Interview with Sammy & Jack / Private Line

finnbands: So you are here for the first tour now.
Jack: The first tour, yeah. We played one show in 2005 in Berlin, it was a showcase. But this is our first official tour.
Sammy: Yeah.

finnbands: How have the concerts been so far?
Jack: Great!
Sammy: Great! I have been surprised, you know, that there is so many people who knows our bands. We are glad and it's been great so far.
Jack: Great fanbase here.

finnbands: It was really quiet around Private Line lately and you played only a few gigs during the summer. Are you in studio now working on your next album? The last album is already two years old.
Sammy: Yes.
Jack: Yes.
Sammy: We are writing songs and we have done some demos but the actual recording shall start after this tour. The new album is our priority number one right now.... after this tour.
Jack: Yeah, this is the number one right now but... I think, or WE think it's gonna be out early next year.
Sammy: Yeah, hopefully soon next year.
finnbands: And only in Finland?
Sammy: No.
Jack: It's gonna be out in Japan and I think in Russia. Scandinavia.
Sammy: Italy.
Jack: Hopefully we will release our next ablum also here.
Sammy: Yeah. This is also why we…
Jack: … this tour is ground work…
Sammy: … why we can't say the release date or something for the album. The one thing is because the album is not ready yet and we want to be so good that we don't care if it takes a little bit longer time until we have that strong album which we want.
And the second thing is that we want to be prepared for the releases outside Finland. It's a shame that you don't get our album here from the stores. That you don't have to buy it from the internet.
But basicly we want our next album to come out here as well.
Jack: But you can buy it from the internet if you want.

finnbands: Did you change your style musically in the new songs?
Jack: Of course it changes a little bit every time when you are writing new material and you are getting new influences and ... I don't know what the sound is gonna be for the next album but it's ... We will be darker but it doesn't mean that there are melancholic songs.
Sammy: No, nothing in a gothic way. I think it's more ironic.
Jack: Yes.
Sammy: I think the lyrics also have a little bit darker inspirations but not in a gothic way, no. And I think... as you said, have we changed style... I don't think that we think so much about ... You know we haven't been thinking about we want to do sleaze or we want to do punk or something. All the songs just come how they sound like. We are open minded for every kind of things. Like the last album was maybe a little surprise for some people that we had so different kind of songs. The basic thing is it's more like theme album. The next one is more like - the album is more like a whole package. The last album I think basically - I love all the songs and any of the songs can be a single in my opinion. But that is maybe also the weakest point of the album because there are all the good songs put in the same place, you know. Now we concentrate more on the one theme that we put all the songs under the same thing.
Jack: I think we found our sound better when we made the Evil Knievel Factor and I think we will make it even better to the next album. And it's like find a red line in the album.
Sammy: Last time we were like… Like the first full lengh album we were like ... It's so great to be in a good studio and everything was kind of new of course we haven't been in a studio at lot with this band and the first full lengh album. And the second one was we were getting into all the technical things and stuff and we were quite into that. And also wanted to bring some memory and wanted to try some kind of stuff and stuff like that. And now we think we maybe go a little bit back to basic but now we can handle those things of course we...
Jack: the skills...
Sammy: …use the skills we now have.

finnbands: In the live shows you play acoustic guitar in a few songs, Sammy. Have you ever thought of doing a full acoutic show or have you already done some?
Jack: We have done three or four full acoustic shows but this was already a couple of years ago.
Sammy: Actually it was even before 21st Century Pirates.
Jack: Yeah, that was the first acoustic show. And after that we have done it like three or four times but ...
Sammy: We are planning a lot to do this more and actually to be honest we had also plans sometimes that we wanted to do an acoustic album but it's only versions of our songs. But hopefully still coming in some point.
Jack: Maybe after a year or maybe after ten years but ...
Sammy: … that's the one dream. Because when you put the songs into the acoustic mode you actually hear better the songs. I like the acoustic mood and I am very proud of the acoustic gigs we did. Many people are, in Finland booking agents and stuff, they are asking about if we can do it and some point we will. Let's wait to the right moment for that.

finnbands: On the albums Ilari is playing keyboards...
Sammy: Also, yes.
finnbands: Have you ever though about him playing keyboards on stage as well besides guitar?
Sammy: He used to do that, yeah.
Jack: When I joined the band in 2002 Ilari was playing also keyboards and also electric guitar and Sami was playing some of the songs...
Sammy: … yeah, with electric guitar.
Jack: … and then we changed because Ilari is so fucking great guitar player that we wanted him to play all the shows.
Sammy: Yeah, it's like a waste of him to put him behind the keyboard.
Jack: Yeah, a waste of good talent. That's true.
Sammy: Yeah.
Jack: And then we thought let's use backing tracks …
Sammy: And also when I was playing more guitar I wanted to concentrate and wanted to focus to the vocals and that's how the thing went. And nowadays we do have like keyboard player but ...
Jack: Actually we have like two keyboard players but the other guy, Marti Lindholm, who played keyboards to the Evil Knievel Factor also with Ilari, we talked when we were doing the album that he should come and play with us and we forget about those backing tracks but in that point he didn't have time. But let's see what happens in the future.
Sammy: Yeah.
Jack: It would be cool to have a live keyboard player.
Sammy: Yeah. Because…
Jack: It makes the live shows much better.
Sammy: Because it's like nowadays we don't want to miss those because it's some important piano parts in the songs and we have them basically from the disc at live and you know... Eliaz is the friend of our keyboard player in the stage so he is like pressing...
Jack: It's cheaper to have a keyboard player when he's a machine.
Sammy: Yeah but maybe some day I will take some real person for that. But not maybe as full time member but like for some gigs at least.
Jack: Never know what happens.
Sammy: Yeah. But actually I think… Now the band is five pieces and the keyboard player as sixth one is... We had so much going on also with five *laughs* musicially I mean. And of course off stage as well *laughs*. So at some point I can't see that we take a full time member. No.

finnbands: As you are on the road now for a couple of days, what are the advantages and the disadvantages?
Sammy: Actually… *thinks* You mean in this tour?
finnbands: Yeah, well… Every time when you are on the road for more than one or two gigs. Since you are mostly playing on the weekends in Finland and not going on tour for more days.
Sammy: Yeah, because it's easy to go. You know, people go out in the weekends and we live in Finland so it's easy to go for the show.
But I don't get the question.
finnbands: *repeats the question in other words and explains* So what is better about doing a longer tour and what is not that good on being on the road for a longer time?
Sammy: Ah! I love longer tours! I hate those... *lets Jack speak as both were talking at the same time*
Jack: ...couple of days on the road. It feels like you are going and you are going back. We are doing this middle european tour, two weeks, eleven shows. You have to get enough to sleep and you have to try to do your best every day because we have ... Now we have like two days off so...
Sammy: It can be harm.. *both talking at the same time*
When it's weekend it's like a quicky fuck. It's just that you get wasted and then you screw. In longer tours it's more sexy *flirting with the camera and smiling* No. You have to take care of the voice and stuff and all those things. But I love those things, it's more living on the road. Weekend is just weekend.
Jack: Longer tours is good in that way… when you play two or three shows you get into the mood and the setlist and the live show is going better and better day after day so…
Sammy: You are getting tighter in playing and stuff, yes.

finnbands: *to Jack* You are playing in a couple of other bands as well.
Jack: Yeah.
finnbands: *to Sammy* Are you playing in some other bands?
Sammy: No. I do studio work also. So I am recording bands and I just produce the new Hybrid Children album. They are an old punk band from Finland. They used to be quite big in the 90's. They even supported Die Toten Hosen ...
Jack: Yeah, they toured with Die Toten Hosen in Germany and they toured in Japan with Wildhearts.
Sammy: They did their strongest record ever, you know. I was happy to produce it. Because Jasse, the singer, is a good friend of mine and I had time because we had this cut between the recordings and I did .... It comes out in January *to the camera* You have to get it! *laughs* Yeah, basically I am doing the recording. I am not so keen because Private Line it's like.... If I would do a solo album it still.. I would try to do it sound like Private Line *laughs* So what ever, of course I understand completely that the guys ... it's nice to play with other bands. I have enough going on without so...
Jack: My other bands that I play in are more like mental work. Like holiday from Private Line for a while. Having fun and playing. That are mostly like cover songs, so...
finnbands: ... so you are not doing own songs?
Jack: No, it's like having fun and play music with some good friends.
Sammy: Yeah.
Jack: Like in Private Line but that's like more of a holiday. *laughs*
Sammy: Yeah.
Jack: This is… We have to put more effort.
Sammy: Yeah, that's true.
Jack: Those are hobbies.

finnbands: So we are done. Thank you!
You can say a little to your fans still if you want!
Sammy: *to the camera* Check out the finnbands every time you can!
Jack: And Private Line! And buy our records or steal them.
Sammy and Jack: Or download!
Jack: Or what ever.
Sammy: And come and see the show.
Jack: And enjoy your life and music and everything. We love you!

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