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!