“It is as if we were naked on the stage”

The Finnish success in Winterthur band played an acoustic show at a small scale. In the interview, they reveal what they think of so much intimacy.

Before the concert could talk to Tink.ch Sunrise Avenue Samu guitarist and vocalist Riku.

Riku, welcome to Switzerland. Yesterday was your first of three concerts in Solothurn. How did it go for you?

Riku: It was a great show. The atmosphere in the room (in Kofmehl, R.’s note) was very good. It is cool to the fans so close to his playing.

How big is the difference for you, whether you’re playing on an electric guitar or acoustic guitar?

Riku: Ah, the main thing I can play guitar (laughs). No, seriously. The acoustic set is as if we were naked on the stage. You can hear every wrong note and there are wrong notes with us (laughs).

You’re not from the beginning in the band. How do you like the time with Sunrise Avenue?

Riku: That’s right, I am here since 2007. It pleases me very well. I can do what I do best and that is play guitar.

On stage you have a lot of fun. Is it for you, sometimes for the job?

Riku: No, I think if I would call what I do as a job, I would have to stop.

Now that you have for three days in Switzerland. Have you seen anything of our country?

Riku: We have unfortunately no time. In Solothurn, I could enjoy the sun and outdoors in a T-shirt to play guitar. It was wonderful! From Winterthur, we have only seen the station (laughs).

After some time, also a singer and front man Samu comes to the band. He suffers from severe hay fever and stayed a little longer at the hotel.

Hi Samu, do you feel a little better?

Samu: No, I’m really sick. The Swiss spring puts me right.

Only three months after your last concert you are back with your acoustic tour …

Samu: (interrupting) Yes, I also had some fear that the fans do not want to listen to us again. The more I am pleased that the three concerts are sold out.

On the current tour, you play too many old songs. Is not it difficult to re-arrange this?

Samu: But, for me, who wrote the songs already. Not at all, I now find a new approach. But many new arrangements come from Riku. I have to concentrate much during the concert that I did not suddenly fall into old patterns. But this acoustic set is for me like a homecoming. How did it begin with Sunrise Avenue – two men with a guitar. And so I feel very comfortable.

Here you can read the interview in german

A perfect Day

(To get the best out of this blog, please listen to “Amos Lee – Supply and Demand”)

Life could be very much worse. We just did 6 shows in a row for super great audiences ending it with the warmest crowd I remember yesterday in Stuttgart. I am lying on my hotel bed in Freiburg, Germany. The sun is shining and the birds are singing. My right foot hurts after I landed a bit funny yesterday at the end of the show, but that will probably go away with a little rest. I am super happy.

I should probably get out and enjoy the spring, but it just feels so great lying on the bed with the balcony door open. I might force myself to the phone and order something sweet and a coffee from the room service. They say that summer and spring only feel so great because of the cold and dark winter is then behind, but I could really skip the cold part for good.

My hay fever is pretty much gone. I guess I was also a little bit ill. It was still a bit hard to sing yesterday, but I guess it was mostly because of the sixth show day in a row. Even though we mostly sit down and chill out through the show, it’s hard work for the throat because you actually sing more than normally.

The crowds have been just amazing through the whole tour. There have been some very nice surprises, like Lucerne for example where the ticket pre-sales were low and we were expecting a half empty room, but no. That was one of the coolest shows ever. And yesterday… Just perfect! When we walked off the stage with the guys, we were all like “What the hell just happened there??” There was something in that room. Thank you.

So now we have a day off and tomorrow we continue the tour here in Freiburg and then we drive to Austria. And then we come back for the grand finale in Munich on Saturday. And then I probably get the post-tour-depression again. No 😉 This time the wheels will be turning and there are so many great things ahead that there is no time to get depressed. And no reason either.

Jukka Backlund

Even though Jukka has produced almost all our music and knows the system well, selecting him to replace Osmo made me really thoughtful before the tour. We all know his musical skills and there is no question about his live experience. It was more about the past we have. The tour bus life is very sensitive and if there are any kinds of wrong vibrations, it can get pretty messy.

After all the good and bad that came along with the first album, I have truly missed the kind of connection with that blond idiot very much. There has been so much studio businesses and other stupid shit that even making music felt a bit difficult and complicated at one point.

The few days together now have been just great and even the studio sessions in Finland this year have felt very good, but last night I felt it fully again. And call me what ever “sensitive princess” but getting that stuff ok makes me so happy I could cry. I can’t recommend him as a financial advisor (can get expensive) or a husband (have no experience) to anyone, but as a music producer or a friend, yes. The snare sounds great! Jukka is still far the biggest musical reason I am here today and he is a big backbone for me both musically and mentally on my career.

I think he will be the one behind our keyboards when Osmo can’t make it in the future. Not a bad situation for us and for you…;)

Sometimes when the sky is dark and the feelings are low, I really don’t like the emotional part of myself. But on days like today I would not sell it for a billion BMW’s. Thank you all again for making this circus perfect for us and see you all very soon!

I will have a little nap now. I love you all,

Samu

PS: Ice Hockey play offs start in Finland next week. I take no calls for… well hopefully many weeks IFK IFK IFK !!

PPS: Good luck to Philadelphia Osmo. We’re all crossing our fingers for you here. And do not lose all your cameras and stuff (and yourself 😉 there and come back in one piece.