INTERVIEW WITH JONNE JÄRVELÄ (KORPIKLAANI)

Valencia’N’Metal Around the World brings to our followers and readers an interview with the finnish musician Jonne Järvelä from Korpiklaani, who will tell us a few details about their last studio album Jylhä, about his solo project and his intentions for the next tour ‘Majestic European Tour’ that was cancelled the last August due the virus restrictions.

K: At the end of August you published that the ‘Majestic European Tour’ that you would performed the last October was canceled and you decide do not rescheduled by now. This decision will affect the current poster bands (Equilibrium, Nytt Land and Jonne your solo project) or you try to keep them anyway?

J: It is very difficult to say can we keep the same bands but at least we will try. Not sure when the European tour will happen, but I hope soon.

K: In your particular case, would you still play with the two bands at the same show or reconsider your former decision?

J: Yes, I will play for sure if we still have a chance to take part the tour and I don’t see any reason why not to take part.We haven’t got chance to play a real tour ever yet with Jonne- band so it would be very cool!

K: This tour it would be the official presentation of your latest studio album Jylhä from Korpiklaani. From this album, you edited five videos corresponding to the songs ‘Leväluhta’, ‘Mylly’, ‘Sanaton Maa’, ‘Niemi’ and ‘Tuuleton’, something that I think no one has ever done before. Could you explain me why you decided to do it?

J: The videos is now good way to keep the band alive and in fans mibnd when we can’t play shows so much because of corona. It was very expensive but I think it was worth it.

K: Is Jylhä a concept album?

J: Not really. There are many murder songs because Tuomas Keskimäki who wrote all the lyrics has been read those unsolved murder stories from Finland at the same time as he wrote lyrics to the Jylhä album. Those stories inspired him so much, that it catches the lyrics as well.

K: I listened in detail the album and although the musical essence is still intact, I have noticed that this album sounds more deeper and even dark if we compared to the others albums. In fact, we can find songs like ‘Pohja’, so vibrating; or ‘Juuret’ with very obvious rhythm changes. Do you agree?

J: I agree. Jylhä is deeper and heavier than our other latest albums. It is also most versatile from our albums so far. Our new drummer Samuli Mikkonen took part the arrangements when before I made all those things. It was a great help, and he opened my eyes to the songs. Sometimes you are too close with your own songs, that you get blind for some things and details which could be different.

K: As all we known, Korpiklaani has become famous not only for singing in your mother tongue, but also for combining Heavy and Folk in the same musical expression. Sometimes I see you described as Humppa. Are Folk and Humppa the same or are there differences?

J: Humppa and Folk is not the same thing, and I don’t like so much that Humppa word because I think it doesn’t describe our music so well. Humppa is synonym to polka. It is kind of dance thing more than music style. I like Folk and metal music in general but I think that combination from the both musical world is the thing which makes it so interesting. You can get Folk music very strong when spice it little bit with metal.

K: Lets talk about now Jonne, your solo project. In this band the line up, is conform with your partner Samuli Mikkonen on drums, Jesper Anastasiadis from Turisas on bass, Dimitri Keiski on guitars and you on lead vocals. What do you explore in Jonne that you don’t do in Korpiklaani?

J: The songs in Jonne are calmer down and slow. I can do the things in Jonne– band which doesn’t suit so well in Korpiklaani but which I still want to release and get out of my mind and system.

K: If I’m not wrong, with Jonne you have released a self-titled album in 2014, Kallohonka in 2017 and the last year you launched the single ‘Corteza’ featuring the Mägo de Oz’s vocalist Zeta. How did this collaboration come about? Did the two bands coincide on stage?

J: We released 5 singles after albums. First it came out ‘Kaiho’ feat. Kärtsy Hatakka from Waltari 2018. Then ‘Tuhka’ and ‘Autere’ singles 2019. ‘Kaarna’ came out 2020 and ‘Kaarna’ in Spanish is ‘Corteza’ featuring Zeta from Mägo De Oz. It’s been under work to have a tour together with Mägo De Oz for years now. Always something with time frame that it hasn’t been possible yet but I’m sure it will happen sooner or later. It is funny how the singing language affects so much to the song. If you listen Kaarna in Finnish and right after Corteza in Spanish it is almost like a different song. So much the language affect the song.

K: We are next to conclude this interview but before, I would like to know if you have had the opportunity to see yourself become a cartoon character in the TrollfesT last December video ‘Happy Heroes’ (many people deduced that it was you). Did they warn you or was it a surprise?

J: They warn me a little bit before the video release. Thay are cool guys and great friends of us. The video is great!

K: By the way, TrollfesT currently are fighting to be Norway’s candidate this year for Eurovision contest. As a band, have you ever considered the fact of representing Finland in this contest like Lordi did many years ago?

J: We tried 2011 with a song ‘Metsälle’ but didn’t get through the contest who is going to send there.

K: Jonne thank you very much for taking a little time with me. Do you want to add something else?

J: Thank you and I really hope to see everyone of you readers on the upcoming gigs! Until that, be safe! Peace, love, folk and metal!