LOWBURN - Interview
LFdM: Hi man. Thank you so much for your time.
Well, thinking... when we refer to Scandinavian music, we think to Norway for black metal, Sweden for rock'n' roll and Finland for Goth and melancholy music. You are a stoner band... Can we say you are the ones much more badass?
- Hello Michela! Yes, I think you can! Or we are just old. Hahahah!
LFdM: Ok become serious! Let's talk about this new album "Doomsayer". What can you tell me about the recording process?
- It was recorded by me at our rehearsal place and at my own home studio. The recording took a while and the mixing took a longer while. In the end I think the whole recording and mixing session was successful. Only thing I will change in the future is that I will not record the vocals by myself anymore. That is something you'd need to have another pair of ears and someone else pressing the recording button than yourself.
- Drums were recorded live in our rehearsal room in 2 days. No fixing on them at all, so what you hear is the performance of Henkka. After this it took about half a year to have bass and guitars recorded due to the musicians being very hectic in their personal lives. The mixing part took the longest hours for me as it was a huge learning curve all in all. The first mixes I made had triggered drums etc. and I'm glad I used my time learning the mixing. As the final production does have lively drums and everything else in its' place quite well.
LFdM: Doomsayer showcases quite well the versatility and the musicianship of the band. It shows their sides from the pure stoner rock frenzy to the more doomier fields. What can you say about it?
- Nicely said. Hahaha! I would say that drums and percussions show the musicianship the best as I don't think that guitars or bass are that musically skilled. The album has songs from the first done when the band was formed and some songs were made while making the album. So it showcases quite well the progression of the band. We have some new stuff done already and things have progressed more from the album material.
- We actually recorded more songs than are included on the album so we have an EP-material waiting for release in some form. Some of those songs are really different from the album material as well, like song called "Lost Control" which is smoky, slow, very much Alice In Chains -influenced track.
LFdM: Another thing I noticed on this album is that the typical '90s mood mixed with your own sound, gives a really great combination. I think this is the most obvious sign of BILLY ANDERSON's production. Do you think you reached your goal with him?
- The truth be told, Billy only mastered the album. He has nothing to do with the production of the material. Even though the idea would be really tempting. I think the 90s mood/influence is there probably because I was a huge grunge fan back in the day. Never was into Nirvana that much though, more AiC, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam kind of guy. And also the fact that I used the whole 90s playing in different bands led me probably towards that sound.
LFdM: How long did it take for you to understand the album was finally ended, that you made it as you wanted it to be?
- I must admit that it was quite hard to let go of the mixing process and say that it's done now. I would probably change something even now. It was a wise decision that we decided to set a deadline and asked for Billy to master the album. That way I had to let it go… However I did a lot of changes on the last night before sending the files to Billy.
LFdM: Who are your influences?
- My first LP was Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" and that's where it all started. I was a metal head pretty much my first informative years but when I reached the ripe age of 14-15 I started listening to all the blues and hippie stuff like Hendrix, Doors, Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, etc.... When I went to serve my military service I was introduced to AiC's Dirt and I was gone back to heavy again… Not that long afterwards I was again listening to Napalm Death and stuff like that. The good thing is that all the music stuck with me so nowadays I listen to various kinds of music ranging from delta blues to black metal.
- I was part of the second wave of stoner rock in 90s / early 2000 with my band Elephant Bell. There were many bands that stuck with me like Monster Magnet, Dozer, Lowrider, Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Queens of the Stoneage, etc etc… I think most of that stuff can be heard in our music as well. Of course the bands from the 70s are a huge influence on me personally.
LFdM: Some of you come from another great stoner band Battlelore, which are the main differences with Lowburn? If there are of course...
- I wouldn't say Battlelore is a stoner band, a band of stoners might be but not a stoner band as stoner rock. Hahah! There are quite many differences, I don't consider Lowburn really a metal band even though we have the influences and background there. We don't use the death metal growls on Lowburn and we don't have female vocalist.
LFdM: How much do you feel changed since the beginning with Battlelore? Apart from the age signed on the IC?
- Not really sure about this one. I was over 10 years younger when I joined Battlelore. I had played in many bands before joining and have continued with other bands since as well. I don't like limiting me musically to one band/genre so it's been a very good thing for me to have different bands to present my music. The only problem I have is that I don't really have enough time to realise all my ideas. As music is my dear hobby, I do have a normal job where I go every day to earn my living. So it takes a lot of time from making music.
LFdM: Is it so hard to make something really special not just to satisfy your audience, but above all yourself?
- I think that we'll now have more problems with ourselves and with the second album material. First one is always easier as you have the drive and pretty much all the ideas are ok. The second one really needs more pushing and deciding which way to go. I don't really think there is any thinking about satisfying the audience in the band. It's more about making music that will satisfy us and our tastes.
LFdM: Tell me about the first time playing live with any band?
- Oh, I think I was probably 15 or just turned 16, the band was called Mr. Moonstruck and we played covers. The first gig was in some school gymnasium. I remember it being very much fun and we had quite a drinking fest afterwards. We played couple of songs from the great Masters Of Reality (nobody knew about the band at the time, I had received the album "The Blue Garden" from my sister's boyfriend and totally fell in love with it) and then something like Cocaine and Knocking on Heavens' Door. And some ZZ Top tunes. But we were young and learning a lot those days about being in a band and how the songs should be.
LFdM: What kind of connection do you have with other finnish bands? Did you have to fight a lot to get own space?
- Hahah! No, not really. I know a lot of people from Finnish "scene" and I'd say it's very friendly bunch of people. Even more these days when everyone's older and less prejudiced.
LFdM: What are your next tour plans?
- We've been scheduling some gigs in Finland for the album release. And hopefully we'll get some gigs to play in continental Europe as well. We'll hope and see.
Thanks for the interview Michela! Cheers!
Thanks for the interview Michela! Cheers!
Thanks a lot,
Interview by Michela
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