Skyward
Skyward comes from Finland
and recently they released their debut album through Thundering Records.
I know them from their demo days and I believe it is one of the new rising
forces in the gothic/atmospheric metal scene. Read what Ville, the guitar
player told us.
1. Hi Ville, how are you my friend? First
of all tell me the latest news from the camp of Skyward.
We are living exciting times, since the album
has been out here in Finland for a bit over a month now. We are trying
to book a tour for this winter & spring. If we can get a good booking
agency behind us that would be helpful. We are also eagerly waiting for
our first video. It has been shot, but not edited yet. Can?t wait. It?s
from the song "Guardian" and by the looks of the storyboard it will be
good.
2. Do you believe that your name fits perfectly
with your music’s direction?
Yes I think so. I have noticed recently, that
a lot of our melodies "go up". Ok, there are the down moments as well,
but I think that the general mood is uplifting.
3. Before some weeks you released your debut
album, how do you feel now?
Feeling good. That?s one important step taken.
It is a big deal to get your debut album out there in stores. There is
so much work behind it. Writing, rehearsing, recording, mixing, mastering,
deal searching, negotiating has led us to this point where it?s finally
out there. It is out in France, Belgium and Scandinavia. Hopefully the
rest of Europe follows soon.
4. Was it easy for you to get the deal with
Thundering Records?
Actually yes. We were slightly hesitant at
first, cause we didn?t know Thundering that well .Also we were hoping to
get a deal from Finland. In the end I went to France to meet Laurent, the
manager and came back to Finland with a record deal in my pocket. No regrets,
things have gone smoothly both ways.
5. Can you tell us some details from the recording
sessions of your debut album?
It was the summer of 2004. Sakke(drums)and
me had a few weeks off from work, which we used in the recordings. The
recordings were still going when we had to get back to work, so that became
a bit exhausting. All in all, it took about 2 months to get it ready for
mastering. Rockstar Studios is a small and comfortable studio close to
our hometown. There were no major problems anyway. Some pleasant surprises,
though. Lots of good last-minute ideas that made the production much better.
6. Personally I am a huge fan of Finland's
metal scene, do you believe that you have a quality metal scene?
I am very proud of the Finnish metal scene.
I could make a long list of great bands here. Right now I am looking forward
to the new Diablo-album. Yeah, we have the best bands.
7. Can you inform us on the lyrical themes
of your album?
Some material is quite gloomy and dark. Then
there are songs of believing in yourself, the pride of being alive and
exploring the world. There are sad elements in there as well. The album
goes through most ranges of human emotion.
8. What do you listen to lately?
System of a Down! Their Mesmerize/Hypnotize-package
is one of the best albums ever. Also the last Sentenced and the latest
Viikate are great.
9. Have you got any plans to promote your newest
release?
The video might be the most important promo
right now. That and the gigs. The record label and the local distributor
have been active here, putting ads in music magazines and such. We try
to push ourselves in every possible place & event we can think of.
We try to be very active ourselves too.
10. What will we see if we come to a Skyward
live show?
Energy and a good metal show. The songs have
a different feel to them live now that we have really come together as
a band. In the recordings we didn?t have a 2nd guitarist yet, but now we
are a package.
11. Now a non musical question… It is common
that most of the Finnish don't talk to much, do you know the reason why?
Yeah, foreigners always find it strange that
we are so serious and silent. Personally, I feel that people talk too much
anyway. I prefer to shut up if I don?t have anything important to say.
It?s better to be silent than to go on and on about the weather or sports
or some shit like that.
12. Thank you very much for your time Ville
and close the interview as you want.
Thank you Antonis! Hopefully our album will
be released in Greece soon. Let?s try to keep the world sane. When I look
at the news, it looks like the 3rd world war is not far away. It is our
job, the artists, to bring some good vibes in to the world. Hopefully we
have succeeded. Metal on!!!
Antonis Maglaras
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