Chad Bowar: Was your songwriting/recording process any different than usual for Ukon Wacka?
Jonne Jarvela: We have better songs, which is most important thing. Then there is better producing, because the last album Karkelo was the first album for producer Aksu Hanttu. It was more like getting used to each other and working together. Now this time we got to the real work right away. We also used a different producer for the folk instruments. Tero Hyväluoma took care of folk instrument arrangements and it wasn’t only me who was saying what to do at the studio.
What does the title translate to in English, and how did you decide on it?
Ukon Wacka was an ancient pagan feast, which is nowadays called midsummer party Juhannus. Back in time there were some sacraments carried out at the party, such as kneeling in a circle or ritualistic dancing. There was also a sacred beer drunk in honor of Ukko the thundergod. Ukko was considered the greatest of all ancient Finnish gods, due to which a certain amount of annual crop was sacrificed for him. Ukon Wacka is a strong enough also for the album title, and there are other songs on the album which are dealing with Ukko as well, so it was a clear choice.
What lyrical topics did you tackle on this one?
Drinking alcohol and a savage way of life are always important inspiration for Korpiklaani, and again there are some drinking songs like “Tuoppi Oltta,” which is about two important manly needs: cold beer and hot women. On the other hand, there are lots more songs dealing with totally different things than just drinking. Sometimes it is little bit annoying to me when people thinks that we are only a band who plays about drinking or partying. Most of the material isn’t about drinking.
The lyrics are many times about Nordic ancient stories or myths. Also we are using the Finnish national epic Kalevala as an inspiration. There are also songs about nature, which is basis of life. Touring and playing music is one big inspiration for the lyrics, because it is the life we are living right now. The song “Tequila” is about our feelings from the South American tour. I wrote it right after that tour.
“Korvesta Liha” (The Flesh From The Wilds) looks like a song about hunting, but it is actually a double meaning text. You can see it also that it is pointless to sacrifice to the shrine of materialism and money, because you can't take it to your grave, and in the grave we all are the same. No matter if you were rich or poor, people will remember just what you were by nature, good or bad.
Are all the lyrics on this one in Finnish?
Using only Finnish wasn't any kind of pre-planned thing. In general we never do any kind of plans artistically. We noticed when all the songs for the album were finished, that every song is sung in Finnish. Our bass player Jarkko actually wondered what the record label would think. It wasn’t a problem for them, so if it not problem to the band or the label, it shouldn’t be anyone’s’ problem. There is in the album booklet lyric translations and some lines about the inspiration of the each song, so if you have a real thing and not just a downloaded version of the album, you will get everything out of it.
How did you decide to cover “Iron Fist” as the bonus track?
Motörhead is one of my all time favorites, and actually our bass player Jarkko suggested it in our live set a few years ago. We’ve played it every now and then since then. Jarkko and I saw Motörhead in 1988 the first time they were in Finland (Hämeenlinna). We already were huge Motörhead fans back then. We both love the band, and also Cane and Matson like them a lot. “Iron Fist” is the best Motörhead song and it rocks like a moose in our hands, so we wanted to record it on the album as well.
To play a tour some day with Motörhead is my dream.
How was the video shoot for “Tequila”? Does the storyline of the video correspond to the song lyrics, or is it a different concept?
It was cold like in Russian hell when we filmed the video during two days. That was at the top of my mind when thinking about the shooting. The storyline is kind of connected to the lyrics, but video director Markku Kirves added some other things on it as well. Like the old man part, who is boiling alcohol on the video. The actor Pertti Pesonen is my children’s great-grandfather.
Have you, or are there plans to do any more videos?
There is not a plan to make any more videos from that album, but let’s see. We made a video for the song “Tuoppi Oltta ourselves just for fun. You can watch it on YouTube. On this video you can see also the nice studio, which is also a farm beside forests and fields:
Have you considered releasing a DVD?
It’s been on our minds for a few years, but we haven’t done anything for it yet. It would be a good time to do it now on the Ukon Wacka World Tour.
How was your experience on the 70,000 tons of metal cruise?
It was great and we enjoyed it very much. It wasn’t like normal gig days, but more like a vacation for the bands as well. It was four days on a Caribbean cruise, and getting out of very cold Finland was more than great for us. Also the gigs were good and the atmosphere was great. I didn’t see or hear about any negative behavior during the cruise. It was great!
Which bands did you enjoy seeing play live, and who did you party with the most?
Death Angel was my own favorite on the cruise. Also Amon Amarth, Ensiferum and Saxon played very good sets. I partied most with the guys of Tyr, Ensiferum, Fintroll and Sonata Arctica because we know each other and we’ve been friends for many, many years. It was great to get a chat or two and some beers with the guys from Obituary, Death Angel, Saxon, Amon Amarth and many many other people. There was enough time to have a lot of good times with fans and other musicians.
What are your upcoming tour plans?
We are going to play four gigs here in Finland, and right after that we hit the European tour, headlining Paganfest 2011. It is three weeks around Europe in countries like Austria, several gigs in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Chech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, The Netherlands, Poland, France and Switzerland.
When can U.S. fans expect another tour here?
If everything goes as planned, we will be there in September. We're really looking forward to it. The last tour we had a great time there in the U.S.A.
Now that you've been able to do a couple of U.S. tours, does that increase your expectations of the success of Ukon Wacka here?
I really hope that people there will like Ukon Wacka, because we think it is the best and most important album from Korpiklaani so far. I’m sure that our gigs can increase the success, because we are a live band more than anything else. We like to play live and it is the reason why we are doing this.
Which do you prefer: being an opening act on a large package tour or being the headliner in smaller venues?
I prefer being the headliner in smaller venues, because people know our songs and us. That’s how you can get everything out of the moment with good company. Being an opening act on a large package tour makes sense if you like fishing for a new audience. To be an opening act for Motörhead or Metallica would be an exception in the rule.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of music?
Unfortunately I don’t have any more time for hobbies, because all my spare time goes to the family. I have a guilty conscience because I don’t have enough time for the family right now, but that’s how my life goes when you are touring musician. I’m at the same time very happy that I have a chance to do what I love to do.
If a metal fan comes to visit Finland, what should they see and do?
Here in Finland you can go to see many very good bands that don't play outside of Finland very often. For example, Peer Günt, Viikate and Stam1na to name a few of them. Helsinki, the capital of Finland, has many metal bars. In the summertime here are many rock festivals, and because metal music is very popular in Finland, at least half of the bands play metal music. The official album sales charts in Finland always includes many metal albums.
How much involvement do you have in the band's social media efforts, such as your Facebook page?
We are putting very strong attention to band’s social efforts, mostly on Facebook and our website’s forum. We are answering questions there and putting out news and other things. My own Facebook site is only for keeping contact with relatives and people I really know, but on Korpiklaani's Facebook we also are communicating with fans weekly.
Anything else you'd like to mention or promote?
We have the Ukon Wacka album also available as cool gatefold vinyl. Just want to let you know in case there are some other vinyl freaks than me. See you soon at the gigs!
