Onni: Hello, so, are you ready?
Mikko Salovaara: Yeah, I was born ready!
The news of the year for sure is the line-up changes in your band.
M: Yes, it is. The new keyboard player, the new drummer and the new vocalist.
Let’s start with the vocalist, he is the face of the band. How did you find him?
Actually he was pretty much around, we knew him from the circles. He was the vocalist in the band that was supporting us last year… hm, yeah, I think it was last year. So, the moment when our previous singer Ilja decided to leave, I made the list of different guys who could be the new vocalist. It was pretty hard even to think of a replacement. I had in mind everyone very similar to Ilja’s style, but it would be just a cheap copy anyway. So we needed someone who can do the old songs in a way that could be pleasing enough for the old fans, but still have some new possibilities and something that people haven’t even heard yet and wouldn’t have heard with the old line-up.
It’s quite a hard task.
Yeah, it was pretty hard. What actually has happened, I had this list of several names and the first guy I’ve asked was Asim. We really thought about it very hard. We have auditioned him, we have even recorded some old stuff in the studio, and then we actually did some gigs with him in Finland, and basically after that we’ve decided that he is the guy. So first we have really tested him and we were sure that he is the right person. Because he can do what I have mentioned earlier. He can imitate Ilja’s style which is hard for many people, because we don’t want the traditional power metal vocal style, we want… well, those know who have heard us, we are not the power metal band, although it’s a melodic music. We have the rough edge and the hard rock kind of music also. So, Asim has the whole package: he can do very good growls, which he was doing actually in his previous band. He is definitely in the right band now.
He is not Finnish.
No, He is not. Originally he is from Pakistan. Also he has lived in Germany for a while, I think. He is sort of an international guy, you know. Of course the Finnish culture and its elements are very important for our music; we have also some Finnish lyrics. Well, Asim can do that very well, there’s no problem.
Does he speak Finnish?
Yes, he speaks Finnish better every day. He’s living in Finland for about 3 years or something. One consideration for example was how well he can sing in Finnish. Anyone who has already heard him agreed that you can’t hear any accent!
Do you have any special methods or lessons for him?
No. It might be something in the future but let’s see when we’ll create the new songs. There might be some Finnish as well, but I don’t worry at all, I know that Asim can do it very well. But of course, it’s like a new mood to take a non-Finnish guy into the group. So something that we’re gonna use definitely is combining the elements also from the eastern music because that is what we’ve done in the past.
Will you have it more in the future?
Yeah, definitely! We thought about it in the way that we have more possibilities with Asim. Because sort of Finnish folk influences and stuff like that, it’s been done so much and everybody is doing it all the time. And I also want to keep it there, but I don’t want to be tied to that. The whole idea
is not to let go anything, but always to have some doors open for a new possibilities. And that’s what we can do now. Well, if some will think that Pakistani guy will sing about Finnish myths and stuff like that, you might say it’s funny, but he is telling a story. It’s like there are American bands that have songs, let’s say, about Greek mythology.Ok, and what about the drummer?
Well, he’s done a lot of work for different bands and a lot of records. Nowadays he plays with us and Ajattara and… I can’t remember what else!
I see a lot of musicians play in different bands the same time.
Yeah, if they can, but I don’t! (laughs)
: Isn’t it sometimes difficult to combine everything?
Yeah, that’s true. You have to know your limits. And for example at the moment Raikku doesn’t play in that many bands anymore because he sort of chose the best ones! (laughs) I have only this band because I have to do so much, write the songs, and basically me and Teemu (Tuominen) are the original members and we have to organize everything. Personally for me, if there is some time off, there are no gigs and so on, always there is something else I have to do. You know, for example, answering emails, looking for a future gigs and new contacts, whatever. And others have such a role when they can concentrate on playing totally. For example they don’t do interviews! (laughs) At least Raikku at the moment, maybe they’ll do it in the future!
The next is your new keyboard player.
Yeah. He also plays and has played in many projects, in Ponies to Kill and Twilight Guardians which is also the Finnish power metal band on Spinefarm Records, so he has a remarkable history as well. Actually he is playing with Kiuas since 2008 (laughs), because our ex-keyboard player Atte couldn’t do a lot of the foreign gigs due to his studies, and Jari has played about 30-40 gigs before he joined Kiuas officially. So he was a member already! (laughs) And it was quite easy transmission and I’m happy we did it. As you see, there wasn’t any question about the new keyboard player. When Atte said he is leaving, I asked Jari and the situation was clear.
But you stay friends with the old members?
Yeah, of course, good friends!
Have you had a lot of foreign gigs?
Well, we’ve had some special occasions, and then we did one European Tour in 2008 supporting Firewind, and there were about 10 countries all together (UK, France, Spain, Italy and others). Then we have been to Japan with the first records, it was sort of arranged by the records company. We’ve played one gig in Tokyo. We’ve also done a gig in USA in Chicago and also at Maldives that was kind of special! (laughs) We were the headliner there, there were about seven thousand people and it was pretty cool! It was… weird! We were the first band of this kind there, so it was special for the fans as well. Yeah, and now finally we are about to go to Russia! (laughs) We are waiting for that.
Have you heard anything about Russia?
A lot of different things! I’ve been to StPetersburg with my parents some time in 1990-s, and that was interesting. But it’s been changing all the time; let’s see soon what’s there now…
Do you know any Russian bands?
I knew some bands, because I’ve bought some music from there, but I can’t remember now. Then, I also know that our friends
the band Thunderstone were recently there and they played with some big Russian band which is very popular in Russia (it was Epidemia, - Onni).What plans do you have for the future?
Well… First, go to Russia! (laughs) The point is that our latest album was the last in our record deal with Spinefarm, so now we are in the process of negotiations of the new one. At the moment it seems that we might continue with Spinefarm. But you know, I can’t say anything before it’s signed. Anyway, we suppose the time for the next release somewhere the next year’s fall or maybe winter, so we will have more than a year to write the new stuff. We will take our time, we won’t rush.
Will it be very different from the previous release?
Yeah, that’s a good question, because we’ll definitely exploit the possibilities of the new guys. First we’ll check them out and let’s see what they are capable for and then… (laughs) It’s just too early to say about the new ideas. We have a couple of almost finished songs. It might be totally new Kiuas, totally different, you know. But anyway, at some point it will be more technically faster, and then at some point there will be like… well, you’ll see!
Can you tell any funny cases from the concerts?
Well, I can tell a lot about the old members, of course (laughs), but in case with the new ones, we’ve been together so short time, the beauty is that everyone tries to do their best and be very professional, we haven’t tested their limits like with the old guys. We sort of screw up together, we did our mistakes, we knew how wasted we can be and still play and so on. Now it’s a big difference. I think those times arec still to come. At this point it’s like finding the right things to do and just getting to know each other, because it’s always like a family of course. Although I know these guys for quite a long time, it’s different when we are in the same band. Maybe at the gigs in Russia you’ll see funny stuff! (laughs)
Are you going to learn anything in Russian?
Our ex-singer was half Russian, so he taught me this: (speaks good Russian) pashel ty nahuj, nahal! Was that right?
(a lot of laugh after this, - Onni)
Ok, is there anything that I haven’t asked but you would like to add?
Basically I would say to the people who were concerned about Kiuas is not the same with the new line-up. Of course it’s not the same. It can’t be the same and it’s not supposed to be the same. the reasons why that guys have left are very clear and stated on our website.
But sometimes reasons that are written differ from the real ones.
Exactly! But not this time. When Markku had his third kid coming, you know… their lives were in a different place. The time with Kiuas was great for them, but it’s something they couldn’t continue. And the new guys, on the other hand, are such people that really wanna do this, and this is where their hearts are. This is what they’ve been waiting for (if I may speak for them). Otherwise they wouldn’t have joined the band. We’ve also selected these guys because we knew them. We’ve been thinking about different options and I can say that these are the best possible people to be in the band. It’s like the new beginning for me as well. Although it’s still Kiuas. I understand that we have to prove the new line-up. So, check it out! Come and see! But I’m not concerned and I don’t give a fuck if someone doesn’t like it.
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Interview done by Onni
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