– Hello, thank you so much for your time. First off, why did we have to wait these years between your two latest releases?

Kalle: Hello, thanks for the interview. Well, there was a bit under 4 years between two latest releases. Goodbye To All That came out in late 2007 and new one, Isolation, just now, last week. There aren’t any one specific reason for that. Time just passed by. We worked on other projects as well. And then there was this case that we had to made a decision to continue without Mika and so on. Many little things made one long break.

– After all this time; how do you feel now holding a new SHAMRAIN’s album in your hands? And how did you feel while creating it?

Kalle: It feels amazing. The creation process was quite exhausting at times, but much easier when comparing to previous album. Sometimes it just felt that there is not enough time to continue on it. Work ruins your free time you know.

 

 

– This «Isolation» is just different. How have you changed both as individuals and musicians during these years?

Kalle: Yes, it is faster than the previous work. I think mainly we got bored playing that slow material and also our musical taste have changed during the years. I think our musical taste just have gotten wider and therefor it will of course influence one’s writing. It earlier felt a bit like being in a prison of music genres, so it is nice to write different stuff as well. It is much interesting to evolve all the time than to make similiar albums one after another.

 

– For example, I could say this album is lighter and less sad; what made this effort being like this?

Kalle: As said, it has wider influences. So we didn’t feel like doing all gloomy material anymore. It is still not happy music, mut maybe a bit lighter at times.

 

– And why such title? As some people may think «Isolation» could fit better with some of your previous releases.

Kalle: Isolation fits very well with this album’s lyrical themes. And we wanted to have this kinda short, strong title, since our earlier titles are all pretty long. It just somehow felt perfect title for this. And it is also a kind of small bow in direction of Joy Division, which have made huge impact on me.

 

– I think Minna fits perfectly this new approach; what has she brought to the band?

 

Kalle: Nice to hear, we like her vocals a lot. It is a bit hard to say what she has brought to band, but at least working has become lots of easier now when working with she as vocalist. She gets our ideas and makes nice melodies and is open to our suggestions.

 

– And, after being a guest vocalist, how did she become your full-time singer?

Kalle: Working with Mika became, unfortunately, pretty much impossible so we had to make a decision to quite or continue with someone else. We weren’t ready to give up this band yet, so then Minna felt quite natural choice for us since we already knew her. So we just asked if she was interested becaming lead singer, when we fired Mika. And we thought also that if we’d take male vocalist, everyone would be comparing Mika and this new singer to each other much more, because they’d be both males.

 

– «Isolation» is also less atmospheric than some previous records; was this something you aimed for?

Kalle: Well, if you mean gloomy kinda atmosphere or somber, then you’re right. But I think Isolation has different kinda atmosphere in it. And maybe is not trusting only to atmospheric stuff like most of the old stuff. Isolation sounds like what we aimed for.

 

– Anyway, you have never lost that overall «dreamy» feeling with atmospheres that take us to the SHAMRAIN’s own world. Is this something easy to achieve with each album?

Kalle: We have always done music what we have wanted to do. So I think achieving it is not that hard because you’re doing what you want. And this time we had more control on recordings & mixing, so it sounds more what we wanted it to sound. Dreamy sound mainly comes from the types and sounds of synthesizers we like and use a lot in Shamrain’s music.

 

– When I reviewed your album I said art is something constantly

growing and moved by emotions, just the same as you and your music have always done. So, could you consider your music as an art?

Kalle: Well, I think music is always kind of art if it is done without making it for commercial purposes. When you make music for commercial purpose, it is more like your job, than form of art.

 

– You have always been constantly evolving; is this something important for you both as musicians and indivisuals?

Kalle: Yes, of course it is very important. If you can’t express yourself freely, it gets boring in the long run.

 

– «Isolation» also seems more mature; do you think you will ever get to a definitive degree of maturity?

Kalle: Heh, this is a hard question. Well, maybe the album is more mature since we are older now. I don’t know.

 

– «Everything Made Perfect Sense» was a track that caught my attention as it has plenty different influences and a certain Post-Rock vibe to it. Do you want to keep your songs and albums interesting by adding different and new elements?

 

Kalle: Yes, of course we want to keep the stuff interesting and it is interesting for me as musician and composer, to write new type of music as well and do some new experiments. Absorb some new influences. In this song I used lots of percussion: tambourines, shakers etc. which I had never done before in Shamrain’s music. Then I also tried out some rough fuzz-type guitar sounds and a bit different kind of chords and so on. It is a bit influenced by Radiohead. The song keeps you waiting with not much happening in the beginning and then in the ending part it bursts open.

 

– I even found in this CD some of your catchiest peaces so far. Was this something you aimed for?

Kalle: Yes, as I previously mentioned that we got a bit bored of playing so slow songs, and that is probably the reason why the new album is more uptempo. The songs are much nicer to play also live and in rehearsals.

 

– And finally, what are your near-future plans? Will we have to wait another 94 years until your next full-length?

Kalle: We’re gonna play few gigs, and then I’ve written few new tunes. Not sure when we start making new album, but I think it will come out quicker than this.

 

– That’s all, thank you so much. If you want to add some final words; last lines are yours.

Kalle: Thank you! Support music: if you like what you hear, buy it.

Tania Giménez

tania@queensofsteel.com

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