What was the beginning point for your music career? How did it all start?
When I was 6 years old, my parents asked if I would like to start playing accordion and I said yes. I played that about 5 years and got lessons to that as well. Then suddenly I didn’t want to play it anymore! My first touch to drums were when I was 11 or 12 years old and almost right away I was in love! First bands I listened (and actually sometimes still do) were all kind of Finnish pop and rock bands, LP’s that my parents had. My cousins who was few years older than me, recorded music from Roxette, Bad Boys Blue, etc. Then a new boy moved into my village and he saw my room with posters like Roxette and allmost right away he teared the poster off the wall and replaced it with Metallica poster!
I was about 10 years or something but I still remember how it felt to listen bands like Metallica, W.A.S.P, Twisted Sister, Helloween, Iron Maiden & ACCEPT for the first time. It was mind-blowing!
With Segmentia it all begun sometime after I had ended things up with my old band, Celesty. The idea of starting a new band came about and this time with a female vocalist. In the beginning the band just played all kind of music together. For example, some Finnish pop music but also music from Paramore, Nirvana, Avenged Sevenfold, Porcupine Tree and so on. After a while the thought that now is the time to start making some original music again started to grow stronger and yeah, here we are, about to release our second EP.
Was there any bumps on the road? What kind of challenges did you have to deal with?
The most challenging thing has been trying to find motivated and ambitious musicians who can truly commit to the band. It took quite some time before I found the right people around me. Although, everything happens for a reason and now after years of struggling I have found a group of people that I have looked for. Nerve racking, but the time was worth waiting for.
What was the most fulfilling and satisfying moment so far?
To find the right people to the band and also those who help in a band crew. Also when Sam Odeh saw something in us and decided to sign us in his label. It is easier to start an adventure from solid ground. The music and the stories are more honest somehow when you know that the band works and everyone gives 110% of of themselves to the band. When you have these things in order everything else will fall into place and this is very satisfying thing. Also those moments when I’m making music and the song makes me emotional, that is so priceless feeling every time.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I mostly write music to my band Segmentia these days and we are calling our music “pop metal from the north”. That means melancholic, yet hopeful soundscape in our music. We finns are quite melancholic people and in Segmentia we are combining mostly pop, electronic and symphonic elements to metal.
What is your creative process like?
Almost everything can be inspiring and spark the creative process. Fall is the most creative season for me, I’m always making music. Matti composes music too, Kansana is writing poetic stories and helps me with lyrics. Arttu shines with his instrument.
I think Save Me is the only song that has been born when we were just jamming. There is no clear recipe for this process, actually. At least when it comes to writing music. However, at the moment we are working on our debut album and for the first time in bands history we are working together as a team from the beginning. That means that we are also learning the most efficient ways to work together while we are sharing new ideas and recording demos.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
This is very difficult question and I actually think this quite often. Sometimes I’m tossing around the idea that if I could make a radical change to the industry would it eventually be a better to everyone or just my point of view. Of course, I would f.e. like that the physical music could sell better but the other side is that we shouldn’t create plastic waste so much. Luckily, people can choose what they want to listen so, to start, we just need to make sure our music is available. But if one has to make a change, it will do good in every professional field to boost our positive attitude towards others.
If you were asked to give a piece of advice to upcoming bands, what would that be?
Learn as much as you can about music business and how to do things yourself first. That way when the opportunities start coming on your way, you’ll have better understanding of what’s a good offer and what’s not, what things are better to do yourself and what you might want to outsource and so on. Spend a lot of time together, not only in rehearsals place. Be true and open. Practice Always.
What has been the best performance of your career so far?
We are taking our first steps as a band so I honestly cannot pick one yet. We enjoy a lot to do shows and I think that even if the venue is small bar or bigger club etc. We enjoy performing on both examples. Still, audience has the main role in this so every time when the audience decides to fly with you, that feels awesome!
If you didn’t become a musician, what would you be doing now?
I don’t know what I would be doing today if I didn’t fell into music. Maybe something reasonable and boring.
What is new with the band at the moment? What are you currently working on and would like to share with the world?
Right now, we are getting ready to release our second EP Alone, which will be out early 2023, and also for our upcoming shows in Finland in the first quarter of 2023. We have a few singles from the EP out already if you feel like giving them a go. We have also started demoing some new songs for our upcoming album. So, we are pretty excited about that! One can say that maybe we are going to a little bit more darker and heavier direction with those new songs.
