Interview with SANTA CRUZ

Hi guys, it's really a pleasure for me having the chance to interview you even if just online. 
I started following Santa Cruz in 2010, when I found out Arttu "Archie" Kuosmanen won a sort of talent show called Kitarasankari (Guitar Hero), or better he won it but for the online audience, since the competition winner was Hannu (Hata) Salmi.

LFdM: So Archie, I hope you wouldn't mind if I call you with your middle name, I found nothing about that event, not even a hint on Santa Cruz official website or on your Facebook page. If that happened to a member of an Italian band, they would have spoiled this chance to the core, while it seems you're not asking for that kind of publicity, right? Let the music do the talking, so would you mind to introduce us the members of the band?

Let the music do the talking indeed! There's my man Johnny on guitar, my man Middy on bass & my man Taz on drums.

LFdM: You are all very young and this band was born almost 10 years ago (2007), so you all had very clear ideas about your future since a very early age. When and why did you start believing in your future as musicians?

I think immediatly when I started playing guitar I started picturing that. The confidence just built up through the years & with getting positive feedback. Same with all of us I think. All of us have just pretty much lived through music most of our lives so that's what we need to do.

LFdM: Santa Cruz: who put this name to the band, was it a common decision? What is its meaning for you guys?

Me & Johnny decided that when we started. I saw it written on the globe when I was on 5th grade. Santa Cruz sounded cool & there's one in Cali so why not.

LFdM: As far as I can read and listen your musical muses came from the USA, from ancient glories like Guns'n'Roses, Motley Crue and Skid Row. But are there other European or Finnish artists or bands you take inspiration from to create your own sound, according to the genre of "pure fucking adrenaline"? 

Yeah a lot from the UK & from Finnish artists we like Irwin Goodman a lot.

LFdM: It might seem a sort of commonplace but I always believed Finland is the land of Rock. I have plenty of Finnish friends among my FB lists and all of them are musicians, play some instruments or have been into the music field for years. Would you try to explain me this strange phenomenon?

Maybe you've been hanging at the wrong bars!

LFdM: For that same reason I have always been pretty sure that in Finland all musicians are friends and hang along perfectly, no controversials, no fights, always fair play and mutual respect. Is really like this or it's just my imagination? 

Yeah pretty much right. Finnish people are not that temperate. Except when we're drunk but nobody remember's that afterwards. Except when somebody dies.

LFdM: You know, Archie, after that incredible gig at Tavastia last December when you played in this unique quartet called The Local Band, starring Olli (Reckless Love), Jussi (The 69 Eyes) and Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom) well, Ithough I had enough proofs. Can you tell us whose idea was to make you join that gig and how was it playing bass, doing covers like 'Shout At The Devil', 'Slave To The Grind', and playing the epic guitar battle with Laiho? Do you think this project might have a future or was it just a wonderful single unrepeatable event?

Yeah you know, I don't know man. I'm high. No, but Jussi called me in the middle of the night when I was at Middy's wedding, asking me if I could play bass. I replied yes & he told me about this project he'd been talking about with Alexi & here we went to play Tavastia. We actually played this Finnish festival called Ruisrock last summer so there's been two now. Maybe we'll do something someday, you never know.

LFdM: Hanoi Rocks, The 69Eyes, HIM, to cite a few, all come from HELLsinki, exactly like you. What's the magic about this city?

Helsinki is the city of bums!

LFdM: I know you had a few line-up changes, but now it seems like you found the perfect condition to conquer the world with your music. Can you tell us how does the songwriting process work in your band? Do all the members take part to it or is it just in the hands of one or of a couple of you?

Johnny makes all the demos. It's pretty next level dude. I fart on the mic sometimes. We laugh.

LFdM: In March you'll release your second album and I am one of the lucky ones who has had the chance to give it a prelistening. Well, let me tell you it's been 40 minutes of "eargasm" and I was pretty sad it was already over and cannot help listening to it again and again. Now, let's start from your first single with related video, "We Are The Ones To Fall", whose idea was to start a sort of boxe match among you guys, I thought you were pretty close friends also outside the band...

Yeah we used to be. Nowadays we just fight. Naaw, actually I had the idea of doing our little version of David Fincher's movie Fight Club. Guys liked the idea & we called up the director Ville Juurikkala and visualised the idea to fit us & the resources we had in use.

LFdM: Among your new album tracks there's one titled "Bonafide Heroes", well, you seem to show once again your love for ancient Latin language. Besides this,  that song is a blast, can you tell our curious readers what is it about?

It's about Tom Cruise on Top Gun!

Well, as you readers might have noticed, Santa Cruz guys, apart from being very talented musicians, must definitely be really funny and crazy people to hang out and have a great time with. Actually this interview was not exactly over, since a couple of questions got lost somewhere into the world wide web, it happens, anyway, we don't forget to thank Santa Cruz and can't wait to see them performing onstage soon. I am pretty sure we'll find it a real blast of a live act, don't forget that they're made to "come, see and conquer". 

To all of our Italian fans, remember Santa Cruz will play at Live Club, Trezzo, April 02, don't miss it!

Interview by Margherita Realmonte
HERE you can find our last review

http://www.santacruz.fi/
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