Kendra: Coming up in the pop-punk/emo scene and then becoming a music writer, it was always interesting to me how small the world really was in terms of people involved in each scene. Is that more or less the same in Finland? Do you run into the same people over and over again when you play, or even when you attend a show as a fan?

Pekka Multaharju: Yeah sure, I’d say in Finland we play shows with also hardcore punk and metallic hardcore bands. As far as it feels for us, it is quite a nice underground scene here with different-styled bands.

Kendra: Speaking of attending a show, when I caught wind of “And The Crowd Roars,” my mind went to that moment in the venue when the lights initially go out and the band is milliseconds from walking on stage. With that, I’d love to know what musicians did you draw inspiration from when it came to stage presence and performance? 

Pekka: Hehehe, I have to say that the song is actually about a mental breakdown, whereas “the crowd roars” actually means voices in your head. It is just a story though, not us personally experiencing anything that harsh. 

About stage presence, not sure if anyone of us ever gave that much of a thought about it. Maybe, of course, seeing bands that are not being awkward rock stars, but just blasting through the set with energy and emotion, is something that gives a good feeling.

Kendra: Now let’s talk more about what you have going on right now. “Watch For Your Head On The Way Out” is a single fans have gotten to enjoy ahead of your April release. Was this one of the first tracks you worked on for the new record, and where did the idea sort of spawn from?

Pekka: I truly can’t remember which track was first, but the idea for the song started with the short lead guitar part that repeats many times. It is not in the traditional 4/4 time signature, that gives it a bit of a twist but being straightforward at the same time. We wanted it to stay energetic until the end and it ended up being quite short. The lyrics are about the wealth distribution inequality and the games stock investors play. 

Kendra: As for the record as a whole, if you had to compare the overall style and sound of ‘I Am Not Here’ to a classic meal from Finland, which would it be and why?

Pekka: A classic meal from Finland? Not many of those. Let’s go with the Karelian pies because the band started in the South Karelia region. The pies are rough around the edges but give a reward when you get into it, so that works.

Kendra: Y’all have been creating music for two decades now. How do you feel punk music has changed from when you started to today?

Pekka: Not sure if punk music has changed that much, there are still a lot of different ways to go with it, like back in the days if you went with the Clash or the Sex Pistols, same but not the same at all. Still cassettes, zines, vinyls being released, DIY shows. There you go.

Kendra: Time to take a step away for a moment…April is my favorite month not because of Easter, but because of the candy and treats. Plus, rabbits are one of my favorite animals. Anyways, if you could have a holiday basket filled with your favorite sweet treat and an album that you live for, what would they be?

Pekka: Hah, alright! It would have the mint chocolate Marianne candies (vegan since 1949) and some lentil chips. The album to live for is ‘Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes’ by Propagandhi.

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘I Am Not Here’ out on April 8th, what else can fans both new and old expect from you during these spring months?

Pekka: If this comes out before April 8th, we will be at our favorite local pub in Tampere, playing our favorite vinyls and you can listen to it online here. We will start the evening with our album to celebrate the release day and also have a Facebook video chat open, so anyone can come and comment on the songs or cheer for our beer drinking and struggle with the wrong RPMs.

The post Watch For One Hidden Frame On The Way appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Kendra: What or who initially got you interested in music? Was this something you knew you wanted to do since you were a kid, or did you find music later in life?

Anna Mabel: I was born into an unmusical family and I was the odd one, as I was singing before I could even talk. Music came so naturally to me. I started to play the piano when I was seven years old to accompany my singing. The first songs I wrote in my teenage years, and I was always performing and taking every chance I could to learn more about music. But I grew up in a small town with limited opportunities and my parents encouraged me to pursue a career in a more stable field than in music.

That is why I never had the courage to follow my passion for music. I had a career in business for years, even though I always felt out of place in my day job. It was only after several years of dealing with depression that I realized that it was not right to deny my natural inclination to sing and write songs. Even though it has taken every ounce of my courage to say goodbye to my old life, pursuing a career as a music artist has made me feel complete again and I feel like I am finally on the right path.

Kendra: Now you found it and you’re doing great! Four singles in 2021, and I’m assuming more to come. What made you want to release singles instead of a whole album at once?

Anna Mabel: I was too eager to wait for the whole album to show the world what I have to offer! Releasing singles one by one is a good way to offer my audience small glimpses of my inner world and introduce them to different sides of me. They can be slightly different from each other, but they don’t clash or steal away the attention from each other. That is also the norm in today’s music industry, as releasing singles gets more plays than releasing an album.

Personally, I love albums, as they can take you on an emotional journey and you can include songs that are more artistic and adventurous than the obvious single-type of songs. I will definitely release an album at one point, trust me.

Kendra: Your debut single, “Let My Color Shine” is so wonderful and allows us to celebrate ourselves fully. Did you want to come out of the gate with this one as a sort of reminder that you can do this?

Anna Mabel: “Let My Colors Shine” was the first song I wrote after several months of not being able to write any music. My child, then only 3 years old, fell seriously ill and my life changed totally at that point. Spending months with her in a hospital led to my marriage falling apart and I was in terrible turmoil. But when the worst anxiety was over, I was able to start building my life back up again from scratch, and in that process, I was forced to face myself honestly for the first time.

I came out as a queer person to my friends and family and started to talk openly about my struggles with depression and an eating disorder. I found peace within myself like never before, and then I was able to write music again. This song just wrote itself and I let it pour out of me as it was. To my surprise, it was in English, as before I had written songs only in my native language Finnish. So, this song “Let My Colors Shine” is in many ways the beginning of the new me. It led me to pursue an international music career and write songs that are honest about vulnerability and imperfections in us humans. I want to touch people’s hearts with my music and it starts with opening your heart and your past to the world to see.

Kendra: As for your last single of 2021, it got more sensual. “You Don’t Have to Love Me” is a song I think a lot of people can relate to – whether they’d admit to it or not because I think many have been in a situation like the song explores. That moment where yeah, the person may not be “the one” but you want them to be the one for the night. Was this inspired by anyone in particular or were you thinking in the general sense?

Anna Mabel: The scenario is straight out of my life, of course! I was totally dependent on somebody that was in a place in their lives where they couldn’t commit to a relationship. Even though my heart was breaking every time we met, I had to keep seeing them, because being without them completely was unimaginable and the mutual sexual attraction was something I had never felt before. It was a choice of getting at least the good sex out of the hopeless situation.

And of course, as a songwriter having so much going on internally, you write a song about it! I believe that the most embarrassing feelings are the most universal, and that’s why I wanted to release this song as a single, as well. I’m happy with how it turned out, as nothing is one-dimensional. This song embodies that real-life situation with its array of emotions, from sensuality to hopelessness.

Kendra: Since it’s January, I’m asking everyone…not for a lengthy resolution, but for a resolution, a goal they have for this month. What’s yours?

Anna Mabel: I have been so bad at posting stuff on social media, so my resolution is to be more active and sharing more of my thoughts and my journey on my social media accounts.

Kendra: Again, four singles in 2021 – but what’s to come as we get into the new year?

Anna Mabel: Next I will release an EP, write a bunch of new songs, and start to plan for my album. As an independent artist, I am in charge of building my own career, so I am also starting my studies to become a music manager to better understand this crazy industry and to be able to also help other artists in their careers.

The post The Time is Now for Anna Mabel appeared first on ZO Magazine.

Whoever said disco was dead, clearly has not met the trio that makes up Beverly Girl. Bringing it back to life for the 21st century, these three serve up the ’70s with a modern twist like no other. That includes the glamorous cover of Millie Scott’s “Automatic.”

“Automatic” is just the start of what’s to come in 2018 for Beverly Girl. They plan on releasing another single this spring. One of their own is in LA working on it with who they can only say is “a LEGENDARY electro-funk/pop pioneer.” We’ll find that out soon enough, but first – our back and forth.

Kendra: You’ve noted “Automatic” is your first cover. For you guys, was is more about finding a song you felt you could execute, or just about which would be the most entertaining to work with?

Beverly Girl: Yeeeesss, we had so much fun covering a song from Millie Scott, who happens to be one of our favourite artists!

To be honest, we have always been very hesitant about playing songs by other artists. We’ve always had a strong vision of what we wanted to do, and felt like doing a “cover” per se would only interfere with our own direction and style. It definitely took us a while for letting the idea really sink in, and eventually, we settled on “Automatic,” as it has always been very special to us.

Kendra: You got to head to New York City to record. Was that your first time in the states? How’d the Big Apple treat you?

Beverly Girl: As a matter of fact our guitar player Artur has been spending a few months per year over there since 2013. He’s been representing Beverly Girl while working and hanging out with a lot of cool people, such as Tomás Doncker (True Groove Records), Paul Pesco (Madonna), Ronny Drayton (Nona Hendryx, Scritti Politti), Ira Siegel (Kashif, Whitney Houston) and so on! Most of the tracks on “Automatic” were recorded over there, which definitely brought a sense of our spiritual hometown to the tune.

Kendra: People often say disco died back at about the start of the ’80s. Beverly Girl is about bringing it back but in a new-fashioned way. How does one take disco and make it work in the 21st century?

Beverly Girl: By keeping it fabulous, whatever one is doing. That’s about the recipe for everything we do. Our music comes to us very naturally. If something feels forced, it probably shouldn’t be happening at all (…not to be confused with HARD WORK though!)

Kendra: We also have to talk about your look real quick. Beverly Girl is very glam chic. Other than a love of music, was that also something that bonded the three of you?

Beverly Girl: Absolutely. Beverly Girl was born out of love for music, dance and fashion. Our music’s made to be played and listened while doing vogue poses and wearing posh makeup.

Kendra: I can only imagine how great you guys look and sound onstage because of that. I had the pleasure of attending one Pride event. Glorious to say the least. How was playing Pride this year for you?

Beverly Girl: Performing in Sweden at the legendary West Pride was literally a jaw-dropping experience. Witnessing Gothenburg (which apparently has been one of the more dangerous places for LGBT people in the past!) having their police cars and buses decorated with rainbow signs and flags was very touching and humbling. The show itself was AMAZING. We had the pleasure of being catered by one of the greatest festival crews we’ve ever seen. Thank you so much, Sweden, tack så mycket!

The post Time to Give Beverly Girl Your Automatic Admiration appeared first on ZO Magazine.