|
 |
|
Interview with Tarja Turunen
December 20th 2007 by James Young |
|
|
Going solo is never easy, but with the voice of
an angel and a character to boot, Tarja Turunen has released ‘My
Winter Storm’, a mixture of metal, rock, and opera that will satisfy
fans in all three camps. Managing to catch the Finnish goddess before
her first solo gig in London, I made it clear that this interview was
not about Nightwish, but her future and dreams. In the short space of
time we had to talk, we discussed the new album and the current tour,
not to mention Christmas and a bit of dressing up too!
Thanks for spending time doing this interview.
No problem!
Are you excited about playing in England again?
Very much - I’m really excited about it, and in a way I’m already a
bit sad because it’s the last show in this warm-up tour this evening
in London. I’m so looking forward to it because this tour has been
fantastic. These are session musicians, and not a band like I had
before, which was structured. We have had so much fun together and a
great time, so tonight will be a great show. I’m really looking
forward to it.
What’s this tour a warm-up for?
This whole thing was for me - I wanted to have shows immediately after
the release of the album. I wanted people to see me and hear my music.
Also, when some people come to my concerts they don’t even have the
album yet, so I wanted to see the reception. It was really important
for me to do this now and not later. Of course I will have a proper
tour to come next year. In April we are planning to start a tour that
will take me several other places - Europe, America, Asia and South
America for longer and longer periods. We will take it relaxed and
cool, and we can be healthy and happy working with these guys who are
amazing, so I’m happy!
Who are the session musicians and how did you
pick them?
Well, the bass player [Doug Wimbish] and guitar player [Alex Scholpp]
had already recorded on my album. I chose most of the musicians for my
album mainly because of their background, sound and how they are as
musicians. I knew the album was not only going to be a heavy metal or
classical album, or one that can be classified in any category. The
diversity within the songs is big, so I also needed musicians who
would have the skills to modify their playing in different kinds of
songs and they really do that. Mike Terrana came to the picture in
1998 when he was the new drummer of Rage, and Nightwish were having
the first European tour supporting them. We got to know each other
from then but we always saw each other at festivals. We had a good
vibe and he always told me that ‘if you ever need a drummer I will
drum for you’. I gave him a call and asked him to come and he’s been
really nice. We have seven people on stage… |
| |
It’s crowded then!
It’s a big group of people but the vibe is good.
What kind of reception has the new
album got? You’re number one in Finland so it must be
good!
Very good news! Also number 3 in Germany - for me it’s a
blast, and a really important moment. Because of course
it’s my first album so I feel it very personally; it’s a
personal success to think that all the hard work and
paid off, and this is a great moment in my life as I am
growing a lot as an artist and a person in this process.
I cannot complain as this is a good beginning, even
though yesterday I was talking with some fans and they
saw it as a continuum for me.
Who or what are your influences on this album?
Mainly the people have been my biggest influence. There
has been a big blast of energy behind me and I call the
people my ‘winter storm’. They have been the biggest
influence holding me there and kicking my ass and it’s
very important. Also, I have been reading Paulo Coelho’s
books a lot, and I like his view of life in general. I
like how he talks about living in a dream. He has helped
me for |
 |
many
years with his way of seeing things, which helped me to
understand myself better. It’s very important to feel that
inner good feeling. Life can sometimes be pretty tough for
an artist considering the moment you are living in. Bad
vibes from the environment get to you. Now I understand
that there is nothing bad in life that can’t make you
stronger, but can make you understand who you are and what
you want to do with your life, and I live my life in a way
that I am following my dreams. Not in the way that they
can come true though - it would be very sad if I had big
goals in life, such as singing in the Royal Albert Hall,
and then I do it, and it’s gone! I don’t have those kinds
of dreams, I have dreams to live and stay positive. Like,
I’m really looking forward to tonight’s concert - that is
my dream once again. There will be some familiar faces for
me but also hopefully some new people.
You always seem very happy on stage…
Very.
How much have you gone for a metal
or rock sound on the new album, or is it more classical?
With what kind of ratio are the genres applied?
The album is a mixture of things. As an artist, there is
nothing better that the opportunity to go on stage and
headbang with hard-sounding guitars. I love it so much
that I feel it in my bones and it bursts out as a massive
sound. I love it, it’s fantastic, but on the other hand a
couple of songs later are so smooth and quiet with
beautiful melodies and harmonies, giving people a
different perspective and atmosphere. That is a challenge
for me that I have being doing for many years. I love that
contrast. I love that if I do a solely heavy metal
concert, I can go to an opera festival two days later and
do an opera concert.
You sung at the Finnish Independence
Day concert [on 6 December at Tapiola LänsiAuto Arena]…
Yeah!
How did that go?
That was in the middle of this tour. It was quite hard for
me to prepare that concert because I got the scores a
couple of days before the concert. Jumping on live
broadcast television celebrating 90 years of independence,
it was great and I was honoured to be part of it because
it is a great country to live in, but to be chosen as a
voice of Finland on that particular day was a big thing
for me.
Are you a metal fan, or is your
listening more opera-based?
Both. Actually I do not listen to much opera music. I
listen to classical music when I need to relax. It depends
a lot on mood. I go to metal concerts as well as classical
concerts, and I love both of them. When I need some energy
in the morning I can put a metal CD in my player, because
it gets me going! Classical music will send me off the
road! [Laughs] Seriously, my interest in both sorts of
music, I have been doing them for so many years that
neither of them tells the complete story of me as an
artist, but together they do. |
| |
So why did you choose Alice
Cooper’s ‘Poison’ of all the tracks in the world to
cover?
Good question! [Laughs] This happened because it was a
coincidence - I wanted to have one cover for the album
and it was so difficult to make the decision. You
wouldn’t believe how much good music is composed and how
many great artists there are. Always when I was
searching for a song, I was led to the 80s and my
teenage years when I was listening to hard rock. I was
having some trouble! In May or April, I was driving
along in Finland and on my car radio they were playing
Alice Cooper four or five times in one day. I was
laughing about how when I was driving they were playing
this song again and again, so I started playing around
with crazy ideas. What if I do a cover of this? What
kind of cover should it be? How should I make it fit
around the sound of the album for me as a singer. There
were many things I was playing around with. And it was
definitely not an easy song - there are hundreds of
backing vocals and guitar riffs. I said to myself I
don’t have any guitar solos on my album, just cello
solos. So there will be a cello solo in this one too!
The record company truly loved this song, and my idea of
it, and it started to work. It was a good thing, I
really like this track. |
 |
|
|
You’re obviously making it big on
your own. Is this what ‘I Walk Alone’ is about?
‘I Walk Alone’ is about the way I am walking with my
people, my ‘winter storm’. I don’t want people to
understand it in a wrong way. I am not feeling that I am
walking alone. I wouldn’t be there without them. To be
realistic, they are my ‘winter storm’, and the song is
talking about that, and how important they are for me.
Did you enjoy dressing up for the
video?
Ah, girly stuff! [Laughs] No, I really loved that. We
were shooting the video for two days, preparing for the
makeup and everything. I got ideas for all these
characters and I wanted the director to make the story
around these characters. I wanted it to be connected to
the album and the artwork with the album, so it was a
very nice thing and we had a great photo shoot for these
characters. It was a nice thing and a fantastic thing to
do.
You released a solo
Christmas-themed album. Can we expect any Christmas
songs tonight?
Christmas is near! Christmas is in a couple of days, my
God! [Laughs]. You will probably hear only one song from
my Christmas album. I was playing one song on my own -
you would have loved it - alone on the piano in the
shows before, so let’s see if I play this tonight or
another song.
Keeping us guessing then! Again,
thanks for your time. Do you have any last words for the
readers of Live4Metal?
I really want to thank you for your support. It has been
fantastic to receive all the messages, letters and
support. It has been so important for me. Next year I
hope and truly wish that we can work out a bigger tour
in England, and probably also go to Scotland, so let’s
see. I want that, so I hope to see you
www.tarjaturunen.com
Photos by Toni Härkönen
|
|
|
