Interview with Lauri [Greece]

“Melancholic melodies, strong guitars and undergoing keyboards”: this is how the singer, Lauri Ylönen, defines the music of The Rasmus, band coming from Finland, which we first-met through the song “In The Shadows”.

The Rasmus were formed in Helsinki, in 1994, when the members of the band were still in school, and released 3 albums until they became popular with “Dead Letters”, in 2003. The success of the “In The Shadows” single, helped the band cross Finland’s boundary for the first time, as “Dead Letters” sold like 2 million copies worldwide, making The Rasmus one of the most popular bands of Scandinavia. For the promotion of their next album, “Hide From The Sun”, they travelled from America to South Africa (where Metallica played in the opening) and they’ve also been to our land twice: the first time in Thessaloniki, where they played in “Totally Board Event” and the secondly they appeared on the stage of “Club 22″ in Athens.
After the worldwide tour promoting “Hide From The Sun”, The Rasmus had a 6-months break to relax and of course, start working on their new material. Lauri, the singer and song-writer of the band, spent this break-time traveling in America, writing new songs and listening to music. Today, a few days before their tour in Russia starts, Lauri – “Babyface” for his friends – talks about their new songs, the forthcoming album and the concert which they will give in Athens on the 17th of July, with Avril Lavigne.

How do you feel now that in a few days your summer tour starts?
Lauri: Really great!! We’ll start on Thursday, from Russia. It’s a very interesting and beautiful country. We ve given concerts in there before, but that was a much smaller tour. It’s strange because this place has changed a lot in the last 5 years. Nowadays there are many big festivals and concerts held everywhere and very famous people from all over the world play there.

Are you playing in many countries?
Lauri: No. Our summer tour is pretty short this year. We are dedicated in writing new songs for the forthcoming album these days and we just decided to do some concerts so that we do not lose contact with our fans.
So, we re not planning to visit so many places but we will come to Greece again!!

You’re writing new songs and also touring …. Have you rested at all lately?
Lauri: Yes, we ve rested enough. We had a small break for about 6 months, from January to now. During these 6 months we were just working on our new stuff and were dedicated in that.

Many people wouldn’t call that relaxing!
Lauri: It depends on the way you see it …

In Athens you re gonna share the stage with Avril Lavigne. Do you think your sound matches hers?
Lauri: We have played together again in a festival, but I didn’t have the chance to meet her, so I’d really like to meet her now. I would also like to see Tori Amos the next day, if I can stay one more day. I really like her as an artist …Yesterday I was listening to her new CD! Really good job!! I’ll need to check our responsibilities first though but if there is nothing we have planned, I will spend a few more days in Athens.

Will you record your new album in Finland?
Lauri: No, this time we ‘ll do that in America. We re very excited about that!! We wanted a change, so we found a new producer and we will record in a new place, with a new team.

The team you’ll work with will be the only new thing in the whole case or have you changed your sound as well?
Lauri: I d say there will be some surprises in our new songs as well. We have changed the sound a bit, yes. Musically, it s a bit “harder”, you see… The songs, of course, are still melodic, rhythmical and melancholic, as always but the rhythm is a bit more … Hmm, I don’t think I could describe it actually …I’d say that the guitar melody will be stuck in your mind …It’s pretty hard for me to make it clearer.

And …when do you think that you ll be ready to release the new album?
Lauri: Hmm …Maybe in the first months of 2008. We don’t know when exactly, because we haven’t started recording yet and it s hard to say how much time it will take in the studio …But I think we will have finished by Christmas.

The Internet has really got a big part in the music industry. Many groups have become popular through myspace, for example. Do you think that the Internet could help your music reach places that you have never been to yet?
Lauri: Yes, definitely!!! Myspace has helped many bands to be heard and it will help more in the future. It s an easy way to listen to new stuff. Me, myself, well I am a bit ashamed to say that, Ι’m not really good at technology and computers. I’m a bit slow at learning, so I don’t really see about what happens in the net, yet I understand it’s really important.

Do you believe that one day you will release any album just in digital form?
Lauri: No. At least I wouldn’t like that. I am pretty stuck in tradition as fas as my job is concerned. Imagine that I still write in my blog when the new album of some artists I love, such as Björk, will be released, so I don t forget to buy them! Generally, I like the traditional stuff. I buy CDs from the CD shop, then I go home, I put them on the player and as I listen to the songs, I check the booklet with the lyrics and the photos and generally everything it s got in …This is something that you can’t do when you buy a CD which is ONLY in digital form.

It needs less space though. From the way you talked, I can imagine that you have millions of CDs at your house….
Lauri: Ah. yea …As for the space, you re right ! Well, I have all my CDs put in categories and in boxes so I can find them easier and also save some space, but it is still hard. Surely, in the future there will be many CDs which will be only in digital form, but I think I will always try to find a tangible one for my collection!

Marilena Papakosta

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