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Hook is a very interesting new band from
Finland. They have released a cassette with five
songs which sounds really good and it´s really
good melodic punk. They answered my questions
3-4 hours after that I send them. New world
record I think. They are so new as a band so
they don´t have any pictures yet. October-2022
Please tell me a little history of the group,
members and what you do when you don´t play
music, what do you work and which ages are you
in?
-We started this band just this year, in 2022.
So it´s a kind of a new deal for us. We have 5
people in the band, all of us have previously
played in / are playing in other bands aswell.
Might say we are middle-aged, all from 37 to 41
years old.
Two of us are school teachers by trade, so all
of us have normal dayjobs. And all of us have( /
are having soon) kids already. We have two
guitars, (Kari and Ari) bass (Olli), drums (Teemu)
and a singer (me, Ile). I can answer for myself,
my spare time hobbies are sports; (floorball,
football), reading books.
Have it been the same members all the time, or
have it been many lineup changes? Please tell me
a little about every member? Earlier bands?
-No lineup changes so far, since we just
started. I used to be in a band called Life
Giving Waters in 2003 to 2009, Ari and Olli are
playing in Cause a riot and Teemu and Kari used
to play in a band called NHL95.
Hook is the name, where did it came from and
you wasn´t afraid that some other group would be
named so? Why an English name when you´re from
Finland?
-The name Hook comes from me, and I know there
are lots of bands also called that. I had a long
battle with alcohol addiction and depression
which I now am in terms with and the name as
also most of the lyrics in the EP are about.
Hook = addiction.
Also I like the idea of having a "hook" in every
song, something catchy that the listeners will
like. The name is English as are all the lyrics
because..I have never really made music in any
other language. We did not even have a
discussion about it, I took it as given that the
language should be in English. The lyric-writing
is very much easier in English because Finnish
language and rhymes..don´t really go together.
Why a cassette and not vinyl or CD?
-I wanted a vinyl, cassette is because of Ari
=). I think it was because the vinyl orders take
something like a year nowadays. We are hoping to
get an vinyl album done next year.
Is it important to give out the record as
physical releases do you think? Would it feel
like you have released a record if you only
release it digital?
-Absolutely, doesn´t feel the same with only
digital release. So maybe we needed the cassette
because of that, also. It´s just so cool to have
something physical in your hands.
Do you play any covers when you play live? If
you do, which then?
-Well we have played only two shows with this
band to this date, and one cover. It was Hot
Water Music: No Division
Please tell me a little about following songs
a) Have a coke and a smile
b) Lakend4life
c) From the bottom of the barrell
a) This song is about alcoholism, and dealing
with negative people around you. And trying to
overcome them.
b) This one is about my home town, my friends
and a tribute to my parents who have both died
in the last couple of years
c) This is about finding one´s rock bottom, a
point which you do not want to sink deeper from.
Deals with healing and alcoholism
Is it important to get out your opinions in your
music, and is it a good way to get out
frustration too?
-Definitely so. I´m 41 so I don´t care so much
anymore what other people think of me or what I
am doing, but music is definitely a very good
channel to get things out of your system.
Do you think that your lyrics can have effect on
other people who listens to them…any example on
it? Have you changed anyones mind?
-I don´t know if my lyrics will change anyones
mind over anything, but for example
Propaganghi´s lyrics have affected my thinking.
And numerous other great band´s lyrics. So yes,
I think lyrics can affect people.
How is it to play this sort of music in Finland
and which type of bands are you having concerts
with? Which is the most peculiar band you have
been playing together with?
-Well so far it has been very easy to play our
music, we played a show with Custody and
Dusenjäger from Germany.
How would you describe your music in three words
for people that haven´t heard you?
-Catchy, melodic, honest
I like beer and also make beer.. If Hook do a
beer , what would it be named and which sort of
beer would it be? Or maybe you´re straightedge?
-I have drank a million beers in my life, so
enough for me. And 4 of us 5 don´t really drink
at all, not because we are straight edge. I
guess we could be some nerdy non-alcoholic
cherry flavoured sour.
And how is it to live in Finland? The
NATO-thing, the nearness to Russia and so on?
-Well It´s cold most of the time, and of course
we are concerned about our eastern neighbor
especially nowadays. What´s going to happen in
the future and so on.
Which is your own favoritesong among your own
songs? And which song is the people choice?
-Well I like the song number one, Have a coke
and a smile. It has good drive to it. I don´t
think the audience have yet learned our songs
names, but a couple of dudes have said that they
like the song "Spinach soup"
What´s the biggest difference when you plays
live nowadays if you compare when you first
started to play in a band?
-The biggest difference is that I´m sober now 😂 and
not drunk at shows anymore. So playing is a bit
easier now.
And have you opinion about punk changed through
the years? What do punk mean to you, only a
musicstyle or a lifestyle?
-I think it hasn´t changed that music, except
all the dudes have gotten older 🙂.
Punk rock to me is an attitude, not a music
style. Punk can be acoustic music, all kinds of
music, That´s just my opinion.
What do you know about Sweden? What is typical
Swedish?
-I know a lot! I have worked for the last 14
years in Swedish companies, so at least a couple
of times a year I come to Sweden with work trips
and stuff like that. I have a lot of colleagues
from Sweden, When I was younger, I think in 2005
or 2004 i worked in a factory in Borås for three
months. So I lived that time in there, nice
place. Also my former band played atleast a
couple of shows in Sweden, in Stockholm and in
Umeå i think. A typical swedish person is very
positive and polite. Lots of small talk.
Any good bands from Sweden that you like?
-Swedish bands I like: Refused, 59 times the
pain, Millencolin (to a point), Satanic surfers,
Nine, Randy, No fun at all. All the Burning
heart stuff. And Abba.
Your audience when you play live, which type of
people comes, age?
-Don´t know yet, only two shows.
What´s the best of playing live?
-It´s fucking fun!
Please tell me a funny thing which have happened
during a livegig with your band?
-We´ll not with this band, but lots of things
have happened with previous bands liveshows. In
Russia I was hit my head in the cymbal so hard I
started bleeding from my forehead. And once in
Poland or Czech Republic I think the audience
was so great and so drunk that they just came
and lifted our drummer of his seat in the middle
of a song and carried him away. That was crazy.
Is there any good bands in Finland today? New
bands which is good? Old bands which is still
good?
-Yes, Custody is great. Some of the old bands
are still active and very good too, like Wasted.
Really good new bands also, but I don´t follow
the scene very closely nowadays so I´m not
really sure what is new or just new to me.
Which is the record that you always must have in
the tourbus?
-Well when I played in Lifegivingwaters me and
bass player used to listen to one song after
every show in this on tour. The song was "You´ll
never get to me" by Killing joke.
Do you buy much records, or is it only Spotify
and those type of things to listen to music?
-I have started to buy vinyl in the last year
and try to make time to listen to them aswell.
But mostly Spotify for me now. I still have
hundreds of cd´s but not a machine to listen to
them with.
Which was your first record, the latest you
bought and the most expensive you have bought?
-I think I bought Metallica´s Kill ´em all in
cassette like in 1991 or something like that. I
think that was my first.The latest was Iron
Maidens Fear of the Dark in vinyl and I think
that was also the most expensive one.
Do you care about reviews? Which is the most
peculiar you ever had, with this band or any
other band you have been to?
-Well i think this is like the second or third
review every from an album that I´ve been in.
Nothing peculiar. I don´t read review´s from
other bands really.
If you could choose five bands from the past and
the history and nowadays and both dead and
living bands to have a concert together with
your band. Which five have you been chosen?
-Hot Water Music, Propagandhi, Strungout, Samiam,
The Clash. Those were the five first ones that
came to mind.
Futureplans for the band?
-Make new good songs, make a really good album
(and some t-shirts) and play some great shows
next year.
Wisdomword?
-I guess that we should stop taking everything
so seriously and start enjoying life more
Anything more to add to the interview?
-Not really, except thank you! Hälsningar till
Sverige! |