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WHITE FLAME
No more tears
Suiciderock:
White Flame was found back in 2002. For everybody who does not know so
much about you could you be that nice and give a little bit of
information about you and the rest of the guys?
Anthon: We met out of some reason, which I don't remember anymore. Do you still remember the reason? (Asked Jony) Anyway, he heard that I`m playing guitar and I heard that he is a drummer and he heard some of my demo songs, so he got interested and that's how it started. Than we found this guy (points to Sammye). Sammye: I was totally lost in my car in the city of Tampere. And I had a bass. Anthon: ...with the Toyota Corola. It was so amazing. Sammye: Yeah I had a bass. I also could say, that I can play the bass, but... Anthon: There was only one problem. He asked me what should I do with this string? (laughs) So that was the story. Than we found Zacky and now we changed the old car against the new one (relates to the new singer). Vince: That`s me. Anthon: It`s time to take a step forward. Suiciderock: What made you start playing music and what type of musical background do you have? Jony: Well, I was interested in music so much. And I got this idea from one band. About the musical background: Some studies when I was younger and a few bands. Sammye: I've played bass only for five years. When I was 15 years old, I started to play bass. I played other instruments before like piano and guitar. When I was younger, I played in some bands, but this bands were like school bands. So this is my first real band with real goals and targets. Anthon: I got interested in music trhough bands like Guns'n Roses, Aerosmith, Skid Row. For one year I played electric guitar. That's how it started. Maybe now we are finally at the point that we can rock. So here we are and let`s see what happens. Vince: I don't have this basic rock`n roll background. I have caribian routes. I have a sister, who is 2 years older than me. So I was listening to a lot of Pop. Anthon: You have been very much into the Backstreet Boys. Vince: And I was interested in singing a lot, but I've never practised it so much until I was like 15 or 16 years old. Than I picked up my dad`s guitar and I started playing my favourite records. At least I tried to play along. Well, everybodys first band is always a funny memory. I`ve always been this kind of a rock´n roll personality. Suiciderock: Before you used the name „White Flame" the band were titled as „White Flame industry". Why the change? Jony: It was shorter. Anthon: White Flame Industry was just a „work name" for the project. Sammye: At this time it hasn`t been a real band. And when we were ready with the band we changed the name, because the word industry stands more for a project. It doesn`t mean anything. Anthon: Every band name is stupid. Sammye: It's just a name. Anthon: I know many stupid band names. Vince: It's not really about the name of the band. If you`re a good band, people will respect your name. Anthon: We didn`t take the idea out of a dream were somebody said you should found a band called White Flame. Suiciderock: Your singer has left one month ago. First of all why did he leave the Band? And what happend since that time? Sammye: Musical disagreements. This is the best how to explain it. Suiciderock: How did you find your new singer? Vince: I was in Helsinki when I got a phone call. Anton called me and said: „hey what's up? Haven't seen you for a while. I have this band and we have this kind of reincarnation it's time to turn the pages and to go into a new direction."I even haven't heard their music before, but I got interested in this band. He told me about their attitude. He sent me the demo songs and I liked it. Anthon: No more tears. He is the best what you can get. Suiciderock: How did your fans react when they heard that your singer will leave and how did they welcome the new guy in your band? Vince: They don't know me yet actually. So you are the first and that's our chance to introduce me. Anthon: Of course when the news came out that Zacky will leave, there was this typical stuff like: „I can't live without him" and so on... Sammye: ... like White Flame is not White Flame without Zacky. Anthon: But we all think, that this is a opportunity for us to do more rock`n roll. Sammye: It was good for Zacky to leave and it was good for us. He can do his stuff and we can do our stuff now. Anthon: Now we have a varity of songs and not only this one type of songs. Vince: We have the chance to go away from the idea, this is the music people want us to play. Now we can play the music, we want to play. Anthon: Of course we will keep our hits for our old fans. Suiciderock: So he will sing the old songs as well? Vince: Of course, but they wont sound like what you`ve heard before. I like a few songs and I really like to perform them. But I also really want to make them sound like my own. The basic ideas are kept, but there will be something new. White Flame is still such a young band and I think we have the chance to swep the table and start something new. Suiciderock: People from the music industry always try to put all bands into a certain corner. How would you define your music style? Anthon: As we said no more tears means no more guardian angels. It's a little bit funk, a little bit rock`n roll,... Vince: It's more seductive. It's gonna be in your face. No excuses. I guess we are gonna be more like a traditional rock band. Suiciderock: You got that one song called „Romeo and Juliet" would you say that the story of Romeo and Juliet is the perfect love story also nowadays? Vince: I don't know. I've never studied the song. Anthon: It's a story about a guy who is in love with a girl and her parents are against this love, because the guy makes a lot of mistakes. Of course, Romeo and Juliet is timeless. At the end of the chorus it also says that it is larger than life. Suiciderock: Where do you take your inspiration for the songwriting from and who is responsible for the lyrics? Anthon: Zacky was. It's the better way if the singer is responsible for the lyrics. Vince: Because the singer needs to use the words. But you should also respect the ideas of the other band members. It's always like somebody plays something and than you have ideas for some lyrics. This is what it is about. Suiciderock: Do you already have new ideas? Vince: Yeah we actually have some songs ready. I don't know how many, 3 or 4. Anthon: Some songs are still missing the lyrics. Suiciderock: Is the band your main job or are you working besides your life as a musicain? Jony: Of course, the band is our main job. But there are some other jobs. Vince: And it`s a very hard job. But you don`t think of it as a job. But yes, we all still have to work for living. Anthon: The truth is you can`t live from rock music. If you want to make money, you have to make dance music. Suiciderock: Your last record „The world we live in" was released in 2005. Are there any plans and new ideas for a next release? Jony: We have some plans. Vince: We are going to hit the studio this year. Anthon: Actually we planned to hit the studio with our old singer last spring, but we didn`t and now I guess we will go to the studio by the end of September. And maybe some demos in August. Suiciderock: You all use make up, which is quite common in the finnish music szene nowadays. When did you start to put make-up on and how did the people around you react when they first saw you wearing make-up? Vince: We were actually discussing this matter the whole day. Anthon: It's better to learn to play your instrument before you learn to put on make-up. For me it`s just that I want to look good, being interesting on stage... Jony: It's a way to be different from your normal life. Vince: It's funny cause if you interview a girl band and they wear make-up, it`s normal. It's a part of rock`n roll. Anthon: It's just a lifestyle. Everytime before a gig, I put on some make-up and get Aerosmith cd on the cd player. And with a couple of beers I get the right attitude. It's part of it. Vince: We don't want to be known as a band, that wears make-up. We want people to remember our good songs. That's the point. Suiciderock: So you will also would be able to play without wearing make-up? Vince: Yes, make-up doesn't make the music, so we could play without. Suiciderock: It`s said that the Fins are really addicted to alcohol. In your song „The World we life in" you use the lyrics „Cold wind breezes on my face and I don't know where the hell I've been. There's no alcohol running through my veins..." is the consum of alkohol really a big problem in Finland? Is the story you treat in your song really the world you are living in? Vince: I wouldn't call it a problem. (laughs) Anthon: It's just a story about a certain man. He had money and he tried to live day by day, he woke up somewhere and he just realised that he can't go somewhere anymore. It's just a rough story. Of course, I`ve been living like that. (laughs) But that`s another story. Vince: But of course, it`s a classic rock`n roll story. You always live on sort of an extreme and everything you do is like living under a microscope. Anthon: It`s just like you say „swedish man are guy". It's not that different like for example in Germany or somewhere else. You know? Vince: You can always put a bunch of people into brackets. Suiciderock: The next question might be interesting for all your female fans: Let`s talk about another of your songs „Gorgeus Girl". What turns you on when it comes to a woman and what makes you lose your interest in her? Vince: Your favourite (points to Anton). Anthon: It was my independet day. I made it in 2004 and I don`t know why. There isn't just one special aspect. You have something. You have nice hair and nice eyes. I don`t like this kind of barbie girls. They try too much to be something. The song is about a girl, who is pretty and every man wants to get her, but her life is still empty. Vince: I hope that this is one of the songs that will stay. I`m fighting for it, `cause I really like the song. Suiciderock: Your future plans for White Flame? Vince: We are coming to Germany. Anthon: We will play the gigs with new White Flame, which means in October. Jony: September [note: 15.09. - 30.09.]. The lyrics are the most important things we have to finnish. We are looking forward to seeing our fans. Suiciderock: And your last words for Suiciderock.com? Vince: I don`t know all of you, but I wish you all the best. I hope to see you on tour and if you see me, get me a beer. That would be cool. (laughs) Suiciderock: That's it. Thank you very much. White Flame: Thank you. Anthon: Alright. Let`s get wasted... Photos of that interview and their performance can be found in the gallery!
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