Interview: The Black Market's singer/guitarist Mikko, September 2007, Finland



This interview was done last September already and unfortunately it took a bit long to get its turn – but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important. In fact this is actually one of my favorite Finnish bands that I came across recently, and one with a very promising future. This is really a bunch of very hard working guys; after forming the band in the beginning of 2007, they had put together their first 6-song EP within just a few months! You can read the review of it here.

Since last September few things have changed for the band; for instance they’ve had a new very talented bass player Ben join the band around Christmas, guitarist Mici had left the band due to his hectic schedule outside the band, they’d signed a great management/publishing deal with Urban Note and got to record a new 3 song demo end of February plus they are a part of Emergenza now (a showcase band competition for unsigned bands). Currently the band is playing gigs and preparing to work on their debut album. Regardless of all the recent updates though, this interview is still a nice peek behind the scenes for everyone who is interested to learn more about this band, so here we go:

Romana: How was The Black Market born? What brought you together?
Mikko/The Black Market: Erno and I (Mikko) played in a band called The Panda, but that band broke up. Erno and I had real good chemistry between us so we started talking about forming a new band. We had a very clear vision of what kind of music we wanted to play and how to go about it. Erno happened to know Mici from another previous band and Chris from his younger years and thought they would fit the band. So we all got together in a bar, had a chat and decided that we would be the band called The Black Market. We are driven by the want and the need to make strong music with strong lyrics and strong melodies. All of us have always wanted to play music that combines different styles without being labelled into a certain category.

Romana: You have only been a band for a few months (a/n: note that interview was done last September) and you already have a 6 song EP ready to show. I guess the right team of people together is the key to good results?
Mikko: That's the only key for good results. The way we see it is, that you REALLY have to love what you do in order to get the best results fast. We love making music. Recently we counted that we have a little over 20 new songs that we made in a real short time. Everybody contributes to the process and that's why we get forward and fast. We work as a unit and everybody gets their say.

Romana: I have to say guitars are what convinced me. And lyrics right after that. How do you create your music, is it team work or individual work that becomes one at the end?
Mikko: Like I said before we work as unit, but each member, of course, has his individual strengths. As for guitars, Chris is just the best player I have ever heard. He really has a special style of doing his thing. Chris is able to combine many different styles of playing and making them sound like one, which is just great for The Black Market. I write the lyrics for all the songs, but they are always proof read by the band. I want everyone to be able to give their opinion about what works and what doesn't. I believe that a band has to be proud of their music and what they want to say lyrically.

Romana: Your lyrics are like poems. Can you tell us in few words what Head Clean is about?
Mikko: Not to sound like a boring cliché, but it's about someone in my life who means something to me. Some of the lyrics are pretty self explanatory but there are few lines that the person and I only know about. Go see if you can figure out which ones.

Romana: What was your favourite album/band at age fourteen?
Mikko: I can only speak for myself but I'd have to say Bad Religion: Against the Grain or Descendants: I Don't Want To Grow Up. I could go on forever about my favourite bands. I'll, however, spare you all from the agony.

Romana: You seem like a really energetic live band. Who would you like to tour with the most at this very beginning of your career as The Black Market?
Mikko: Oh man, there are so many good bands out there that we would be honoured to tour with, but I'll say top three would maybe be (not in any special order): Disco Ensemble, Rise Against or Sparta. Damn these are hard questions. Oh yeah, and HIM of course.

Romana: If you could pick one song by any band/artist ever recorded and were given rights to it as if it was yours, what would you choose?
Mikko: First of all we would be caught dead stealing somebody else’s material, but since we are playing pretend world... hmmm... maybe Guns and Roses: Paradise City. Why? Because then we would have a shit load of money, we could quit our jobs and play music for a living. Sweet deal.

Romana: Internet became a good way of free promotion for bands that are just starting as well as for well established bands. Their fans do a lot of work as well with street teams, forums, fan sites… What do you think about that?
Mikko: I think that's the present and it will absolutely be the future. That's one of the greatest ways for a band to be heard all over the world. A very important if not THE most important thing for a band is to have fans. They are the people who listen, download and buy the records. They come to the shows. They support the band by telling other people. They are absolutely one of the most valuable things a band could ever have and if the internet helps the whole process along then rock and roll, my honeys. But seriously we find the internet to be a really good way to see and hear what else is out there and there are a lot of things, music wise, that should not missed. Like us. Sorry for the free commercial sentence.

Romana: What is your relationship with your fans? Do you ´hang out´ together after a gig, do you reply to their messages on MySpace, or do you keep your distance, do the show and leave?
Mikko: Like I said earlier, the fans keep bands alive. If we started acting like obnoxious assholes and not taking care of our fans we would find ourselves very quickly committing career and musical suicide. We do our best to reply to anything that the fans want to say or talk about. It's actually very refreshing to just have a drink or two with some of the fans and just talk about random crap. Just hang out as normal people 'cause that's all we are... people.

Romana: Any special message for our readers?
Mikko: If you like energetic music with melodic hooks and riffs, then you would be an idiot not to check us out... and oh yeah, we're pretty hot too. So keep your eyes and ears open for The Black Market. You can start by going to these sites: theblackmarket.fi or our myspace. And a very special thank you to Romana and everyone at Bullet Reviews. You are on our good/awesome/rad/vip/people to love list. Trust me! Thanks again.

Romana