Misleds

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Interview : Don from Misleds

When and how was your band created?
Misleds was created in July 2004 when Ms.Led replied to an ad the guys had posted on the internet It may have been the other way around, we don't really remember. Anyway, everything worked out great and in fall 2005 the band received it's present formed when Miss Fisty and Don Komone joined the group.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
We're aware that the name is sort of screwed up, being as there's an s in the end. That's just another way of showing that we, and our music, are a bit twisted somehow... Nobody seems to remember where the actual name came from, there's no big story behind that.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
We have a whole lot of influences ranging from Finnish pop to seventies punk to contemporary metal to acid rock or whatever, but it's hard to say which of these and the many other influences have made a mark on our music. We try to be pretty original in our music.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
One positive thing is that the insurances here in Finland are in order. That is, if some shithead spills beer on our gear at a bar, we're not the ones who end up paying for the damages. Hopefully. Something negative is that among average people musicians aren't valued at all. The only times one really feels at home among other people is if they're somehow connected to music.

How could you define your style of music?
We've been trying to do this for a while now, but it's been kinda hard... Finally we've landed on "rock, with traces of funk and blues". Some songs also have a jazzy element to them, but since we suck at playing jazz even more than we do funk or blues, we've left that out.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
We're not really an old band, but we've noticed that our new songs tend to be less heavy than the older ones. It's not that they're "light rock" or anything, just that we've left out some of the HEAVY stuff.

How do explain these changes?
Due to the slight changes in the composition of the group the music we're now playing just seems more natural. The heavier songs actually seemed just rather silly after a while. Not there's anything wrong with heavy music, just that it wasn't something we were meant to do. Sounds profound, but it's not.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Our topics are pretty down to earth: relationships (mainly about cheating, hmm...), drinking, being hung over and all that good stuff.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
At this moment it's probably Ragdoll. We recently recorded a single of it but it's still fun to play at rehearsals and especially live since it gets the people dancing and shaking all over.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Definitely live! Even when we're in a studio we try to get a live sound to the recording so that people can hear what we really sound like even from the studio version. On top of all this, Ms.Led has a knack for making the audience eat out of her hand on any occasion!

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
The best part is rehearsing the song together. This is when everyone can add their own influence to the song and it really starts sounding like an actual Misleds-song.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Phew... A tough one, indeed. A simple answer: Alice In Chains - Dam That River.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
We're more than pleased with the internet. At least for bands that don't have a record deal or anything it's a great way to distribute music and get some publicity through reviews, for example.

What "image" do you have of French music?
Unfortunately we don't really have any special image of French music. Gojira is a cool band, though.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
I'm gonna have to say Alizée - Moi... Lolita, especially the video. She's hot.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006