Interview with The Rasmus [Finland]

Are you goths, dressing in black and all?
Eero: We’ve sometimes discussed that we should look more homogeneous. But I guess we weren’t talking that serious about it.
Lauri: The way you dress expresses your feelings quite well. Just this morning I felt a little worn out so I decided to wear a suit just to feel myself a little more vigorous.

Do you believe in God?
Eero: That’s an absurd question. A lot of people are probably thinking now that we’re talking about a guy who’s sitting on the edge of a cloud. For me God is the originator of all living things on Earth.
Aki: yes, there is someone I believe in.
Lauri: I’m a religious person to some extent but I don’t believe in the gods that…

Has the international success made you think too much of yourselves? If not, how do you keep yourselves down to earth?
Lauri: That did happen but only during the first three records. Those days we were all screwed. Only after that we realised what the business is really all about.
Pauli: Our family and friends are good at helping us keep our both feet on the ground.
Eero: Yeah if you have people close to you who aren’t that interesting about your music thing.
Aki: We also look after eachother.

Eero, I was just thinking: are you growing a long hair now?
Eero: Why not. I should get a haircut but so far I haven’t figured out what kind.

Lauri, if you weren’t in a band, would you take part in the Idols?
Lauri: I don’t think so. I’m not that much of a solo person. I’ve always liked to do things in a band. When you’re in a band it’s quite essential to have the right people there with you.

Which one of the other band members would you rather have a relationship with?
Pauli (looking at Eero): I guess Eero and I are quite grown together (?). We usually share a hotel room.
Lauri: And I share one with Aki.

When was the last time you cried?
Lauri: It was last New Year’s Eve. I was at Ritarihuone in Helsinki listening to a concert of classical music. I was perhaps somewhat under stress and I was there in a safe place, in safe company, in a safe country. Also, that was just after the Tsunami had happened and there had been a lot of suffering. So I got a bit sensitive listening to that music. It’s not like I’m often in tears, even if I might sometimes cry inside of me.
Eero: I may cry when I see a good movie. Some really wonderful things could make me cry. For example I find children and innocence touching.
Pauli: I have cried in good company, for good reasons.
Aki: the last time I cried was because my grandfather had died. It would have been nice to share things with him.

Lauri, with whom would you like to do a duet?
Lauri: it would be nice to do a song with a female voice in it. We’ve discussed this but there hasn’t been the right moment or the right song or the artist. But we’ll keep our eyes and ears open. That artist could be from either Finland or abroad.

What names would you give to your children?
Pauli: Pehobo ja Phebi.
Lauri: Milou ja Dexter.
Eero: Italian names are cool. Michelangelo.
Aki: Giuseppe.

Lauri, what’s the most personal song you’ve written?
Lauri: That must be Shot from the new album. It’s about confidence.

Both you and HIM seem to have some kind of attachment to butterflies on your new records. Is that a mere coincidence or have you both actually agreed on the theme?
Lauri: it’s quite funny actually that their new single is called Wings Of A Butterfly and we’ve got butterflies on No Fear video and on the album cover. Our album is called Hide From The Sun and theirs is Dark Light. But all this is just a coincidence.

Eero! How does Sahaja yoga affect your way of life?
Eero: If I didn’t meditate on a daily basis I’m sure I would be quite wild! (others laughing)

If you could change one thing in your lifes what would that be?
Eero: I would move to live on a beach.
Aki: I would find the courage to have a laser surgery on my eyes.
Lauri: I would be less selfish.
Pauli: I would just move.

What do you usually do while in a tour bus?
Aki: I just generally spend time.. Pauli and I have actually composed a song about that.
Eero: Yeah, the lyrics go: “I’m just spending my time, tidididii, in a honey comb!” (everyone laughing out loud).
Aki: I’m scared of that song, I just went under table.

What do you think is the most beautiful word?
Eero: Dödö (a deodorant in everyday language)
Aki: Perkeles
Lauri: There are some really long words in Finnish so I say epäjärjestymättömyydellänsäkään.

What are your favourite songs on the new album? And what are your all time favourite Rasmus songs?
Aki: From the new album Sail Away, from the old ones I’d say Still Standing. It has a feeling in it that we’re..
Lauri: Sail Away. It’s been sending shivers down my spine when we’ve played it on our gigs. I can’t say which song is the best but Funky Jam was a kind of a kick-off for the band. Our first album Peep is also important.
Eero: Immortal from the new album and In the Shadows from the old ones. The latter song was very important for us career-wise.
Pauli: Sail Away, it feels fresh. The best song is on the new album, I just can’t decide which one.

This is a tough one: your recent gigs have been somewhat phlegmatic, clinic and you haven’t been communicating the old kind of chemistry thought to your listeners. One of you has even played while having turned his back on the audience. Is this going to change?
Lauri: This question is probably about our festival gigs in Finland last summer. We had had a pause from playing because we had concentrated on the new album. We hadn’t had a gig in Finland for a long time so we were also quite nervous.
Aki: There are gigs and there are gigs. On some you get your kicks from the atmosphere, on some gigs you get the kicks by just playing and then there are those gigs where you feel like diving down to the audience. Eero: Yeah I think so too, there was something missing on those concerts. We’ve talked about those and I should think that while we’re moving towards the autumn…

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