Interview with Bazie 69
In a pizza shop in Philadelphia
1/24/07

MT: What brought on the change in sound for this CD?

Bazie: More up tempo and a little bit rougher sound overall. Our producer said he wanted to try a more rocking sound. The last album sounded like purple and this one sounds straight rock. A little harder edge. The sound came from songs what kind of songs we wanted for the record. Usually we did like twenty songs, now we recorded thirteen. Eleven is going to be on the album and I don’t actually know but on the US version there is a new version of “Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams” because we did that and there’s one extra song is going to be B side of next.

MT: Oh I forgot about that.

Bazie: So we didn’t want to put that on the European version at least for the Finnish version. It is stupid to have same song. Anyways, it is a little bit different but not that much. But I don’t know, Bam was supposed to have this movie so hopefully it is going to be there.

MT: Is it a collaborative effort when you write? Or do you write the music and Jyrki writes the lyrics?

Bazie: Yea actually it is pretty much that…I have a bunch of ideas I recorded, but a song depending on the basic structure with the drums and the basic guitar. Put some melody over there with like the keyboard over the guitar and you see sometimes it is pretty much the whole song’s melody are there but the song it’s is straight rock. We have this new song “Rocker” on the album and Jyrki came up with the vocal melody and the lyrics. He is always does good doing the lyrics anyway. Then we did a couple of songs with a two Swedish guys. Actually we did the re-arranging of “Lost Boys” with the guys so now we brought a couple of songs from scratch with the guys. Actually I like “Perfect Skin” and a song named “Ghost” and then there was a third song and “Never Say Die” which is the next single. Rewriting and re-arranging.

MT: Beside your instrument and your microphone what must you have on stage?

Bazie: A pic! That is basically it.

MT: Who is your favorite guitarist?

Bazie: Favorite guitarist. Hmm. The guys from The Cars and the guys from AC/DC.

MT: Do you feel this tour is the best fit for The 69 Eyes? Because a lot of the fans were shocked. It is totally different.

Bazie: (He laughs) Yea actually, you know, we were like really excited. We were supposed to do the tour I think October or November but then they postponed it and it was good because we didn’t have the album ready and then we were supposed to do it the tour with Lacuna Coil, but then we had to like cancel because we knew it was so strict with the schedule and if we fuck up one day then we are fucked because now we are ready and we are on tour here. Because it was good that we had to do all the European press in December and we couldn’t have done it if we had been here. But then an opportunity came with the agent booking the tour with COF and we were really excited and of course it is a different kind of music but the whole attitude of how they do their stuff is the same. But it’s really hard to say after one show. Of course I realize at some point, “Oh maybe like a little bit different the music”.

MT: There fans are really hard core.

Bazie: Yea that is true.

MT: You will have a mix. I am not a COF fan at all.

Bazie: I think this is a little bit of a test for us. I wouldn’t say this is the best we could have, but we had a chance to do it now. It would have taken us to September to come next time. That was the only chance to do it now or then it would be almost nine months.

MT: The set is mostly “Devils”?

Bazie: Yes depending on the day. Today we have 40 minutes so we play only one new song. We promote the back catalog for Cleopatra since they put the money on this tour. So that was one point to promote “Devils” and older ones and when we booked the tour we know that Caroline is going to release “Devils” again with two bonus tracks, “From Dusk til Dawn” and “Pitch Black” with the original sleeve and everything. So let’s see how we are going to survive. You see it is the first time we do support tour. We did it over in Europe when we had only one or two albums out there. Now we can see how it goes. It’s a challenge. It’s a little bit different situation.

MT: What is the meaning of the “Angels” album for you personally?

Bazie: Personally. It’s just a new album from us but the meaning of that. I am like you know looking for that good album or a classic rock song that lives at least one. But I think I wanted to have it a little bit rougher and a little bit more the style of music what I like to listen to. If I would do it for myself it would sound different.

MT: What is your favorite thing about being a part of The 69 Eyes?

Bazie: I can be creative out there the way I want and it is good.

MT: Who do you get along with best in the band?

Bazie: Ahhh.

MT: Not that you fight or anything.

Bazie: Depending on the situation. That is why I go with different people in the band on different days, but I dunno.

MT: Are you closer friends with any of them?

Bazie: It started all with Jyrki, but when we go on tour I usually share a room with Jussi.

MT: Jussi. So you are around each other more.

Bazie: Yea.

MT: What is your favorite American food?

Bazie: Favorite American food….ahhhh. (laughs) I dunno. Hamburgers.

MT: Hamburgers? That’s good. (both laugh)

MT: What do you like most about America?

Bazie: Most about America. Hmmm. That’s a hard question. It is not the same everywhere. There are so many different. Like when you go to, even though it is not the same in Finland. You can experience different things in so many places.

MT: Different states people are different.

MT: What would you do if you were a female for a day? (laughs)

Bazie: What would I do? (laughs)

MT: I know what I would do if I was a guy. (both laugh)

Bazie: I never thought about that.

MT: No desire to be a girl for a day?

Bazie: No, actually no. The day is too short. It would take longer. That is really a hard one.

MT: If you couldn’t have a job in music of any kind what would you do?

Bazie: I would do something in theater, a director or producer.

MT: How do you feel when fans give you gifts?

Bazie: I think it is great.

MT: Do you have any hidden talents? Any party tricks?

Bazie: No. No. No. You should ask the other guys in my band about that.

MT: Growing up what is the worst trouble you ever got into? Does anything stand out?

Bazie: I was actually quite good. I got a little anxious overall. I remember when I was in kindergarten I just disappeared from them.

MT: Really?

Bazie: Yea.

MT: Your parents must have panicked!

Bazie: Yea, I went to some woods and hided there. Even though I think that is why I started to play anyway. Music was an escape. I remember when I was in school in kindergarten I didn’t feel like being a part of the overall what the kids are. I wasn’t like my friends. I still have them, I still know the guys that were my friends. But you know like one of them is an artist. To my parents I was ok. So that way to my parents they weren’t too happy I didn’t want to be like everybody else.

MT: This is a weird one but, how exactly do you clean your leather pants? (Laughs) You don’t right?

Bazie: Yea I do actually.

MT: You do?

Bazie: Yea, I got a good tip when I was living in an apartment. There was a woman in the same building anyway and she saw them and she told me how to clean them. I wash them in the washing machine, but they had to put this, I don’t know how to say it in English. It’s not like…in Finnish it is easy to say.

MT: Does it keep them from getting wet?

Bazie: No. It is something like grease in the soap. Don’t try this. Actually the liquid is made for washing carpets or stuff.

MT: Do they have dry cleaning in Finland?

Bazie: Yes. Actually of course they do. I took them but I have done it myself. It is really cold water and you put this in what you wash the carpets with and it is really cheap and you can get it anywhere. That was a tip from some woman. It works but of course once you wear they are a little bit stiff so I don’t do it that often. After the tour when it is a good thing when you have them on and you can smell it like here (distance from his head to his lap) and then it is time to wash…

And they can stand by themselves? (both laugh)

Bazie: And it is like (takes deep breath) “Ewww, oh shit!”

MT: I wear them and don’t even run around stage so I can imagine.

Bazie: Like twice a year you can wash them.

MT: If you could choose to be invisible, stop time or fly which would you choose and why?

Bazie: Fly. Maybe fly.

MT: Fly and why?

Bazie: I wouldn’t stop time that’s for sure and invisible? No. I think flying is the closest thing to move around without…You know…ok now I have to go to NY…and I am there.

MT: Yea and then you are there. But being invisible would be funny to sneak on stage and pull somebody’s pants down.

Bazie: Yea but you can do that anyway.

MT: You are funny. Is there a song you really like but you don’t like to admit it?

Bazie: No. I never really thought about it. There are some disco songs from when I was a kid but we all liked that. That Euro dance stuff. Some disco yea, but it is not bad.