Manzana

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Interview : Piritta from Manzana

When and how was your band created?
Year 2004. Heikki and Henry wanted to make music together and they got me and Ville in to it too. We all knew each other from former bands, all from Tampere after all, and in summer 2004 we all noticed to share a longing for this kind of music. One year and 20 gigs later Henry and I said goodbye to our other projects and here we are-picking apples!

Where is the name of the band coming from?
It is just a word with great rhythm and sound. I've always liked Latin stuff, the language, flamenco etc. (the exaggerated emotion in that genre just pleases me =)). Manzana means an apple in Spanish and in the beginning I liked the idea of the "poison apple"; manzana venous ; ( or something like that, my Spanish sucks! ) but it was too long. Besides, apples are tough and delicious, like our music!

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
Pearl Jam, Dani Klein, The Doors, Chris Cornell, Courney Love, Skunk Anansie,Depeche Mode. Maybe Tina Turner as a person. Flamenco, myths, ghosts, darkness, snow, poetry, psychology. People.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Negative aspect is the size of the market; very little people and not so many clubs. The interesting marginal in all art has to fight for its existence, because most of the company money goes to the safe and boring stuff. Positive aspect is playing live; people are mostly crazy and drink a lot of alcohol and want to hear live music as loud as possible. Finnish audience hates pretending more than anything. They do not want performers with perfect teeth and beautiful smiles, that's considered suspicious. The audience demands you to be honest. The truth is in there.

How could you define your style of music?
Dramatic, elastic and strong. Pride, harmony, passion and love.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
We've done a lot of gigs, so the live sound is swimming into the studio too, despite the loops and machines, which is great. More screaming and more sweat. More down to earth, easygoing rocky touch. For me personally, that is where I´m coming from but something that is always good to go back to.

How do explain these changes?
Playing live does it. And the natural growing of the music, songs just move forward, they have a life of their own!

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Emotions; love, hate, lust ,denial, guilt, dreams, broken dreams, loneliness, darkness, death, hope, hesitation, greed, trust. Any human emotion.

What is your favourite song in your repertoire and why?
At the moment I'd say…N.D.E. (Near death experience ). It is such a strage song! The story describes something that once happened and I still don't get it. I usually write songs about something I try to understand but this one still won't reveal itself, even tough I like it. Intrigue!

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Live. Nowadays I do enjoy working with my computer or at the studio too, but for me, songs must be played live at least 20 times before it makes sense to really go to the studio.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
When suddenly, after listening and listening, I hear something I didn't expect. The first breath, when the world of the song opens up and I can finally step in. That's when I know that the rest of the pieces are already in that world, I just have to find them. It is always a little magic and makes me happy! I've been writing songs with Henry the first time 10 years ago, and slowly I am starting to learn something. He makes most of the Manzana music, and I do the vocals, lyrics and melodies.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening
in your life the BEST song?
Wooden Jesus by Chris Cornell or Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode. (What's this with me and Jesus?!) I don't know why, first ones that came into my head. There are thousands of great songs.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
Internet is good, pirates no. All music should be purchased easily from the Internet. A Euro per song on your phone bill or whatever. Somebody always steals anyway, I don't know if we can let that rule our life too much. I buy a record if I like it, because I like owning a real copy of a record I like. You get your record on billboard by the amount that the store orders, not by the amount that people buy. And in the Net you know even less how many records you really "sold" unless there is a good system to buy it legally. It does warm my heart to see some download numbers; that someone cares about our songs! The money part is no so interesting, I never see it anyway.

What are your projects?
Manzana and Lumous. ( www.manzanaband.com www.lumous.nu )

What "image" do you have of French music?
Chanson, Piaf...and Air, Mc Solar, Jean Michel Jarre and Mano Negra ( oops ). Red and white, Moulin rouge, roses. Accordion. Fog. Sorrow.But also Hip hop, beach, cars. And steel cold clubs. Gotan project has made me cry with scaringly beautiful Lola.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006