something different as well. Basically if you got three guys pulling in different directions you end up having shit. On this album Jani and Nino worked really well together, and also Mikko understood it this time and didn't fuck with that.
Is Jani going to work with Nino again for future material?
I don't know, though probably. It's up to him really, as now we're at a point where we can record wherever we like or almost wherever we like (laughs) but within reason. Yeah I would say probably.
Could you tell me about your favourite track on the album?
Well there's some good shit everywhere.
Do you have a favourite track on the album?
Well it changes everyday. “It Won't Fade” and “The Swan”, or “Fly with the Black Swan” or whatever it's called, are probably my two favourites at the moment.
Is there a reason why?
They're progressive but not that progressive. Also I like the heavy kind of beat - it's not too fast but still it's not a ballad.
How would you describe your parts on those songs that you said are currently your favourites?
Well basically there's orchestral parts and a little bit of bells. In “Fly with the Black Swan” there's this solo which was probably the hardest part for me on the album - the background solo part was tricky. I worked on this for a couple of days for fifteen minutes every day just trying to figure out what I wanted to play, which was the hard part. Then I got some ideas and got it done. Coming up with that solo was the hardest part for me on the album.
Is it difficult to come up with stuff then?
Otherwise no; that was the only thing I had a problem with (laughs). Usually when we have solos the backgrounds are fairly simple, and so you just listen to the background a couple of times, figure out in your mind how a good solo would sound and then just play it.
So it's usually a smooth process then?
Yeah, it's really easy. You just put the recording on loop and just blast and blast away until at some point you discover “that's it. That's the chords” I just have to repeat.
Do you like to be challenged more on certain songs then?
Sometimes it's good. If it's overwhelming of course then you get depressed. I like to have to work because I'm a comfortable kind of guy (laughs), so it's really good if someone throws you off your comfort zone and you have to sharpen up. Yeah I really do like that.
Could you tell me why “Paid in Full” was chosen as the first single?
We didn't want to have a ballad as the first single. From our point of view that's a song which is the most approachable one.
Is there a reason why you didn't want a ballad as the first single?
Yeah, because that gives people a completely wrong impression of the album. If you start out with a slow song, then people might think the whole album is like that.
So you feel the song is a good representation of the album then?
Yeah, in some way. It's hard because this album has all kinds of different things there, so it's hard to pick one song that'd be really good. The first single I feel has to be something that is somewhat catchy and somewhat approachable. “Paid in Full” works well for that.
Do you think this one will get to number one in Finland then?
I hope so. We've been at number three and number two, so there's only one place left. You never know though.
Do you think it has the potential?
Yeah I do think it has the potential. With chart positions it's not as much about the new album as it is about the previous one - if we were selling well everywhere then everyone would go out and buy the new album as soon it is released just to check it out. I'm holding my thumbs up, so hopefully we can get the top position on the album chart.
So you're more focused on the album charts as opposed to the singles charts?
I don't really care that much about the charts - if it goes well in the charts then I'm happy, though if it doesn't then that doesn't matter. I hope the Finnish people embrace this of course, as we like to sell records or otherwise we wouldn't put a new one out. The charts are relative, depending a lot on what is being released that week.
Could you tell me what the lyrics are about on “Paid in Full” then?
Well, I have no clue (laughs) actually. Tony doesn't really like to explain his lyrics.
Could you tell me your interpretation of the lyrics?
Well I would say there's a Classical kind of story going on there. I haven't really had time to check through the lyrics for the album yet though because we've been practicing the songs.
Could you tell me about the video for the song?
We were doing this with one company, and then became really behind schedule. I phoned them up as I hadn't heard from them in a few days, and they said “Yeah we can't do it” so I was in deep shit as I had said I'd take care of this. I thought of the guy who had made this video I knew, phoned him and said “We're in deep shit, I have this much money and this little time” blah blah blah. I asked if he could help me out, and he replied “Yeah sure, just send over the song.” We were going to use footage from the studio, and then we had footage from when we were warming up for the Nightiwsh DVD show in Helsinki - we were going to put something good together with that but then that fell apart. I talked to the director, and then we thought “Fuck it, let's do a proper video.” We just picked a date and went out onto the ice in Kemi, got some dynamite and then had some quick explosions - basically it's just a plain video. The scenery is really great, and reflects nature - wide, white open nature, which I think is something which is a big part of our music anyway with our kind of style.
So it was pretty hectic trying to get a video together then was it?
Yeah it was. We started a bit late - I'd asked in the Autumn about the project and when we can do it, yet I didn't get a reply.All of a sudden it was “Where's the video?”, which is usually how it goes. We did one day of shooting, and then the editing etc. was done. We like the video.
Does it have a particular theme this video?
No, it's just bombs, ice and dynamite (laughs). That's basically it.
Are there any other videos planned?
Not at the moment. We're going to do a second video at some point. but I have to talk with the label about that.
Is there a song you'd personally like for the second video?
I'm not sure.
If you had to choose one?
Not at the moment. We're going to do a second video at some point. but I have to talk with the label about that.
So you wouldn't be able to choose one which you'd personally like then?
Personally I would like “Fly with the Black Swan” which would be a cool song for a video. We have to talk about this with the guys though, and there's a couple of other ones also that we could use.
Is there a reason you would personally like that one?
I think it would be good to have a second video which is a little weirder, and which'll show another side of the album.
Could you tell me how the band came to do Gary Moore for “Paid in Full”'s B-side?
We usually do some covers. Somebody, in fact I don't even remember who it was actually, said “We should do this one, it's a good song” and we thought “Yeah sure”. Actually we worked out the guitars and drums for the song like one year earlier or something - we didn't have time to finish it so we just let it be. Later we then found “Ahh, we still have this track”, so I just put the keyboards on and then Tony sang. That was it.
Do you like Gary Moore and Thin Lizzy?
Yeah I like Gary Moore a lot. His guitar solos on the heavier stuff is really great, and he has really good melodic solos.
How would you describe the band's cover of the song?
We didn't change all that much, and basically just played the song through. I don't think we did anything amazing (laughs) there, but it sounds pretty alright to me.
Could you tell me why Jani isn't joining the band on tour?
In Finland you have to do the military, civil service or jail. He has been messing around with that, so he's still unclear about how he's going to do it though he can't leave the country before he gets that done.
How long does he have to do that for then?
That depends on what he does. If he does civil service, he does one year, or if he does military or jail it's one. The reason he can't continue the US tour is because we started to apply for the visa and he doesn't have a passport right now.
He's got in trouble or something?
Yeah it's a shitty situation, but there's really nothing much we can do about it right now.
So there isn't any chance of him joining the band back on tour this year?
At the end of the year maybe, at the earliest - it depends on when he starts doing his duties. I haven't spoken to him in a couple of weeks; actually I think I haven't spoken to him since after we did the video. I really don't know what's going on. We just told him “get your shit together and then we'll talk.”
He's been involved in drugs or something similar has he?
No he doesn't do drugs.
I was just wondering what this “shit” was.
Just being lazy and fucking it up basically (laughs). You get offered this service for the first time when you're 18.
It's mandatory is it?
Yeah exactly.
And he doesn't want to do it?
No probably. He hasn't done anything about it, but everybody else has done it. The other guys went to the army, I did the civil service.
Did you like the civil service?
Yeah. At the time I had a big problem with the authorities because I just didn't like people telling me what to do. I was in the library for a couple of months which was cool as I could kip and read all day (laughs).
Did you learn anything about yourself as a human being when you did your civil duties then?
I don't know, but when you read for several months you obviously learn something about some subject. I got some time to think of what I really wanted.
And that helped you?
Yeah.
Could you tell me how Elias was chosen for the tour?
It was basically between him and another guy. When we found out about this Jani situation, what he's in trouble with and heard he can't come to the shows, we had these two guys come up to Kemi. We played, and Elias was the one that was better suited for our style. We've been practicing with him, and it sounds great as he's an amazing player and a nice guy. We'll see his true personality when we get on the road.
Will Jani be able to do the Finnish shows?
No, not the shows we have right now.
So he won't be able to do any in Finland then?
He's not going to do any shows whatsoever.
How does it feel playing with Elias instead of Jani?
It's a bit different that's for sure. It's weird because when you look over to the side you're used to seeing Jani, and then there's this other guy there (laughs). He fits in reallty well though, and he plays the songs the exact way they should be. Musically it's not a problem at all, and it's been refreshing to play with someone else for a change.
But he's definitely temporary isn't he?
Yeah, for the time being he is now taking care of the duties. We'll see what happens in the future.
So you're not going to sack Jani then are you?
Not at this moment. The whole situation is really confusing; the only thing I know for sure is that we have a band that can tour and will tour. Jani has some issues, and then when he's done with that we'll..
Then you'll come to a decision is it?
Yeah exactly.
Could you tell me why you keep a few side projects?
I like to do different kinds of stuff. When we're not on tour I get bored really easy, so I'd rather play music and have a few beers than just sit at home.
Does that help to keep things fresh in Sonata then?
Yeah. It really helps to play with different people and play different kinds of music, as you always learn new things. There's a lot of stuff I've learnt in Silent Voices for example that I could use in Sonata, and also some stuff I learnt while touring with Sonata I could use in Silent Voices. I think it's all good. When I joined the band I asked Tony about this, and he said “If we don't have any work you can do whatever the fuck you like”. I said “Yeah. Cool. I will (laughs).”
Do your side projects influence your musical influences with Sonata in terms of your parts?
Yes, with some stuff. The influences come from playing with other people, though I don't think it influences me that much because I've been playing for so long. Now if I go out and play Jazz, I don't think you'll hear somebody else's stuff in Sonata just because of that.
Could you tell me about Graveyard Shift?
That was something where once again, me and Jani had been drinking when we was bored. So we decided we should do something like Strapping Young Lad (laughs), and then did a demo with just a drum machine and so on. Nobody wanted to give us any money though to go into the studio with a real drummer. We actually started to work on a second demo and did a few songs, but then it just vanished into the sand.
Are you going to do anything with that second demo then?
Umm... no.
So you're not going to put them online?
No I don't think so.
How has reception been towards the first demo?
That demo? The first one? I have no idea - some people like it and some people didn't, but we didn't really send it out. We sent it out to a few labels, and they felt “Umm, I don't know about this.” We haven't been playing it that much to people.
Are you still going to try getting labels to sign it?
Umm, no not at the moment.
Going to leave it there are you?
Yeah. It was one demo, it was fun and that's it for me now.
So none of that material will resurface in Sonata?
No.
Did you name the band after the Stephen King short story?
Graveyard Shift?
Yeah.
No. The idea came from the graveyard shift which is usually for example if you're driving a cab. Graveyard shift is the one that starts in the middle of the night, and we thought it was a graveyard shift from our day job.
Is there a reason why you chose that name?
That was the reason, nothing bigger than that. We needed some names, and that just came up.
Were there any other names you were thinking of?
Not really.
Could you tell me about some of your other side projects, like Mental Care Foundation?
Mental Care Foundation was something we formed in 2003. I just came off my first Sonata tour, and I had nothing to do. We just started drinking and playing Pantera covers, and Slayer too. We then began writing songs, and did our first album Alcohol Anthems which we put that out on Low Frequency Records. Some years later we wanted to do a second one. I called this guy up at the label and he replied “Yeah, but nobody is buying this stuff” blah blah blah to which I said “Ok. We'll do something on our own then.”
How's reception been towards those albums?
The first one had pretty ok feedback, but nothing overwhelming. This next one though which we paid for ourselves has had pretty good feedback actually.
Do you have anything for a possible third album?
We will eventually make a third album. I just did one with Sonata, so I'm not sure when it's going to happen. We are still also trying to get someone to distribute the second album because we just paid for it ourselves, and we have to get our money back somehow. Eventually there will be a third one. My other side project, my first real band, Silent Voices, are going into the studio in May.
Could you tell me about that? Have you got any songs written?
We got some songs written, but we are not hurrying to try and get everything done in time.
Could you tell me about those songs?
Don't expect it to come from the Building Up the Apathy album, as I think it's not going to be as fast as that album. The songs will be pretty long I guess, and more progressive and crazier maybe.
Is there a reason you want to go in that direction?
I don't know. It just seems that all the bands I'm working with right now are going in a more difficult direction (laughs). I don't mind.
But you still like the challenge don't you?
Yeah. When you learn to play basic stuff you want to try something harder.
Do you have a working title for this album in May?
No. We have no song titles or no working titles.
Do you have a tentative release date?
No. We start recording in May, but I have to do some promotion for Sonata so I will not be there from the beginning. I'm going to record my keyboard parts during the summer, and then if we're lucky we're going to get it out by the end of the year.
Could you tell me your biggest memory as part of Requiem?
Well, there are a lot of basic memories there (laughs). The first thing that comes to mind was when we were warming up for Sonata at a place called Luttako in Jyväskylä. That was like six months before I joined Sonata and it was funny. We had a lot of good times. I think I went to four rehearsals, played ten shows and did two albums, so it was a bit weird.
So if you didn't play with Requiem you wouldn't have heard of Sonata?
Probably not, because I didn't know Sonata from before and the reason why I checked them out on the internet and found out about Mikko leaving was because we had warmed up for them. I thought “Oh, what are these guys doing now?” and found “Oh, they're looking for a keyboard player.” Nice you know.
I heard when you auditioned it came down to your personality.
Yeah it did - it was me and again another guy. They knew that we both could play, so that was not a problem. Obviously we played anyway for the audition, and we had some drinks, played some songs and then went up to the bar.
Were you nervous?
Erm no. Tony phoned up and said “Ok, do you want to come for an audition in a couple of weeks?” which was ok, so I just learnt as many songs as I could and went there.
Did you really want to get in the band, or not? Or was it just another audition?
Yeah. My main worry was to get to the audition, and when I got it I was thinking “Ok, this might work out”. I really wanted to join the band, otherwise I wouldn't have gone.
Did you learn anything musically from your time with Requiem?
The composers were a bit weird so I got to play all kinds of crazy shit (laughs), and it was happy. I think I learnt little things here and there, and technically it was kind of challenging. It was fun as well.
I heard they broke up last year. Were you sad to hear about that, or not?
Well, it didn't really matter to me because I wasn't in the band anymore.
I thought you might still be friends with them?
Yeah I'm still friends with the guys. The reason why I left was because the guitar player was a jackass - I told him “You're an asshole and I don't want to work with you.”
What's that? Which one was that (laughs)?
(laughs) It's Teemu. Teemu Hänninen. I told him “I can't work with you.”
Is there a reason why you couldn't work with him? I know you said he's a jackass, but could you expand on why he's a jackass basically?
It was just hard to work with him, and impossible basically.
A perfectionist or something is he?
No. Perfection is not a problem, it's never a problem.
Personality clash then?
Yeah exactly.
Just didn't get on whatsoever really?
Yeah. Everybody else I could get along with, and then after I left the band they fired him as well later on. The rest of them realised that was basically the problem.
Could you tell me when you thought you wanted to be a musician?
Well I started with Classical and I think I began playing when I was 8 years old. When I got to roughly 18 I realised I didn't make a living off it, so I'd had enough. I've been trying to do that for a couple years, and then when finally I joined Sonata it now became possible.
So you've been pursuing that for a long time then have you?
Yeah. I was in bands for roughly ten years before Sonata, so.
How did family and friends react when you told them you want to be a musician?
Well my parents were always saying “You should try and think of a decent job” blah blah blah, though basically I don't care what other people think: I have my own life.
They thought it was a phase did they?
Yeah, though I have to make it the way I want it.
Is your family supportive these days?
Yeah, now it's ok. I can afford to pay the rent and make a decent living.
Could you tell me which musicians you idolised when you was starting out?
Yeah, it was those I said earlier..
Jon Lord..
Jon Lord, Kevin Moore and Jens Johansson. Metallica was really huge for me obviously (laughs) - they're the greatest band ever. I then got into Pantera and so on, and then I found Meshuggah and all kinds of things.
Were there any particular singers you looked up to?
Devin Townsend is really amazing, especially on Steve Vai's Sex and Religion album. That's particularly great.
Would you like him to produce a Sonata album or something?
I don't know.. it'd be fun.
Would you approach the idea to the band?
The way we work now is we pretty much work everything out and produce it ourselves. It seems to have been working really well so we haven't really talked about using any producer.
Alright, but you're still open to other..
I'm open to all kinds of ideas, but maybe we should talk about that with the band at some point.
Could you tell me what your early influences taught you as a musician?
When you listen to something you like, you just pick the good bits from there. I like to listen to a lot of music too, though I don't get really influenced. Also, everything you do in life really influences your playing as well.
Is there anything outside of music that has particularly influenced your playing?
Everything influences me - everything that happens in life influences your personality, and I just think of my playing as an extension of who I am. Taking shit will influence me in some way.
So your personal life influences your music as well?
Yeah exactly.
Where would you personally like to take your career in the coming years?
Personally? A fusion album, something like Dance Rock, would be cool to do as side project Other than that I'm just waiting to get on tour again.
So you still see yourself with Sonata in a few years?
Until the day I die if it was up to me (laughs). As long as the music is great as it is then there's no problem.
Are there any particular goals you've had for awhile that you've yet to achieve?
Well there's millions of things. The next thing I would like to do is tour more in the States and start work up there. In the UK meanwhile we only played a couple of festivals so we're going to start trying to tour with bands over there as well. We'll see what happens.
Well if you're in the UK, come to Cardiff in Wales.
(laughs) Well it's not as much up to me, but hopefully.
Well whoever it is, tell them from me..
Yeah ok (laughs).
Could you tell me what you're realistically capable of achieving in the coming years?
I don't like to think of things too realistically (laughs), but basically we're making a living of it now and I think if we just work hard it's going to stay that way. We just want to move up and play a little bit bigger venues, and also there's places we haven't been too like Australia; it would be really cool to go there.
Are there any plans to tour Australia?
Yeah there plans to do that. We will do it on this tour, and I'm really excited about that. Other than that, when you get the album done you just start to work it out - you got to get out there, play shows and see what happens.
Are there any plans to take it to the next stage then?
Actually yeah. On the European tour we already have some more stage things, like big ramps to run around on and things like that. We are taking it to the next level and hopefully it'll work out.
Do you think Sonata are capable of doing that? Do you think they're ready for the next level?
Sorry we haven't come to the UK before, though on the Fall of the European tour we're coming to London. Unfortunately we can't go anywhere else at this point, but show up and we will be back.
Well that's no good, you have to come to Cardiff (laughs).
(Laughs). So we better work on that.
Nobody comes to Cardiff.
Well ok, that doesn't sound too good.
Ok, thanks for the interview.
Ok no problem.
I'm sorry for rambling on so long.
That's ok.
Alright. Thanks very much, and good luck with the band and everything, and your personal projects. Ok bye.
It's cool. Bye.