Lame duck

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Music
Interview : Antti from Lame Duck

When and how was your band created?
Well, it all started at the end of 2003 when I and Mika got to know each other. We had talks of forming a band together and finally decided to give it a try. Mika knew Pete and he joined the forces in January 2004 and we've had the same line-up ever since. We all had some previous projects before Lame Duck so things started rolling pretty easily.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
I actually came up with that name before we even began playing together and it just stuck on us. It's a political term that I'm not going to explain now, and it can also mean something like "a hopeless case" which probably suits us better. But it's just a name. No deep philosophy behind it.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson...oh, you mean real musicians? Let's see...well, there are so many. I'm mostly influenced by the early 90's Californian punk bands like Green Day, Crimpshrine, Mr. T Experience, NOFX, etc...and one of my favorite bands at the moment is Rise Against. But I have a quite broad taste in music, I like the Beatles and Queen and stuff like that too. Recently I've been listening to these classic punk rock bands like the Clash, Ramones and Stiff Little Fingers. I guess everything I listen to influences me in some ways.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Playing music is what I've always wanted to do, so even though there are not many positive things in being a musician in Finland I still wouldn't like to do anything else. One of the most negative aspects in Finnish music scene is the size of it. Finland is a small country and besides the Internet there aren't really any channels through which underground bands could get some recognition. The same crappy songs are played over and over on the radio and there aren't too many places where new bands could play live shows. Music industry is very inbred everywhere in the world but in Finland that's really obvious.

How could you define your style of music?
Nerdcore!=) No, I hate being put under some categories 'cause they're usually too narrow. I guess most people would define our music as melodic pop-punk but for me punk is more of an attitude than a music style. So I'd say we're simply a rock band playing energetic songs with punk attitude. Trends come and go but we just want to play good music, doesn't matter if it's punk or not.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
I think our band has evolved quite a lot since the day we started out. We were just one of these poppy punk bands that are dime a dozen nowadays. I'm not saying we couldn't still be more original but we now have more variety and diversity in our songs, like more variation in tempo, and bells and violins included, and stuff like that. Also lyrically the new songs are a bit darker and in some ways more emotional.

How do explain these changes?
First of all, we've learned how to play our instruments, at least to some extent. But honestly, I think it's quite natural for a band to evolve in time. At first influences are usually pretty obvious and as time goes by you'll find more and more your own distinctive way. That's what's happened to us and is still happening. I don't want us to be the 6000th band to write the same songs over and over again. It'd be extremely boring. I have a quite clear vision in which direction I want to steer our band, but it changes almost every day. I try to keep my mind as open as possible. We'll see what happens next.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Alien invasion, bladder infections, pillow fight casualties...you know, basic stuff. No, just kidding...For me lyrics are actually one of the most important things in a song so I put a lot of work and thought into them. I mostly write about things I feel or see around me. It's not always nice and pretty but you have to be honest with yourself. That's the only way. Recently I've gotten more and more aware of what's going on in the world. I don't consider Lame Duck as a highly political band but on the other hand, when you think about the state of the world today, how can you not be political? We have a few politically charged tunes and I believe we're going to continue that way in the future too.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
It depends. Every song has been my favorite at some point, but at the moment it's probably a song called Ex-big Thing. It's a little slower and more melancholic song with nice violins on it but it's still a quite powerful tune. I like the lyrics a lot. They're pretty metaphorical and every person can interpret them in his/her own way. That song really brought something new to Lame Duck.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
I like them both but definitely prefer performing live. It's such an adrenaline rush and it's always fun to see the crowd's reaction to our songs. It's a totally different world than a clinical recording studio. Our studio was such a confined space that when three or more men were there at the same time, things got fairly sweaty. And believe me, not in any erotic way. Maybe we should hire a girl for our band...

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
It's a mind blowing experience from beginning to end. Well, to be honest with you, it's sometimes a little frustrating 'cause I'm a sort of perfectionist, especially when it comes to lyrics. But when all the pieces come together it's an amazing feeling. Also, the initial enthusiasm when you get some great idea, find a riff or rhythm, is something I can't describe. If you can maintain that enthusiasm till the end you know you've done a good job.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Wow, that IS a stupid question! No, just impossible to answer to. I can't name just one. I could possibly tell you my all time top 20 but trying to put them in some order wouldn't make any sense.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
The Internet is a good source for many things, if you know what I mean...But frankly, it's by far the best medium for underground artists to promote their music. I don't think anyone would know Lame Duck if there wasn't the Internet. Of course, there are two sides to every coin. I can see why some record companies and even artists are against the Internet but I really don't think that file sharing is as big of a problem as some of them claim. For example, I've found many new bands on the Internet that I would've never find otherwise and later on I've ended up buying their albums. I also believe that any real fan of some artist will rather buy a whole album than just download lousy mp3 versions of the songs. At least that's what I do. I want to get the whole package; it's not only about the songs but also the cover art and things like that. I think every artist has the right to get the respect and rewards they deserve but in my opinion the brand new copyright law here in Finland is really an all-time low and doesn't help anyone. This one blonde minister, or is she blond anymore...? well, whatever. She's messed so many things up that as far as I'm concerned she can kiss my a$$.

What are your projects ?
I'm trying to learn how to understand women but I don't think I'll ever figure them out. Musically Lame Duck is my full-time project, our bassist Mika bangs the drums in another band and Pete has his hands full of all kinds of music-related projects. He's actually recorded and mixed both of our previous EPs.

What "image" do you have of French music?
I must admit I don't know much about French music. Jean Michel Jarre comes first to my mind. Electronic and experimental music is mostly the image I have of modern French music. Of course I know some older legends like Edith Piaf. Maybe I should familiarize myself with French underground scene. It'd be great to get to know some French rock bands.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
Well, NOFX are an American band but they've made a version of Champs Elysée. I have no idea what the lyrics are all about. Great song, though.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006