INTERVIEW: Pioneer's of Folk Metal - KORPIKLAANI
1. Hello and welcome to Metal Wani. How have you been?
Juho Kauppinen: We are doing fine. Thank you for asking. We have a lot of work to be done, a lot of shows to be played and a lot of new songs to be put onto our setlist.
2. Korpiklaani has been one of the pioneers of Folk Metal.
Yet, it is only a handful of metal bands, like yours, that are able to
bring in this unique, exuberant feeling through their songs. So, what is
your secret behind the song writing and composing process, that merges
so well to bring about such immense rush of adrenalin, in the listener?
Juho Kauppinen: It is not really a secret and if it was, I probably would not reveal it. I would say it is the spontaneity that our songwriting process has always had. Most of our songs are anything but complicated. They come into being quickly and are easy to sing along. That exactly is the point behind all of that. We are entertainers. We play a lot of shows to make people happy. It is easy to do that with these immediately comprehensible melodies that will stand out in the listener's mind for long.
3. Tell us something about the early times, from the days of Shaman. How did you master the unique art of yiking that was used in that band? Can you tell us something more about it?
Juho Kauppinen: Jonne lived in Lapland with the Sami people, an indigenous people of Scandinavia, for five years during 1993-1999. The Sami people have their own language and musical culture, including yoik. It sounds pretty much like the American Indians' traditional way of singing. There are not many actual lyrics in yoik, but it is rather about transforming emotions, things, people or landscapes into a song. Jonne played the traditional music of Sami people with them for tourists in ski resorts. In so doing he gradually acquired their musical culture and started writing songs in the same vein. Jonne made an album with Sami people and two albums with a band which also had drums and electric guitars. Earlier the music was acoustic, accompanied by just a shaman drum and an acoustic guitar.
4. What is the story behind the band mascot, Vaari?
Juho Kauppinen: He is the shaman used on our album covers until the album Voice of Wilderness, but since Tales along This Road he has been a human-like creature. Before the mascot we only used the shaman symbol that can still be found on our covers. For instance, on the Manala album cover it is on the shaman drum.
5. Another prominent factor that sets you apart from the
rest, are the numerous alcohol related songs namely – Beer Beer, Wooden
Pints, Lets Drink, etc. These songs get stuck into one’s head right from
the moment they hear it! Many even play the "Drinking Game" to your
songs like, "Vodka"! Tell us about this unique and catchy lyrical
theme?
Juho Kauppinen: It wasn't a conscious solution or a change. Our songs just come out the way they do. Sometimes they just happen to be different from the predicted Korpiklaani sound. For example, Ruumiinmultaa (Soil of the Corpse) is atypical of Korpiklaani, because it has a lot of parts, many different rhythm patterns and an oriental vibe to it. Jonne has said he would never consider forming a solo project a good idea, because he can actualize himself the way he wants in Korpiklaani. That's why there may at times be songs that differ from the regular Korpiklaani pattern and we should keep it that way.
7. Lyrically, 'Manala' is based on the Finnish epic, Kalevala. Can you enlighten us with this influence?
Juho Kauppinen: Although the majority of Manala's songs are based on the Kalevala, there are the songs Ievan Polkka and Husky Sledge that don't deal with the Kalevala. Ievan Polkka is a cover song and that we wanted to record, because it sounded very much like Korpiklaani.
Below I have gathered some details about the lyrics on the album.
1. Kunnia / Honor
The song Honor suggests you should never commit
suicide, because the future generations do not want to pray for the
ancestors who have. It is essential to honor the people among your
ancestors whose life, character and deeds deserve to be honored and
whose effect you want to feel in your own life. Those who commit suicide
arrive in the Underworld after their death like the others, but they
will barely be honored by their future generations.
2. Tuonelan tuvilla / At the Huts of the Underworld
In the mythological beginning, Väinämöinen and Joukahainen end up
against each other and Väinämöinen outsings Joukahainen, literally in
such a way that Joukahainen sinks in the swamp. Angry about this,
Joukahainen chooses to shoot Väinämöinen with an arrow. He works a bow
and arrows. Joukahainen's mother tries to forbid him, but regardless of
his mother's advice he shoots Väinämöinen off the back of his blue moose
into the primeval sea.
3. Rauta / The Steel
Iron (which is The Steel in the song title, meaning sword) is born in
the busts of nymphs, out of which it flows into the swamp. A blacksmith
Ilmarinen picks a white, red and black iron-piece from the ground,
taking them to his forge. Ilmarinen tells iron to promise never to turn
against humans nor shed innocent blood. (Eventually, after hardening
iron in lye, iron goes mad and from then on has struck humans and shed
innocent blood.)
4. Ruumiinmultaa / Soil of the Corpse
Soil of the corpse was a folk belief related to the pursuit of
financial success, known in the area of Lapland. The one who desired to
get rich made a deal with the devil, secretly collecting soil in the
graveyard and offering it to other people, having had it mixed in their
spirits and coffee. Soil of the corpse was only allowed to be given to
those who were not enemies of the ones giving the soil of the corpse. A
person who drank the soil of the corpse either died or lost his sanity
permanently or temporarily. In contrast, the one giving the soil of the
corpse gained financial wealth, as long as he was able to stick to the
contract made with the devil, giving the soil to new victims on regular
intervals for a few months. If the terms were not met, the devil killed
the giver of the soil or made him insane. They say the belief lives on
in certain regions of Lapland.
5. Petoeläimen kuola / The Predator's Saliva
The song deals with the birth of beer. Osmotar, the father of beer
prepares the first ever beer out of barley grown by Pellonpekko. He rubs
his hands, which results in the birth of animals that fetch the
seasonings for the beer from the forest. However, the beer does not
ferment. Osmotar finds the means and tells to get the predator's saliva.
That's what happened and the beer began to ferment.
6. Synkkä / Dark Side
Joukahainen is one of the creators and the brothers. Ilmarinen is the
god of the sky and the air, whereas Väinämöinen's divinity is strongly
connected with water. Joukahainen, the youngest brother, is the god of
Earth, appearing as a dark and gloomy god with counterforce in forests,
swamps and stony grounds. The balance of the Earth is maintained by the
dualistic relationship between Joukahainen and Väinämöinen. The song is
about how Joukahainen appears in nature. In addition it deals with awe
among people.
10. Uni / Dream
In folklore, dream is seen as a creature who comes to make a human
fall asleep. The strong connection between death and dream has been
believed to have come from the Underworld, the land of the dead. Dream
binds and weaves up the eyelids, shoots with a drowsy arrow and in many
other ways gets you off to sleep. When asleep, a human falls onto the
level of the Underworld, in which the dream brings the Invisible world
as a dream into the dreamer's mind.
11. Metsälle / Off to the Hunt
Louhi, the queen of Pohjola in the Finnish mythology, has told
Lemminkäinen to go in pursuit of Hiisi's moose. While in pursuit, he
breaks and loses his skis and poles, begging for Ukko the thundergod to
make him new skis, by which he could catch up the moose and complete his
task. Lemminkäinen skis and chases after the moose in the land of
Tapiola.
12. Sumussa hämärän aamun / In the Mist of a Dark Morning
Ututyttö or Terhenneiti is the sprite of fog and mist. In misty
weather a lot of ghosts have been told to have been seen. Some of them
are restless souls, who have been left to wander in this world, but some
of them are visions from the land of the dead, the Underworld. Fog and
mist make the borders of the two worlds more and more indefineable, to
such a degree that we can see the land of the dead with its ancestors in
the world of the afterlife. Due to this, Ututyttö is also called the
Bringer of Death.
8. After the album launch, there is a full US-Canada tour
followed by a European tour. Any plans of heading a little east for an
Asian tour maybe?
Juho Kauppinen: I don't know at this point, but of course I hope we would play there soon. It would be nice to play on every continent each year.
9. What is your opinion on bands that come out of nowhere
and get instant stardom, thanks to social networking and video sharing
sites?
Juho Kauppinen: I have nothing against anyone's success if it has been achieved by fair means.
10. As a band, would you prefer to stick to just one style
which is appreciated by the audience or would you prefer experimenting
with different styles just to see if you can outdo yourself?
Juho Kauppinen: We don't think about such things too much. There may be some songs that are radically different from what people have gotten used to when they listen to Korpiklaani. We have certain things that we want to keep the same: for example the lyrics will usually be connected to Finnish folklore or otherwise keeping the style we represent. The cover songs we have played, on the other hand, do not necessarily have to do anything with Korpiklaani's style to begin with, but after we add those songs to our setlist they will eventually get a Korpiklaani-esque touch.
11. What can we expect from Korpiklaani for the years to
come? More songs based on alcohol? A little more Finnish Folklore? Or
will we see some social problems being conveyed through your music?
12. Do you recall the song, album, concert that changed your life and made you want to make music your life?
Juho Kauppinen: No, there has never been such a revolutionary event. Music has always been present in my life since my childhood and my musical taste has changed and diversified many times in my life and I am not afraid of any possible changes. When I was a teenager, I was sure I want to become a professional musician, so I have kind of achieved my goal now.
13. Just for fun, share with us something about yourself that might surprise those who don’t really know you.
Juho Kauppinen: My hobbies are too normal to be considered unusual or interesting to read about, but I enjoy reading and outdoor activity, for example.
Thank you for your time. It’s been an honor to talk with you.
Juho Kauppinen: Thank you for your patience! It was a pleasure to talk with you too.
Read Our Korpiklaani - Manala Review Here
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Interviewed By,
Team Metal Wani
