grudzień 2007

czarnycharakter

How does it feel to play here in Joensuu?
- This is the most important and dearest gig in this leg of tour, definitely. It's like home ground to play in Joensuu. Eeven we are from Kitee, half of Kitee population and my whole family are coming to see us which puts up an extra charge. I hope it won't be too much.

How has the tour been until now? You have quite a long leg in the USA behind already.
- Well, we haven't managed screwing up a single gig yet. Perhaps gigs have been little varying but mainly very good and the trend has been upwards all the time. Anette is getting better into the band every day, gaining self-confidence and easing it up, so this looks excellent!

How did the gig go yesterday in Oulu, was it the first in Finland?
- We had two gigs in Levi before that, yesterday we were in Oulu, that was the best we have done until now, in my opinion, I hope today will be even better and - I know it will!

Tell me about Anette. How has she adapted herself in the band an how has she taken the tight schedule?
- Considering the size of the boots for her to fill she's been doing excellent job. Everything is new to her, she couldn't know how it will be on the road, sleeping in a bus, the awful hassle and hurry all the time, it became a little shock for her but she has been coping very well with it. She has also been sick, which is always a sad thing to cope with, because when we stay five weeks on a bus and one will get a virus, then it'll circulate through everyone. Us musicians in the line are able to play even when sick, but for the singer it'll be a different problem. It has been stressing her the most like right now she's not here but in the hotel having some rest because she had a slight fever.

I've been told that you area Christmas person, what does Christmas mean to you?
- I am a Chrismas person indeed. I like Chrismas an awful lot. I can somehow cut out all the commercial hassle out of it. For me it is magic time for calming down in peace.

How are you going to spend your own Chrismas?
- Among my family in my own house. It'll be very traditional Christmas including all clichés like sauna, food and presents.

Another question, while this is a home-gig, so to say, how are you going to spend your time after the gig? When are you going to move to the next city? Do you have time to do any basic things with friends?
- Right after the gig we will chill down here for a while, then I heard there is an official afterparty at Kimmeli where our friends' band will be playing. We will go there to spend the night and tomorrow the tour will be heading to Jyväskylä where we will play on Friday.

About the new CD. It has got an extremely great reception, and even the bar was set high, all expectations seem to have been fulfilled. How do you as the composer feel about everything?
- I think it is almost incredible how well people have taken the new record. We were confident from the beginning that Anette is good and the CD is good but the fact that the CD has taken off so well was a big surprise to us and that it has now sold over 600 000 copies only in two months - I can't comprehend... but it feels extremely good, encouragign and flattering.

Is it too early to ask when there will be a new record...
- This tour will last till August or September 2009, then making songs, going to studio... most likely we can't release a new CD earlier than in 2010.

For the last, how are you going to last all touring until 2009?
- Mmyeah, I can't do anyhting in my life but music and I don't want to do anything else. Sometimes it will be harder, sometimes not so hard and inbetween it'll be awesome! The tour has been cut in cycles: five weeks touring, then a week or two back home for rest. We will take care of each others - and hopefully we will last through.