KORPIKLAANI

"When you write in Finnish you get a lot more critical"

(Fall 2005)

www.korpiklaani.com

Hello Guys, first of all I like to congratulate you for the great gig tonight and having time for an interview.

I like to start at the beginning. What was the determining fact who made you change your name from Shaman into Korpiklaani?

We were forced to change our name because former members of Angra formed another band called Shaman. We were an older band but they were better known already in the beginning because of the Angra connection.

In 2003 you released the first Korpiklaani album Spirit Of The Forest and the press reactions have been quite good. Did you expect this?

I don't think we really expected anything. I guess it would be more appropriate to say that we were hoping to get good reviews. I believe it is same thing with everyone who releases something to the public. It doesn't have to be music, it can be for example a book or movie or anything. It is something that you did without thinking if it's going to sell or not, but at the same time you are hoping that it would get good reviews and it would sell a lot and things like that.

Could a reason therefore be, that your sound includes more Folk - and less Black Metal?

I don't think our music has ever been black metal, but it definitely has a lot folk stuff going on. Maybe we sound genuine. Real music with real instruments done by real players.

The next step was logically to join the studio for a second record… This took you about two years, it’s a rather long time, isn’t it? Voice Of Wilderness sounds even more folky, on purpose?

This band doesn't have a strict schedule written for years in advance and we don't decide beforehand what kind of music we are going to write. The songs come as they come and after a few band rehearsals we know what they have turned to. When the bands has enough great songs written we are going to record them. Last time it may have taken a couple of years, this  time it's going to be a lot faster.

It is quite funny when you say that Voice of Wilderness is more folk than it's predecessor since we've actually been criticized for losing our folk elements more and more on each album!

I think all of your fans who know both albums will have recognised the title-track Spirit Of The Forest is appearing on the second album. Why?

That song was written already for Spirit Of The Forest, but the band, mainly Jonne, wasn't satisfied with it back then and therefore it was dropped from the album. It was partly rewritten and rearranged and finally released on the next album. Korpiklaani does not want to release anything that we are not fully satisfied with.

In Journey Man you're singing “I was born in the deep forrest and I wish I could live here for all my life”. Is this one of the Finnish stories or your wish?

It is more or less true story. Most of the Finns are indeed born in the forest or at least in the countryside. You can always leave the forest and move to the big cities, but you will always carry part of your past with you. Maybe that is the thing that keeps us on the road, makes us the journeymen.

About Finnish stories, you are singing some songs from the annals of the Finnish folk archives. Are you especially interested in those stories and is it where you get your inspiration?

Old stories are ofcourse a great inspiration, but that is not all. As I said in the previous answer, we all have spent our childhood surrounded by forests, lakes and fields and they are a big part of our identity as persons and as a band. Many of the old stories in Finland are actually linked to particular forests, rocks, lakes or trees. Someone lost his head behind that rock, that forest is a home of evil elves, the devil appears in that old mill during the night and stuff like that.

Fintroll and Asmegin for example are still singing in their native language, you are singing most of your songs in English. Is there any reason for?

This is actually a difficult question. On the other there are many reasons and yet there is no one particular reason. First of all, English is a lot easier language to write and sing. It's easier to write phrases for any rhythm or melody because the words are basically so much shorter and there are lots of words with just one syllable. Finnish is lot more demanding in that aspect. Another reason is that English just sounds better. When you write in Finnish you get a lot more critical, and nothing seems to sound good. And of course English is an universal language.

On the other hand, we've never decided that now this song is going to be in Finnish or English or Japanese or whatever. It is just like with the music. Texts just come.

Can you tell us something about the third album?

The recordings will start in mid-November in the studio with the same producer as the last album. That means Fantom-studio and Samu Oittinen. The album will be released sometime next spring. We have a lots of songs written for the album, and some of it is in Finnish. The music's going be maybe a bit more guitar riff oriented than the previous albums.

You are well known musicians in Finland and some of you have already done some side-projects. Are there any projects at the moment?

Nothing that I know of.

Now I like to speak about the Wild Tour 2005. Yesterday you played in front of a big audience at the Summer Breeze Festival. Was it the biggest ever?

Yes it was. We only had 30 minutes in the middle of the day in the bright sunlight. There was only one band before us on the main stage. We were quite worried about if anyone was going to come to see us especially when we saw that the previous band didn't that much audience. While we were setting our gear up a few thousand people gathered in front of the stage and when we started we just smiled when we realized that they were there to see us. It was a magnificent experience. The audience was great. We started with Journeyman and it was just unbelievable to hear the chorus coming from that audience! See you all next year!

Tonight you played for a few Swiss guy’s in a Club. Big difference, isn’t it?

The difference is not so big. Maybe it's an old cliché, but it doesn't really matter how big the audience is. Everyone of our fans is just as important and we are not going to do anything differently just because there is less people than somewhere else. It always feels great to be on the stage playing our music and to see all the smiling faces in the audience.

It’s been told the Swiss are more reserved than other people. What’s your impression about?

Well, no one is more reserved than a regular Finn! And there is always alcohol to help with that problem! I don't think anyone we met on the tour was particularly reserved. I believe we are quote easy band to approach.

I saw cameras on both sides of the stage. I hope there will be a cut-out from tonight on the DVD…

Is there a planned release date?

No there is no exact release date set yet. And we don't know yet which shows will be included but I'd guess that probably at least something from every show, including Switzerland.

I hope you will stay here for a few days and have a look of oure country and its bars…

We'd like to see something else than just the clubs we're playing as well, but we didn't really have time for that. We had long journeys between the cities so we basically just sat in the bus. At some cities we did have to walk a bit around like in Berlin and indeed in Frauenfeld, which was a really beautiful city. Especially of course the old city centre.

I think oure interview is going to be finished. Are there any last words or something you like to tell you fans?

Especially to all who came to see us on the first leg of the Wild Tour: Thank you very much for making our trip such a success, both personally and musically! We hope to see you all again on the second leg in November-December. Hopefully all those who missed us last time will be able to see us this time!

Now, I like to thank you again for taking time to answer my questions, wish you guys all the best for the future and hope to see you again.

Thank you for your interest. The next interview will be answered faster :-)

(Interview by Alex)

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