– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with BROTHER FIRETRIBE?

Pekka: Hi, my pleasure. It´s all good and exciting at the moment, thanks. The new album hits the stores early next month and we´re rehearsing the live set as we speak. Couldn´t be happier!

– First off, why did you pick «Brother Firetribe» as the band’s name?

Pekka: It´s an inside joke basically. When we started writing songs in the early days we didn´t have a name for the band but had come up with a term «tennis heavy» when people asked what kind of music we´re playing. Then a friend of ours translated the name of a Finnish tennis player Veli Paloheimo in English and we thought it was funny and picked it up. Needless to say he was drunk when he came up with that.

 

– How are you feeling with being back on track with the band 7 years after your previous «Heart Full of Fire» came out? Are you excited to see the fans and media reaction or released after having given birth to such a superb album?

Pekka: Really excited. We haven´t really paid attention to other people´s opinions previously but now, after the long break, you kind of get to thinking and hoping that the wait was all worth it to people who grew to like the previous albums.

 

– This being said; what are your expectations on this new release?

Pekka: We´re pretty confident about people digging it. If you liked the previous ones I´m quite sure this will go down well also. It´s got all the elements needed for making a solid Brother Firetribe album.

 

– I guess you don’t have a huge continuity when it comes to release albums due to your other bands so, will we have to wait another 7 years until your next opus?

Pekka: I certainly hope not! It´s true that the nature of the band is what it is, meaning that it´s almost impossible to come out with new stuff regularly but we´re definitely gonna keep on coming up with new albums in the future, this is too good a band to put to rest permanently. But you´re right, 4 years is way too long!

 

– I personally think your new «Diamond in the Firepit» is your most mature effort to date; what are your thoughts on this? Do you think the gap of time between your last releases had some effect on this or is it rather a natural evolution after two albums?

Pekka: I think you´re spot on with that. It´s most definitely due to a natural development where we stand with the new album. Just like with the other albums, we didn´t really think about anything, we just did what came out naturally.

 

– You keep your classical influences, specially from American AOR I would dare say but, which bands could you point as the most influential ones for BORTHER FIRETRIBE?

Pekka: Everyone has their own influences but I think all of us have been on a heavy diet of Van Halen at some point! I grew up listening to all the big AOR names, and more obscure ones too, that stuff is in my DNA.

 

– Talking about this new record, I think the first half of it is simply overwhelming, containing the best songs of the album, and then the intensity goes down just a little bit. In that sense, how important do you think is the tracklisting? Do you put a special focus or really care about the order of the songs?

Pekka: We always try to think about it, sure. They say that the album format is pretty much gone nowadays, which is really sad and unfortunate, but we always try to approach an album by thinking of it as an LP with A and B-sides.

 

– As always, you have created a really melodic album, with big and really superb choruses as one of the best elements of the tunes. In fact you have always had those two elements. Are this catchy melodies something you strive for or do they just come out naturally when you are composing an album into this style?

Pekka: It´s pretty much what this band is based on, it´s how it´s always been and always will be. We´re always after the catchiest possible hook, it´s not rocket science by any means. Three chords can get you far if you happen to be able to work well around them.

 

– All this about «Diamond in the Firepit» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?

Pekka: 1. It´s. 2. Fucking. 3. Awesome.

 

– And finally, what are your near-future plans?

Pekka: To get the circus on the road again. That´s the best part of the whole package, we can´t wait as it´s been so long since the last time. We aim to tour as much as possible after the summer.

 

– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.

Pekka: Thanks for the opportunity to spread the word. A big thanks to all of those who have patiently waited for us to come up with something new again. I sincerely hope the new album is worth the wait and hope to see you soon out there somewhere!

 

Sergio Fernández

sergio@queensofsteel.com

Deja una respuesta

Tu dirección de correo electrónico no será publicada.

Highslide for Wordpress Plugin