| Every now
and again we come across a band that make us sit and and really listen,
sometimes because of the sheer spellblinding talent and other times
because of the diversity shown in the album they release. Soulcage
are one such band. We catch up with them to find out more about
the band and their music ... MM -
Firstly
let me congratulate you on your excellent album ‘Soul For Sale’.
AP -
Cheers, mate. Your checks in the mail.
MM - Now let’s get down to business, how did the band come together?
AP - Well, I've known Teppo since we've been six and Markus since we
were ten. I played some gigs with Jari in different cover bands and Ville was recommended by a friend.
MM - Did you have a vision of how you wanted the band to sound and has this
changed at all from your initial ideas?
AP
- Umm...Me and Teppo started to play together when we were twelve
and back then we played death metal. So I would say it's changed a bit!
MM - What has the Finnish rock scene got to offer that others haven’t and
how does this affect you as a band?
AP - To be honest, I haven't the foggiest idea. Everybody talks about the
"Finnish sound" but I don't know what it is. Songs in minor
keys? We have a few major chords there as well.
MM - ‘Soul For Sale’ is a very diverse album indeed, as regards to the
song styles, was this the intention from the beginning or did it just
evolve that way?
AP
- We were searching for our sound, so we didn't really know what we
wanted. We basically just picked the best songs and threw them on the
album without that much thought. And for better or for worse, that's how it sounds.
MM - How would you compare this new album to the bands first album ‘Dead
Water Diary’?
AP
- Well, the actual songs are different.
MM - What have you learned as a band from album to album as regards to
songwriting, production and sound?
AP
- Just because something sounds good at the moment, doesn't
necessarily mean it'll sound good tomorrow. That's why I try not to get excited while songwriting or in the
studio. Too many times I've come out of the studio "My god, that
rocked!", only to listen to the final mixes and go "What the
hell was I thinking".
MM - I’ve said in my review that the band has a diverse mix of sounds but
who are the bands influences?
AP
- Engelbert Humperdinck, Wham! and Flux of Pink Indians.
MM - We love the album here at the Mayfair Mall Zine but how has it gone down
with others, both the fans and media?
AP
- The reviews have been mixed. Which has been a step forward, since
everybody hated the first album! And the fans like this one more. The both of them.
MM - How long did it take to put the whole album together and were there any
problems on the way?
AP
- Oh boy... The album was written and recorded twice and took 2
years to make. The first sessions were a total catastrophe, since Markus was concentrating on pussy, Teppo was concentrating on boozing, I
was gigging and I have no idea what Ville and Jari were doing.
Probably fighting crime as Batman and Robin. We called Janne
"Oinaland" Oinas to the rescue and he did the best he could. We tried editing and overdubs and all kinds of studio magic
courtesy of NASA but you can't turn shit into gold. You only get gilded
poop. I remember leaving one mixing session depressed and severely
pissed. I wrote MIA there and then in ten minutes sitting in a bus. So we scrapped the sessions and started from scratch. Spent a
debauched month in sunny Porvoo and voilà. History was made!
MM - How important is it to the band to expand outside of Finland and bring
your music to a wider audience?
AP
- Very. Since albums don't sell, we have to gig to survive and the
Finnish gig circuit isn't big enough.
MM - Have the band any gigs or tours lined up in support of this new release,
any festival dates perhaps?
AP - There was some talk about doing some gigs in the UK sometime
August or September, but haven't heard anything about it lately. Would love to come and have a few pints of bitter! And maybe do a
gig on the side...
MM - Where do you see the band go from here?
AP - Probably to Hell in the long run and down to the pub in the short run. A
very unsteady run.
MM - Finally is there anything we’ve omitted to ask that you’d like to
share with our readers or any closing messages?
AP
- Buy the album. Or if you download it, you thieving bastards, at
least have the courtesy to recommend it to others. And harass your local promoters to book us a gig in or near your
hometown. We'll melt your faces and make you boogie until your hips
dislocate!
MM - We'd like to
thank Soulcage for taking the time out to chat with us today and look
forward to see them performing on these shores at some point in the
future.
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