Interesting chat with Juska Salminen

Learn and practise life ... an interesting chat with Juska Salminen  (ex HIM keyboard player)

Hi Juska!

Thanks for your time, for an old HIM's fan like me, talk with you is an honour, but also a pleasure.

I'll be honest (you forgive me my fanatic moment) when I saw the first time the Him tribute's video with Saddolls band, it was like for a baby to acknowledge the voice of his mom, ...It's was great!

-How did you wind up on that stage?

Wow... The beauty of allegory. To start the interview in a way that I felt like being a mom... The power comes from the words.

My dear friend Paul from Saddols asked me to play "Join Me", when I come to Greece. To come to Greece, the reason was to meet Paul for documentary. Documentary is of Hope, and that is something I was looking from Greece. I am the director and producer of the movie.

Did find the hope, but it opened a gateway to my own life. Actually it has been generally really difficult to understand the world from adult point of view. I mean I lost my hope when I left HIM for example. It felt like my life ended. But at that time I just couldn't do it anymore. I was crying myself to sleep, so tired was I then. Life was full of little deaths, but I'm still alive, so I'm happy.

To be on stage and play with Saddols, I think it put a closure to HIM time. Finally... We played Bury Me deep inside your heart. It thinks I buried HIM deep inside my heart. I mean it is there, but I don't actively think of it.

- Now, you play with To/Die/For; how would you describe your sound to someone who never heard you before?

Ok, challenging! I can start with honesty. I am not the best person to talk about sound at the time being. I mean I haven't been the greatest sound man in this world... I just play. And perform, but the future will be different. I am finally Juska, who understands that I can play. I am not the weakest link.

T/D/F sound... It took a direction to heavier sound from glam rock around 2000, when many bands from Finland stepped to same kind of melodic and sad sound. Northern stars started to shine, when many bands played sort of gothic rock.. Finnish gothic was feeling really well, and it was acknowledged abroad. 
I think To/Die/For is that. Finnish gothic rock, but also with a bit of twist. We are quite hippies, most of us in the band. So like the latest album Samsara for example... It is really easy to find the hippie side from inside out. Searching for life itself. Music is more than notes and words... It is life.

-If you had to choose, which style would you prefer to use melodic or technical compositions?

Quick answer is melodic. Technical is something I have been afraid of even to think of. However, as I mentioned, I opened a gateway to my own life. Opening it, the chain reaction wasn't all bad. Realizing few things... I gained the ability to understand that I have played keyboards for over 15 years. I can play. It's about the attitude, and how I see myself behind the keys. Or actually now I have to "go in front of the keys", and make them understand that I am the one who can control them. Without me, there will be no sound. It is just a machine.

So melodic first, but I'm practicing to be more technical. Taking baby steps!

-How do you created the melodies?

I've been only arranging. I did create something,... To create is to add your life to something you see in front of you.

It's like giving a birth to music. It’s combination of composed material, and that part I create.

I mean someone else can give that birth too, but if I do it, it's the experience of myself and my band mates. The story we want to tell to audience. To try to tell that there is  level behind the song one needs to find. It's the creation from us to you, whoever you are. And creation for us too, and after a time we will forget the active time of creation. So it comes something even we can listen to, as a role of audience. People forget.

-Is there any particular message that you’re trying to get across with your songs?

I kind answered this, but to be more specific, yes there is. There is always a message. Conscious or subconscious. But if one creates, the message is pretty much about the creation. It's the rebirth of oneself, as you write your feelings on paper, and in this case, make a song out of them for example. Or it can be book, or a movie.. Or whatever. One will tell a story, and it reflects something one has been experienced.

My message.. I still only arrange so there is limited amount of message I can give. But if I make the whole song, there is a really strong message involved. For example the song "Last Breath"... All about depression. Really wanted to tell about that, because I think who has experienced it, there is some sort of "responsibility", to tell about that "living death". It killed me, but I took a strong risk of getting into war against it. And a public war it was. But I do need to tell about mine. It helps me, and it's not away from anyone...

-What are your main reference points? Talking about places in general...

In life every single step from child to new era, like to become a teenager, than young adult, and now adult with the kid inside me... Those are naturally really important parts of my life. As talking about places, I think it is pretty safe to say home.

I consider myself to be European, so it is possible to build home wherever you are, so for example rehearsal place is another home. Or hostel. It's all about perspective. Everything is about perspective I guess.
-I read that you are working on a new album? Is it true?

We've been on a little break, since members off To/Die/For went all around the world without band. Meaning on a holiday. We are just about to regroup to talk what to do next. Some gigs for sure. Gonna work on something, but what it is, yet to be mystery...

-What new bands or new music are you listening to now that excites you?

I actually have started to listen everything. Right now, Cirque del soleil, Alegria. I have always been  considered to be heavy metal guy, because of my past... But to be honest, I don't know that much about it. So I guess I should listen to it more. There are so many different kind of music to listen that every single day I just listen. If something excites me that is good. Sometimes however, it is important to mellow down, so I pick another kind of music genre..

 Really can't specify that much. Started to listen classical music, but than again went back to my roots, and started to listen to The Prodigy. Depends on the mood... (Sometimes a good trick is to pick really something randomly. "Depends on "words make me think of Depeche Mode, so there it is. Next song will be Depeche Mode.

-Tell me, your relationship with music from the start?

My relationship to music... Well, I breathed music through my dad, and bit through my mom, and of course by listening to Bon Jovi, U2, Def Leppard... So many bands played by my big brother. The first cassette I got, was Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry. So I lived and breathed through 80's hard rock. Took a direction to dance music after that, so I guess 2 Unlimited and other stuff just ate the room of rock from my life.

My dad plays keyboards, so learned to play with his organs and piano, and keys. First studied for 3 years, but I realized it is easier to just copy music. So learned the basics of reading notes. Enough now at this age, but in HIM for example, it would have been nice to have some more background of studies, in order to make me feel more secure in my role.

-On stage, there are some bands that make you feel part of them; what does it means to play in a band?

To play in the band is exactly what you just said. To make the concert pure energy with audience. We are there to entertain, and audience is there to have fun. If everything works great, it's pure positive energy for 1 hour and a half.

Of course band is a family. Another home as I said before... But all families have problems. As well if the band gains success, it is a double sided sword. Not that easy to cope with the fact that some people look up to you because of the status. I know it is necessity in this business, and I've been like a kid in the candy store while meeting famous people. But when it comes to the point that you are one... Well, let's just say that I'm happy not to be Ville. Frontman takes all the crap as well. Public should always remeber that there is a person behind everything. All the mistakes are part of life. Leaders don't have time for the whole army, so suck it in, if you don't get a smile, if you ask for autograph. 24 hours a day is limited...

-There was a time in your life in which the music wasn't no care or something to love, but a poison?

It first turned from a dream to a nightmare. I was in HIM for 2 years, and there is a limit of what a person can take. I mean I loved the time, but I got tired. First I was afraid, and then in complete panic. In panic person runs away, and that is what I had to do, in order to survive. Otherwise the escape route might've been down from the balcony without ladders...

So it turned to be poison for me. Or to be more specific, I guess I just had a massive hangover from music. I wasn't ready, and if I drink too much, I get hangover.

It took time, but now I love music again. It cures. We can sing about love, but we can love singing. It's just positive energy again. White chess: we play not to compete, but to just gain nice experiences.

-You're busy with not-musical matters. How can you separate music with other stuff ?

It's all about organizing. One needs to take control, and produce one's own life. There's a certain amount of things one can do a day. If time runs out, it's just a matter of prioritizing. I mean some things are more important than the others, always. So if time runs out, just leave the least important things for tomorrow.
Music is part of my life, but so is also everything else.

-Recently you're come back from Greece for realize an interesting social documentary. It was the first time or you have already done similar work in other countries?

This was the very first time for the documentary on this level. Pretty soon I will graduate, and get my very first occupation. It's funny that I'm gonna turn 36, and this is the first time I have a "real" job... Or degree. :D

But back to your question... It was a journey, and now I know next time what I can do, and what is there to be done differently. This whole journey took me once again to hospital, because last days, I didn't sleep anymore.

If one is searching for something, have to be ready to face what one finds. I was looking for hope in Greece, found it, but as well started to think my place in this universe. Really deep thoughts of my existence. Finally faced some fears.. For a tired person, through frequent panic attacks I found my place. I think everyone needs to go their Via Dolorosa, in order to understand, how life works. It is pretty personal...

-What do you learn from these experiences?

Live in the moment. Life is precious gift, and time is the only valid measurement in life things. As it is limited, one should be careful not to waste it. Enjoy life, and laugh to yourself. Every single evening one should think for a second, and it is pretty easy to say.. It could be worse.

-Which is the most beautiful song in your career that you have played?

I'm still rehearsing it...

-What are your dreams now ?

I live in my dream, and dream to wake up to another day full of dreams to fulfill. My dream is to make other people understand that there is a place which is hard to find, because it is somewhere really close, but so far. Keep on searching, and maybe your dreams come true...

Thank you so much and I hope your dreams come true..

Thank you!

Interview by Michela

To/Die/For link