TO/DIE/FOR (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for answering to our questions. What’s currently going on into the TO/DIE/FOR’s camp?
JAPE_We´re rehearsaling a lot.Handling upcoming shows for 2012,having fun and just play rock and roll.in a one week we have our release party here in Finland so….waiting for that:)
Things are GOOD and lovely.
– Your album after the comeback is “Samsara”; were you working on before you were back on track with the band or did you think about coming back just for shows?
JAPE-When we were away,,about two years,we still wrote some songs at home.Personally I did not even know that some of these songs would be on TDF album in the future.I just composed and composed songs, because what else I want to do? nothing.
Also Antza Talala was writing songs at home, and he did not know eather that TDF would be alive again someday.
– After all what happened to the band; how were you feeling about the release of a new album? Were you excited about it? And how’s being the feedback for the album so far? Everything as you expected to be?
JAPE>We knew that some people will be like “whatta fuck?” but that is a good reaction.
This is Best TDF album and it is our opinion. We do not have any musical walls around us, and that´s how we created this album…feeling free.We do not care about shitty comments at all.
We are the band and we will do as we want, and not like someone else wants us to do.
Reviews that saw are being good ones so…I think feed back is been very good mostly:)
– In fact I heard some people say this is your best album so far, or at least the best one since your debut album. Does this motivate you in any way? And do you share these same thoughts about “Samsara”?
JAPE> For me personally this is much better than the debut album, but people can have their opinions, and we respect everybody´s opinion.I had my motivation to write music since I was 12 years old, so even people would say this is shit,I would write new music at home and with my friends. As I told you, yes all TDF members are on a same direction..this is or Best album.
– This is a darker album than “Wounds Wide Open” for instance; was this something you aimed for or did everything come out naturally?
JAPE> Everything came out as naturally as natural can be. Writing songs, doing arrangements and also recording sessions were easiest on our career. I wrote lyrics about real things and not any fantasy bullshit, so I did not have to act for being some “poet-man” 🙂 these things really happened during 2010.My little brother died, so I wrote two songs for him.one of our close friend has brain cancer, and I wrote one song for her etc. We did not think that we HAVE TO make darker album. We just did what felt good.
– You have included a cover for IGGY POP’s “Cry for Love”; how did you come up with this idea and what changes have you done to this track? As I think you have adapted perfectly to your own sound.
JAPE- Somehow this song fits for TDF with lyrics and it rocks.it is simple and very fun song to play.
We did not change this a lot. why should we? because we respect Iggy. We did a bit longer guitar solo and I think that´s it. We´re doing cover songs only for having fun, not because of getting radio play or some other shit so… we do not even try to do these cover songs as our own, but anyway I can say this is fits for TDF as it is now on Samsara album.Guys likes to play it on the stage, and girls are shaking their asses so.. why not? 🙂 Isn´t it always been one of the biggest things on rock and roll? 🙂
– In fact this is an album full of contrasts, an example of it can be chorus on “Folie a Deux” mixed with emotional “Death Comes in March” or the really original and almost epic “Someday Somewhere Somehow”. Was this enjoyable final output and versatility something you were looking for?
JAPE-We wrote nice ending song someday somewhere somehow. That song came out because my little brother died. Without his death this song would not be exist! But more I would like him to be still alive than having this song…as you may imagine.
Contrast on the album are very good thing. Bands have done enough fucking “numb” albums for now.
Feels like many bands would be scared of something new,and just trying to do for examble so called gothic rock! Whatta fuck? on that genre nothing new happened in 12years and only bands are going to be more boring and more shit.sorry to say this straight but use your brain people!
Show me some gothic rock band whos going forward on its career and whos goin forward musically? I mean..Some “gothic rock fans” do not understand our songs like Death comes in March
or Oblivion:vision etc. And one thing why it happens is that those songs are NOT the ones they expect to hear.
We did Oblivion:vision while being very high,and it is improvisated one.It is also a middle finger for nowadays music business and for the way how almost ALL albums will be done nowadays.
Not much reality on nowadays albums and ways to record etc.All is just computer shit.
So..this one is improvisated and played live of course, and we left ALL mistakes there too.
I played Rhodes piano while I tried to sing so….I cannot even play fucking Rhodes piano:) it was fun and real!
Actually we did not made any plans for this album.what kind of music we should do or so..we just did what we love to do at the moment.
– Anyway, how could you describe “Samsara” in just 3 words?
JAPE-Freedom, Love and rock´n´roll (rock and roll is one word right? :))
– If I’m not mistaken this has been your first album released independently. Have been things harder this time? Specially considering all your previous efforts were released by a strong label such as Spinefarm.
JAPE- Spinefarm WAS strong.At the time they are not that strong I would say. They are signing a lot of death metal bands, and can you tell me what new they bring? nothing, especially they haven´t find any New and Big ones after Bodom and Nightwish so…well they have MICHAEL MONROE for now but spinefarm did not create this guy. He is the first rock star from Finland EVER! and spinefarm should kiss his toes for thanking Mike! Strong words ha? 🙂
well,of course if we would be Spinefarm´s band now we would maybe get more attention and more commercial stuff on some magazines,but they never worked for us enough.They had bigger ones to handle and so on. We did not felt good while being in that house and that is the truth.I hate when institutions on rock business puts control everywhere.There is control on labels,control on radio stations,and evewhere someone comes and says how these things should be done. For fuck sake we are the band and we are the ones who decides what to do! We have a bit like punk kind of attitude and that´s how it should be! Nowadays these “control”institutions does not respect musicians enough I would say.Without THE SONG,there would not be incomings for merchandise sellers,no incomings for the labels,nothing to play on radio stations..They need these Rock and roll fuckers to WRITE the SONG first,then they have their business after that,and who will lose most money in this shit? the band, the guys who wrote the fucking song!
We decided to do everything by ourselves and also release this ourselves and just sell licence deals for other labels.At least we know where we are going at the moment,and there´s no Mafioso assholes stealing our little moneys.
Of course we would be ready to sign with some label,but that contract should be good.
Offers we had were mostly shit and would not help us that much.
Let´s see what happens with next one.We will sign a contract if we will see that it relly gives us a possibility to grow bigger! and also there should be taken away many parts which starts with the words “artist will give this and this rights for the label eternally” 🙂
– And didn’t you get any interesting offers prior to the release this new “Samsara”?
JAPE-yes! Interesting what comes,how the hell some labels are thinking bands would be that fucking stupid to sign their “mafia”kinda stealing papers!
So we did not get any good offers.Where is the humanity in this world :)?
– You have done a video for “Hail of Bullets”, what could you comment on it?
JAPE-It is not done as “official” video. I created it for Japanese label, to give it with pre-orders so..
But suddenly it went to every place but it is good I think. there´s just clips from our tour in China 2011
– Alter all these years of existence for TO/DIE/FOR, what have been both the best and worst moments with the band?
JAPE- best moments happened on tours of course. We really love to be on tour and meet our fans.
Also worst moments we had on tour, when we met some of those asshole promoters who did not know what else to do than ruin everything we were fighting for.
Also one of the best moments are when someone writes to us ,and tells how our music helped him/her. It gives us a feeling that we´ve done something right!
With TDF we want to share love, freedom, peace and rock and roll and that is what SAMSARA and TDF is about!
– And what’s left for you to get with TO/DIE/FOR?
JAPE-What is left on our career or what you mean?
We just want to write music and hope it stays alive after years too!
Of course we want to grow bigger as a band and be on tour as much as possible.
– Finally, what are your near-future plans?
JAPE-Touring 🙂 also we did some new demos already so..new stuff is coming still.
– That’s all from my side, thanks once more for answering to our questions. If you now want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Be as you are-Live as you want-Stay strong and stick around!
Love, peace, freedom and rock and rollah: JAPE von CroW
www.youtube.com/todieforbandofficial
