Interview with The Rasmus [UK]

Still Standing
In the past couple of months The Rasmus have had their fair share of knocks, both verbal and physical. Big Cheese caught up with the band just days before the Carling festival and their subsequent bottling…
I find The Rasmus in a contented mood, as well as extremely jet lagged from their journey here from the Far East, when I met them in a West London hotel. Which isn’t that much of a surprise, seeing as they recently entered the international consciousness with their smash hit “In The Shadows” single and accompanying “Dead Letters” album. Singer Lauri Ylönen and bassist Eero Heinonen told me about their rise to the top.
The Rasmus have been popular in their native Finland and mainland Europe for many years but it is with the release of “Dead Letters”, their fifth album, that they achieved international success. Lauri explains the reasons behind “Dead Letters” turning into such a worldwide smash. “It’s many things. We’ve had a long history and basically tried all the musical styles in the past. It’s been coming together over time. I think that we are still upon our way somewhere with our music. I think that this album is a lot more finished and we gave it a lot of thought. We wanted to have some sort of theme for the album. Lyric-wise, the theme is that we have ten songs and each song is like a letter to someone. There’s sort of a lifeline too.
“The first song is called “First Day Of My Life” and the last one is called “Funeral Song”. So it’s just one chapter captured on this album and I think that feeling-wise, it’s the strongest and moodiest album that we’ve done. Before, we used to write more songs. I think that on this album all the ideas from the past become sad and melancholy.”
The Rasmus haven’t always been playing brooding, pop drenched goth rock. To my surprise, they actually started off as a skate punk band. “It was closer to skate punk. I’m sort of rapping and we had some funk elements. We used to have a saxophone and some ska songs”. Reveals Lauri.
So to a certain extent, The Rasmus used to be Finland’s answer to Dog Eat Dog. “Yeah. We also had a DJ at some point. It was just experimenting with different styles and we were very young kids, fifteen or sixteen years old, and we had a chance to play with music and record an album.
“It was a very innocent beginning and we had no pressure from anyone, which is a good thing because I think that we’ve still managed to keep that attitude. I think that we’ve always had a lot of melodies in the music and we still do, even more now. I think that it’s totally melody driven.”
As well as the music, The Rasmus’ lyrical style has also changed greatly from when they first started out. “It was different”, Lauri says. “I was just basically writing about things that pissed me off, it could have been a teacher. The lyrics were more punk-ish in a way and very naïve but at the time it felt great and still when I listen to those songs, they make me laugh but it’s not a bad thing. We never were thinking too much. Recording was done at such a fast pace that we had no time to think.”
Now, they are playing sold out gigs in the UK. Please note that I interviewed The Rasmus before they played their infamous Reading set but up until then, the band had had a very positive experience of British crowds. “It’s great”, enthuses Eero.
“We just played the Astoria for two nights and that was great, one of the best things in our career I think. I think that people here are very conscious about everything that’s going on in the music scene. There’s lots of competition. Also, I think that the audience is aware if they get good quality music and they can appreciate it. It’s great touring a place where people understand English too.”
Over the years, The Rasmus learnt their trade and supported larger international acts such as the Chili Peppers, Garbage, Rancid and… Roxette?
“Well I think that we played with Rancid in a place in Helsinki that can take maybe a thousand people”, explains Eero. “Always being the support act is kind of difficult because people are waiting for the headliners. But in a way, you can learn from these bands. I always like to go and see how they’re playing from backstage and you learn a lot. You see that the things that make a good show are similar with a big band or a little band. If the guys are in a good mood and the audience is enthusiastic, then it normally makes for a good show.”
And what did the guys learn exactly from Scandinavian pop legends Roxette? “I think that we learned more things that we shouldn’t do”, contributes Lauri. Eero adds, “their fans liked us very much and they were speaking highly of us on their website. It was a good experience to play in front of 10,000 people.”
Which is sure to be a situation that The Rasmus will find themselves more in, thanks in part to the huge amount of radio airplay that “In The Shadows” has received. Lauri is very happy with the situation. “It’s quite massive. It’s good. I think that it’s the second best way to promote the band, the best way being gigs. So we’re quite lucky to be in this position.”
However, the downside to such an enviable position is that most bands that have a big radio hit find themselves under record label pressure to write another one. “I think that they do but I feel right now that with the demos that we’ve done, every song has felt like the next big thing. It’s a good feeling. The best moments are back in the rehearsal room when someone brings in an idea and we start jamming and finally it’s there.”
The Rasmus may find themselves veering away into making a more rugged, less polished next album though. “I think that we’re going to try and get rid of that because we are a live band and it’s really hard to capture the feeling of a live concert.”
I ask Lauri whether he feels that “Dead Letters” was over polished. “Sometimes I feel that but sometimes when I hear “In The Shadows” on the radio I’m like, whoa! It’s really well produced and it has a really fat sound. I have to say that I’m really happy with this album and for the next album maybe we’ll do something else, move on. Always learn something.”

Paul Hagen

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