Manboy

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Music
Interview : Manboy

When and how was your band created?
as manboy the band started in 1998. we had known eachother for years and played together for a few times.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
all sorts of music have ofcourse influenced our writing and working. we all have listened to so many different styles of music that it would be basically imbossible to point out just one artist or music style. to mention some: pink floyd, radiohead, the cure...

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician / singer (in Finland)?
well.. positive aspects are yet to come. the main problem is the money, the market is small so naturally the incomes are rather small. and then there is always the fact that the style of music that we represent is not the most popular in finland. hope to release stuff and tour abroad as soon as possible.

How could you qualify your style of music?
british rock. but it´s very hard to try to describe your own music. for us it`s just music, nothing more.

Have you ever considered the possibilty to change totally your style of music? If so, what style of music would you choose?
we don´t think about these things really. we just wright music we like, without the boundry of genres.

What are stories/topics you tell/treat in your songs?
there are no spesific themes or topics that we always wright about. basically the lyrics are just the feelings and thoughts of the wrighter.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
we already have so many unreleased songs that the songs of the first album are pretty much forgotten at this point. no one has even heard our new favorite songs yet.

Do you tour regularly? Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
no. we only tour when nesessary. usually after the release of an album. we enjoy both studio and live situations, though they both have their compromises.

During the process of making an album, what is the moment that you prefer? Why?
well.. the basic recording phase is usually pretty tiring and demands a lot of consentration. everything after that is great. that´s when you really get to be creative in a totally different way than for example during the rehearsal and writing process.

What kind of music / What artists do you currently listen?
lali puna, sparklehorse, mum, interpol, sigur ros, velvet underground, mogwai.. stuff like that. post rock, you might say.

What are your actual and future projects?
we are writing and recording for the next album. that takes all our resources at the moment.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song? Why?
completly impossible to answer.

Internet is something interesting for musicians because it gives them the opportunity to touch a larger audience but it is also a threat for them (regarding the copyrights). What is your opinion regarding this medium?
this hasn´t actually touched us and so we don´t have a strong opinion about
this. like you say it has its good and bad sides.

Do you use computers or home studios during the process of making an album or a song?
well, lately yes. we just got our own recording devices. they will be a huge
help durind the making of future demos and maby even albums. like they said:
ok computer.
Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2002