The Props

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Interview : Antti from The Props

When and how was your band created?
Me and Mikko started as a duo in year 2000. It took a while to gather a full band and to obtain a good rehearsal place. We found our drummer Jukka via the Internet and later on Jukka's buddy Jari joined in.

Where is the name of the band coming from?
There's nothing mystical about it. We just decided that it should be a traditional The (insert name here)s -type of a name. The Props is also easy to pronounce for a Finnish person.

What musicians or artists did have a major influence in your life / work?
We all have rather different backgrounds and different tastes in music in our band. When Mikko and I started we decided to make songs that sounded a bit like Fountains of Wayne, Teenage Fanclub and Weezer.

But those aren't the only bands we like or take influences from. We listen to lots of different stuff, from death metal to alt-country...

What are the positive and negative aspects of being a musician in Finland?
Here's a time for a reality check. You most likely can't make a living with playing this kind of music in Finland. We have a small population here, so you have to really be big if you want live just by making music.

But I see that as positive thing in a sense that now we can concentrate on making just the music we like. We don't have to think: "Will this make the charts?". We don't have to compromise. The downside is that we also have to have a "normal" job besides music.

How could you define your style of music?
Pop songs played with a rock attitude. You might call it powerpop, but I think we are slightly more melancholic than most powerpop bands.

During the years how has your musical style changed?
Not much. Maybe our sound has become a bit deeper, a bit more band-oriented.

How do explain these changes?
I think it's pretty natural, considering that we started playing just with two guitars. When we started playing our songs with a full band the songs evolved to a bit rockier direction.

What are topics you treat in your songs?
Mostly stories about heartaches, twisted relationships and failures in the field of love. But sometimes even the loser gets the girl.

What is your favorite song in your repertoire and why?
I think I like Manic Minor the most. It's a song that is very energetic but also very melodic. You always start to sweat when you play that song.

Do you actually prefer performing your music live or in a studio?
Live, definitely. You need to feel the wall of sound, the sweat and the energy.

During the process of making a song, what is the moment that you prefer?
The moment you realise that this song really works. In some cases you know it instantly but sometimes it may take while to arrange the song properly.

A stupid question but... what is among all the songs you've been listening in your life the BEST song?
Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers.

What is your opinion, as a musician, regarding internet?
It's a nice way for new band to distribute one's music. You can also find cool information and rumours from the Internet. But illegal downloading is a serious threat to music industry.

What are your projects?
We have various little side-projects and some of us play in other bands as well. But speaking of my projects, I play old-school heavy metal in Steel Tormentor. Me and Jari are also planning to form a hardcore-punkband called Moshing Mormon Muslims. We are serious as hell.

What "image" do you have of French music?
Musician playing and accordion and wearing a baret while other people eat their baguette... Oh the stereotypes :)

Is there one French song that you prefer? If so, what song is it?
Da Funk by Daft Punk.

Interview by Vincent Lefrançois - 2006