Hanna Tsepesh: Hello Joey! First of all thanks so much for accept this interview at THE GATES OF METAL! It is a great opportunity to show a little bit about EUROPE to your fans in Portugal and around the world! So, for the people who don’t know or do not remember when EUROPE started can you tell us a little bit about it?
Joey: I saw Norum perform when I was around 15 years old with a band called WC. He really impressed me. We started to hang out together and soon formed the band Force.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your favorite bands at the moment?
Joey: I'm into bands like: Audioslave and Muse.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are your inspirations to create the lyrics for EUROPE?
Joey: I make notes all the time when I travel and when I'm at home in London. Everything from personal stuff to more worldly events seems to slip into my lyrics.
Hanna Tsepesh: When did you start to sing? Any musician inspired you to start?
Joey: I Started to play guitar very early maybe 8-9 years old. I soon realized that my passion was writing melody and words. Singing was just a part of expressing myself. In the early years I was inspired by David Bowie and Elton john.
Hanna Tsepesh: You also play guitar and piano. Why did you start to play these instruments?
Joey: My sister is 4 years older than me and she took piano and guitar lessons. My parents bought some instruments to have at home for her to practice on. She stopped after a while and I picked them up.
Hanna Tsepesh: Let’s talk a little bit about your great success album “The Final Countdown” in 1986! What was your feeling in that time with that big success with this album?
Joey: It was the third album. We had already toured quite a lot and we were getting better at writing songs. We were also very ambitious and wanted to bring our music onto the international scene. We got a major deal with CBS/Sony in New York.
Hanna Tsepesh: How it was the “The Final Countdown “phase? A little bit crazy I guess…
Joey: We started to tour outside of Scandinavia. Everywhere! Crazy days indeed.
Hanna Tsepesh: I can only image! I have 3 questions that one big fan of your work told me to ask you: What were your inspirations to write The Final Countdown song? What do you want to accomplish when you make that particular album?
Joey: We wanted to write an opening song for our show, it was an important time for us. We wanted to reach out to a wider audience.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is the feeling to listen to other bands playing your songs and make some cool covers?
Joey: Some covers are all right some are xxxx. But it’s mostly flattering i guess…
Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) yes it is! Annoys you a little that the band is more recognized because the final countdown song?
Joey: It all right, it also makes people curious to hear other songs.
Hanna Tsepesh: Did you feel some pressure in the past to make one more
successful album like "The Final Countdown"? Joey: It was our job, so we just had to start writing for the next one. There was a lot of touring around TFC so we had to work hard to write for OOTW.
Hanna Tsepesh: You also have 3 solo albums, the first one was in 1995, the second in 1997 and the last one in 2002(I think)! Why have you decide to make these 3 solo albums? These albums are a little bit different from what you do in EUROPE? Did you miss EUROPE?
Joey: I wanted to do something different. It was meant to be just one album but it became three. Then I really started to miss the boys in Europe again.
Hanna Tsepesh: It was great experience for you to make these 3 solo albums? Have you learned new things with that?
Joey: I studied lot singer-songwriters. Like Jackson Brown, Dylan, Neil Young. I wanted to learn more about song writing. I brought some of that knowledge with me when we started Europe again. Specially the lyric-writing
Hanna Tsepesh: Now you have new LIVE album called “Europe- Almost Unplugged”! Why the band decided to make it?
Joey: It was meant as a webcast for our fans. It turned out pretty cool so we wanted to release it as a c.d. and DVD.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is the biggest concert for you with EUROPE so far and why?
Joey: The most special night was probably millennium eve in Stockholm.
Hanna Tsepesh: What are the future plans for EUROPE in the future?
Joey: Our new c.d. "Last look at Eden" is ready and will come out in August/September 2009. It's simply majestic!
Hanna Tsepesh: Great new, thanks so much for inform us! How do you see EUROPE in 20 years?
Joey: Surfing in Hawaii...
Hanna Tsepesh: (laughs) cool! You will come to Portugal in this summer, right? Did you know that you have lot of BIG fans in here waiting for that moment?!
Joey: We're playing in Portugal this summer for the first time. Looking forward to it.
Hanna Tsepesh: Joey tell to us, what are the highest and lowest points in your career and why?
Joey: Touring in America with Def Leppard was pretty cool. The too long of a break from the band was pretty boring...
Hanna Tsepesh: Some people saying that EUROPE is a Pop band and others say that is a Rock band! I personally think that EUROPE is a Rock band! To clarify the things, can you tell to us if EUROPE is Rock or pop band and why?
Joey: A rock band you can feel with your whole body and soul. There is also constant desire to better yourself as a musician. A pop band may just wash through your head. On a good night we are one of the best rock/live bands around.
Hanna Tsepesh: What is your favorite EUROPE song and why?
Joey: Just can't answer that. I like too many! Last look at Eden is pretty cool. You'll hear it soon…
Hanna Tsepesh: Last question: Do you want to send any message for your Portuguese fans out there and the fans that always support EUROPE?
Joey: Thank for being there all through the years. Hopefully we'll see you in Portugal soon. The future is bright!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for your answers and your time! THE GATES OF METAL wishes you a great success with the new alive album “Europe- Almost Unplugged”! All the best…
Joey: Thanks, you guys. All the best!
Hanna Tsepesh: Thanks so much for the opportunity! See you guys in summer…
By: Hanna Tsepesh
To listen to some EUROPE music’s and for more information go at:
www.myspace.com/europe
www.europetheband.com
