Page 12 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 113

BV113 pg 10-13 The Rasmus Interview.qxp_BV113 pg 12 13/12/2025 22:18 Page 3

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oining Black Velvet from his native home media gives a lot of pressure for people to be a everyone has those insecurities.
Jin Finland via the wonder of the internet, certain type, but, if you use it right, it can be a "Even the most beautiful supermodel can
is one of The Rasmus' founding and ever-pre- great tool to connect with people. sometimes think they don't look so pretty from
sent members, lead singer Lauri Ylönen, who "When I was a kid, the only way I could ex- this side or they are not happy with how their
has remained an ever-present member of the press myself and find people, the weirdos like nose looks. So, people are always afraid of
group, alongside bass player Eero Heinonen, me, was to dress up like one and send out that something, they are rarely always satisfied or
since 1994, and now, alongside drummer Aki message to others. ‘Please find me! Come to pleased. It's sad, but that is how it is."
Hakala, who joined the ranks in 1999 and rela- me!’ But now, it's easier, because it's kinda out
tive newcomer Emilia ‘Emppu’ Suhonen, who there. n contrast, the song also features the lyric,
joined the team on guitars in 2022. "But also, I know there is a lot of bullying I‘the future belongs to us’, so we ask, with
and stuff out there. It's not only at school, it's the release of ‘Weirdo’, what is it that Lauri is
he opening track of 'Weirdo', 'Creatures after school, it's online, in group chats, and peo- most excited about for the future of the band, as
TOf Chaos', is a song which includes ple really suffer from that. It can be a very dev- they enter their fourth decade of existence? "I'm
many descriptions of different types of people, astating situation for some people, you know. really excited about the situation right now be-
many of which may resonate with the words of "So, I don't know which one is better. Was it cause of Emppu, our new guitarist, who joined
the band. Psychos, sickos, trainwrecks, rejects, better back in the days when it was more simple the band quite recently… three, four years ago
grifters, misfit toys, twisted sisters, mischief a life or now? There are definitely pros and and this if the first album we have done together
makers, jacked up punks, misbehavers, freaks cons." with her, and her presence and energy and
of nature are the ones Lauri lists in the lyrics of everything in this band has woken us up,” says
the song. We ask if he feels that any of these he opening track includes the lyric, ‘The Lauri.
words best describes himself and the band. Tfuture's afraid of us’, and so we ask "I feel the same way that I did in the early
"If I can't say all of them, I would have to Lauri if he has any fears for the future. The 2000s, when we were about to have a big hit or
pick creatures," he tells us. "I like the word. question sparks memories of their recent trip to something was about to happen. I have that
Creature is something I consider myself being. Ukraine to perform at a music festival there. On kinda feeling in my gut again. Like butterflies.
Like, I'm this guy who lives in the woods, doing a sidenote, the band produced a short video And it's a great feeling. I don't know what it is,
my little Hobbit magic and that's kinda my art documentary of the experience, which is easily but I'm sure something is going to happen.
type. This kinda guy who, you don't know what available on YouTube and is highly recom- Something good.
I'm thinking, but I'm quite harmless. mended. "I've had some quite dark times in my life
"So, I think that is a song which feels like so Lauri tells us, "We just visited Ukraine and quite recently, personal stuff. The band wasn't
many people are being pushed down by the played a concert there and the war got much too great and then Emppu joined us and, from
way they are or the way they look or the way closer to me by going there physically, and wit- that day onwards, it’s been good things happen-
they think and view the world, and we wish peo- nessing and experiencing a bombing. One ing, and I'm pretty confident the future does be-
ple would be more open-minded and more ac- night, we had to sleep in a shelter, so that is a long to us.
cepting of each other. And that song is an threat for all of us in the world, pretty much, not "Even though it's been a long career for
anthem for all the outsiders, and I consider my- just Europeans. some of us, 30+ years, I still feel like we are
self being among those people.” "I've written a couple of songs recently for hungry for something more. To learn something
Lauri has previously said that the new the future from this, as this has really been on more. I feel I can get better at songwriting, I still
album carries the same message as the first my mind and so I have channelled it out to my have goals in life and, while it's the 11th album,
from 1996 and, with the words he has just songs. I didn't think about it much, it just kind of I cannot see why we wouldn't do five more.
shared with us, we ask if it surprises or even happened, that's how I work. If something both- Even more than that. It's become a lifestyle for
saddens him that this message of being differ- ers me, I usually put it into my songs and I think us, being in this band, and I really enjoy it.
ent and inclusion is still needed in 2025. I'm a pretty positive person, but, when I make "I've never lost the passion for writing music
The frontman declares, "Yeah, it's needed. music, I want to be more melancholic, which is and playing concerts, so we'll just keeping
I don't think we have learnt so much or got that something I like in music. It just feels right. going!"
much wiser in 30 years, but I do think that now "It gives a meaning to my songs and it's re-
it is easier for people to find other people like ally hard for me to write a happy song!" nother song on the album, 'Break
themselves because of the internet and all He adds, "Last night, I had a terrible night- AThese Chains', hears Lauri cry, ‘Break
these ways that you can reach out to people on mare that I had lost my family, my children. I'm these chains, let them fall, set me free, soul and
the other side of the world. a pretty lucky and happy guy with all I have and all.’ We ask if there is anything he would like to
"You can become friends and find your soul- everything has gone pretty well, but I still fear set himself free from. After a moment of thought,
mates and that really is a beautiful thing. I know losing it. And I'm still not very confident, even if Lauri tells us, "To stress less about things."
there is a lot of crap in that too, though. Social I can seem like I am to the outside world. I think He continues, "I have this thing where, al-

THE RASMUS