City Magazine

## Helsinki edition 09/11

Lauri Ylönen featured on the cover of the Helsinki edition, which was released in September 2011. In the interview, Lauri discussed his solo album, *New World*, and writing new music for The Rasmus (which eventually lead to their 2012 self-titled album).

The article is also available to read online here.

### Interview

*Below is an English translation of the interview, with credit to ghostoflove.wordpress.com.*

We’re living now spring when Lauri’s great solo album New World has been released, but it was starting to take shape in autumn 2009. The latest The Rasmus album Black Roses was released a year ago and all four members of the band managed to have a family for themselves by now. Guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi is living with his wife and son in Singapore. During autumn 2009 singer Lauri travelled to Singapore to meet Pauli. The aim was to make new music for The Rasmus.

"Pauli knows all the best restaurants of Singapore and he has in his home’s veiling a studio. I had a feeling like I want to make music that can be listened during the night when driving the car, that kind of music. I haven’t thought about it is or not Rasmus stuff. Then I haven’t even thought about a solo project, and didn’t believe in one."

"Singapore is quite clean place, and came a feeling like in this music you can imagine to belong shining cars and hotel panoramas. Then came the Blade-Runner movie feeling to. We went to search for such sounds, Vangelis style music. Kind of 1982 styled genre: dark sci-fi world."

"Immediately left to a synthetizer-based music. And then had to try it with The Rasmus to fit. We had to make a vision that could be felt also in Singapore which was basically lost. Then we had to add the guitars, the real bass and the drums properly. Wasn’t that enthusiastic anymore. We tried with The Rasmus to rock a bit, but those songs became lifeless and synthetic, and the vision didn’t remain the same."

This is how during autumn 2009 The Rasmus didn’t managed, and Lauri’s solo album New World was born. Also in Singapore was born song Heavy, which is now Lauri’s first single.

You all The Rasmus guys are 32 this year and you have family and children. How was like your situation during autumn 2009?

"When I turned 30 in my life started to happen big things: I got a child. It was good, and I think that I still have time to play.
I was a little anxious that Rasmus has grown so big and so slow working. It’s a great workplace and nice to play with mind now that I can do this solo, but I was missing these small changes work. Those feelings that things can go like shit too. Not always playing safe."

What kind of a life you had in the past two years?

"From that moment when I invented to make a solo album and I called the guys if it’s ok to them, from then a new day has come to me. I was pretty active and was easy to work. It was like that for half a year. In December started to make the album. I have never made an album in such short time. It was like a fast way to work which belonged more like to the very beginnings of The Rasmus times. Then we thought that we have 11 songs and we go to studio and make them all. Not like, we make 40 songs and then try to make a whole of them all. I personally am at the end of the ideas for rock stuff. Not that much into making songs with guitars. It’s pretty nice sitting with open eyes and listening how something can sound."

How Pauli, Eero and Aki thought about your solo project?

"We’ve met together in the morning with Aki and I told him where I’m going. He was interested about it. Asked if the radios started to play the song. It’s a bit weird, that before we went together everywhere and it’s now alone."

You all Rasmus guys are supposed to meet at the end of July and try to make new music. What do you think about it?

"We’ll go to training at Nosturi and start to make new Rasmus stuff just as we did before."

But you just said that being with guitars doesn’t interest you anymore.

"Not right at the moment, but if I feel good, then many songs can be born."

Do you all still believe that The Rasmus will have a new album?

"Absolutely."

You made music since you were 16. Can you make a difference between how is like to be a celebrity and a normal life?

"It appears still when you are with friends walking along. It’s like it’s not distressing you anymore when all stare at you. Oh I’m noticed. I made such shell around me so I can eat in peace in a restaurant even when people at the next table are staring at me. I also arranged my life that way so I can easily get rid of this. Normal family circumstances and meetings with the parents, we don’t even talk about these things. I try to keep all these out of the world so they remain untouched."

Was it nice to you to have a normal life after The Rasmus went to a pause?

"Well I’m a bit reclusive about my desires. I have been for a few years without alcohol, so not anymore hanging around bats. Some methods have changed, and I have spent more time with my family. This does not mean that I haven’t been making music. I have been everyday in the studio. I go there in the morning and make some coffee. I have a lovely studio with view on the sea. And while the coffee is boiling, what do we do today? I get from home to work. And that’s how it works."

Have you managed to explain to your child Julius that dad has to leave to work?

"Yeah, daddy goes also today morning to work."

The Rasmus always had the nice band image. And then you spoke about drinking alcohol. A friend of mine told that has been talking with a friend of a band member after you had this tour together with HIM and Negative in Germany. I was told that in the evening Ville Valo was carried to the hotel to sleep. And then the same friend talked with a member of him about the same tour who said that it was a relaxing tour and there was no adventure. Is this your nice image really true?

"Maybe the consumption of the alcohol has been less to us than for other bands. I have been chatting with members of other bands who have been touring around the world. They have a lot that haven’t seen. They seen only the tour bus. Also I have woke up at 6 in the evening in the tour bus. There is much to experience in this world. At the next tour I will try to get out more of bus to see those places. Drinking makes you tired. Despite it’s almost 2 years since I ended it, still feels like it makes me tired at some point. It doesn’t feel good at the moment. Also Ville is sober now for almost 4 years. This is about to becomes a trend."

Now I would like to hear the truth about your solo albums’ probable touring. Are you leaving to perform your solo songs, if yes when and where to?

"As soon as possible, and as many gigs as possible. Maybe in June is the first gig, but hopefully sooner. We play at festivals if asked. In the studio we already have ready the live set and we train there. I have two guys with me there. We made two iron cages and behind those the two guys are playing electronic drums. Myself play synthetizers. I really want another feeling than at Rasmus gigs. At Rasmus gigs I’m more into climbing and jumping, this is more static stuff like Kraftwerk gigs."

Those two friends from New World album and at the upcoming gigs are Ilkka Hämäläinen and Antti Eräkangas. Where from they came along?

"Antti was in Kwan. Ilkka Hämäläinen was my classmate since the 3rd form. Ilkka has been also playing at gigs for The Rasmus saxophone and he is also a DJ. Sure more are to come to the live gigs."

Planning to show everything immediately?

"Yeah, despite that humble we’re leaving. It’s said that during autumn we have a 300 people gig on a ship, but there should also be space so all the cages fit there and have to get also permission. We have to get our world there. If the gig is in a basic rock club then I’m willing to make something different than before have been seen."

You seem to be in a really good condition. Are you going to the gym?

"We’ve been together with Aki also today in gym. I don’t practice bodybuilding, it’s more like jogging, running on a treadmill. It sounds romantic to pull the sneakers on your feet and leave running. If I want to make good songs, then have to feel good. I get so much time, if I want to feel good mentally and physically."

Have you ever had such impression that you have been hooked during a performance or gig? You are, aren’t you?

"Yeah surely I am. Just now Apocalyptica left for a tour…they are good friends of mine. Rasmus has about one and half year on tour. In fact that’s a lot that you have to be on the tour bus and get accustomed to the trip atmosphere. At that point when the bus is moving you forget about the greyness of the world. The whole involved way more than just stage performance. Roadtripping with friends. It has its own romance."

Is it any way hard to leave behind Julius when the tours are long? Now that you have been a babysitter when Paula had gigs.

"I haven’t been away more than 3 weeks from him when touring. In 2005 when In The Shadows was big hit been 250 days away from Finland. Then would have been hard to be in contact if would have had a child. I don’t know how in the future will be."