Tarmo Kanerva talks about Afire
Interview conducted on June 2, 2019
by Dan Locke
Afire is a melodic hard rock band from Finland. If you’re into catchy choruses and groovy, solid rock music, Afire is a band you want to check out!
Afire is a melodic hard rock band hailing from Oulu, Finland. The band was formed in 2016 when vocalist Suvi Hiltunen joined forces with long-term Oulu-based musicians Antti Leiviskä (gtr), Sami Kukkohovi (gtr), Harri Halonen (b) and Tarmo Kanerva (dr). If you’re into catchy choruses and groovy, solid rock music, Afire is a band you definitely need to check out!
Band Members
Suvi Hiltunen (voc)
Antti Leiviskä (gtr)
Sami Kukkohovi (gtr)
Harri Halonen (b)
Tarmo Kanerva (dr)
Daniel Locke: The band is from Oulu Finland. How was live music there while growing up?
Tarmo Kanerva: There was quite a lot of bands when we were young, actually. Especially considering the fact that Oulu isn´t a very big city. The vibe was good between the bands and the bands were helping and supporting each other.
What are some of the better club to go see live music in Oulu?
Nowadays there are some cool clubs here. 45 Special, Hevimesta, Ykän Pub and Teatria. There´s also places like Petrellin Saluuna for the cover bands.
What inspired your music while you were growing up?
I think it was mainly the usual bands. Iron Maiden, Metallica, etc. There was also some cool Finnish bands I used to go to see whenever they played in Oulu. Zero Nine, Peer Gynt and Tarot to name a few.
Oulu Music Festival is the biggest live music festival in Finland. It covers classical, opera, contemporary, jazz, blues, pop, rock, folk, dance and visual art. Have you anyone in the band ever been to it?
Nope. Oulu Music Festival is more for classical and traditional music than rock music. However, there´s also a festival called Qstock in Oulu, which is totally rock music and therefore much more our cup of tea.
Since the band is from Finland, I am going to give you a list of bands from Finland. I would like the band members to say something about each band if possible.
Amorphic- Awesome band! One of my favorite bands from Finland. Especially their two latest albums are brilliant!
Beherit- Not really my kind of music. I´m not really into black or death metal.
Children of Bodom- Excellent musicians! I´m not a huge fan of their music, but I respect them a lot as players and they have made an incredible career, of course.
Nightwish- A great band! I´ve been following them since “Century Child”-album. And I think Floor Jansen is the best singer for the band.
Tarja Turunen- Well. like I said before, I prefer Floor Jansen, but Nightwish released great songs with Tarja as well. I haven´t been following her solo career, so I can´t say anything about it.
Sonata Arctica- Not really my cup of tea, musically. However, they have made a long career in the music business and I have to give them credit for that.
Apocalyptica- I haven´t really been listening to their recent albums, but I think the original idea of playing Metallica by cellos was really cool!
HIM- Yes, I like them! Their first album and “Venus Doom” are my favorites.
Mariska- Is Mariska heavy metal?! I don´t think so… Anyway, she has some really great songs and she has also written lyrics for many other Finnish artists as well.
How was the band formed?
Afire was formed in 2016. Our bass player Harri and I played in another band and Harri had some songs which obviously didn´t fit in the style that band was playing. That´s we got the idea of forming this band. We knew already Antti and Sami from former band projects and they were a quite natural choice for guitarists. Things started really rolling when our vocalist Suvi joined forces with us.
How did you get the name of your band?
I think Harri invented it. We wanted to have a brief and to the point band name and “Afire” sounded suitable for this purpose.
Is the band name branded?
No, it´s not.
Does the band have any sponsorship yet?
No, not really. We have been co-operating with some merchandise companies, but we don´t have any real sponsors yet.
What was the first song the band wrote together?
As far as I can remember, it was “The One to Take the Fall”.
Does the band write their music in English?
Yes, our lyrics are in English.
How many different types of Metal Music are there?
Beats the hell out of me! There are some many sub-genres that it is impossible to stay up to date!
What type of metal is your band?
I think “melodic hard rock” is the best definition for our music.
Is there a difference between Metal of the United States and Finnish Metal?
Generally speaking, Finnish bands might be a little bit influenced by melancholic, traditional Finnish music, but I don´t think there are any major differences between bands coming from Finland or the U.S.
What are you’re feeling about Brexit? And how it could affect touring?
I have no idea! Right now, it seems like no-one truly knows how Brexit will affect things between Great Britain and the rest of Europe. Personally, I don´t think it will have any major impact on touring bands.
The unemployment rate is falling in Finland how hard is it to finds jobs in Finland?
It depends on what your profession is. There´s a lot of jobs if you´re a hi-tech professional. However, if you´re not well educated, then it might be hard for you to find a job.
Why did it take you so long to release the video from your album?
If you are referring to “The One to Take the Fall”, it is actually the second video from the album. We already released another video for “Let Me Be the One” last September.
What are you’re feeling about digital media?
It has its advantages. It is easier for smaller bands like us to get at least some publicity. When it comes to music, I´m old-fashioned. I still buy cd´s and I like to listen to the whole albums, not just single songs.
Any plans for a tour this summer?
No. This summer we will concentrate on writing new music.
What festivals do you hope to play?
Any decently organized festival would do!
How do you see yourself in five years?
Damn, this is a hard one… I wish I´m still in a band and we are making music and playing shows!
Any you like to tell your fan in closing?
Keep on supporting your local bands by going to the concerts and buying their music! Hopefully, we can see you all on tour someday!
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