ShamRain pour l'EP "Deeper Into The Night"

1. Hi! To begin, I read that Mika was ill. How is he today?

Hello, Yes that is correct. I guess he's better now, but I haven't been in contact with him so I'm not so sure.


2. To continue on Mika, he was the singer of Entwine when he arrived in ShamRain. How did you think about him to be your singer? I suppose that ShamRain was a side-project for him at first (perhaps I'm wrong...) but is the band now a priority for him?

I wasn't then part of the band, but I think Matti was sceptical and wasn't sure if his vocals would suite the band. But they turned out to be great. Maybe you could use term side-project, but he always has been interested on the band so it wasn't just another thing to do for him. I guess Entwine will be the priority as long as they play and ShamRain is the secondary band. What is a pity.


3. How has evolved ShamRain during this last year in a musical way?

I guess not much. I've made new songs with some new fresh winds in them but Matti didn't like them, haha. And we definitely want something new to our music in the future. Or at least I want. So we'll see what comes up next. And when it comes, who knows.


4. Which bands have inspired the music of ShamRain?

Mostly Matti is inspired by Blackfield, The Cure, newer Anathema and Angelo Badalamenti. Besides those I've also got some influences from Coldplay, The Smashing Pumpkins, Mew and Radiohead to mention few.


5. You've just release a new EP called "Deeper Into The Night" but you've already release some demos and 2 albums before it. What do you think about them today? Do you have a favourite one (except the new EP of course)?

I think the “pieces” MCD is good, although the sounds aren't the best. And actually 3 of the 4 songs ended up to “Empty World Excursion” debut. The one that didn't is called “Nothing” and that's one damn good song with its sound of falling rain. "Empty World Excursion" has very dreamy atmosphere but the playing isn't the best on it. The song “Pieces” on it is one of my favourites of all our songs definitely. “ShamRain” 7 inch EP has good dreary songs, but the sounds are a bit too gloomy and unprofessional. “Someplace Else”, I'm fairly happy about still, although it could be a bit faster in some parts. It's our darkest work I think.


6. Only one year after your second full-length "Someplace Else", I was very surprised to discover this new EP. Why did you decide de release an EP this time? Is it the beginning of a new challenge for the band or an extension of "Someplace Else"?

The reason was that we had some songs we didn't use on “Someplace Else” and wanted to get them published. So it's kind of an extension to “Someplace Else” although it contains 2 new tracks. It was something which had to be done, to close an era. Now we can start something new I think.


7. What can we expect from it? Do you have a favourite song or a song which touch you particularly?

What can we expect from what? :) If you mean new material I don't have a clue. We don't seem to have a clue. But if you meant “Deeper into the Night” EP, you can expect a bit more uptempo ShamRain and a bit lighter also in my opinion. Maybe “Black November” is the song from it, but I haven't listened to it much lately.


8. Since the beginning, you call Minna Sihvonen to do the female vocals on some songs and she really have an "angelic" voice as you said in the booklet of the CD. What do you like in her voice? What does she bring to the music of ShamRain and what does her voice represent in it?

We like it since it is so soft and dreamy. In a word: Angelic. It fits to our music we think and bring a new tone to it. She doesn't sing in many of our songs but I think she'll continue doing her share in our music in the future.


9. Can you tell us more about the lyrics of "Deeper Into The Night"?

I can't tell you much, since they're mostly written by Matti. Only “Black November” was the one I participated in. We wrote that on hangoverish November day in Mikkeli. And it really was BLACK outside, raining all day. One of the darkest days I've ever seen and felt. Other songs are stories about life itself I guess. Not very happy I would say.


10. Where do you find your inspiration to write such sad songs? How are you in the everyday life?

Inspiration for lyrics comes from everyday life, what has happened and what we've been through. Also movies and dreams can give you a lot of inspiration. Sad music just comes out if I'm writing for ShamRain. It would feel unnatural to write happy songs for ShamRain. We are more or less ok in everyday life. I guess we ramble on even we've been through hard times, and now I'm talking about me and Matti (my soulmate haha). Sometimes I'm worried if Matti is ok if I don't hear from him for a while.


11. For this new EP, you changed the style of the artwork and I found this one particularly beautiful. Are you going to abandon your logo and the style of the two first full-length?

I'm glad to hear you liked it. I was creating this new style. I felt we should do something different this time. Since our earlier cover artworks looked a bit like we'd play metal music. So if it depends on me we are abandoning that style. For “Deeper Into The Night” I wanted to use more less-manipulated photos and so. So maybe that'll be the more dominating part in the future too. Or maybe we add some manic hand-drawings and such. The logo will be dumped forever I think. It was freeware font and afterwards in Finland here appeared dozen of bands using the same font. So we felt like not using it anymore. It had become “trendy”. Oh by the way, you're first one to mention about it, or even seemed to noticing it in anyway we're not using it. Congrats.


12. I always wanted to know a bit more about your name. What is the signification of "ShamRain" and how did you find it?

It was just made up I guess. I wasn't in the band at that point, but I have heard the “story” behind it. But one way to think it, is “we're walking in this rain, even if it didn't rain”.


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

Yes the band doesn't bring almost any income for us so we have to do unfortunately other things too. I'm studying graphic designing and I've started my own company recently, which does graphic designing, mostly music related. If you wanna take a look, go here: www.utudesign.net.
Matti and Mikko both have day jobs, Matti scanning old books or something and Mikko at some factory. Mika is unemployed and about Janne I'm not sure. Have to ask about him hehe.


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

Right now I'm listening to The Smashing Pumpkins: Machina - The Machines of God. I really enjoy that album. I found it again early this year and have been listening to it very much during this year. Recently I've listened to a lot of Placebo. Some other bands/albums which I can recommend: Magenta Skycode: IIIII, Interpol: Antics, Joy Division: Closer & Unknown Pleasures, Porcupine Tree: Deadwing and the list goes forever on, but I'll stop here. Not much metal in that list I guess…


15. Thank you for the interview. The last words are yours!

Thanks for having interest on interviewing us! Enjoy the rest of the summer before dark autumn wipes us all away.