MyGrain pour l'album "Orbit Dance"

1. Hi! At first, could you present the band and sum up your carrier so far for those who don't know you yet?

[Resistor] myGRAIN saw the daylight in the summer of 2004, as Tommy (vocals), Resistor (guitar) and Matthew (guitar) were standing on the ruins of their former band. We had been playing together since 1999 and as our collaboration still worked well, so why not start a new band with this lineup. The main idea from the beginning was to play rough metal with melodies. DJ Locomotive (drums) and Eve (synths) joined the band quite soon and myGRAIN's lineup was almost finished. Jonas handled the bass for the two self-financed demo cds and after recording the second one, The Red Frame in April 2005, he permanently joined the band. A few weeks after the recordings Spinefarm contacted myGRAIN and they inked a deal. The first fruit of the collaboration was the debut album Orbit Dance, released in April 2006...


2. Where does the name of the band come from and what does it represent for you?

[Resistor] Matthew came up with the band name. It's a word puzzle & it can mean a “migraine”, but we prefer that it means like our own “field of music”, meaning our own sound & songs. But for those who doesn't like our music, it's great if it gives them a migraine 

[Tommy] Precisely, the actual meaning behind wordplay is our kind of music, our own thing… of course we can also spread the world some migraine, hah.


3. I read that MyGrain began in 2004. You've released your first album only 2 years after which is quite fast! How did you make it? Did the backgrounds of each member help you to progress quickly?

[Resistor] We all had a long background in a music scene before this band, so it helped of course. But we also had good luck and the whole process went pretty smoothly. But still this wasn't like a gift to us... I mean we have worked our asses off to achieve this. But yeah, things have happened pretty fast for us.

[Tommy] Things like signing a record deal, have happened pretty fast for us after we formed myGRAIN, but our feet are still heavily on the ground. We know that we also have to put all of our own efforts too to make us known to the people and spread our music. There are still many, many things to achieve and it requires a lot of work from us, as many sweaty and ass-kicking gigs as possible, more better songs and more rehearsing, and so on… Nothing comes for free.


4. Finally, was it hard to lead this first album to an end?

[Resistor] Well we noticed that you can't practise too much. So there was sometimes sweaty moments in the studio, but it was worth it. We are really happy with the result. But for writing the songs to this album, it was pretty easy.

[Tommy] Yeah, sometimes it was a bit hard in the studio, due to the “red light -syndrome” when the rec button is on and you go to panic, hahah. Couple of times it was hard to be relaxed and get the right mood for performance. But yeah, actually when you think the studio-sessions as a whole, it went pretty smooth and easily, and it was pretty much fun also. Looking forward to the next sessions.


5. How would you define your music? Were you influenced by any band?

[Resistor] Asskicking metal with great melodies. My biggest influence comes from bands like Metallica, Soilwork & Killswitch Engage.

[Tommy] Yet melodic but bone-crushing, like a herd of elephants in the porcelain shop, or something like that :)


6. I read a lot of reviews which associate your style to the “Gothenburg” scene. Do you feel a part of it? Why?

[Resistor] Well I think our sound has definitely a Scandinavian touch in it, and we do listen to bands that come from Sweden etc. But I also think that we have so much more to offer, than just the “Gothenburg” scene sound.

[Tommy] Of course there's many influences from “Gothenburg” scene because we listen a lot of those bands, but I also think we have influences from many different kinds of scenes that gives our songs some variety and colour.


7. What can we expect from "Orbit Dance"? Do you have a favourite song?

[Resistor] 11 great tunes with aggression & passion. I think my favourite songs in the album are Veil Of Sun & Hollowgram. Veil Of Sun is a really catchy tune with great keyboard playing & Hollowgram is totally asskicking from the start to the end. Great song to play live.

[Tommy] Great variety of pure aggression mixed with good melodies and groove. I don't actually know my favourite song from the album, because it changes every other time. But in the live situation I think it would be Downfall and Misery Ass… Line xD


8. With this album, I found that you really managed to create an unique sound and style. How was born the "MyGrain-style"?

[Resistor] Hour & hours in the rehearsal room, drinking coffee, eating donuts, drinking booze & some serious tuning :) I think our producer Janne Saksa did a great job with the sound on the album etc.

[Tommy] Heh, I think the style has born by itself somehow, along drinking that stuff which is made of grains. But we can assure you that in our forthcoming second child, our own sound and style can be heard and separated more easily. Naturally the style is shaping all the time…


9. Can you tell us more about the lyrics of "Orbit Dance"? Where does your inspiration come from?

[Tommy] Feelings and problems, joys and fucked up things of everything surrounding us, are the very fountain for the lyrical inspirations, mixed to funny wordplays and such. Imaginary things and fictitious thoughts. I usually tend to play with words and make the messages behind words so blurry and free for one's interpretation that in the end even I am confused what the heck was that song telling about.. :D Sometimes when I've seen a movie that brings up somekind of feelings or thoughts, I just get the pen and paper and start writing.


10. The sound of the album is very powerful. Where did you record it and how spent the recording process?

[Resistor] We recorded the album in hämeenlinna Finland, with this great guy Janne Saksa. The studio is called Sound Supreme Studio. A really nice place to record an album. Usually we recorded eight hours per day & after that we usually started to drink booze, watch movies, playing flipper & eating microwave food :) We had really funny moments in the studio & we learned a lot how to work in there.

[Tommy] …playing pinball was funny everyday hobby during the recording sessions, we hit some pretty good scores too xD Of course when it was recording time, we concentrated on that and didn't get too drunk and stuff, but after a day of recording it was nice to relax by doing those things. The studio-premises were pretty good…so killing time was easy.


11. Perhaps it's a bit premature but is there a new album in progress? If yes, will there be some new directions in your music?

[Resistor] Yep, the studio is already booked for us. We will record our second album at the same studio that “Orbit Dance”. We hit the studio august 2007 & hopefully our second album will be released in the end of 2007. There is already a working title “Signs of Existence” for the album & we shall see if we keep that. We got maybe 9 new asskicking songs for the album. I think the next album will be a little bit heavier & darker, but still there is the myGRAIN sound in it.

[Tommy] yeah, and also we don't forget the aggressiveness in our music, but we keep raging with more advanced sound. We can assure you some fine music made for headbanging and circle-pits.


12. What do you do for a living apart from the band?

[Resistor] Well I work in a record store called Free Record Shop. Pretty nice job selling music, movies & games.

[Tommy] I'm working on sales and customer service, in a travel company in Finland. It's actually pretty nice job, although I'd rather go touring with band and make a living with music. Also I'm trying to finish my studies, hah, not too easy at the moment…


13. What are you listening to these days? Any good metal (or not metal) albums to recommend?

[Resistor] I listen mostly metal, but my music taste goes from The Prodigy to blackmetal. Bands that I have listen lately comes from the great Finland... Profane Omen, Insomnium, Kiuas, Misery Inc. etc.

[Tommy] Mostly I'm also listening different kind of metal music, but every now and then I also listen to rock and good pop…if it's really good. Some ambient, drum n' bass and trip-hop music is fine also, like Massive Attack and Prodigy. At the moment I've been listening to Strapping Young Lad, Dimmu Borgir, Insomnium, Amorphis and Katatonia a lot. Few weeks ago I fell in love with a French band called Gojira, the cd:s are now ordered and on the way home, yummy… :)


14. What is your position about downloading? Did it help you to be more well-known?

[Resistor] I think it's ok to download music, if the artist wants to put MP3's to their websites etc. It gives you so many new pair of ears & eyes that you might not get reach else. Of course it's fucked up, if people put your songs to internet before the album is even released etc. So there is a good & bad side in it, but for us it has worked well.

[Tommy] Same with me, there's definitely good and bad side of it.


15. Thanks for the interview and I wish you the best for the future. The last words are yours!

[Resistor] Thank you very much for the interview. Horns up & maybe we see you on the road someday. Happy New Year and lisää paskaa housuun!!!

[Tommy] Yeah, many thanks and same to you. Hope you had a heavy X-mas and wishing you a blasting New Year 07! Also, I hope we get to see while playing abroad sometime. Cheers and many bubbling beers!