Interview with Tony Kakko / Sonata Arctica

After three days of agony - or "Tuska" how the Finns call this - we met Tony, singer and songwriter of the northern Finnish band Sonata Arctica and asked him some questions while Slayer played the last gig of this years Tuska Festival in the background.

finnbands: During the last years you gained a lot of success and you have been touring a lot. Which was the most impressive city you ever saw?
Tony: Impressive city? Oh, there are a few depending which way you wanna see. Las Vegas is one, it's so weird the whole place. And Tokyo. And then, we have been there once back in 2000, Rome. It was the old town, really impressive. Those popped into my mind right away.

finnbands: Do you have time for sightseeing while touring or...
Tony: Sometimes, sometimes. Yeah between the gigs. For example it was my fourth time in Paris when I have to see Eiffel Tower. Once you actually get to go there. You spent time in many many places but you don't get to see that much.

finnbands: Is it something special for you to play here in Tuska Festival?
Tony: Yes, a little bit. This is THE metal festival.
finnbands: And in August you are going to play at Wacken.
Tony: Yeah. *laughs* Exact. That is THE metal festival *laughs*. But this one is in Finland.
finnbands: Are you excited to play there?
Tony: Yeah, it's here for exeption Slayer there are a lot of bands we know already and in Wacken Open Air you get in the middle of the people and get something to see for example. Of course there are a lot of finnbands as well which you don't get to see other than on festivals. Like Nightwish for example, they are touring constantly and I don't get to see my buddies that often.

finnbands: I always see a lot of girls on your concerts.
Tony: That's nice *laughs*
finnbands: Do you think you are a little a girly band maybe? *grins*
Tony: Yeah. We have pretty melodies and romantic stories and ... I don't mind. I thinks it's hell a lot better than having ugly hairy men.
*everybody laughing*
I prefer this way very much.

finnbands: A lot of years ago you called your music "Anti Hero Metal".
Tony: Yeah, might be.
finnbands: Do you still go with this?
Tony: A yeah. *thinks* There are not too many real heros in our music. They are mostly sad, depressive... The heros that are there they are really bad, you know, the characters.

finnbands: Imagine you would not be successful as musicians. What would be your job?
Tony: Äh, I would be in advertisements. I have a lot of stupid ideas all the time so that would be good for me. That's like the most realistic thing I would be doing. Or I'd like to be a carpenter. I like working with my hands and I like creating stuff.

finnbands: Some years ago when you were at school, have you been a good kid in school or were you already more into music back in those days?
Tony: I have always been into music but I was pretty ok. ...

finnbands: When did you start doing music?
Tony: Hm, the first songs I wrote was when I was like 15 or something. The first real song that I could really sing and play it.
It was in 1996 when we started this band but I really really got into writing a few years earlier with a different band. But nevermind about that.

finnbands: Do you write your songs on the keyboard?
Tony: Yeah.
finnbands: And do you play other instruments as well?
Tony: Yeah. I also can play a little bit of guitar. It always helps when you get stuck. When you only play one instrument you start repeating yourself. You get your own ideas and you stuck there. And when you play different instruments like guitar in my example you come up with different things.

finnbands: You had some line up changes during the last years. Henkka came as keyboarder and last year Jani left and Elias came. Did especially Elias change anything in your music?
Tony: Not yet, he has not played on the album so. But you can see that on the next album. Well, the atmosphere within the band is... refreshed and much better. The band is doing better mentally. There is something that changed with Jani. It's sad. We are still in terms and we are talking. I just talked to him two weeks ago. But he is not living in our home town anymore but far away. We don't get to see him too many times a year.

finnbands: Do you think you will still be Sonata Arctica in 10 years? Or what do you think how will your life look like?
Tony: Well, if everything goes well it would be nice to retire from this music. Maybe we would need some change in the music style and go in a different direction. I think that is something we have been doing already. You know, I cannot imagine Tommy playing the first song of our first album when he is 55. *imitates heavy drumming and laughs* It's just not gonna happen, it is physically impossible. So... we might start a new band in some part and I am still dreaming about a solo project or something. Something with music. Or carpenter or advertisement as in the other question *grins*. Something creative anyways.

finnbands: You all live in Kemi, I think?
Tony: No, actually Elias lives in Tampere.
finnbands: But you others live there.
Tony: Kind of, yeah. In that area.
finnbands: If anybody comes to your city for the very first time ever, is there anything you would recommend to see? Some sights or some bars or anything special?
Tony: Ähm, it's really small town. In Kemi there are like 21,000 or 22,000 people. And it's getting smaller all the time. So if you come there during winter we have this huge snow castle thing so you gotta see this of course. Then we have the ice breaker. You can go there and swim on the ice with this floating shoes and stuff like that. Been there once and it is cool. I mean it is expensive *laughs* I don't know, I live there pretty much all my live so it's hard to say. Ask someone from Paris what you want to see there. Eiffle Tower - I have been there only once. It's hard to say. I like my home town, it's small and I know it.

finnbands: So, that's it. Thank you!
Tony: Thank you, too!

<<-- zurück / back