For the website of Pagan France and Finntroll’s official French Fan Club

Questions
1. How could you describe the band Swallow the Sun in a few words?

Gloom, beauty and despair. I think those 3 words tell all about our music.

 2. Some of your albums are very dark. If anyone wanted to listen to Swallow the Sun for the first time, which album would you recommend?

I think the new album will give good example how the band sound like. There are more darker and slower albums like Ghosts of Loss (that is my favourite album), but it might be too much for the first time listen. So I think I would go with New Moon because it has all the sides of our sound.

3. Were there any change in the production of the last album New Moon compared to the previous ones?

Well, first time ever we got outside producer on the album Jens Bogren. He didn’t change anything in the music, but he produced a lot of the sounds and the singing on this album. It was good experience and hope we can work with him again with next album.

4. Do you think the recent New Moon Over Europe tour had an impact on the last tour with Katatonia ?

Yes, with all the tours we have done the impact on next tour is clearly seen in the audience, a lot more fans, shirts and interested people. Especially in America we can see big change with every tour we have done there.

5. You’ve been on tour in the U.S. with Finntroll. There’s quite a difference between your music and theirs. What do you think of this idea to make you tour together? You surely played in front of a pagan audience?

Yes, we were a bit afraid how the tour will turn out for us, being a bit different band from Moonsorrow and Finntroll, but it turned out to be one of the best tours so far. There was lots of our fans also and I think we did good job on turning some pagan audience to some death/doom metal. I seen in American tours that bands playing on same night can be totally different music vise, so I guess they are more used to have different bands playing same night.

 6. So, lot of alcohol in the bus! You guys were cooling down with that, getting more concentrate on the gigs. You were not afraid to live that again?

Well, every time there is Finnish bands touring together its quite mayhem with king alcohol. But we just did 5 weeks in Europe with Katatonia, so I guess that cooled the drinking down just a bit, but not much I can tell, haha! Good thing about this band is that even boys drink a lot, they still keep it in the limit that they can give 100% on the gigs.

7. Was it easy to live in the same bus ?

We toured in the Van. Finntroll and Moonsorrow were in the same buss, but it was like a big family on the tour, everyone get along really good and it was real Finnish atmosphere and helping out everywhere we went.

8. One could think that because you write dark songs you are all depressive but it’s said you are quite funny people? Is that true? How would you describe yourself on this point?

Yes, I think to be able to write and play this kind of music makes your inner demons more quiet. I seen it clearly that bands that play this kind of music are really funny people outside the stage. I think it’s a purifying process to write and play this dark music.

9. Who do you think is the most outgoing member of the band?

I’m not that outgoing person myself when I’m out of the tour, but all the other boys in the band sure knows how to party. I’m a bit hermit to be honest and I got my share of madness at gigs, so I don’t need it outside the band that much.

10. What’s more important for you when you play: the message, the music or to entertain the public?

Surely not entertaining people, haha! The most important thing is to play music straight from your heart. The best thing in our gigs is when whole gig turns to one big hypnotic mass of gloom, beauty and despair. You can clearly feel it in the stage when people really get deep in the music, that’s the best feeling you can get. This music really cuts deep if you let it in.

11. Where do you prefer playing: at festivals or small venues? Why?

I like both, but I still somehow like to play festivals and big stages more. Maybe it’s because its more space, huge PA and chance to reach loads of new people at the same time.

12. You’ll be playing in France at the Hellfest in June. It’s also your first time at this festival. How do you feel this show? Have you any opinion about the French audience?

  We have played few times in France and we really like the audience in there. You can clearly see the difference between some countries and France is one great country to play. People understand more about death/doom in France for sure, I guess you have a bit more understanding on art and deeper music than some other countries who just want only to party music.

 13. Your last album New Moon was out last November 2009. Are you already writing for a new album now? Have any ideas?

No, no plans about new album yet. We have been touring so much after the album came out, and will be touring the whole year and hopefully loads next year also. So there is no time to even write new stuff yet in some time.

14. Do you plan to come back in Europe for a new tour this autumn?

We are going back to North America to tour with Katatonia this fall. There is talkings about third New Moon tour in Europe for the end of the year but we are working with it at the moment.

15. And the last question, if you were an animal, which one would you like to be?

An owl for sure! They are cool mysterious animals and fucking aggressive! Only bad side would be eating fucking mice…

-Juha Raivio-
20/05/10

For the interview: Audrey Dederen (Pagan France’s staff member, aka: Dark Angel) & Martine Goffard (Swallow the Sun’s official forum member, Pagan  France’s forum member, aka: Willow)