Chad Bowar: How come it took so long between albums?
Linde Lindstrom: It has been a while, I know. I guess I have been busy with other stuff. I write music all the time, I just don't necessarily need to put it out. Vol. II however, is an album that had to be done and also had to be shared with the world.
How has your sound evolved from your debut to Vol. II?
Well, it is a completely different band now. On the first album we were a psychedelic stoner rock trio with a twist. Vol. II is more extreme metal with strong melodies and lots of little details. Also, on the first album I sounded like a bad Elvis impersonator and on Vol. II there's a bit of screaming and some actual singing going on too. My guitar sound hasn't changed that much though. I still play the Gibson SG through Laney. I didn't use that much fuzz pedal on Vol. II because a lot of the songs were just too fast for that.
How did the songwriting process work?
I wrote some of the stuff when I was 13, some of it when I was 20 and some of it about a year ago. I played the stuff to the drummer Bolton and he loved it, so we started to work on it and slowly it all came together. Burton did his keys at his home studio and Mige helped me a lot with the lyrics.
What's the early response to the CD been like?
Mostly it has been really positive. Some people just can't digest it, but I knew that its going to be like that. This album wasn't made to please anybody. You either get it or you don't, simple as that.
Was being the singer easier or more difficult than you anticipated?
It's difficult to get started, but once you do, it gets easier along the way. I recorded all the vocals myself, that helped a lot. I could really let it rip, so to speak.
Will Daniel Lioneye be playing any live shows?
We would love to play live shows. This type of music works really well in live surroundings I think. It's all about finding the time for it. We are pretty busy with HIM at the moment, but I'm sure we can work something out.
How about a HIM/Daniel Lioneye double bill? Could you physically do both in one night?
Hard to say. I could probably pull it off, but maybe its a good thing to keep them separated.
What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on the road?
You can't afford to get too crazy on the road anymore. The older you get, the more challenging it becomes. If I get drunk one night, I have a hangover for 3 days. There are lots of those stories about me in the past where I've been completely wasted and behaving like a retard, but I'd rather not dwell on that anymore.
What’s the most unusual venue you’ve played?
We had this outdoor show with HIM in Pori, Finland in the early days. The place can fit about 60,000 people. Showtime was really early so the sun was shining and there were maybe 3 people in the audience. That was pretty unusual.
What the best prank you’ve played on bandmates or other bands, or have had played on you?
The first one that comes to mind is the legendary sh*t pillow. This happened maybe 10 years ago. Our first keyboard player Antto for some weird reason decided to ruin my glass of whiskey by pouring salt and pepper in it. At that time my whiskey was this holy thing you are not supposed to touch. I was just laughing, but Mige took it seriously and that night he somehow managed to insert one of his turds inside Antto's pillow and he slept the whole night on a pillow full of Mige's sh*t! Pretty funny, eh?
How did you get started in music?
I started playing the guitar when I was 10. It was like a calling really. First time I ever saw a guitar, I was spellbound. I got my first guitar as a Christmas present from my parents and started taking lessons right away. I got in my first bands when I was 13 and I've been on that road ever since.
What was your first band, and what type of music did they play?
My first actual band was called Aurora. It was more about hanging out together than music though. It was a rock band with weird Finnish lyrics. We only made one or two demos.
How did you come to join HIM?
I met Ville in school when I was 13. He was a bass player back then. We played in a few bands together and eventually ended up forming HIM. Ville took over the vocals and Mige, who was also in the same school, took over the bass.
How did you decide to form Daniel Lioneye?
The first version of DL was very different from what it is today. Back in the day (around 2001), it was a trio with Ville on drums, Mige on bass and myself on guitar and vocals. It was just a fun thing to do. We went to the studio without any songs written, got wasted and after 5 days we had the whole album ready.
On Vol. II my good friend Bolton is on drums, Burton is on keys and I do the rest. Its been a dream of mine for a while to make a really heavy album with lots of little details and stuff going on. And since Daniel Lioneye does whatever he wants, I thought it was a good idea to use the same name again. I had a lot of stuff building up that I needed to release one way or the other, and what a better way to clean the table than write an album?
Who are some fellow musicians you admire?
I'm a huge fan of Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, SYL, Billie Holiday, Immortal, Brian Eno just to name a few.
Who are the top 5 Finnish metal bands of all time (excluding your bands)?
Not in any particular order: Impaled Nazarene, Enochian Crescent, Kingston Wall (even though they're not very metal), Amorphis, Jimsonweed.
What's your favorite hobby away from music?
I love animals! I live in the country with my wife and we have 4 sphynx cats and a big ass White German Shepherd. Just hanging around those creatures is my favorite hobby.
