Baby Sweetcorn

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Interview : Kimo from Baby Sweetcorn

When and how was your band created?
Baby Sweetcorn started as my one-man venture in 1999. However, it took as long as four years to BSC to become a band, when in 2003 we finally started playing live and arranging as a four-piece.

What are the positive and negative 7aspects of being a musician in Finland?
I think we have quite a virile alternative scene here, which is definately a positive thing. I would imagine succeeding abroad to be difficult.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
The name Baby Sweetcorn comes from a Howie B song titled Baby Sweetcorn (Come Here). There´s no greater philosophy behind that name. It´s just something that sounded good at the time and stuck.
The name has, as you might imagine, gotten some mixed feedback.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
I can only speak for myself, but the band that´s possibly had the biggest impact on me is Depeche Mode, which came to my knowledge at a tender age of 13. We don´t sound anything like them, but I guess there´s something similar in the moods of the songs. It´s hard to pinpoint which bands have had influence on our work, but some of the most recent stuff we´ve done reminds me of 80´s era The Cure, U2 etc.

How could you qualify your style of music?
Melancholic, yet (hopefully) uplifting pop rock played with intensity.

During the years how has your musical style evolved?
Our music has changed a lot, especially after we became a real band. The first Baby Sweetcorn songs were slowed down and quiet ballads - solo stuff mostly. As a band we´ve naturally progressed towards a "conventional" rock band. My songwriting has changed to the same direction also. I seem to make much more paced up stuff than quiet strummings nowadays. Our aim has always been the same, however; to make honest and emotional pop music.

How do explain these changes?
I think these changes have been quite natural as we´ve evolved from a 4-track bedroom soloproject to a band, that rehearses and arranges together. Also, our musical tastes have, if not changed, at least became wider over the years. Saying that, I must admit that after some experimenting with styles I´ve become more convinced that the classic pop songs are the ones I want to make. With a personal touch of course.

What are stories/topics you tell/treat in your songs?
Mostly personal stuff; my own experiences and what happens around me. Some of the newer songs have more universal themes, such as power politics and religion. I try to handle those topics in symbolic way and not to write lyrics that should necessarily be taken literally.

Have you ever considered the possibilty to change totally your style of music?
Not really. Although I like to play with the thought of making a record that sounds completely different than anything we´ve done but that would have to come naturally. My songwriting is quite old fashioned - playing piano at home. For us to make something totally different would also require a new approach to writing and playing. Maybe someday. The style would propably be left-field electro... or something.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
My current favourite is a song called Arsonist, which we haven´t recorded or even played live yet. It sounds good already in the rehearsals. It´s a uptempo song with a great rhythm. I quite like the lyrics on it also and the piano parts are fun to play. And the guitar part in the chorus..!¨

Do you tour regularly? Do you prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
We´ve been without a guitarist for quite some time and haven´t been able to play live because of that. Now the things are looking better and I´m keeping my fingers crossed for some gigs this summer. So no, we don´t tour regularly. To this point, it´s been just one-off gigs here and there. Both are great, performing live and being in the studio. It wouldn´t hurt to get more experience and self assurance on both, though.

During the process of making a song or an album, what is the moment that you prefer?
Two things; coming up with something i´m pleased with while playing piano on my own at home and bringing that new thing to rehearsals and arranging it with others.

A stupid question but... what is, among all the songs you've been listening in your life, the BEST song?
Impossible to answer, but right now I´d say Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen. Beatiful arrangements, haunting melody and Ian Mc Culloch´s voice. Perfect.

What is your opnion, as a musician, regarding internet?
Great way to get your music heard all over the world. I´ve nothing against mp3:s and such, though I haven´t really downloaded them myself.

What are your actual and future projects?
Our next project is to record an album titled Ghosts and Sunsets, which will differ quite a lot from our current band sound and consist of only piano and singing. Hopefully we´ll get to record our band debut by the end of the year also. To play live more frequently than in the past.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2004