Interview with Ville & Mige at
Tammerfest 2002

The interview was taken at Tammerfest on July 19, 2002. A week before that day I already met Mige also for interview. That's why all the time I asked the same questions (just because I wanted to know Ville's opinion also), he asked me what he had answered already. Two polish girls (sorry girls, I don't remember your names, shame on me) made interview at the same time and place with me. The most important note is that Ville and Mige had just a few minutes for the interview, so we were in a hurry. The last one moment which is worth to mention: Timo Rautiainen and Trio Niskalaukaus, - even though we were sitting in the tour-bus (right behind the stage), Timo and Trio were heard much lauder that Ville and Mige.

Melamory: So, first of all - about HER. As I know - it's true.

Ville: Her Evil Royalty.

M: Do you like the name?

Ville: It's like a circle full. We have a muscular name HIM in Europe and now we have HER in America. So, it's like Ying and Yang are complete.

M: So, you like it.

Ville: Yes.

M: And you don't have anything against it.

Ville: Nope. Name HIM was registered in America and we had to imagine something new. It can be funny, actually.

M: You mentioned Her Evil Royalty. Did you see that site?

Ville: What site?

M: About Her Evil Royalty. All guys are girls and so on. (Ville and Mige blabling something:)

M: Well, ok. I have a special question. During last German tour you, Ville, played every gig different acoustic covers. Do you remember the song - there were lines something like "fade away"? What was the song?

Ville: It's from Mazzy Star, a song called "Fade Into You" from an album called "Among My Swan". (Song "Fade Into You" is from an album called "So Tonight That I Might See". - M.)

M: It's not "Fade Into You".

Ville: It was "Fade Into You".

M: It's not "Fade Into You", it's "Fade Away".

Mige: I guess too much paying attention…

Ville: Oh, whatever, I'm not sure.

M: I have a cd-player with me… If you want, you can listen to it.

Ville: No, I don't want it *laughs*, definitely I don't wanna hear it.

M: But I really would like to know the name of the song.

Ville: I played "Solitary Man", I played "Old Man" by Neil Young.

M: "Lonely Road", "Frozen".

Ville: Yeah, "Frozen", that from Mazzy Stay "Fade Into You", from Screaming Trees "More or Less".

M: "Some Kinda Hate".

Ville: Yeah, "Some Kinda Love".

M: "Poison Heart".

Ville: "Poison Heart".

M: So, you don't remember "Fade Away".

Ville: Oh, it might be a special occasion when I improvised.

M: Wow, it was very beautiful!

Ville: Ah. *laughs*

M: Once you said if, for example, Rammstein did something special at one gig, they should repeat it every time for all the fans.

Ville: I was meaning the thing that you can't check out Kiss playing "Detroit Rock City" without *** (Sorry, I can't get the word Ville said. - M.).

M: So, don't you think that if you play acoustic covers during German gigs, you have to play it in different countries?

Ville: No. German people like acoustic songs.

M: But we also want to hear them.

Ville: No. Never again.

M: Why?

Ville: Well, it's not nice anymore. It was the idea for the German tour to play different acoustic number every night.

M: And how do you chose what will you play and how long will you play. For example, last Finnish tour you played almost two hours every gig.

Ville: Yeah, we had megalomania. How do we decide? Normally, you know, the organizers of gigs want us to play a certain amount of minutes. So, we have to play certain amount of minutes. Normally, it's around 60 minutes. Today (19.07.2002, Tampere. - M.) we're not allowed to play after 10 o'clock.

M: So, you have 1,5 hour.

Ville: About. Depending on if they (Timo Rautiainen & Trio Niskalaukaus. - M.) are late.

M: Ok. You just recorded a new demo. What can you say about it?

Mige: Ah… we said something. What did I say?

M: You said you like it.

Mige: Quite smart. I'm original.

M: And you said something about pizza.

Mige: Pizzas? It must be redline, you know.

Ville: Yes, working title for a one track is "Pizza Horror".

Mige: Ah, "Pizza Horror". Yes, that's good.

M: What is this song about?

Ville: It's not about pizzas. *laughs* It's just a working title. Actually it was negar valssi (If you know what it is, tell me:))). - M.).

Mige: It's come up to the working title. You asked us about title, that's why I was talking about pizzas. Now I remember. He wasn't there…

Ville: Imagine that, I wasn't even there and I knew what you were talking about. Horrible!

Mige: Yeah, exactly.

M: Do you, Ville, personally like the new demo?

Ville: No.

M: Why?

Ville: Too many compromises. What do you think? Why should we going to the studio to make the album if we don't enjoy the album?

M: Well, you can be satisfied or not satisfied.

Ville: Well, you know, if you're not satisfied, you don't go to the studio to make an album and you wait until everybody's satisfied.

M: But if you're not satisfied, you can go to the studio again and to make something new.

Mige: It's too philosophical. You shouldn't be optimist in a studio if the satisfaction isn't there.

Ville: We can, but we shouldn't.

Mige: Well, it's possible, but might be not the wisest thing.

Ville: It's not recommended.

M: And I've heard that you, Ville, said a couple of weeks ago, that "Deep Shadows" was an album for girls and now you're going to record an album for boys.

Ville: Yeah, too many groupies around. We're gonna change the atmosphere… totally. It'll be more like a mumbling.

M: And are you happy with "Deep Shadows"?

Ville: Happy? Yeah…

M: And you like the style?

Ville: Yes, sort of…

M: And do you know that your old fans don't really like the album.

Ville: They all can fuck off. I really don't care. We're making music which we love. If somebody doesn't like it they should be playing themselves.

M: So, you don't really care about other's opinion.

Ville: No, because we have to write music for ourselves. Performing assholes we have to enjoy it. And the last album has more sentimental parts. It's just an album. It's not like great monster or large than life album. No albums like that.

M: And what style will have the new album? Will the style be changed from "Deep Shadows"?

Ville: Yes, it's gonna be totally different.

M: And if you can give any examples…

Ville: It'll be more lightning. The songs are gonna be longer and faster. The mood is gonna be the same like from "Our Diabolikal Rapture". Very gloomy and it's gonna be faster.

M: And when can we wait for new single?

Ville: Early next year. We're going to the studio in September. It'll take a long time until it's gonna be remastered. So, early next year. And the album should be our before summer.

M: And soon the book about you should be published. Do you take part in it?

Ville: Well, sort of.

Mige: He's very famous writer.

Ville: He's the most famous Finnish rock journalist - Juho Juntunen. He's pretty cool fellow.

Mige: He likes to suck people hard.

Ville: He did it last night.

Mige: Yes, I know. It's pretty scary.

Ville: And he's got a band called "Satana and the God Fuckers".

M: And can you tell me about your relationships with other Finnish bands? For example, Jussi69 just told me he's a huge fan of you.

Ville: Jussi is a fan of everything.

M: And your relationships?

Ville: They are very bar-orientated.

Mige: We see each other most in natural way.

Being in the bus, we saw Ike right near it. He waved to us and I noticed his hand was broken. Ville and Mige said the accident had happened in Bulgaria. They were trying to convince me that Ville broke Ike's hand in armwrestling game:). "Very popping sound came from it and then it was broken". Then we continued the interview.

M: How happened you, Ville, appeared on The 69 Eyes album "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" for the first time? It was long time before your first album. You even haven't recorded that time.

Ville: No, we have recorded our first album. It was in 1997.

M: Were you popular those days?

Ville: No, I wasn't. No, we weren't.

M: And how happened you recorded those songs with The Agents?

Ville: It was a TV show.

M: But all the people there were quite old and you were so young.

Ville: Yeah. That fellow, that dad guy (Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki. - M.), is not very popular among the young people. And I always like his songs.

M: Sure, the songs are great. But you weren't well-known that time.

Ville: No, I wasn't. Somebody asked me and I said "Yes, why not". vM: So, you were invited?

Ville: Yes.

Then the Polish girls asked Ville and Mige some questions. Answering a question about current summer festival season, the guys said they liked Roskilde most of all, because it was "very well organized". About plans for the nearest future they said they would go to studio right after the festivals till early November, and they probably would go to America for mixing. The girls also asked why HIM didn't stay with "His Infernal Majesty" for America, why they chose HER. Ville said there's Canadian band called "Infernal Majesty" and HIM didn't want to have any problems and misunderstandings with them also. On the question if HIM are satisfied of work of BMG company Ville said that he likes BMG-Finland, but the companies are very different from country to country. The last question from the girls was about rumour that the 4th HIM album can be the last one and that HIM was finishing their carrier after that. Ville and Mige said it's not true and the new album is not gonna be their swan song.

M: The girls mentioned BMG. I asked Mige already, and now you, Ville. Do they influence on your music?

Ville: Influence?

M: Well, there's a rumour that your made "Deep Shadows" in this style, because BMG needed more poppy music, they wanted it. Is it true?

Mige: I've explained it? What did I say?

M: You said they don't influence.

Mige: It wouldn't be nice. They don't need it.

While Mige was saying the last phrase, HIM manager came to us and said our time is over. When I switched off the recorded, Ville said that they (BMG, I suppose. - M.) influence.

Melamory

Many thanks to Pascalle for support and for beautiful pics from the interview, which can be found here: Tammerfest 19.07.2002