Interview With Crimson Sun At The Dark River Festival 2020
Mystique met vocalist Sini Seppälä and keyboard player Miika Hujanen from Crimson Sun after their show at the Dark River Festival near Kotka, Finland. It was one of the very few (metal) festivals that could take place at all in the pandemic summer 2020. How has the band experienced the pandemic time and the festival? Surprisingly, they were able to find some benefits of the lockdown, too!
“Hey, we do it like a real band!” (Miika Hujanen)
“Hi there from Dark River festival in Kotka! I have the pleasure to interview Crimson Sun. Sini and Miikka: a warm welcome to you both! How are you feeling right about now?”
“Hello!” Sini says smiling. “Very good! It’s so nice that we could play here this summer. We know it’s not taken for granted at all because of the pandemic.”
“You had a very good show, are you satisfied with it?”
Sini smiles happily: “Yes, we are!”
Miika laughingly adds: “After the show, we clapped each other on the back saying: ‘Hey, we do it like a real band!’”
I am laughing heartily at this point. ”A real band?! You say that with such humility. Is that because you are from right here in Kotka?”
Miika smiles again, saying “Yes, I think so. That makes us modest!”
“I think we are handling this situation very well.” (Miika Hujanen)
“There has been a long break since your last gig. How have you managed during that time?”
Sini responds, with a noticeable smile towards the end, “It was very sad because we should have played at Tuska festival and at Nummirock this summer. But because they cancelled both, we were so disappointed. But thankfully Dark River Festival wasn’t cancelled”.
Miika: “Of course, we hope that those festivals keep the 2020 lineup for summer 2021. For now, we happily take the time to make a new music.” Smiling he continues: “We are looking to the future and are very hopeful. We belief that gigs are going to be normal again someday. We also expect that a vaccine will be made someday. I think we are handling this situation very well. We had two live streams this summer, and we have made new demos. Our plan for next year is to go into studio and record our new album.”
“What about your fans. Has their continued support kept you going during this situation?”
Miika: “We had done Facebook live and all kinds of things, and our fans wrote is that they miss us and our gigs. So yes, their support has helped a lot and means a lot.”
More Time Vs More Distance
“Is creating new music easier with all that’s going on around us these days?”
Miika: “Hmmm … During the pandemic, we have had more free time, so because of that, yes, it is. But earlier this year, it was difficult. At that time nobody knew how near you could be to other people [in the band due to public health guidelines]. And that made rehearsing harder.”
Sini: “Creating new music is harder in the beginning, because you’re thinking of all the different ways things can be done. But when the demos come, you find out what you wanna do, and then it gets easier.”
“Which one of you mainly creates your songs?”
Miika: “These days our guitar player Joni [Junnila], drummer Antti [Rantavuo] and our bass player Jukka [Jauhiainen]. Actually, all band members contribute. We all have opportunities to create new material at home, which is good as it makes everything easier. That’s why the restrictions didn’t affect our ability to create, it’s already something we can do without meeting up.”
“Last Day On Earth” – The Prepandemic Status
“Has that state of the world today made an impact on your lyrics”
Miika: “For this new album, it’s too early to say. But on the last one, there’s a song “Last Day On Earth” and there you can hear our thoughts on the state of the world.”
Sini adds smiling: “We released it at a convenient time, considering how things are today.”
“Little things that you do can make the future a better one.” (Sini Seppälä)
“You are young, so for the younger generation, what do you want to say to them that gives hope for the future? And where do you find that hope?”
Miika: “ I was raised to think that everything always works out for the best, one way or the other.”
“That’s wonderful to hear!”
Miika: “If you think of our music, it’s positive. It tells people to believe in what you are doing, and believe that everything will work out.”
Sini: “We have been together as a band for almost ten years, and that’s why we have enough strength to go forward. We found the joy in the music, and like Miikka says, the will to manage everything. Little things that you do can make the future a better one.”
“I always say that the younger ones are ruined.” (Miika Hujanen)
“Positive thinking, that’s what keeps you going. It’s so wonderful to see that you younger ones still believe in the future.”, I say with a smile. “And you are sharing the message to even younger minds: believe in yourself, every little thing counts, and the future will be better.”
Miika: “I always say that the younger ones are ruined.”
I can’t help but let out a loud laugh, “That’s bitter old people talk!”
“Yes that’s true!”, Miika says with a chuckle.
“The thing is, young people teach us older ones, and we teach them as well. But I think we are the ones who have more to learn. Truth is, we all need each other,”
Miika smiles a bit at this thought saying, “These days here in Finland, young people are very smart.“
Long Tour Tale Told Short
“Now back to music. About your recent tour abroad, was it more difficult than touring here in Finland?”
Miika replies laughing:” Bad question! This is the thing that I could tell a long tale about!” Calming down he says: “Hmmmm… We had to play differently on our tour abroad, and that made it more difficult.”
“Yes, funny how that works…”
Sini and Miika agree: “Yes, it is.”
Sini adds frowning: “It’s not all glitz and glamour at all.”
Miika: “We were lucky that we got some financial support when we toured Europe.”
Sini: “Luckily!”
“Yes that was great, we were very happy for it” Miika ends smiling.
“Do artists find out beforehand whether or not they’d get support from their city?”
Miika: “ I’m not sure. These are things you have to specifically ask about in each city to find out. For example, we played for a long time at the Kotka city rehearsal area. I believe and hope that other administrations support young musicians somehow.”
A Wise Vote For Independence
“You release your albums independently. Why is that?”
Miika: “We had discussions about our albums with many labels, but then we made the decision that it’s better to release them ourselves. But we are still open to a good record deal and you never know, someday we might release albums through a label”
“So there’s no tension with any label at all then, you just wanna do things on your own”
Sini and Miika agree smiling: “Yes! No hard feelings at all. This was just the wiser choice for us.”
“Who does the artwork for your albums?”
“On the first one, it was made by a Slovakian buddy who we found on the internet. Slobodan Jovanovic, his artist name is Slobicus Doomicus. He didn’t want money at all, only records.” explains Miika with a smile.
Laughing: “Ooohhh, that’s the old fashioned kind of payment.”
Miika smiles: “Yes! So we just buy many records for him everywhere. Art for the second one was done by a tattoo artist, Olli-Pekka Lappalainen, who is our drummer’s good friend. We just give them our music and lyrics and they just draw what comes to mind from the music. That way it all fits together nicely. “
“Hope, we see you at gigs someday!” (Sini Seppälä)
“Lastly, what do you want to say to our readers?”
Miika smiles happily: ”You are wonderful people! Listen to Crimson Sun!”
And Sini adds: “Yes you are! You can find us on Spotify and YouTube. Hope, we see you at gigs someday!”
“I will add on their behalf dear readers, that you should continue to believe everything is gonna be alright again someday! Very big thanks to you and all the best!”
Sini and Miika: “Thanks to you!”
Admirable Attitude
Optimism has become a rare point of view on our world and the ability to see the good in a challenging situation is even rarer. To find it both amidst justified Fridays-For-Future apocalyptic scenarios and the pandemic setting putting everything upside-down makes each a shining gem in a chest of dark pebbles. Furthermore, Sini and Miika from Crimson Sun do remind us of what is at stake. We are about to sacrifice our culture to the benefit of our health (read more in “Sacrifices to A Virus” – soon!). All the more important it is to share Sini’s and Miika’s optimism!
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Band: Homepage
Merch: Official band store
Music: On Spotify
Contributions:
Interview and transcription: Mystique
Translation editing and co editing: Saber X
Editing: Muumi-Katja
Photos:
Hantta-Photography @hantta.photography &
Noitatohtori-Photography @noitatohtori.phoyography