Interview with TONY KAKKO, vocalist with Finnish rockers SONATA ARCTICA

Now Tony, first and foremost, before we talk about music, how did you feel when Finland won the Ice Hockey World Championships recently? This sporting win was massive for Finns worldwide.

I hit my head on the ceiling. It was like wow! I can’t believe this, it was so unbelievable. It was like best day of the year (laughter)… for many years.

Yeah. Now what was more satisfying, defeating Canada in the Grand Final, or beating Russia and Sweden in the quarter and semi-finals? ‘Cause Finns love beating Sweden

Yes, exactly, I was about to say that, but it has its own special feeling like beating your big brother, who were deemed to be like this superior team with all the best players and the best team they ever, ever had, or that was how they spoke anyway, around here, and so we were expecting to lose and then we didn’t. (laughter)

I think that was one big thing obviously, beating Sweden, but then taking the final. It’s the thing. It’s weird Finish mentality… I almost feel bad that we won (laughter)

In the Swedish newspapers, they were all embarrassed that they lost to the Finns. As they had so many players in the American NHL League and Finland had I think, two or three.

Yeah exactly, we were like a minority. They compared this victory to USA beating team Russia back in 1980 in Lake Placid. It was as big a surprise as that.

That’s great! Moving away from that very historic win, recently you did a European tour, the band has played festivals both in Finland and all over Europe, including Hell Fest, Grasspop and other big festivals. How has that tour been so far?

Well, the beginning of the year, just like between studio dates, kind of acoustic adventure tour, just a totally different, it’s just acoustic shows, and then in the beginning of June, we started… When the album was actually finished, we started playing normal festival shows here in Europe. It’s the festival season from early June to the end of August basically.

That’s how we’ve been doing so far, and then playing just one new song live when it was released, as a single, “Little Less Understanding”. Yeah, it’s been good. This summer, busy summer, a lot of shows, something every weekend, so yeah.

And whatever vacation we have, it happens on the week days. (laughter)

Now while you’re doing these shows, these festival shows, whether it’s in Finland or those bigger name festivals, do you get a chance to really watch any other bands playing, or catch up with any friends that you only see every few years when you play these European festivals?

Of course, you can choose to go in the audience and I’m really lazy (laughter) So I love the festivals where the bands can actually go somewhere. If the backstage somewhere reaches… In the back of the venue or the festival area, you can see the band from the side, it’s wonderful. I was watching Dream Theater play from the side stage and they are phenomenal. I didn’t see the whole show, but still seeing them play. Well, they are pretty good at what they do (laughter)

Yeah, they’re alright (laughter)

Yeah, they’re doing pretty okay (laughter) It was fun to watch and… So yeah, usually you get to… If you have any friends there you meet them. And sometimes, often times, that’s the only place where you get to see anybody, other bands and such, because from August or September to May, the bands are practically in studio or touring on their own, and you rarely have a chance to meet anybody. It’s the festival season, it’s the get together time.

Now, as you mentioned, earlier in the year the band played some acoustic adventure shows through Europe. I could imagine a lot of Sonata Arctica songs would sound really awesome acoustic. How were those shows, and how was the reaction from the crowds?

It went really well, just like way beyond anything that the promoters expected (laughter), I suppose. We had played similar type shows in Finland, so we knew that the songs work really well and the audience likes it, but for our management and the agents in Europe, they were a little suspicious and… Okay you guys, you take the risk and so for us, and we went there and everybody like “wow dude, you’re selling out shows and having great crowds.” The venues weren’t the biggest ever obviously, but we are just sort of launching this whole thing and sort of paving the road for future acoustic adventures.

It’s so much fun, it’s so relaxed to do this song and many of the songs that we do live acoustically, they, at least some of the songs, they actually work much better in acoustic form than they do in their normal metal way, rock way. And that gives new life to many songs that people haven’t even heard before. So I love that. It’s wonderful.

That is so cool. Now, any plans of releasing any official live recordings from any of those shows that you did?

Not live, but we have an idea that whenever we might have time, we could actually go in studio or some cottage somewhere and record these acoustic songs on an album. We have 10 albums now, so that’s easily over 100 songs to choose from. So we can have like, “Acoustic Adventure Vol. 10.” (laughter)

Now the big news and the reason we’re having a chat today is that you guys are releasing your 10th studio album titled “Talviyö”, which translated is “Winter Night” in English, on the sixth of September via Nuclear Blast. Can you tell us more about the upcoming album and how it compares to the previous albums?

Yeah, exceptionally well pronounced, I have to say, for the obvious reason (laughter) But I feel Talviyö is stylistically in line with Pariah’s Child and the Ninth Hour. It’s not a huge adventure in any weird direction that we got known by at some point. It’s in line. There are differences, obviously. The songs are different, and the production is slightly different. We’ve been aiming to do this more natural live-like album feel for a long time with many albums already, but never really got there on our own.

So already with the Ninth Hour we were supposed to have our front-of-house technician, Mikko Tegelman as the co-producer of the album to bring the live feeling to the album, but the schedules and everything, it was just a nightmare with the Ninth Hour, so it was impossible to introduce him into the project.

So now actually I had all the songs ready already the summer 2018. And I was able to play all the tracks with the guys and also Mikko. And it was much easier to take him in, and then he made us play the songs live in studio. We didn’t record everything live but drums and bass, those are recorded in the same room. And it gives… When you have the rhythm section playing together in the same space, it gives you certain freedom. Of course, you need to follow a certain click thingy but still, there’s life in the playing, and it’s not always on exact cue which makes it, at least in my opinion, much more pleasing to your ear. And I hope, and I feel that it’ll stand the test of time much better than anything that’s been put on the grid exactly. So I feel Talviyö is the most natural-sounding Sonata Arctica album thus far.

And that’s the first time you have ever recorded the stuff in the studio live like that?

(laughter) Well back in the day, just back in the… 20 years ago when we were recording Ecliptica we still used that method, but it’s just… We didn’t have any playback thingies. So somebody had to basically play with Tommy in the same room, either keyboards or guitar and such. But not really. We didn’t record both instruments, like guitars and drums in the same space back then. So this was really the first in that sense yeah.

Okay, cool. Now, I’ve read that you’ve said that the new album is the third leg of the new floor of the tower that makes up Sonata Arctica’s career, and this can roughly divide our career into three ages, and this is the third album of the third age (laughter) Can you elaborate on that a bit more? It’s a bit confusing…

(laughter) Well, we started as a sort of power metal band, and that’s still part of what we are, but just a taste, just a tiny thing. And depending on how you think, the first three or four albums are sort of the first age, the power metal age. The fourth album, Reckoning Night was already slightly different. It was going in some different direction, artistically, musically.

And definitely at least Unia is different. That’s the beginning of the new era, unless Reckoning Night is already… That started sort of the drifting around, seeking, searching for our path kind of era. Like at first we were kids, and now we were in puberty (laughter) with this album. We didn’t know what to do and then the struggling there, Unia, Days of Grays, and then the rock album, Stones Grow Her Name, which then ended the drifting, and we got back or reached the adulthood (laughter) with the Pariah’s Child. And now we are just going with this as long as we reach the older age (laughter), I suppose, I don’t know

So this is the new, “Middle aged men era”? (laughter)

I suppose, yeah. Together, we are co-existing with this acoustic adventure thing (laughter)

So there’s certain richness to what we do right now, many paths.

The first single off the new album, “A Little Less Understanding” was released back in June. Any particular reason you chose that as the first single for the new album?

I was totally clueless what to have, I didn’t know, I had no idea. And the band, we were sort of lost. We knew that it would be a really simple song and easy, one of the singles could be “A Little Less Understanding”. Although I did write it to be a sort of a bonus track for Japan or something like that.

It was the last track I wrote, and it’s the most simple track on the whole album. So I thought it would be a bonus track. But our manager, when he heard the demo already said that, oh, hey, this would make the perfect first single. It’s like simple, easy ramp towards the actual album, and it starts building the whole thing.

The next single will be a little bit more, I don’t know, (laughter) not as straightforward, although it’s also a rocking song, but then the third single and the fourth will be different once again. It was chosen because it’s simple, easy to get into kind of song, and not too progressive, because we could have taken that path as well but you know.

Yeah, I think it’s a great song. There’s quite a few songs… I got the album through Nuclear Blast a few days ago, and I really enjoy… That song’s probably one of my favourite, Message From the Sun, Cold, Demon’s Cage. And I really love the Raven Still Flies With You, it’s a very, very deep song. The lyrics… Even just the title is very deep, it conjures a lot of different thoughts in my mind. But yeah, loving it so far. I’ve only listened to it probably twice, the album so (laughter)

Well, I think it can take more rounds than just two (laughter)

There are things to be found there, I’m pretty sure.

The best albums ever are always the ones that you need to listen to a few times before you really like them. The ones that you like straight away you grow out of very quickly.

Yes, I agree, yeah!

So the album drops on the 6^th Septemeber 2019, and then Sonata Arctica heads to North America to support Kamelot on numerous dates. The band’s also playing three headline shows before that with Battle Beast. Then you play the shows with Kamelot, and then you do another five shows with Battle Beast in support. Now, the band plays in North America a lot. Is that your biggest fan base, favorite country to play? You seem to play in North America a lot (laughter)

We can actually go there and not take an invoice back home (laughter) as a souvenir, so that’s the thing. It’s a really nice place to tour. The buses are really wonderful, (laughter) and the atmosphere is really great, and it’s easy. It’s almost like going on a vacation.

When we were kids we were dreaming of going to America one day, and it’s a sort of certain kind of measure of a band, that if you can tour in North America and USA, then you are something. And we can still go there and we’ll keep on going up until it’s not viable… So it’s mostly because it’s fun. And also we try to choose these days more smartly where we go and in what time of the year, ’cause there have been these moments when we were just following the eternal autumn rain.

It was raining everywhere for a year, and it was a nightmare, (laughter) so now we’re taking the sunny path and it’s really nice to be in North America in September, October, it’s almost like… Well, it’s a summer. If you are a Finn you will think that it’s summer (laughter) and you can handle it. And then go to Europe, where it’s actually… Then it’s gonna be rain and shit, (laughter) but we’ll manage it, and then next year something else. But anyway, North America, actually it’s the best time to tour there in my opinion, September/October.

Yeah, no, definitely. Now, speaking of the American tour, Battle Beast, love that band, they’re so awesome. I remember talking to Noora, doing an interview with her probably a few months after I spoke with you a few years ago. Really, really cool chick. One of the best newer Finnish bands around. Is there any other Finnish bands? New… Not new, but that are sort of making it big now that you think are really good?

Well Beast in Black, funny enough (laughter)

Yeah. It’s almost the same thing

Yeah, exactly, it was started by the same guy. But they are really both on a rise. So Beast in Black, I have no idea how far they can go, but they are really on the rise, and doing really, really well. Huge shows in Finland and everything, so it looks good on both of the bands.

And then there are… It’s a certain kind of gap before there are other bands on a rise, newer bands that are on the verge of making it, at least… Well, I’m not aware of any. But I hope they’re… It would be really great to have certain… Some kind of a wave of bands like what we had in turn of the century, with Nightwish, Children of Bodom, us, HIM, and so forth. There were many, many bands, and metal music was doing really well, it was the biggest thing in Finland, and it’s fantastic.

And we had labels that were really actually pushing and interested in the bands. And now it’s… This ball has turned, the table has turned, and it’s struggling or maybe slowly getting back on its feet, the whole metal thing and rock music. But we had a healthy, really beautiful, long run in Finland with this sort of music, and I’m confident that it’ll come back really soon again.

Yes, most definitely. Now, after the North American tour, you head back to Finland for some shows and then a European tour. Now, what are the chances of Sonata Arctica coming to Australia in 2020? You played here, I think, once in 2010? It’s been a long time!

It’s way too long time. It’s a long travel, too, but that’s the lousiest excuse ever but… Things just didn’t go that way. We have tried, and there have been a few times we have actually talked about it, but it never… It didn’t happen. But now, there’s a plan that we might do more shows than just three late next year in Australia. It’s kind of too early to really start talking about it, but I hope things go the way we are talking right now. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Yeah, I hope so too! There are alot of people that want to see your band here, it’s been too long. Just a couple more questions, before we run out of time Tony. Now, you’re part of the “Raskasta Joulua” in Finland, which translated to English, means Heavy Christmas.

Ragnarock Yuletide is how we have turned it into English. (laughter)

Oh, okay (laughter) You’re playing in there with lots of other awesome musicians from Finland. Any updates on what’s going on this year for that?

It happens every year, only that I won’t be doing it this year. I’m too busy with Sonata Arctica.

Basically I might be able to grab a couple of shows right after the European tour, but I think it’s too much. I have small kids at home and everything, so I better go home and just concentrate on that at that point. So unfortunately, I’m skipping it, but it’s a big thing and it’s happening again. And Marco Hietala (Nightwish) will be there…He wasn’t there last year unfortunately, so I had a really big role, I was doing almost all the shows last year, so maybe it’s good that I’m off for one year. (laughter)

Now one other thing very similar to that. Now, going back, you were part of a Finnish supergroup, the Northern Kings, a while back. Some of those cover songs you did are just absolutely amazing: Take On Me by A-Ha, Brothers in Arms from Dire Straits, Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie, We Don’t Need Another Hero from Tina Turner, so many others. What happened to that group, and are we likely to see you being involved in something similar in the future?

Well, that same thing actually turned into Raskasta Joulua

It’s the same bunch of people, so yeah. Raskasta Joulua is… It takes the year. The work for the next season starts already in January, February, they start booking the venues, or even earlier, and so it’s a big thing. And we’ve been talking and thinking about Northern Kings as well, would be really great to go back there in some way, in some form, maybe have some original songs, but it’s been just speculating and talk, and I would not hold my breath for it. (laughter) But it would be really great anyways.

Awesome! Well, thanks so much for chatting with us today, Tony. Love the new album! All the best for the upcoming tour, and fingers crossed for a long-awaited Australian tour in 2020.

Absolutely, thanks Davey

Talviyö will be available 6th September 2019

https://music.apple.com/au/album/talviy%C3%B6/1470058332

Interview/ Writer: Davey Rintala