Overhead

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Music
Interview : Jaakko from Overhead

When and how was your band created?
The three of us, me, Tarmo (piano) and Janne (bass) had played in the same band when we lived in Joensuu in Eastern Finland. We got together one summer day and started writing and jamming new music just for fun at that point. We liked the results and when we moved to Helsinki-area to study, we wanted to continue that project. After finding a drummer and Alex as our singer was Overhead finally formed.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
At one point when we were yet unnamed, we needed a name fast for a certain thing and the name Overhead just popped from somewhere..or went over our heads.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
We all have our own favourites, and some that we all like. I like for example Deep Purple, Sabbath and Pink Floyd. As a guitarist Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Stevie Ray Vaughan were big influences for me. Also for example Angelo Badalamenti is a composer that I really like.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Well Finland isn't a very big country population-wise. And as we are an artistic rather than a commercial band, there are somewhat limited possibilities in some ways.

How could you define your style of music?
It's melodic, emotional and thematic progressive rock, that varies from gentle ambient atmospheres via more traditional rock to heavier moments. Our purpose is to make unbounded, artistically satisfying music that is worthy to the listener.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
I guess you could say that the compositions and the playing has matured as we have. We have become more confident to try, explore and realize different musical ideas and take them to their extremes.

How do explain these changes?
We've advanced in composing and gained more and more experience and certainty in playing together.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Our singer and lyricist Alex can give more specific answers. But they deal with humanity, mostly from the point of view of the individual, but also the other way around. They include thoughts and troubles of a human mind and wonderings of the realities and illusions of life.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
I like performing the title track 'Metaepitome' as it is very versatile and you get to play different kinds of musical styles. Also many people seem to like the song very much.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Playing live is very much fun, you feel very energetic and happy and the audience gives you good vibes. But playing in studio can also be fun, as you're creating something new and interesting.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
Coming up with a new idea and hearing that it works very well, whether in the composing or recording state. And hearing as each of us deliver our contributions and great new ideas and then hearing the finished song for the first time.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
So many songs have had an effect or moved me for different reasons. To name a few, live versions of Sabbath's Heaven and Hell and Rainbow's Catch the Rainbow are really big for me.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
For us it is very very important, it helps getting contacts, visibility, and communicating with people all around the world. It certainly makes piracy easy but more importantly helps us in spreading our music and knowledge of the band all around.

What are your projects?
Currently we have started working on our third album and are composing and demoing songs for it. We will play in Germany and Belgium in May and are very much looking forward to that.

What "image" do you have of French music?
I'm not too familiar with it I'm afraid.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006