Kevin

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Interview : Ville from Kevin

When and how was your band created?
Well, Kevin started foolin' around together some time in the late 1990's in our former hometown of Tampere. For quite some time we only had a great idea about what we could eventually do coz we all had priorities in other bands..but then it all changed. After our first gig we dumped ALL songs that we had and started writing new ones. Talk about healthy self-criticism... We basically forced our bassist Finn to join the band. Bands can be formed that way, too.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
It's nobody in particular. But somehow at the start the name really looked and sounded like the music we were playing. Now it's just a name. It's funny though that in a lot of tv shows, if there's a character called Kevin he's bound to be somehow seedy... not so nice.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Oh boy...at the start we were inspired by The Velvet Underground, Beach Boys, Spacemen 3, Stereolab, Sebadoh, Ride, The Stone Roses...those names will never disappear but we have since evolved such a great deal that a book could be written about our current influences.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Positive: a pretty good vibe within the music circles, I should say. No crippling rivalry between anybody. Somehow over here people develop original ways of doing stuff coz there's no pressure from record industry's side to become another Kent or Franz Ferdinand. People have the courage to do crazy stuff. Like ZZ Top meets Kraftwerk-like boogie electro! Also, the government are slowly getting a grasp of rock music as something to export.

Negative: Basically all the aforementioned have a downside to them as well. It's really hard to get record execs from abroad to come and see your gig. It basically never happens. And big record companies here are very conservative. They're rarely bold enough to sign anybody really special. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. And radio's crap like anywhere else. They're so afraid of doing anything that might cause a bump in the listener rates.

How could you define your style of music?
Kevin play passionate 60-70's style rock with a strong psychedelic edge. Actually now that we're just finishing the making of our second album I've realized there's one band I feel certain kinship with: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives. I'm not ashamed to admit that.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
It's become a lot more robust in a way. Bigger, bolder, in a way more arrogant. Today there isn't much that we could not do, whereas before, say, guitar solos were pretty much off limits. Not only because we didn't have the skills but because we were a little bit strained by a certain style. We're much more free to express ourselves.

How do explain these changes?
Well, I partly answered this one in the last question. But of course the music you listen to affects you as well. If you're willing to accept it.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Failure. Trying to be a better human being. Passion. Among other things.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
Now that we're in the studio it seems to change each day. The new ones are faves, naturally. There's a song called The World Outside The Window that has a dark and merciless vibe. It's also some of the heaviest stuff we've ever done. And most psychedelic...

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
We enjoy both very much. Gigs are good coz we get to - pardon my French - kick some serious ass. And seeing people enjoy the music in flesh is most rewarding. Studio work has a lot of advantages as well: We enjoy arranging and playing with sounds, taking each particular sound as far as possible. And I just love singing in the studio. But the overall performance feels better live coz you can just let go and rock. In the studio you're always under a certain amount of pressure.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
Well, I tend to write songs with a pretty clear idea of the sound and feeling I want to achieve. And getting it just right together with the band is nice. Also, when we play a song live for the first time and it goes right and people dig it, that's one of the key moments.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Come on, you can't ask that! But I can mention some songs that I recall listening to over and over and over again during the past year: Couldn't I Just Tell You by Todd Rundgren, Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell, Care Of Cell 44 by The Zombies, September Gurls by Big Star, Edith And The Kingpin by Joni Mitchell...also Waiting For The Man by The Velvet Underground coz we did a couple of gigs playing V.U.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
We've definitely profitted from the net. For bands based in such far-flung places as Finland it works really well if you wanna make friends with other bands. Regarding the newer, negative side of the internet, I have to say I'm still in the place of my career that I haven't suffered from folks taking advantage of my music and not paying. Not yet. And as a consumer, to be honest, I'm such a music addict that I need my daily dose of new stuff. If you know what I mean...

What are your projects ?
When I get some time off Kevin I'll make a solo album. I already have a few songs recorded and quite a few waiting in the drawer.

What "image" do you have of French music?
Great image! I'm lucky that my mom lived in France for a while before I was born. She took home records by Brel, Piaf, Aznavour and Brassens. And she taught me the language which I'm most grateful of. I adore Gainsbourg, he's the one and only pop star whose pictures I have on the walls at home. He was such a genius. I used to have a band called Serge & Destroy that played Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy etc. Apart from Gainsbourg, there's something funny about the French kinda romanticism. Last night I was watching this film on tv5. In between dialogue these girls would burst into these really cheesy romantic modern ballads, singing together in what looked like a music video but wasn't. Bertrand Burgalat is a Parisian who carries the Gainsbourg torch nicely. About the cliché that the French can't rock...they rock in their own way. Also, Erik Satie made beautiful music.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
It's got to be Bonnie & Clyde by Gainsbourg, the duet between Serge and B.B.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006