Hey Guys, thanks for taking some time out for this interview. I was wondering if you could give us a quick introduction to Amberian Dawn?

Tuomas: Amberian Dawn is a Finnish heavy metal band. Our latest album INNUENDO is just out and it's our 7th studio album already. We have toured a lot in Europe and also been in UK a couple of times. 
 

How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

Tuomas: Joonas & Emil and I have been in band the longest time together. I've been in band all the time (naturally) and Emil & Joonas  almost for the whole existence of AD. We all live in same small town here in Finland (Hyvinkää, which is located 50 km's to North from Helsinki). Heavy metal scene is quite small here in Hyvinkää so we found each other quite quickly when I was looking for some talented  players to join AD. Capri I found in 2012 with help of my musician friends. Jukka joined us quite recently but we already knew him before from the Finnish metal scene.

What would you say are your biggest influences?

Tuomas: For me as composer, classical music is my biggest influence for sure. I started to play classical piano at the age of 4 so playing music is very natural thing for me. When I was a teenager I started to listen to heavy metal music too and especially bands like Rainbow, Deep Purple, Dio etc. Later I  found also some softer music like Modern Talking and ABBA. I don't like so many bands of today, maybe Rammstein is one of my favourites at the moment.

What are the things you love the most about being in the band?

Tuomas: For me as composer it's great to have a group of awesome musicians playing my music and as a band leader that we're a solid group, almost like a family. As band player it's great to express yourself with music and to be able to learn new things almost every day. Playing music is a path for a lifetime. 

What are your least favourite things?

Tuomas: I just like to play and I don't like to organize things. As band leader I'm forced to do a lot of things outside music too and that's boring and tiring. I would like to have a personal assistent taking care of all of those outside musical things. 

So you released an album this month, Innuendo on the 23rd October. How would you say your music evolved since your first album?

Tuomas: A lot of things have changed after we released our debut album in 2008. In fact almost all things have changed since then. We have now a total different kind of singer and that's probably the biggest change of all. Also musically there's been a lot of evolution during these years. Nowadays our music is more vocal & keyboard driven than it was in the beginning. I think my work as composer is now more mature than in the beginning. 

Do you get chance to listen to any up and coming bands? If so, who are you listening to at the moment?

Tuomas: I don't follow the music scene of today. That small amount of time I like to listen to music nowadays is mostly classical music or bands of the 70's, 80's and 90's. Sometimes I still like to put radio on and on that times I'm ”forced” to listen to some newer music too. 

I see you have a tour with Delain and The Gentle Storm from the 27th October to the 8th November, but no UK dates. Have you played in the UK before? Would you play here again?

Tuomas: We have been in UK several times before. All of those times we were in London. We would love to come back there, but with this tour we didn't have a chance to play there. Maybe we're able to tour there next year. 

You changed your Label from Spinefarm Records to Napalm Records in 2014? What sparked the change and are you enjoying working with the new Label?

Tuomas: We changed our label because our previous record deal ended and we started to looking for all kind of possibilites to go on with. Napalm Records was interested in us and we all thought that this label could be good for us. And it is. I really have enjoyed working with Napalm's people. They're hard working people and it's always very easy to get in touch with them when necessary.

Capri, you have a fantastic voice. Is there any advice you can give to any potential vocalists out there?

 

Capri: When I was young I thought too much about the technique. I could hear my teachers voice in my head during singing: "no, no no..."It kind of killed the feeling and I was just listening how I sounded and just put words after words. I didn't like it. So I stopped thinking and start singing through feelings, emotions. And I loved it, the feeling of letting go. My advice: just do it from your heart and trust yourself because you know best who you are

If you were able to sit under the table and listen to any two people speak, who would it be?

Tuomas: Hard to say. I wouldn't feel comfortable to hear any kinds of discussions secretly. I would feel very uncomfortable in that kind of situation

 

Final question. What advice would you give to people who want to form their own bands?

Tuomas: Playing in a band can be very satisfying and fun but I encourage you to get also some professional degree outside music too. Being a professional musician is almost impossible nowadays. If you really want to enjoy playing music, it's easier when you have music just as hobby and not as a profession.