This interview has taken its place on the 06.12.14 after the
To/Die/For concert in Saint Petersburg's club “Backstage”, when
Jape and Juppe kindly agreed to answer the questions of our
interviewer Nikolay Belov for “To/Die/For Russian Support Portal”.
We would like to thank the musicians for their attention!
Nikolay:
People,
who are not familiar with your works, believe that your
songs are full of sadness, sorrow and
melancholy. There
is
an opinion, if a person creates something that
is not extremely positive,
he/she
has
some problems or can't
get through some teenage
complexes. What
is your point of view?
JAPE:
So,
they
believe that only
the
teenagers
can have
some painful moments
in
their lives? (smiles)
Personally
I
feel depressed a couple of times in
a year. In those days I
cannot create any music. When I
feel depressed, I
usually like to
listen to
some
happy music, for examble reggae. When I
feel better, those feelings turn
into music or lyrics naturally.
A
lot of different things
may
happen
in everybody´s life:
Some of your friends may die, people may
hurt
you or
make
you suffer or whatever.
I
just can't
find any reason, why musicians should not, or cannot write music
about those
parts
of life? Usually
people
who
say that kind of music or lyrics are teenage-like,
write
lyrics about viking wars and
are dreaming to be soldiers, who
were alive some hundreds years ago. (smiles)
Writing dark music does not mean we have more problems or more
depression than other people. This is only one way to spit those
feelings out. After hard
moments we just try to have as much
fun as possible and enjoy about our lives. Our
lyrics are
not ment to be "taken literally". For examble, "Kill
me once, Kill me twice" does not mean that I
would like to be killed (laughs).
It
is dedicated
to some morons,
who's
been trying to put us down. It
actually means: "Do
what you want, say what you want about us, but in the end it only
makes us/me
stronger!». And
in the end, this kind of melancholy is in Finnish blood. You can hear
same kind of things in
old Finnish "Evergreens".
JUPPE:
And it's
more natural to
this kind of music to sing about misery and sorrow and stuff of
that
kind than
about
happy fantasies or jumping naked on flowers. We
may do
it when nobody sees
us (smiles).
Melancholy
in our music and lyrics is absolutely honest. Trying to do something
else would be cheating.
Nikolay:
The TDF music has not been changing its mood for 20 years, unlike,
let us say, the 69 Eyes who walked quite a thorny path from punk to
gothic rock and from gothic rock to rock with gothic lyrics. What is
the
reason
for
such a
devotion
to
your music?
JAPE:
We
do not try to sound like some other band. We do only what we feel in
our hearts, no matter if
it
is
marginal or mainstream. All we care, is that we are honest to
ourselves.
JUPPE:
There's
always somekind of evolution happening in every band. Sometimes
it helps and sometimes not. In
every album we have a bit different feeling, but still we
have
that red line to follow. And it keeps us being the
same band since our first album («All Eternity»). The
total
changing of music would mean to
us
making
another band with
a
new music style.
Nikolay:
TDF announced breaking
up
many times. What was
the reason for
it and why
you are still together?
JAPE:
Actually
two times (smiles)
in 2003 and 2008. We tried to live without TDF-life, but we could
not. We also tried to make new bands, but it did not feel the same as
we feel it
with
To/Die/For. After 2008 I started to think why should I
stop
making TDF music. I've
spent
a
big part of my life with
it, so why should
I throw
it all away! TDF has
always
been a bit "dangerous"
band for its members, but it is one of the
reasons why I
like it! I love the
people
who can live a
crazy
life,
and we have chosen
this way to live. Flame is still burning in our hearts!
JUPPE:
I've
been out twice and tried to do play
in other
bands, but again, I noticed that TDF is my family, even if
there's
not always the same lineup. Now we are like brothers and it´s
getting better day by day! TDF has never damaged of any changes of
lineup. Sometimes it´s necessary to clear the air you breath or
it kills your creativity.
Nikolay:
As far as I know, the upcoming album is the seventh one. Are you
going to stop with it or do
you
already have some
material for the next one?
JAPE:
We
are NOT gonna stop with it (smiles)
and
we promise that the
8th
album comes out soon. It
is not going
to
take years between! At the moment
we
still love to write
music
as much as we
did it in
1999.
JUPPE:
The plan is to have a TDF Revolution. To be on a top of the world!
(smiles)
Nikolay:
The albums “All Eternity” and “Epilogue” went down in history
as the unique examples of melancholy and heavy sound.
In the
biggest Russian magazine “Dark
City” reviewing
the albums
the author has
even written
such words:
“This music will make even the
faceted
glasses cry”. What is
your opinion upon
his words? Do you consider these two albums to
be the
strongest works of
the band
in comparison with the following ones?
JAPE:
Well,
believe
it
or
not, but when we recorded «All Eternity», we even took some of the
darkest moments
away (laughs).
I mean, Mary-Ann R.I.P chorus was darker
than it appears
on the record. But
anyway, we
do not think about what we have done with these two albums. Of
course we've
noticed that «All Eternity» and «Epilogue» are very important for
many people. But surely
it feels good that we created those kind of Cult albums for this
Finnish Gothic rock/metal scene.
JUPPE:
It's
true that many bands were
influenced by
our first two albums and many bands would not even exist without
them.
We are really happy that we have been making that kind of history. I
hope that we'll
keep touching peoples hearts
with
our music next 30 years at least (smiles).
Nikolay:
This question is for Jape. You
have a daughter. Is she fond of music? Does she listen to your
albums?
JAPE:
My daughter is 18 years old now. She is listening different
kinds
of music and knows quite a
lot
about rock'n'roll
history already. She is listening to
everything:
from Ramones to nowadays mainstream
whatever they are (smiles).
She is been listening our albums,but i guess it is not her favourite
music anyway (smiles).
Nikolay:
The band exists
almost
for
20
years
already
. Did the audience at your gigs change? Are there people who continue
going to your shows despite
all the odds? I mean if
you have some
faithful fans.
JAPE:
We
do
have
faithful fans, yes! They
are great! Theree
are also
some new fans. Let´s
hope we´ll get more new fans with the next album, and of course we
need to do more shows to get more fans too!
JUPPE:
Yes there
are
some real fans almost in our
every
gig in Finland. We
hope
to get more new fans from all over the world!
Nikolay:
One
more question
for Jape. How did your daughter's
birth influence your life? Did she become a
source
of your inspiration?
JAPE:
Of course
she made
a
great
influence
on
my life! What
comes to TDF, I
dedicated
some songs to
her: «Vale of Tears», «Angelica» and «Endlessly». However
I
did not start
living
like an
ordinary
adult or general
old daddy (laughs).
I
hope, she
understands me
and my way of life.
Nikolay:
Could
you tell
what
the sources of your inspiration are!
Where
do
you
take
the
ideas for
writing
your music?
JAPE:
Always
this question! (laughs)
This
may sound very clishee and boring but
the biggest
influence is the
life itself! You
can write about whatever happens around you.
Nikolay:
The question concerning your workflow. When
you are writing
songs, are you making
it together or is there
usually only one person who has all the
power in his hands?
JAPE:
It always
depends.
But
what about
our
seventh
album, we have done more work
together
than ever before.
JUPPE:
A lot of
stuff we
are doing together, but most of the production comes from Jape. He
gives the sound for our
songs with
his TDF hands (smiles).
Nikolay:
Have you ever had an idea of leaving music
and doing something else? To become a chairman on
TV or a producer of some Finnish band?
JAPE:
There
is nothing else I
would like to do! I love travelling and make music. I hate day jobs,
even thought
I have
to do them
sometimes.
I
will
never start doing dayjobs permanently that is for sure!
JUPPE:
TDF keeps us too busy that we don't
have that much time for other projects.
Nikolay:
When did you decide to be a rock musician?
JAPE:
I did not decide it (smiles)
I had my first band when i was 12 years old. I composed my first
stupid song when I
was 6 years old with my grandparents piano.
I
quit schools because I
just wanted to
play
in a
band. And the
final
bomb
exploded
when I
got SMACK´s "live Desire" album from Tommi Lillman at
school. After
that this flame is been in a big fire in my heart.
JUPPE:
Our hometown was such a boring place that
the music was the only thing which gave something to
us. There were no plans to be a rock
star. We were just playing. Then suddenly there was a first gig and a
next one. With right guys around it
was fun and easy to make music. When I see
that I have improved, it makes me sure that
this is the thing I want to do.
Nikolay:
What bands effected you
and what special
was about them?
JAPE:
We
all have our own favourites. But, like I
always said, I
am not sure if would have started to play in a
band is
there wass no Finnish
street rock band called SMACK.
JUPPE:
I can't
point out aby band, but I like 80´s glam
rock, sleaze rock and punk rock.
Nikolay:
What message would you like to send to your fans?
JAPE:
Live your own life, not the others! They can try to take away
whatever from you, but not your thoughts! Fight for your rights and
your own life And
respect the planet earth! (smiles)
JUPPE:
Don´t pee on a headwind.
Nikolay:
Thanks for your time guys! You are
the best in our hearts. Whatever happens, we’re gonna listen to
your music and buy your upcoming album. We were always supporting you
and we wouldn't
be false to ourselves.
JAPE
and JUPPE: Thank you very much, Nikolay! Love and Respect!
10.12.2014
© Interview preparation : Nikolay Belov and Anton Koltsov
Photo: Jana Grivorieva. More photos could be found under: http://musecube.org/?p=174356
Edition: Lina Yundunova
Edition: Lina Yundunova
Specially for: To/Die/For Russian Support https://vk.com/todiefor_rus
_________________________________________________________________________________
© This interview was originally produced for: To/Die/For Russian Support https://vk.com/todiefor_rus
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