Finnish gothic rock band To/Die/For don’t tell much about themselves on their Myspace page, so let’s try to find out more about these guys, who they are and what they do …
So, to start…We’d like to know more about you, as musicians, as a band…
I am JAPE and i have been doing music since i was 12 years old. In TDF i am singer and also i write songs and lyrics etc. Then our great guitarists are JUPPE SUTELA and ANTZA TALALA. Bassist JOSEY also played in many bands before, SANTTU LONKA is been our drummer since 2004. JUSKA used to played in HIM but he joined back to TDF, he is a nice guy too. We are friends and we´ve known eachothers a long time…since we were kids.
About the name of the band To/Die/For, Where and when everything started?
Before To/Die/For we were called MARY-ANN and we released two selftitled cd´s. First one is unnamed album (1997) and it is a bit different kinda music… like “street rock and roll” or something, and second one is cd-ep which includes 5 songs. It is called DEEPER SIN. On “Deeper Sin” which was released in 1998, we found a bit more darker style. Spinefarm Records heard the cd, and they wanted to sign us. We also decided to change out name because we had a 10 year old history with Mary-Ann and our music changed a bit more darker etc. And also we thought that To/Die/For would fit better with our lyrics and all …the whole concept.
Which are your main music influences?
Personally i have many many influences. I do not listen only one genre, that would be very stupid. At the moment i am listening the Doors, the Lords Of The New Church, some india music, Thin Lizzy, The Beatles, one day i was listening some Moonspell albums… I am listening so much different kinda things. From Classic music through etno music to Sepultura´s roots album! I do not listen that much gothic rock genre, because most of them sounds all the same! and i am proud that we are unique!
Of course during the years my musical influences are changing also, but most of my influences comes from real life. If i look down to the river i may hear some melody in that picture and of course i am writing stories about my friends, about my own life, and now i wrote song for my little brother (he died in march 2010) so…i mean i do not write any fantasy stuff. TDF songs are real!
Where you take the inspiration to create new songs? Who is your “songwriting”-team?
Usually i am writing some melodies, choruses, verses etc. And then the guys will handle guitars and all. Of course we will discuss together how to do all things. Lyrics are now my job as well.
Which is the main theme you talk about in your songs ? and why?
Life..but ok…there’s been a lot of things about death but it does not mean that we would be some “death-dudes” 🙂 I think it’s been easy to give some picture about some things comparing it to death. Most important thing for me is LOVE and Peace. Things which are real and almost forgotten in this shitty society “making money fast”- thing…. Real things are forgotten too often and i wanna sing about it. Even if i am a man, i have balls to say LOVE is an important thing, and Love would save us from many many problems.
On our upcoming album we are also gonna sing about FREEDOM which we do not have that much in this society anymore. This is one reason why i am called “the first gothippie in the world” 🙂
In a band, you know, there’s always a lead figure, a lead person, who is yours? and why?
I think it is me. 100% democracy does NOT work in the band. I am NOT doing things alone though, i do not say how to do everything etc. But there must be a person… if the problems or whatever, the must be someone, who says what to do.The say the last word, you know…and it is like opening the road for the whole band again!
What you do everytime before coming up on stage?
We are drinking some beer and jack daniel´s or southern comfort and have fun.
Have you ever revisit a song? and why’s that?!
We´ve done acoustic version from a song called “Live in you”, it’s the second song from our first album called “All eternity”. When we decided to choose one old song to turn to acoustic one “Live in you” felt the good one, and we were right 🙂 the girls are loving it. And so am i:) “Live in you” acoustic version was recorded at our IV album´s sessions. If i remember right it’s released only on LITTLE DEATS single. I may be wrong.. and oh….i almost forgot that we also did IN SOLITUDE song to acoustic. It is only on Japan version… Like a bonus track for Japanese fans. I am sure we´ll do more this kinda things also in the future.
We’d like to know about your future projects and collaborations?
Now we are recording our sixth album. We wish we could release it in the beginning of 2011. Maybe in march? who knows? After that we want to make tours as much as we can …that´s all what comes to TDF. Of course we would like to release some DVD because our fans are asking for it a lot.
In these weeks you’re working for your 6th album. How is it proceeding?
Yep we´re working on it 🙂 but we´ve released also many singles etc. Things are going well, and we have some great ones already there! now in november we should record more and more again. And as I said, our Fans are also asking a DVD but let´s see when we can do it.
How has your music changed in these 11 years?
Not much actually and every album is the picture of the time. … lyrics are changing, and from lyrics we can hear what was going on and when. We are not thinking about “we should change this and that way right now” or something, we are just doing music as it comes out.
In which European countries have you played? do you see some differences between the fans in different countries?
oh… we have played everywhere. Also in italy 🙂 first time in Italy we played with In Flames, Sentenced and Dark Traquillity. We made a tour together around europe in 2000.
We have played in about 30 countries. I would say in countries from Japan To Mexico. Also we did one U.S tour in 2007. Once we came to Italy to do a new TDF tour there, but the fucking promoter was a SHIT as hell, and he ruined the whole tour. I hope we will find somebody “good one” from Italy and we could come back soon!
Ok, let’s hope to see you soon! Thanks Jape for this interview, Stay Tuned!
For more info: http://www.myspace.com/tdfrocks