Scaramangas

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Interview : Scaramangas

When and how was your band created?
We have known each other since we were teenagers from school.We all shared similar taste in music and got together as a band.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
We took the name Scaramangas from Francisco Scaramanga who is the arch villain in The Man With The Golden Gun. I guess we were into James Bond at the time. We had songtitles like Pussy Galore and Honey Rider too.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
At the beginning it was bands like Radiohead and Smashing Pumpkins. After that we listened to popbands like Supergrass and Jellyfish. We started to find The Scaramangas sound when we got more into The Doors, Beatles, and a quite unknown Swedish band called Theo's Act.

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
We´re pretty isolated up here in Finland and there's alot of water surrounding us. This means that it is more difficult for us to go abroad to play shows and it also means that all the great bands that play shows in Sweden don't necessarely come here. But that can hopefully be turned in to a positive thing, now we have to make greater music so we can fill the void.

How could you define your style of music?
Alternative Lounge meets psychedelic rock.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
It is more mature and experimental these days. We used to play quite happy popsongs but grew a bit tired of that.

How do explain these changes?
Well our music tastes evolve and we just try to do music that we like at that moment. The current "thing" can last for a short while or it can stay with us forever. We are constantly trying to make better music and not care too much about what we have done before or what people might expect from us. We just want to make good music.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
We are trying to keep the lyrics on a more abstract level. Sometimes it is just playing with words and finding something that sounds musical regardless of the meaning. The next album will probably have dirty and perverse lyrics

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
Probably Even Cole. It was concieved on such an early stage in our carrier and yet turned out to be a long time favourite. It still has all the elements that we enjoy in a song. It has a certain Scaramangas vibe.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
To use the words of a famous finnish icon... 50/60. We enjoy playing good shows and being creative in the studio. The ideal would of course be to find a good balance between the two. It can be equally rewarding if all works out well and frustrating if it doesn't.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
We use recording as part of the composing process. This means that sometimes a song can be finished on a demo before the band knows how to play it. The best moment is of course when we play it together and you realize that everything works out even better than you expected.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Jeppe: My opinion keeps changing every week or so but I think Glen Campbells Wichita Lineman takes just a close victory over Nancy Sinatras and Lee Hazelwoods Summer Wine

Joonas: I used to have a ritual that on every new years eve i'd put on a
song. And the song that i've played three times is Smashing Pumpkins - 1979

Kim: Nickelback - How you remind me

Matias: Serge Gainsbourg, Bonnie and Clyde

Marvin: Russian Hill by Jellyfish is one of my all time favourites and There is a light that never goes out by The Smiths probably one of the best pop songs written.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
Well a lot of people have found our music via the internet and that is great. The internet is like water you can't survive without it.

What are your projects?
At the moment we are rehearsing and arranging tracks for our second album. Hopefully the launch of that album will get us abroad and play some show. it would be really nice to get to tour europe.

What "image" do you have of French music?
We are big fans of Air, Serge Gainsbourg and Yann Tiersen. Phoenix are quite good too , Edith Piaf and Keren Ann are of course fantastic and MC Solaar was one of the best HipHop acts in the 90's. There has always been really great and original music coming from France. Too bad we don't hear more of it in Finland.

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
Serge Gainsbourg - 69 année érotique. It is just a fantastic song and the sounds are wonderful.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006