Hanna Tsepesh: Moi Piritta and Henri! Thanks a lot for accepting this second interview! Welcome back Piritta and Welcome Henri! First of all, how are you guys?
Piritta: Good! A bit nervous with reading all the reviews on the new album, but not scared anymore (heehe).
Henri:Fine, just little bit tired of touring. But its good, cause we're back in business. Three months in the studio makes us crazy, good to play live.
Hanna Tsepesh: I would like to start with some questions for Henri for our readers to know you a little bit more. First question: At the moment what are your favorite bands?
Henri: My best bands are still Extreme and Queen, because they make so variable music. I am tired with this format metal, we have all over nowadays, why should a bands every song is about the same idea! I´d like to try to be like Faith No More, change from different moods and rythms, and let vocals and the sound then keep it together. I record and mix bands for living, so I listen to everything all the time, but no special favorites . I take bits from what I hear is new, but lean on the 90´s .
Hanna Tsepesh: When did you start to play guitar? Any guitarist in special inspired you to start?
Henri: I start playing guitar when i was 12 years old. My first big guitar hero was Yngwie J. Malmsteen, then came Nuno Bettencourt and all others who have their own style. I have played for many years , but it still interesting to learn and hear of new things to play. I don´t care of being the fastest, I go for the things that sound like us.
Hanna Tsepesh: One fan of your work asked me to ask you, if there’s any reason for you to choose that guitar brand?
Henri: Yes there was, my father...he has played guitar since day one in many bands, and someday as a kid, I got his guitar in my hands. After few months about that, he take me to the music store and bought my first Ibanez-guitar. It was red and very good one. I have owned many kind of guitars, but now I have couple of guitars that I trust. Then I got stompboxes and wall of marshalls too, that I like using.
Hanna Tsepesh:So cool! Talking about your second album “Babies of Revolution”, i felt that this album have more power than the other one, the riffs are fantastic! My congratulations for all the MANZANA band for the work with the songs and lyrics! Can you guys talk a little about this new album and what they talk about for our readers to know what this album talk about? What MANZANA want to accomplish with this new work?
Piritta: The new album is more straight, down to earth and a bit agressive. We wanted to show another side of us .The debut album was more into gothic, poppy and icy, this one comes more from the ground, with sand and blood on it. It is also a bit more complex on arrangements, we have a new bassist Klasu, and he´s done arranging in his style, he put in also some piano and extra vocals .
Henri: What we want to accomplish is to get more gigs and to have new songs to play...touring is most important , and meeting people. Album is good to reach people ,and the album is the set we play, and of course some old songs as addition. It is good when we can send music to other side of the world on an album and they can maybe like it and feel good . That´s important to us.
Hanna Tsepesh: Can you talk about the recording studio process and It was easy to make this album?
Piritta: We had a good situation so we could take some day -time with Henri, so many times we met at the rehearsal room in the morning and started writing. This was different from the first album, which we wrote where ever and in between gigs and other work. We had many songs almost ready, and then the boys arranged stuff in the studio and chose. We were a bit confused in the beginning with no producer, but we wanted to be free, so Henkka took responsibility of that. I think he grew for leader with this album, he was tough on us and demanding what he wants heh.
Henri: On last album we had Aksu Hanttu of the Entwine producing some songs, he´s good, we like his work, and we also had another producer , but we ended up doing most stuff ourselves anyway. The problem is, that I when I write a Manzana song, I also hear the sound, and when I also know how to record it, why not do it myself. I was tired at some point, but I am quite ok now with the result. Of course always something could be better...It was easy to write songs now, many ideas, more difficult was how to choose the right ones.
Hanna Tsepesh: Piritta, like i said in the first interview that i had with you, i like your voice a lot and for me as something different then the other girls voices! Tell me, did you have any singing lessons?
Piritta: I have sung in a choir for many years as a kid, so we had singing lessons there, we even toured abroad and stuff. When I started in a grunge band , I was very angry and wanted to forget all about the lessons and scream "wrong" just for the rebellion heh. Last year I took some lessons, since we had so many gigs my voice started getting tired, but mostly I have just sung a lot live and try to learn from that. I was copying male singers, Black Crowes, Nirvana and Mike Patton when I started, so I couldn´t do that with a girly soprano.
Hanna Tsepesh:(ehehe) yeah you are totally right! You guys also have a second video called “ End Of The World”, this video is also unique and cool! Who made this video for MANZANA? Did you also have fun like the first video?
Piritta: It is made by Routafilmi, same guys who made the first one too. I was afraid to be lifted up in the air! I´m afraid of hights, even tough it doesn´t look that high on the vid heh. We want to make videos simple. Fancy video is not gonna save you if the song is bad and you can´t deliver the feeling. It´ also important to see what the band really looks like, especially if the band is not well known, like us.
Henri: Making a video is always fun, when you´re moshing around. And do that hundred of times again! This time we worried about Klasu because he was very sick and slept on the floor every minute the camera was not on.
Hanna Tsepesh: I have to say this, i love the cover album! For me was one of the best cover albums of the year i really like it!!! Tell me, who was the guy or girl that make this fantastic art cover? Can you explain why the black cat? There’s any reason?
Piritta:It is made by a guy named Antti Isosomppi. He´s done most of our artwork, the debut album covers etc. He´s a musician and a singer himself, a bit more pop style than us. He just said that he´s tired of all the black heavy metal covers, and wants to make something fresh. We asked for a cat and apples, and that´s what he made! We loved it. The cat is a mythic figure, a bit girl like, a bit of a vampire, and yet metal wings. I like it because it looks really cute, but after you get closer, it looks as if it could easily attack your eyes....
Hanna Tsepesh: Wow, so cool!! It was a great idea! If you have to choose one music that you like the most in this album what it will be your choice and why?
Piritta: Fake. The verses are my favourite; strange mood . Lyrically the song sums up a lot I´ve felt lately. Disappointment in some people, a slight crashing of dreams, and the new idea of looking at things. I also like the rythm, I see broken toy animals marching on it ! I also like Near Death Experience, because I still don´t understand what happened (hehe).
Henri: World is a vampire. This song reminding me how good music was in 80's and 90's. It is like a tribute song.
Hanna Tsepesh: Anything changed with yourselfs and the band between this album and the other one? Do you have more supports at this moment?
Piritta: With the Debut , nobody knew we were making it, so we had all privacy and time. Now it was more aware, " now I go and record a song for the album " , and the next day someone has already heard it and is commenting. We also made the album for another label now, the debut we released with Henkkas own TRC- Records, so we had Dynamic Arts now helping and doing stuffs too. Feels like people were expecting more now from us, but no pressure was on. It was still fun.
Henri: Yes, all my friends asking me all the time when recordings is done and what did you do today. And everybody wants to hear some samples. Feedback was good, though, then I could know that we're about to choose right tracks for singles ect.
Hanna Tsepesh: Last question, do you want to leave any message for the fans around the world?
Piritta: Try out Manzana, especially if you ever felt like a revolutionary Babe ...
Henri: Keep The Boogie.
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks a lot for your answers! THE GATES OF METAL wish you a lot of success with the new album “Babies Of Revolution” and good luck with your future concerts!
Piritta: Thank you! And take care!
Henri: Thanks!
By: Hanna Tsepesh
For further informations go to:
http://www.myspace.com/manzanaband
http://www.manzana.fi/
Or, read the first Interview with Piritta that we have here ;)!
