by Frances Amelie Sin™
Nice to have you back in Germany, how do you came together with these bands (DSI & JoE) for a tour??
Mika: Well we heard about it, but I don’t have any expectations for this tour cause I hardly know the bands. I only listened a couple of songs from myspace. It’s all that I know, it‘s kinda electronic rock hardcore stuff but it’s good!
Your guitarist Jaani is not with you at the moment, for this tour, so Janne from Uniklubi joins you, how do you know Janne, why is it him?? ?
Mika: I know him cause last summer I was partying with him at some festivals and when I heard that Jaani has things to to at the same time we are touring it was clear that we need to replace him and I felt that Janne is the best to do it and I called him and he said yes.
Your last album Fatal Design was released in 2006, are you working on new songs again??
Mika: We are going to start making new songs at the end of the summer (07) cause we don’t have the time before. Our band is splitted all over Finland, the guys live in different towns. And I am still working a lot with the other bands, I am producing them. It is hard to find the time to get together! But hopefully after the summer we will have the time and start to work on that stuff!!
The album sounds harder than the others before, specially if you compare Gone and Fatal Design, do you planned this change or was it just a developement ?
Mika: It was a developement. An evolution of the band, we never thought like: let’s do it different next time. We always do what feels good to us. For me it is very boring to make the same stuff over years. Cause the world is changing and we are going with the flow and do the things that feel good in this time and don’t plan to be harder on the next album. It happens to us, lots of unexpected things. For me as a musician it is very good to have the possibility to change the way you feel like.
What means the leaving of Riita for the live sound of the band, you did not replaced her as I know. Don’t you miss the keys on stage??
Mika: Well we have the keys, but they come from the hard –drive, of course it is different, we have more space on stage, it is pretty hard for me with the in- ear- system, it is totally different when the keyboard is on stage, It‘s a technical thing that had changed and thats kinda hard sometimes. And of coures she was with us for many years, sometimes I think that there‘s something missing.
Can you remember your first concert in Germany ever?? How did you feel??
Mika: It was in Hamburg 2002 I think, with Theatre Of Tragedy. And of course we were really exited, it was the first tour for us in Europe and we felt like some rookies in a strange world. But it was a great tour I have to say, we have been totally exhausted when we get back home, but I think that is what it’s all about.
You play next at the WGT and then go on with this Tour, what will come after it?? Do you have plans for the rest of the year??
Mika: Well we play some festivals in Finland and then I start to make a new ShamRain record, I have a lot of things to do ;) Too much and not enough time to do all the things I wanna do.
What is your inspiration, to do such music?? What was the trigger to start with it??
Mika: Very hard question... when I was 15 I started it but I really can’t say why and what leads me there.
Chose a band you would like to go on Tour with!! A band you support or to support you!!
Mika: Ohhw... Black Sabbath! Well Impossible! Alice in Chains ! Impossible! Nowadays I really don’t know, sorry!
How do you as a band write the songs, is there a special order ?
Mika: Well when we made Dieversity I went to the studio and checked out the songs a lot of times and sang there of course and checked it over and over again and then the songs were ready, I took my computer and my acoustic guitar and start to make the lyrics. For Fatal Design we need four month to meet. But we wanna do it a little different next time, cause it was really hard and I don’t wanna kill myself.
What ist your favourite song of Entwine?
Mika: Too many, it depends on my mood, right now... hmmm, don’t know, all I think, they are all my children. (quotation of the day!
What kind of shows do you prefer, club or stadion or festival?? And why?
Mika: The small club tours are the best, cause on a big festival there is no contact to the crowd. I like to get in touch with the people when I am on stage.
Tell me about ShamRain.
Mika: It is moody stuff, like The Cure vs. Twin Peaks. (What the hell??!!)
Fran: Do you have a special order in your bands, wich is your number one...
Mika: Entwine is my priority, it’s number one for me!!
What do you miss the most on tour??
Mika: Finnish dark bread, Sauna, Tap water!! O.o
Funniest thing that happened on Tour??
Mika: (desperate) Vanilla sticks!! 2002 in Sweden, and the thing is, if Tom wants to tell you, ok, but thats kind of a secret, and if you ever find it out from sonmewhere I buy you a beer!! It’s a funny story!!
(Ok Mika, next time we meet I get a beer, I know the whole story and I taped it on video as a proof, I can show you!! ;D but don’t mind, I keep the secret save!)
What was the most weired question you were ever asked in an Interview or by Fans?? Can you remember one??
Mika: Nooooo...................
No problem, I have one! Wich Rockstar clichés do you live??
Mika: Nowadays I play Playstation (laughs), no big partys after shows, hard to say...I never thought in that way...
At last give a good advise to your fans!!
Mika: (thinks very long about it!) Never forget what you are!
(c) Frances Amelie Sin™
www.northern-rockmusic.com
pictures here
Thanks to Lynne, Mika & Conny for making this possible.