May 19, 2025 • 27 mins
Finnish rock legend Lauri Ylönen of The Rasmus joins. We chat their new album "Weirdo" and what it means to be "weird." Plus, Lauri talks about starting the band at only 14, love for GNR's Use Your Illusion, thoughts on music leaks, and more!
More info:
https://therasmus.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kypliLno
Our website:
https://afdpod.com/
Theme music by Mike Squires
More info:
https://therasmus.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_kypliLno
Our website:
https://afdpod.com/
Theme music by Mike Squires
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You know.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion. My name is Brando,
Episode number five hundred and eight. Welcome to the podcast.
Mister uh. We talked about this off the air, and
we see if my New York accents would bastardize this
shot from the Rasmus. I could say that easily, of course,
(00:51):
from Lari lonin Am I saying the last name right.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, we've done it. We have this letter.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Of that kind of sound dods.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So we'll just go with Larry then.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Lowry Lowry, Okay, cool, because you know what's fun is
I was, you know, of course, during all my interviews,
I do research beforehand, and I was just to try
to practice the pronunciation and get away from my New
York Tony Danza type of accents. Googling just old interviews
of you, and no one said your last name. No
(01:35):
one says, at least from the ones that I look.
But anyway, I digress. You know what I can pronounce though, Weirdo.
I just got yeah, I just got the the announcements. Congratulations,
the new album has just been announced. Weirdo coming out
my birth month, September twelfth, eighth is my birthday, so
(01:55):
maybe want somebody wants to get this for me in
pre order. So the Rasmus new era is being declared
with this new Weirdo album. So I always just often
describe myself as a weirdo. And I love one of
your quotes about this, if you can expand on it
from like your first album to now like you're kind
of representing the weirdo.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So I thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh yeah, I think it's it's a positive work. But
of all, I think.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Everyone in our band can relate to that.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
You know, like it's been a long career for us,
you know, like thirty years already, and always I've been
a strange guy, you know, like in my own way,
and I've done well in life, you know, And I
think it's just, you know, it's an adequate thing, like
you know, self esteem thing, you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Know, like just like who you are and don't.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Give a ship you know what people say, and do
what you want to do, and do what you love
and love who you want to love. So like the
list is endless, but I just think it's a nice
like an example.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Like what we do. Like the people are pretty much
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Like young people kind of controlled by the social media
and like there's a lot of pressure like what a
man has to be like, you know, it's also male.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You gotta have this chip that.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
You know, like you have investments and really this and that.
Same for the girls even first you know, like how
you're supposed to look like and like what it's like
woman like you know, like it's it's it's all bullshit.
So it's just kind of me like yeah, the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Of the Yeah, no, I I I'm the same way again.
I always felt like a weirdo. And you know, I
say this lovingly as my because I do this podcast
out of my home. I also work for iHeart, but
thankfully being able to kind of make studio out of
my home. So my I'm home with my two year
old and my wife in the corner. She's a weirdo.
I think that's why we we meshed. She doesn't know
(04:06):
how to take that right now, and our son's becoming
like a little it's being yourself. It's not saying, Okay,
this is what a guy has to be. What a
boy has to be. So I'm glad that you were
able to find your outlet. I don't know what my
son's outlet is going to be yet. So when did
you find your outlet to being a quote weirdo?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, I think I was quite young when I was
kind of digging these characters. Like I remember being like
ten years old when I saw Alex Cooper you know,
on TV and he was singing Poison the song and
he had this video with like him with all the
makeup stuff and like snakes and like whatnot, you know,
(04:49):
how he is.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And then I was like, Wow, that's pretty awesome like that.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I want to be something like that. So I always
like fail for the bad guys, know, and the windows.
So that's sort of like the first time when I was.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Exposed to that kind of world. And then we used to.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Do a lot like crazy hair do in school when
I was younger, you know, like we were always trying
to amuse each other, like Who's who's going to have
the craziest hairdo.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
On Monday morning when we come.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Back to school essentially with the bass player air. He
was pretty good at it, you know. He was always like,
you know, cutting his hair out from the front or
like having a mohawk, like but not like the original
way like sideways. I went through all the hair colors.
(05:49):
I was always like rigging stuff in my hair. You know,
lately it's been feathers the last twenty years. But I
also used to put my little like baby dolls and
but in my hand, just like freaking stuff. But it
was always like a kind of like a fun thing,
like just like making a little bit fun of yourself too, and.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Like laughing at yourself. And I think if you have
that self confidence.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah yeah, and getting there to that self confidence is
it could be a road for some people. I know
it's taken me a while. But but speaking of hair,
you know, I like the the tight man bun that
you're rocking in the new video Break the Chains. Yeah,
now it looks good. I can't do that anymore. I'd
have to grow out a scullet or something. But my
son Harrison, his hair is like down to his shoulders. Man,
(06:45):
So we'll we'll see. We'll see what kind of hair
dos uh we give him or what he So I
was gonna say, like he hasn't he can't tell us yet.
But when you were of an age, how were your
if you don't mind me asking, were you supportive? Like
were your parents like, oh, is this my My parents
never made me feel weird. So how did your I
guess your support system growing up? Did you have a
(07:08):
good one?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yeah, I did, I have to say I did. My
parents like pro used me from music. They they put
me to play and they made me play piano when
I was five years old and like so, and I
just then I started playing guitar and drums, opinion, and
they were like pushing me towards music and then, and
(07:31):
I think quite early, because we had this band when
I was really young.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Already like skilled in high school. I was like fourteen and.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
When it started and so and it started going pretty well,
like quite fast.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We we had a hit radio with the first album
in Finland, and you know we're all of a sudden
like playing the festival, selling gold records and like that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So my parents.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Where like, oh, okay, he knows what he's doing. And I,
you know, and I've never liked to explain them like
why I'm such things.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
And I even I had a pretty big decision like
when I quit my school when I was.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
In college and at like sixteen seventeen years old, and
then I was thinking, like, you know, I have such
a good chance with the band now, and you know, I.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Just want to wake up and start playing guitar instead
of like you know, reading or something. Yeah, I'm doing homework.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And so I was like, I can always go back
to school if this doesn't work out and then, but
there's a chance now and I and I.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Went for it, and that really paid.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Off because I was really writing a lot of my
better songs and like things started to build up, and.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
So that was a decision.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I also like thought my parents was against, but they
were like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So, I mean, yeah, you have the It's it's very rare.
I mean, yes, you see kids with that talent I
say kid just for lack of a better word, when
you're fourteen. Of course, nowadays with all these competitions, you
see younger kids. But to be able to really be
a professional at that age and make a such an
(09:30):
adult decision to leave school and say okay I which
people do and not often are successful. I mean, look
at how many again, how many years later, you know,
three decades later, and you're still doing the rasmus. I mean,
this is almost like unheard of to be able to
start something so young, and you know, I dare honestly,
(09:50):
it's amazing. Do you ever stop them? This pinch yourself
And it's not because how long you've been doing it?
Do you know anything else?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
You know?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
But you know, I'm never going to be that professional
fuments like I'm always on my way there, you know.
And especially when I was fourteen, I had no breaking
clue about anything, and I was just like I've always
been deciding like with my heart and just kind of
(10:19):
like doing spontaneous moves and dificiens and so I don't know,
somethings have not been good sometimes on her like that
and things, but they all were part of the story
and part of the diary, and.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, chapters in life, and one thing led led
to another end. And here we are, after.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
So many years, still doing it. In fact, the band
is doing better now than ten years ago. Like we
have a new member.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
She's been with us now for three years. So this
was the first time we could actually make and make
the whole.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Album with ample a new guitarist, and she's an incredible
addition to the band. I mean, we love her, but
the fans love her too, Like she's so charismatic and
such a great guitarist and.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Great personality. So like she brings a lot to the table.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
And and you know, like the vibe within the band,
it's just so much better.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
That's always the.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Main thing that you gotta have that you have to
feel good about, like saying whatever your whatever is on
your mind or you know, like whatever you your dreams are,
and like a good relationship. And I think that's the
reason so many bands don't get there, because it's difficult.
(11:54):
We have four people or five sometimes or even three
to have to make it work between these people and
the chemistry, you know how it is difficult with just
one person sometimes or even.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Just myself just by yourself, the relationship with yourself be
very complicated. Too true, Too true. I love that And
that's all awesome to hear. And before we get more
into the what's what's current for the Rasmus and including
chur dates one of them by me, I'd be remiss
if I didn't focus on because I read on. I
(12:30):
believe I read because we're talking about the fourteen year
old version of you that you kind of bonded with
some of your early bandmates with.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
If you see the posters.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
In my background, you know, I read an article, you know,
my guns and Roses themed appetite for distortion.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You may have guessed that.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Were you into guns and roses back in the day
as a high school kid. Was that kind of that
helped shape your musical tastes?
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yeah, I think you know, the song that hit me
like heart was November Rain.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
That was like a little later in their in their career.
But I also like Don't Cry and what those two
the double.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Album Use Your Elusion one and Soon.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, yeah, those who are like I think that was
about the time when I got.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
My first like a CD player, So those were the
albums I got first.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
It's just really fascinated and you know that era.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Like Skiedrow two and those had a big influence on
my songwriting and like even singing.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah right.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They actually played together on Helson He eyeshol and I
went there to see them my my sister, she's three
years older than the Moons.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
She was always introduseding all these fans and she she took.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Me to this concert and I think I was like
twelve years old, and wow, you know, we had good
seats and a little bit higher so I.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Can see the sting and everything. There were no lead
screens and you know, stuff like that. Back then yeah,
of course that was just like.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
But I was like blown away by the you know,
the the vibe in the audience, like six thousand.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
People like singing together. That really changed my life?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Did you was he late that that day?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I'm just curious as a twelve year old, did you
have to wait for Axel that long? I did your
sister have to prepare you? Now he came out?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
That was that? That must have been the only show.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Hey, I'm envy this because I'm I guess a little
younger than you, even though no, remember rain is my
favorite song. That's what really you know, how I found
my love the band because just of my age, but
just I wish I was able to see that that tour,
the user Losion tour, you know, to be of that
informative age and to have that U is very very cool.
(15:07):
You never got a chance because I always try to
find the the six degrees of what I call six
degrees of gn R Bacon, like the six degrees of separation.
Do you ever get to meet any of the other
band members, because I know people play festivals. I don't
know if you ever crossed paths. Just curious.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, I've met Alice Alex Cooper.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
But of the G and R guys, I mean I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Oh no, no, okay, no, I have not met them.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Okay, all right, well, well you never know again, so
that that'll be a nice little segue to uh because
they're on tour. You're on tour, but actually before because
they are overseason, well for me, overseas right now, before
you go back to Finland and Denmark and Germany and
all over the UK. And what's awesome about this podcast?
I got listeners in all these countries. You're coming to
(15:53):
the US, will coming to the Canada, and the US
you're playing I actually lived in Massachusetts for a couple
of years, but in Cape, you're playing Boston, you're playing
New Hampshire, you're playing I saw the Blind Melon at
lepos n Rouge, probably miss in Brooklyn. So how often
do you get to play America?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Do you enjoy?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Do you have like favorite states that you enjoy playing,
not to play favorites, but do you do you enjoy
playing certain parts of the country.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, we haven't played here much at all.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Yeah, because I think and lived in the US for
the last eleven years and we haven't played during that time,
not even once, so it's like that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
But I think the last time we had a tour
it was sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
So now we're actually right now in Canada, in Toronto,
and we had played in the US like the last
three weeks, and it's been just fantastic to meet the fans,
you know, like people who came to see us back
then and they're like or people who had never saw
(17:03):
us before. They oh, my god, we've been waiting for
twenty five years, and you know, like we hear their
stories and like, you know, it's it's really really like, oh,
it feels so good, like and to finally get to
meet these people in person. And we've played quite small
(17:24):
clubs this time, like because we haven't built the following
year that much yet, and so it's been really awesome shows, Like.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, like today, I think it's like.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Five hundred people and it's like, oh, you know, the
room is tiny and sweaty, and like those are like
insane shows.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Compared to you know, what we do somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah, what's the largest crowd you've as opposed to five hundred,
what's the largest crowd you've ever played for?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Well, on this store, it's the largest is eleven thousand.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
But in general, like your career, just trying to picture that.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Yeah, well we once played in Russia. It was like
a festival thing and they say it was like two
hundred and eighty thousand people. That was pretty sick. You know,
so it's never ending se of like people. But you know,
I just saw a picture of Lady Gaga performing for
(18:24):
two million or something, so I get whatever.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Yeah, no one's I don't know if anyone's breaking that record. Yeah,
but still that shows you have to put on I mean, well,
you tell me whether you're playing for close you know,
over two hundred thousand versus five hundred. Are you the
same front man?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
What's are you the same kind of person? I mean,
I don't know. I don't know what it's like.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
You know, honestly, I think I get better the less
people there is, like somehow because I'm like, oh, I
really understand that I'm I'm responsible of.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Like entertaining these people. Just the viewer there is, Like.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
It's for me, it's more personal because it's almost like,
you know, like I could catch them and they are
right there, like like I'm splitting on their faces and
I'm thinking I have to watch that, but you know,
like it's just so like intimate, so.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You know, and like I said, like we haven't been
here in sixteen years. It's just the feeling is.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Like a homecoming or something like so positive and so emotional.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Plus you know, those a lot of those people were
teenagers back then when they discovered our music.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
And what happens when you're a teenager and you listen
to music and find your favorite music really go keep
in your soul and it will stay there forever. And
so those between like incredible moments. But also I mean
I just met people yesterday who had just heard about us,
(20:08):
like you know, last week. So you know, it seems
like we are making a lot of events with his
new material and a little bit like in a heavier
corner compared to what we've done in the past. And
you know, that's also kind of opens some unful doors
(20:31):
and opportunities for us.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It's interesting, that's kind of the best of both both worlds.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
That's kind of and echoes what I noticed about the
comments on the Break These Chains video about you know,
there's a kind of like almost a resurgence of early
two thousands rock and that's you know, that was you know,
kind of my wheelhouse. I mean I wasn't overly young man,
but that.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Was how old is you know? I guess college?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
But I still ever throughout this time because the lasting impact.
I'm hearing the whole, the beginning of in the Shadows
just every time. I guess see Rasmus, I'll never forget it.
Watching the video for the first time on Fuse. Yeah,
just learning about this band from Finland. So I'll never
forget that. I mean, that's that's something that's stuck with me.
(21:20):
That's probably not gonna happen now. I'll see a band
and they go in and out. But no, that was
everlasting time, which is why it's been an honor to
speak with you today about it. So it just if
I may ask why why so long? I mean it
was it a demand? Was it not lack of I
guess you. I don't want to fill in your your blank.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Why so long?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
For us?
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's just, you know, we did not have a label
in the US to release the music, and now we've
just signed a deal with a Better Noise Music to
you know, it's an awesome company based in New York,
and it kind of all makes sense now and we
have all the pieces together. We have you know, a
(22:06):
US agent, and like, you know, it's just more difficult
when you don't have that because you kind of need
the whole support thing.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Like even now, like playing this small tour. You know,
we got to pay to play. That's the reality, you know.
Even though we are very successful elsewhere.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
We're here kind of starting over, which I also freaking
up because it's like, you know, every fan I need,
every person I get to play to, I have to
convince them. And I we are going somewhere. We are
you know, approaching something and we are conquering something, and
(22:56):
that is kind of something I've missed, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
You know, it's kind of I must add a spark
of passion too, because you can't rest on your laurels.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
You can't.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
It just keeps your going and no, and I love that,
you know, just being a rock fan and knowing, you know,
being able to talk to different fans all across different
countries all over the world just kind of saddens me.
That's not rock is not the way it is in
the US where I am, like it is everywhere else.
So you know, I'm glad that you're here. You're making
your mark again here. You know, it's like almost why
(23:32):
has it taken so long? But as long as it happens,
you know, I'm happy. I'm happy for it. And there's
ten new tracks right for people to look forward to
with the new album. I'm curious. It's nice just like
a segue for my audience because obviously, as Guns and
Roses fans, getting new music is kind of difficult, where
waiting on a there's a bootleg of a sound check
(23:56):
of possible new music and acts is probably not on
the vocals. That's how expert we are. You ever have
to deal with like leaks, you know, with with songs
getting out too early? You've had to deal with that.
How have you handled that?
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, it's happening a lot, like especially now that we have.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
From the company and perspective. We have had the new
label come in and we still have.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
The old one from Sweden that we're signed to like
twenty years ago, and so the you know, like this
is boring, but you know, the communication and then having
us like posting and like who's doing what, like songs
all out there, pictures and videos and like that human error,
like people have posted stuff like the whole album was
(24:46):
out like a couple of weeks ago, only for like
an hour and nobody saw it. I guess, wow, And
stuff like that can happen, like you just pushed the right.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So I don't I don't really care.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I mean, it's just fun to kind of build the
tension and like, you know, have secrets and like tease
the fans and that. But but honestly, I think sometimes
when its leaks it's better in the long run, like
because people the.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Fans are.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Like they sharing and like it's kind of organic, yeah,
instead of being commercial.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You know.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Yeah, I totally relate to that. I'm sure much of
my audience does too. Laurie, this was such a pleasure,
you know, I'm congratulations. This is It's just so cool
to see you still out there making, you know, with
this new era of the band. We'll see, I tell
all my guests because all these great shows.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I mean, I'm in Queen's right now.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Brooklyn doesn't sound too far, but depending on traffic, it's
might as well be another country. I mean, we got
headphones for my boy. I don't know, he still might
be too young for a Rockshaw. So we'll see. Hopefully
more shows in the US, because I would love to
see the Rasmus live and then get that off my podcast.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, we have a glance for the US, like next year.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
This year we're just gonna finish this store in like
two weeks and then we go to Europe.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
We do Mexico and and other places. But well, next
year is we're planning to come back here a lot.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So okay, all right, yeah, I think he gets turned two.
I think year three might be the year of concert.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
We'll see.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
All right, Well, thank you so much. Hope we get
to do this again. That does it for this episode
of Appetite for Distortion. When will you see the next one? Well,
in the words of AXL Rose concerning Chinese democracy, when
we see it, I don't know as soon as the word,
but you'll see.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
It thanks to the lame as security.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
I'm going home.
You know.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This is Appetite for Distortion.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Welcome to the podcast Appetite for Distortion. My name is Brando,
Episode number five hundred and eight. Welcome to the podcast.
Mister uh. We talked about this off the air, and
we see if my New York accents would bastardize this
shot from the Rasmus. I could say that easily, of course,
(00:51):
from Lari lonin Am I saying the last name right.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
No, we've done it. We have this letter.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Of that kind of sound dods.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
So we'll just go with Larry then.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Lowry Lowry, Okay, cool, because you know what's fun is
I was, you know, of course, during all my interviews,
I do research beforehand, and I was just to try
to practice the pronunciation and get away from my New
York Tony Danza type of accents. Googling just old interviews
of you, and no one said your last name. No
(01:35):
one says, at least from the ones that I look.
But anyway, I digress. You know what I can pronounce though, Weirdo.
I just got yeah, I just got the the announcements. Congratulations,
the new album has just been announced. Weirdo coming out
my birth month, September twelfth, eighth is my birthday, so
(01:55):
maybe want somebody wants to get this for me in
pre order. So the Rasmus new era is being declared
with this new Weirdo album. So I always just often
describe myself as a weirdo. And I love one of
your quotes about this, if you can expand on it
from like your first album to now like you're kind
of representing the weirdo.
Speaker 2 (02:16):
So I thank you for that.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh yeah, I think it's it's a positive work. But
of all, I think.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
Everyone in our band can relate to that.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
You know, like it's been a long career for us,
you know, like thirty years already, and always I've been
a strange guy, you know, like in my own way,
and I've done well in life, you know, And I
think it's just, you know, it's an adequate thing, like
you know, self esteem thing, you.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Know, like just like who you are and don't.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Give a ship you know what people say, and do
what you want to do, and do what you love
and love who you want to love. So like the
list is endless, but I just think it's a nice
like an example.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Like what we do. Like the people are pretty much
you know.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
Like young people kind of controlled by the social media
and like there's a lot of pressure like what a
man has to be like, you know, it's also male.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
You gotta have this chip that.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
You know, like you have investments and really this and that.
Same for the girls even first you know, like how
you're supposed to look like and like what it's like
woman like you know, like it's it's it's all bullshit.
So it's just kind of me like yeah, the corner.
Speaker 3 (03:43):
Of the Yeah, no, I I I'm the same way again.
I always felt like a weirdo. And you know, I
say this lovingly as my because I do this podcast
out of my home. I also work for iHeart, but
thankfully being able to kind of make studio out of
my home. So my I'm home with my two year
old and my wife in the corner. She's a weirdo.
I think that's why we we meshed. She doesn't know
(04:06):
how to take that right now, and our son's becoming
like a little it's being yourself. It's not saying, Okay,
this is what a guy has to be. What a
boy has to be. So I'm glad that you were
able to find your outlet. I don't know what my
son's outlet is going to be yet. So when did
you find your outlet to being a quote weirdo?
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, I think I was quite young when I was
kind of digging these characters. Like I remember being like
ten years old when I saw Alex Cooper you know,
on TV and he was singing Poison the song and
he had this video with like him with all the
makeup stuff and like snakes and like whatnot, you know,
(04:49):
how he is.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
And then I was like, Wow, that's pretty awesome like that.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I want to be something like that. So I always
like fail for the bad guys, know, and the windows.
So that's sort of like the first time when I was.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Exposed to that kind of world. And then we used to.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Do a lot like crazy hair do in school when
I was younger, you know, like we were always trying
to amuse each other, like Who's who's going to have
the craziest hairdo.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
On Monday morning when we come.
Speaker 4 (05:27):
Back to school essentially with the bass player air. He
was pretty good at it, you know. He was always like,
you know, cutting his hair out from the front or
like having a mohawk, like but not like the original
way like sideways. I went through all the hair colors.
(05:49):
I was always like rigging stuff in my hair. You know,
lately it's been feathers the last twenty years. But I
also used to put my little like baby dolls and
but in my hand, just like freaking stuff. But it
was always like a kind of like a fun thing,
like just like making a little bit fun of yourself too, and.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Like laughing at yourself. And I think if you have
that self confidence.
Speaker 3 (06:22):
Yeah yeah, and getting there to that self confidence is
it could be a road for some people. I know
it's taken me a while. But but speaking of hair,
you know, I like the the tight man bun that
you're rocking in the new video Break the Chains. Yeah,
now it looks good. I can't do that anymore. I'd
have to grow out a scullet or something. But my
son Harrison, his hair is like down to his shoulders. Man,
(06:45):
So we'll we'll see. We'll see what kind of hair
dos uh we give him or what he So I
was gonna say, like he hasn't he can't tell us yet.
But when you were of an age, how were your
if you don't mind me asking, were you supportive? Like
were your parents like, oh, is this my My parents
never made me feel weird. So how did your I
guess your support system growing up? Did you have a
(07:08):
good one?
Speaker 4 (07:09):
Yeah, I did, I have to say I did. My
parents like pro used me from music. They they put
me to play and they made me play piano when
I was five years old and like so, and I
just then I started playing guitar and drums, opinion, and
they were like pushing me towards music and then, and
(07:31):
I think quite early, because we had this band when
I was really young.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Already like skilled in high school. I was like fourteen and.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
When it started and so and it started going pretty well,
like quite fast.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
You know.
Speaker 4 (07:47):
We we had a hit radio with the first album
in Finland, and you know we're all of a sudden
like playing the festival, selling gold records and like that.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So my parents.
Speaker 4 (08:00):
Where like, oh, okay, he knows what he's doing. And I,
you know, and I've never liked to explain them like
why I'm such things.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
And I even I had a pretty big decision like
when I quit my school when I was.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
In college and at like sixteen seventeen years old, and
then I was thinking, like, you know, I have such
a good chance with the band now, and you know, I.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Just want to wake up and start playing guitar instead
of like you know, reading or something. Yeah, I'm doing homework.
Speaker 4 (08:41):
And so I was like, I can always go back
to school if this doesn't work out and then, but
there's a chance now and I and I.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
Went for it, and that really paid.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Off because I was really writing a lot of my
better songs and like things started to build up, and.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
So that was a decision.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
I also like thought my parents was against, but they
were like, yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
So, I mean, yeah, you have the It's it's very rare.
I mean, yes, you see kids with that talent I
say kid just for lack of a better word, when
you're fourteen. Of course, nowadays with all these competitions, you
see younger kids. But to be able to really be
a professional at that age and make a such an
(09:30):
adult decision to leave school and say okay I which
people do and not often are successful. I mean, look
at how many again, how many years later, you know,
three decades later, and you're still doing the rasmus. I mean,
this is almost like unheard of to be able to
start something so young, and you know, I dare honestly,
(09:50):
it's amazing. Do you ever stop them? This pinch yourself
And it's not because how long you've been doing it?
Do you know anything else?
Speaker 2 (09:56):
You know?
Speaker 4 (09:57):
But you know, I'm never going to be that professional
fuments like I'm always on my way there, you know.
And especially when I was fourteen, I had no breaking
clue about anything, and I was just like I've always
been deciding like with my heart and just kind of
(10:19):
like doing spontaneous moves and dificiens and so I don't know,
somethings have not been good sometimes on her like that
and things, but they all were part of the story
and part of the diary, and.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, chapters in life, and one thing led led
to another end. And here we are, after.
Speaker 4 (10:46):
So many years, still doing it. In fact, the band
is doing better now than ten years ago. Like we
have a new member.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
She's been with us now for three years. So this
was the first time we could actually make and make
the whole.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Album with ample a new guitarist, and she's an incredible
addition to the band. I mean, we love her, but
the fans love her too, Like she's so charismatic and
such a great guitarist and.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
Great personality. So like she brings a lot to the table.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
And and you know, like the vibe within the band,
it's just so much better.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
That's always the.
Speaker 4 (11:33):
Main thing that you gotta have that you have to
feel good about, like saying whatever your whatever is on
your mind or you know, like whatever you your dreams are,
and like a good relationship. And I think that's the
reason so many bands don't get there, because it's difficult.
(11:54):
We have four people or five sometimes or even three
to have to make it work between these people and
the chemistry, you know how it is difficult with just
one person sometimes or even.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Just myself just by yourself, the relationship with yourself be
very complicated. Too true, Too true. I love that And
that's all awesome to hear. And before we get more
into the what's what's current for the Rasmus and including
chur dates one of them by me, I'd be remiss
if I didn't focus on because I read on. I
(12:30):
believe I read because we're talking about the fourteen year
old version of you that you kind of bonded with
some of your early bandmates with.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
If you see the posters.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
In my background, you know, I read an article, you know,
my guns and Roses themed appetite for distortion.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
You may have guessed that.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Were you into guns and roses back in the day
as a high school kid. Was that kind of that
helped shape your musical tastes?
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yeah, I think you know, the song that hit me
like heart was November Rain.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
That was like a little later in their in their career.
But I also like Don't Cry and what those two
the double.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Album Use Your Elusion one and Soon.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
Yeah, yeah, those who are like I think that was
about the time when I got.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
My first like a CD player, So those were the
albums I got first.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
It's just really fascinated and you know that era.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Like Skiedrow two and those had a big influence on
my songwriting and like even singing.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah right.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
They actually played together on Helson He eyeshol and I
went there to see them my my sister, she's three
years older than the Moons.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
She was always introduseding all these fans and she she took.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Me to this concert and I think I was like
twelve years old, and wow, you know, we had good
seats and a little bit higher so I.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
Can see the sting and everything. There were no lead
screens and you know, stuff like that. Back then yeah,
of course that was just like.
Speaker 4 (14:19):
But I was like blown away by the you know,
the the vibe in the audience, like six thousand.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
People like singing together. That really changed my life?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Did you was he late that that day?
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I'm just curious as a twelve year old, did you
have to wait for Axel that long? I did your
sister have to prepare you? Now he came out?
Speaker 1 (14:41):
That was that? That must have been the only show.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
Hey, I'm envy this because I'm I guess a little
younger than you, even though no, remember rain is my
favorite song. That's what really you know, how I found
my love the band because just of my age, but
just I wish I was able to see that that tour,
the user Losion tour, you know, to be of that
informative age and to have that U is very very cool.
(15:07):
You never got a chance because I always try to
find the the six degrees of what I call six
degrees of gn R Bacon, like the six degrees of separation.
Do you ever get to meet any of the other
band members, because I know people play festivals. I don't
know if you ever crossed paths. Just curious.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, I've met Alice Alex Cooper.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
But of the G and R guys, I mean I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Oh no, no, okay, no, I have not met them.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Okay, all right, well, well you never know again, so
that that'll be a nice little segue to uh because
they're on tour. You're on tour, but actually before because
they are overseason, well for me, overseas right now, before
you go back to Finland and Denmark and Germany and
all over the UK. And what's awesome about this podcast?
I got listeners in all these countries. You're coming to
(15:53):
the US, will coming to the Canada, and the US
you're playing I actually lived in Massachusetts for a couple
of years, but in Cape, you're playing Boston, you're playing
New Hampshire, you're playing I saw the Blind Melon at
lepos n Rouge, probably miss in Brooklyn. So how often
do you get to play America?
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Do you enjoy?
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Do you have like favorite states that you enjoy playing,
not to play favorites, but do you do you enjoy
playing certain parts of the country.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, we haven't played here much at all.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Yeah, because I think and lived in the US for
the last eleven years and we haven't played during that time,
not even once, so it's like that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:38):
But I think the last time we had a tour
it was sixteen years ago.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
So now we're actually right now in Canada, in Toronto,
and we had played in the US like the last
three weeks, and it's been just fantastic to meet the fans,
you know, like people who came to see us back
then and they're like or people who had never saw
(17:03):
us before. They oh, my god, we've been waiting for
twenty five years, and you know, like we hear their
stories and like, you know, it's it's really really like, oh,
it feels so good, like and to finally get to
meet these people in person. And we've played quite small
(17:24):
clubs this time, like because we haven't built the following
year that much yet, and so it's been really awesome shows, Like.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
You know, like today, I think it's like.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
Five hundred people and it's like, oh, you know, the
room is tiny and sweaty, and like those are like
insane shows.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Compared to you know, what we do somewhere else.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
Yeah, what's the largest crowd you've as opposed to five hundred,
what's the largest crowd you've ever played for?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Well, on this store, it's the largest is eleven thousand.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
But in general, like your career, just trying to picture that.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
Yeah, well we once played in Russia. It was like
a festival thing and they say it was like two
hundred and eighty thousand people. That was pretty sick. You know,
so it's never ending se of like people. But you know,
I just saw a picture of Lady Gaga performing for
(18:24):
two million or something, so I get whatever.
Speaker 3 (18:26):
Yeah, no one's I don't know if anyone's breaking that record. Yeah,
but still that shows you have to put on I mean, well,
you tell me whether you're playing for close you know,
over two hundred thousand versus five hundred. Are you the
same front man?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Are you?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
What's are you the same kind of person? I mean,
I don't know. I don't know what it's like.
Speaker 4 (18:48):
You know, honestly, I think I get better the less
people there is, like somehow because I'm like, oh, I
really understand that I'm I'm responsible of.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Like entertaining these people. Just the viewer there is, Like.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
It's for me, it's more personal because it's almost like,
you know, like I could catch them and they are
right there, like like I'm splitting on their faces and
I'm thinking I have to watch that, but you know,
like it's just so like intimate, so.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You know, and like I said, like we haven't been
here in sixteen years. It's just the feeling is.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Like a homecoming or something like so positive and so emotional.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Plus you know, those a lot of those people were
teenagers back then when they discovered our music.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
And what happens when you're a teenager and you listen
to music and find your favorite music really go keep
in your soul and it will stay there forever. And
so those between like incredible moments. But also I mean
I just met people yesterday who had just heard about us,
(20:08):
like you know, last week. So you know, it seems
like we are making a lot of events with his
new material and a little bit like in a heavier
corner compared to what we've done in the past. And
you know, that's also kind of opens some unful doors
(20:31):
and opportunities for us.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
It's interesting, that's kind of the best of both both worlds.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
That's kind of and echoes what I noticed about the
comments on the Break These Chains video about you know,
there's a kind of like almost a resurgence of early
two thousands rock and that's you know, that was you know,
kind of my wheelhouse. I mean I wasn't overly young man,
but that.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Was how old is you know? I guess college?
Speaker 3 (20:59):
But I still ever throughout this time because the lasting impact.
I'm hearing the whole, the beginning of in the Shadows
just every time. I guess see Rasmus, I'll never forget it.
Watching the video for the first time on Fuse. Yeah,
just learning about this band from Finland. So I'll never
forget that. I mean, that's that's something that's stuck with me.
(21:20):
That's probably not gonna happen now. I'll see a band
and they go in and out. But no, that was
everlasting time, which is why it's been an honor to
speak with you today about it. So it just if
I may ask why why so long? I mean it
was it a demand? Was it not lack of I
guess you. I don't want to fill in your your blank.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
Why so long?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
For us?
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's just, you know, we did not have a label
in the US to release the music, and now we've
just signed a deal with a Better Noise Music to
you know, it's an awesome company based in New York,
and it kind of all makes sense now and we
have all the pieces together. We have you know, a
(22:06):
US agent, and like, you know, it's just more difficult
when you don't have that because you kind of need
the whole support thing.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Like even now, like playing this small tour. You know,
we got to pay to play. That's the reality, you know.
Even though we are very successful elsewhere.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
We're here kind of starting over, which I also freaking
up because it's like, you know, every fan I need,
every person I get to play to, I have to
convince them. And I we are going somewhere. We are
you know, approaching something and we are conquering something, and
(22:56):
that is kind of something I've missed, you know.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
You know, it's kind of I must add a spark
of passion too, because you can't rest on your laurels.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
You can't.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
It just keeps your going and no, and I love that,
you know, just being a rock fan and knowing, you know,
being able to talk to different fans all across different
countries all over the world just kind of saddens me.
That's not rock is not the way it is in
the US where I am, like it is everywhere else.
So you know, I'm glad that you're here. You're making
your mark again here. You know, it's like almost why
(23:32):
has it taken so long? But as long as it happens,
you know, I'm happy. I'm happy for it. And there's
ten new tracks right for people to look forward to
with the new album. I'm curious. It's nice just like
a segue for my audience because obviously, as Guns and
Roses fans, getting new music is kind of difficult, where
waiting on a there's a bootleg of a sound check
(23:56):
of possible new music and acts is probably not on
the vocals. That's how expert we are. You ever have
to deal with like leaks, you know, with with songs
getting out too early? You've had to deal with that.
How have you handled that?
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Yeah, it's happening a lot, like especially now that we have.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
From the company and perspective. We have had the new
label come in and we still have.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
The old one from Sweden that we're signed to like
twenty years ago, and so the you know, like this
is boring, but you know, the communication and then having
us like posting and like who's doing what, like songs
all out there, pictures and videos and like that human error,
like people have posted stuff like the whole album was
(24:46):
out like a couple of weeks ago, only for like
an hour and nobody saw it. I guess, wow, And
stuff like that can happen, like you just pushed the right.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So I don't I don't really care.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
I mean, it's just fun to kind of build the
tension and like, you know, have secrets and like tease
the fans and that. But but honestly, I think sometimes
when its leaks it's better in the long run, like
because people the.
Speaker 1 (25:22):
Fans are.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
Like they sharing and like it's kind of organic, yeah,
instead of being commercial.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
You know.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
Yeah, I totally relate to that. I'm sure much of
my audience does too. Laurie, this was such a pleasure,
you know, I'm congratulations. This is It's just so cool
to see you still out there making, you know, with
this new era of the band. We'll see, I tell
all my guests because all these great shows.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
I mean, I'm in Queen's right now.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Brooklyn doesn't sound too far, but depending on traffic, it's
might as well be another country. I mean, we got
headphones for my boy. I don't know, he still might
be too young for a Rockshaw. So we'll see. Hopefully
more shows in the US, because I would love to
see the Rasmus live and then get that off my podcast.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Yeah, we have a glance for the US, like next year.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
This year we're just gonna finish this store in like
two weeks and then we go to Europe.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
We do Mexico and and other places. But well, next
year is we're planning to come back here a lot.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
So okay, all right, yeah, I think he gets turned two.
I think year three might be the year of concert.
Speaker 4 (26:32):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
We'll see.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
All right, Well, thank you so much. Hope we get
to do this again. That does it for this episode
of Appetite for Distortion. When will you see the next one? Well,
in the words of AXL Rose concerning Chinese democracy, when
we see it, I don't know as soon as the word,
but you'll see.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
It thanks to the lame as security.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
I'm going home.
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