Interview with Lauri [USA]

The Rasmus has garnered a huge fan base, critical acclaim and chart-topping hits in their homeland of Finland. With their latest album, Dead Letters, this rock quartet takes a much darker direction and sets out to bring their vibrant and hard-edged music to the shores of America.

When and how did the band first form?
We knew each other since high school. We were just a group of freaks who wanted to shock other students and pull practical jokes. Eventually we formed a rock band and tried playing Metallica together. It just felt right and we soon began writing our own music. Our first gig was on our high school stage in Helsinki in 1994. We felt like kids who were let loose on a playground.

What are your musical influences and what bands have inspired you?
In the beginning, 15 years ago, when we first started playing together, we were influenced by heavier bands like, Guns-n-Roses, Motley Crue and Metallica. Now it’s bands like Muse, Hellacopters, Weezer, Bjork, and Leonard Cohen, although Metallica’s still one of our favorites.

What can you tell us about your fellow band members?
Pauli is an excellent guitarist and songwriter, but he has also made a name for himself as a producer. He has helped Finnish bands like Killer and Kwan to create number one hits. Our bass player, Eero, likes to meditate and is definately the calmest man in the band. Aki, our drummer, joined the band in 1999. Before that, he worked selling merchandise for the band at our shows.

Could you explain the concept behind your latest album, Dead Letters?
A “dead letter” is a letter that had never been delivered because the person to whom it was written cannot be found, and it also cannot be returned to the person who wrote it. It’s quite sad actually, when you think about it. The songs on this album are a collection of lost ideas, and unspoken feelings.

What is the inspiration for your lyrics?
My lyrics are always personal and every word has a meaning that reminds me of something that has happened in my life, but I wanted to get deeper this time. I was digging up some old graves to get these lyrics together. Each song represents a letter to somebody, whether it is in the form of an apology, a confession, or a cry for help.

Dead Letters is a much darker concept than your previous releases. Why did you choose to go in this direction?
We like to take chances with our music. When we originally released the single “F-f-f-falling,” we were so nervous about that song. It was obviously either a hit or a flop, but the risk paid off, and the song became a number one hit for us. Dead Letters is darker, moodier and dreamier than anything we have done before. We did happier and funkier music in the past, and it was quite well recieved, but we just thought it was the right time to get a bit more serious.

The song “In the Shadows” literally reaches out to people who feel that they don’t fit in with the “norms” of society, or who are longing for something different. What message would you have for people who feel like they don’t belong?
I’m not here to tell anyone what to do or think, but I encourage people to make their own decisions and sacrifices to get somewhere in their lives.
I feel that I’m still on my way to somewhere myself.

The video for “In the Shadows” tells the tale of a submissive servant girl who is haunted by ghosts from another time. Who came up with the idea for the story and where was the video shot?
The band endlessly watched horror movies to get in the right mood for this album. In fact, we watched so many horror movies that each of us had really disturbing nightmares. We shot the “In the Shadows” video in an actual haunted mansion in Romania. The place was dripping with gothic atmosphere. That was the coolest and creepiest video shoot we ever did.
We recently shot a new video for “Guilty” in L.A. a few weeks ago with a director named Nathan Coxx. He’s done some great videos for System of a Down, and others.

Congratulations on winning for best band, album and song at the Finnish Grammy Awards. American radio and charts are dominated by “rap” and performers that don’t write or play their own music. It’s great to know that European audiences still appreciate rock music. What is the music scene like in Finland?
Europe, especially Scandinavia and Finland has a great rock scene. You can find guitar-oriented rock bands playing here every night, and even better, you can always find someone to drink with!

What do you do when you’re not creating or performing music?
I like to read biographies about other bands and legends. I also enjoy reading books about hauntings and witchcraft, as well as other forbidden topics.

The Rasmus has played hundreds of shows, including numerous festivals throughout Europe. Do you have any plans for a U.S. tour?
We are currently in the midst of our European tour, but hope to make it to the U.S. after this summer, so we should be seeing you soon!

Devon King

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