Free Spirit interview @ Rockstream, Japan

                                        You can read the japanese version here:

1.How did your band first form?

At first Free Spirit was formed by group of musicians who gathered around to play a bit different kind of music than they use to play in their own groups. Nowadays me (Sami) and Pasi are the only members from that original line up, although Sami H aka “Santtu” or “Nasu” joined the band few months later, so he is almost an original member.

In 2006 Vesa joined the band and soon it was clear that this new line up would take Free Spirit to a whole new level musically and as a band. Recording sessions for the first full length album started in early 2007. Quite soon after that Markku joined the group until he unfortunately had to leave Free Spirit soon after the ‘Pale Sister of Light’ recording sessions were finished in fall 2008. After Markku had to leave, we were lucky enough to find Marko to replace him.

Timo had played keyboards on Free Spirit recording sessions when ever needed and when the album was finished, we realized that there were keyboards on every track of the album, so we needed keyboards for the live show, too, and so Timo joined the group.


2.Please introduce your band members (personalities, etc.)

I have many roles in Free Spirit. I’m writing most of the lyrics and I also compose together with the band. I also record and mix while we are in the studio. Besides recording and mixing I was also the executive producer of the ‘Pale Sister of Light’ album and I really enjoyed all those roles. On stage I’m a typical lead singer who flirts with the audience and tries to draw all the attention on himself.

Sami ‘Nasu’ H, bass player: Nasu is the quiet member of the band. He doesn’t talk much, but when he’s got something to say, it’s usually something you really should pay attention. Nasu is the most loyal band member you can get, if he doesn’t forget reply to e-mails and phone calls.

Pasi, drummer: I have known Pasi basically all my life. We were little kids when we started playing music. Pasi never forgets to crack a (bad) joke when ever there is a slightest chance to make people (or himself) laugh. As a drummer he is very loud, like a hard rock drummer should be, but at the same time he is very accurate and works hard on stage.

Marko, guitar player: I’ve known Marko only a little over year now, but he has made quite an impression as musician and as a person. Like Nasu, he doesn’t talk too much, because he lets the guitar do the talking. On stage Marko looks like a classic rock star with his long hair and tall legs.

Vesa, guitar player: Since Vesa joined the band he made a dramatic change to our music and he created a whole new Free Spirit sound which made us really rocking. He is very talented song writer and he works very hard for the band on every level. As a person Vesa is the party man of the band and he really lets himself go on the stage.

Timo, keyboard player: Musician and scientist (doctoral student in physics) and bad jokes are the first thing that comes to mind when speaking of Timo. He’s been a synthesizer enthusiast since he was a little kid and nowadays he owns a rather formidable collection of vintage and modern synthesizers. On stage Timo has great presence and he is an energetic performer.


3.What are some musicians that have influenced you?

Personally I’m influenced by musicians like Jim Morrison, Robert Plant and Ian Astbury to mention a few. Of course there are many other musicians outside the main genre of Free Spirit who have inspired me like Benny Anderson and Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA. Some of them inspire me as a performer and some because the music they have written. I know there are artists like Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Tommy Lee, Mike Oldfield, David Gilmour and many others who have inspired other band members individually. I think that is one of the reasons why Free Spirit sounds like the way it sounds because the whole group is inspired by different kind of musicians.


4.How did you go about recording your new album PALE SISTER OF LIGHT?

We had such a great time recording the album! Especially Markku and Pasi never forgot to fool around and make us all laugh during the sessions. We recorded the album on our spare time on our rehearsal room so the mood was relaxed and cosy and we had a chance to have fun and work hard for the album at the same time. Now when I look back I can honestly say that ‘Pale Sister of Light’ sessions have been one of the best times in my life this far.


5.What are some of your particular favorite songs from the album, and why?

It truly depends on the day, but if I have to choose one song then it would probably be ‘Strangers.’ This song changed quite a lot during the recording sessions and I really like the cinematic moods and feelings we managed to create. To me ‘Strangers’ draws pictures of nocturnal city and its back alleys, but at the end of the song there is a new dawn.


6.Why did Beau Hill implement mixing on this album?

We contacted Beau Hill on the internet and asked him to check out our music. He did that and contacted back. He really liked our songs and arrangements and offered to mix a song for us. Beau Hill is known for his works with such a great bands who have been and still are our heroes, so It was a true honour to work with him. He did great job and we all look forward to work with him again soon in a near future.


7.What is the most important thing to consider when making a song?

It’s always vocal melodies and overall feeling. We believe that vocal melodies are the key thing in a song because it is something that most of the people can relate to. We try to keep instrumentation of songs as interesting as possible, but if we have to choose between vocal melodies and some cool instrumental trick or stunt, we always choose vocal melodies. The overall feeling of the song comes from a good balance between the band and vocals, because you need to have enough room for the vocals in the song, but on the other hand you can’t leave vocals without the counterbalance.


8.What was your fans' response to your album release?

When the album was finished we all knew that we had done a good job and there will be melodic rock fans who will probably like the album. What we didn’t expect was this worldwide attention among rock fans and all those great reviews, artist of the week/month and album of the year rewards in media. This all makes us very humble and we are even more determined to work really hard for the next album.


9.How do your fans respond to your live shows?

It’s been great to notice, that songs from the ‘Pale Sister of Light’ album works also very well in front of the live audience. Most of the songs seem to be catchy and easy to sing along. Perhaps it’s been the most unforgettable response this far, when we first saw the crowd sing our songs together with the band. It was very rewarding.


10.PALE SISTER OF LIGHT is a very melodious album. Have you thought about what your next album will be like? If so, can you share your thoughts about your next album?

Next album will be, if possible, even more melodic than ‘Pale Sister of Light’. We have written lots of new songs and we feel very confident with them. We strongly believe that during the ‘Pale Sister of Light’ sessions we truly found ourselves as a musicians and song writers and we all look forward to put our skills to test with the upcoming album.


11.What is next for your band?

A tour in Japan would be so awesome! I think every bands dream here in Finland is to tour in Japan and in the USA. Of course we’d love to tour all around the world, but USA and Japan are so exotic and far away from Finland so it would be a really great adventure. Perhaps some day in a near future…


12.Please give us a message for your fans in Japan.

We really appreciate all your support and we hope to see you all really soon at Free Spirit show! Meanwhile keep rocking with Rock Stream Radio!!!