LC: Leverage’s third album “Circus Colossus” is finally out. Is there a special story about the name?
Pekka: We had a big sounding album in our hands and thought the name should relate to that somehow…Tuomas came up with it at the last minute, as things tend to happen with this band! Circus Colossus doesn´t really mean anything, it´s just a cool sounding name for an album that sounds the way it sounds.
LC: Why is that limited edition of CC only out in Japan? –“mean and evil” and “walk on home” are actually to good to hide them from the rest of the world, don’t you think?
Pekka: It´s contractual, Japanese editions always have bonus songs on them. We´ve always taken pride on making the bonus songs sound as good as we can, and this time the two songs turned out to be very good, they could´ve easily been on the actual album in my opinion too.
LC: If you could play one gig with a band of your choice which one would it be?
Pekka: That´s a tough one…Count Basie Orchestra would be cool to front! Just another way to make a fool of myself again!
LC: If you could choose any place you want, anywhere in this world for a gig. Where would you like to play?
Pekka: Oh, I´m willing to play anywhere where there are people showing up and appreciating the music. It´s always up to the
people, they make the gig.
LC: You already told me that “Brother Firetribe” is taking a break. What is the reason for it?
Pekka: I´m busy with Leverage, Jason is busy with Kings Of Modesty, Kalle and Tomppa are busy with…everything!, and Emppu is having a vacation for the first time in 15 years! But we´ll be back at some point for sure.
LC: I saw a gig of you in Tampere where you only sang coversongs. Do you like cover songs? And do you have a “favourite” artist from whom you like to cover?
Pekka: Those gigs are fun, pure and simple. People are guaranteed to have a good time when hearing their favourite songs played in a live setting. If I get up there and do songs from some of my favourite bands or artists, I´m always having a ball. I don´t have favourites really, it´s cool to do anything from metal to pop to jazz, whatever as long as I like the song really!
LC: Do you have a favourite band you like to listen to these days?
Pekka: I have tons of favourite bands…always had, always will. But if I look at my car stereo and what´s on it right now, there´s Rush´s Permanent Waves. Rush is awesome.
LC: The rock and metal scene in Finland is already huge and it still grows all the time. What do you think about that?
Pekka: I think it´s great that somehow Finland became the leading country in metal as it wasn´t like that 15 years ago. Maybe the peak has already been reached, I don´t know. Metal will never go away in Finland but I guess it needs to change a little to keep going strong. A lot of bands sound the same but that´s the way it goes when something becomes popular.
LC: You play in two bands in times where music industry only cares more and more about money and everything has to be quick and so on. There’s not so much time “anymore” for the art itself. How do you handle this “struggle”?
Pekka: I try not to think about it, as hard as it is! All I can do is to be honest to myself and do the best I can with what I´ve got.
LC: What do you think about the music industry nowadays anyways? I mean, how much or less they care about the art and musicians these days?
Pekka: Well I´m not too fond of how things are in general within the music and entertainment business. There are good guys on the business side who still believe in the art itself but their hands are tied. Like you said, it´s all about the money, especially now that the sales for physical records are somewhat ridicilous. The business is in deep shit, they woke up a little too late. From artist´s point of view I´d say it´s not the best time in the world to be a recording artist…at least on the level I´m playing at!
LC: Thank you so much that you take your time for this interview. Do you have any last words you always wanted to say in an interview?
Pekka: The pleasure was all mine, thank you. Keep the faith, be safe, it´s summertime soon! See you around.
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Northern Finnish bands such as EToS, however, were present in the charts and, as expected, they’re featured in the final ones also! Big names have been around, hitting the scene with new releases, some of them disappointing, unfortunately… But this is only my subjective post and no official thing. 2009 was rich in new music, not everything being of top quality.
Tero Tolkki
villilapsi
Unia
Storm
