I realize that no one has replied to this thread since last May, but in case anyone wants to read more Korpiklaani interviews, here are a few more:
www.metalcentre.com/zine/interview/korpiklaani.htmlKorpiklaani, 7.11.2003
Interview by Pikkarainen
Sometime ago Jonne Järvelä started to gather musicians to Form Korpiklaani. It was quite a change from his former band Shaman, which used for example Sámi language. In Korpiklaani the language is mostly English and the approach to music somewhat heavier. Let’s take a look what Jonne has on his mind.
Jonne, could you first sum up briefly what were the conditions behind this transformations from Shaman to Korpiklaani? Wasn’t there some dispute over the name?
We had already done the "Spirit of the forest" album when we decided to change our name. It was good timing to do it because our singing language and record company changed. And yes, it was not easy. Because every name candidate sounds weird at first and of course we had to listen our new record company’s opinions, too. But I think that we have the perfect name to this band now `cause we are rednecks, forest boys from Finland and it fits to us perfectly. Of course it would be cooler to play in Wacken under the flag of Korpiklaani than for example Woods clan. It will raise our national self-esteem and I think that it would do the same affect to all Finns who are in the audience.
Korpiklaani’s first album has just been released, have you already received some feedback from it? From media, listeners etc.?
I have already received feedback from it and it has been very positive, especially from the abroad. Here in Finland some persons compare it to our earlier Shaman records and the change is maybe too much for some people but I hope that we get new listeners with the new album, too. It’s always like that when new record comes out. Some people get angry and don’t like it anymore but some people likes it and more comes in. Inside the band we like our new album very much. It’s a joy to play these fast and folky songs on the stage.
You signed a four record deal with Napalm Records, how have things gone with them?
Everything is going well and easy. I’m very glad that they are so open minded in Napalm records, that they did let us make this. There wasn’t so many companies who took contact to us when we searched a new record label, because our material is so far away from the mainstream metal. None of the Finnish record companies dared to take us. Only Napalm Records had enough balls to take a band like us.
Do you think it was easier for you to get the contract with Napalm because they already had another Finnish band, Battlelore, signed?
Of course I think that Battlelore has opened the doors for us, too. The whole Finnish metal success has opened many doors for younger bands, so we have to be grateful to those patriots.
Well then, was it hard to find suitable musicians for this kind of music, and then hook them up with the band?
No. It was easy. First I thought that I have to get a violin player to the band when these new songs started to emerge up. I put the announcement to our website that we are looking for a violin player. There came only one answer and that guy was Hittavainen, so it was to me very simple to do the decision
. There has been some changes in the line-up but now we have a very good line-up and this is a permanent one. We have very good spirit inside the band and everything goes easy.
Considering your music’s strong foundation on the Finnish folk music, one could have thought that Finnish would have been an obvious choice of language for the band. Was choosing English due to a clear orientation to foreign markets?
If I’m honest, it is one reason. I got bored to the situation earlier that nobody didn’t understand what I tried to say in the lyrics when our lyrics was Sámi language. It is kind of easier to me to make lyrics in English than in Finnish, too, but there are things what you can’t say in English so they will always be in Finnish. To our next album there is coming at least two songs, which are sang throughout the song in Finnish.
But of course this is my dream job so we want to get our own little audience from many countries. Maybe then we some day can live only making music because it is what we love to do.
Where did you get the inspiration to base your music so strongly on folk music? I have always thought that most people in Finland get at least semi-serious traumas from folk music in the school’s music classes? Obviously not you, or is this your way to revenge, listen to what I did to your music sort of thing?
When I was a kid and in the school, I didn’t give a shit about folk music. In that time my whole life was around W.A.S.P., Kiss and Motörhead so maybe I didn’t get those traumas.
In the beginning of the 90`s I noticed that there is some other kind of music than just metal in this world. I opened my eyes and I saw that I can listen to all kinds of music what I really like.
Now songs just come like they are and this combination, folk and metal together is the most important thing to me.
I can’t even imagine myself making basic metal anymore, but on the other hand I can’t imagine to make just basic folk music. This combination is just perfect and natural to me.
Are you planning to do loads of gigs next? Any major events coming up?
We will do all the gigs that we get. Only two gigs are in my calendar right now. Both are in Finland. Here are many blank pages here in my calendar so we can’t speak about loads of gigs
I hope that it gets fuller.
Do the different influences in your music show in your live performances? Clothes, settings, etc.?
Yes, we want to keep that how we look on the stage the same kind that the material we play is like, so it needs some special clothes. I thought that people would have more fun in our gigs because of that. And it is one part why we do this, to get people having fun and party.
Do you play some traditional songs at gigs? Like Juokse sinä humma that is in the album? That one would probably get at least me going.
Yes, we will play Juokse sinä humma. That’s for sure. And never know what else...
As the last thing this time, maybe you could clear a bit of argument I have been having about The spirit of the forest album cover. What is the primitive figure holding in its hands? The guesses are varying on quite a large spectrum of things, right now.
In the other hand he has a shaman drum and in the other hand he has a drumming hammer. This symbol is from the old rock paintings and same symbol is found from very different places around Finland. It is a symbol of a witch.
Thank you for your answers Jonne, and all the best for Korpiklaani in the future.
Thank you!