Interviews

First of all I must congratulate you on a great debut album, what has the reactions been so far? Are you completely satisfied with it yourself?
Reactions have been great, there´s been some praising reviews. I can say that this is the most satisfying album on my career so far, but I´ve never been 100% satisfied with any album that I´ve made. I guess I´m a perfectionist. But that also keeps me going and reaching forward, so I´ll try to make the next one perfect.

The label compares your music with older Amorphis, Children Of Bodom, Finntroll and, not surprisingly, your previous band Ensiferum. Do you agree with them? What do you think Wintersun has that these bands don't?
Well I have gotten influence from older Amorphis. We listened it a lot as teenagers. I also played Amorphis cover songs in the early years with Ensiferum. I don´t think I´ve been influenced by CoB, ´cause I don´t really like it. And I don´t think that I have been influenced by Finntroll either, but I like that band though. The folkish influences comes from the time I was in Ensiferum ´cause I played many years in that band and I write some songs to Ensiferum too. I also listened to folk music during that time... (and still do).

Wintersun has this big atmosphere and I have explored making riffs and arrangements in a new way. The album has lots of variation, ´cause the music is done without any "rules", so it doesn´t quite fit into any genre. I like doing music that way, that anything can happen and you don´t have to think about which kind of music you are writing, just let you imagination flow. So I could say the album won´t get boring because of that. I´m experementing with my vocals too, so there´s also variation, hmm what else... faster guitarsolos? heheh! :)

Why do you think Finnish metal has become so successful from the late 90s until now? What are your thoughts on this development?
I really don´t really know, people like shitty music? :) Just kidding, we´ll there´s lots of good bands here, but for me most of the great bands aren´t from here.

What do you remember most from your eight years with Ensiferum that ended early this year?
I have a really bad memory :) But I remember some early years when we we´re making demos in Munkkivuori MD-Studios. Many great shows in Finland. (The good old times with our friends in Pasila). Also the time in Denmark recording the Iron album with Flemming Rasmussen has stayed in the best memories, although it was a bit stressful time for me, ´cause I was sick a lot. But great years!

As I understand it was more or less your record company Spinefarm Records who forced you to leave the band by booking a tour at a time when you had to work on Wintersun. Would you have liked to stay with the band?
Yes, but now that I think of it, it would have probably happened sooner or later, ´cause it´s very hard to do many bands at the same time. It´s a bit sad, but I´m guy who can´t play the same style of music all my life, so I needed a break from Ensiferum to do my album. That wasn´t ok with others, so I got fired and I can surely understand that.

You have written your own music even before you joined Ensiferum in 1996, why has it taken so long until you have decided to release something? When was the material on this debut album written?
The material has been written in the period 1995-2004 and there´s equally older and newer songs. The thing was that I just enjoyed playing in Ensiferum, so I didn´t really pushed my own material to anywhere. In that way I kinda neglected myself a little bit.

How did the contract with Nuclear Blast happen? Is it a standard contract for several albums?
I got the deal by coincidence. After one Ensiferum show I met Andy from Nuclear Blast. He came to talk to me and I mentioned about my own music. He was really interested. Later I put 3 demosongs into a CD and sent it to NB and they loved the music and offered the deal. It was a good deal so I had to take it. And yes it´s a contract for several albums, but we have an agreement that I always will send a 3 song demo of my newest material and then they decide whether we do the album or not. Because I have also other kinds of projects that I want to do in the future. They are also metal so don´t worry :) but their different kind of material than Wintersun.

Many bands think that being a small band on a big label such as Nuclear Blast is not a very comfortable situation, have you had any thoughts about that?
Sure, but everything has gone great with them and they have supported me a lot! One problem is that they would like to have Wintersun playing live, which is also good, but it´s a bit difficult situation, ´cause I don´t have a band that is fully functional yet. And there´s lots of things that needs to be organized before we can play.

The lyrics apparently deal with your own life from different aspects, is there any overall message in the lyrics or do you just wish to add an even more personal touch in that way?
Well there´s no perticular message. The lyrics are just my thoughts, feelings and visions from the period of time they were written. But one can also understand them in different ways and get his/her own meaning about the song, which is good in my opinion. So the song could actually tell from something else than my life, but it´s reflected to my life in hidden meanings and metaphoras.