Interview with Petri Spak from Schmorf

We feel honored when bands are paying attention to our site and are interested in our help when it comes to promotion.
Just a few days ago I received an email from Petri Spark, drummer of the progressive metal band Schmorf from Kokkola / Finland. I took a listen in their songs at Myspace, read the full band biography and was thrilled. These guys should be known a little more.
So here we go with an interview:


TrashAndRiot: Hello Petri, because we were talking a lot the last days, I already got a view information about you and the band and could make myself a picture what it means to play in Schmorf. But there are a lot of readers out there who are just waiting for some more information about you. So would you please introduce the bandmembers and tell us a little about them and yourself?
Petri: Thanks for having us, it's our honor!
Here's the lineup:
Antti Oinonen - Vocals
Joonas Kivimäki - Lead Guitar
Janne Kerola - Rhythm Guitar
Jimmy Homicide - Bass
Petri Spak - Drums
The band Schmorf is out to stir the music business, because - let's face it - it has become waaaaaay to predictable and - for the lack of a better word - safe.
The definition of mainstream is narrowing each day. This is why we exist! There should not be mainstream music at all, no categorizing of 'radio' (pronounced 'boring'...) music or 'alternative' or like this. We try to put some chunk into your soup, that is!
The members are each one mentally handicapped in their own way, and dull moments are hard to come by...
Antti, who does our vocals and composes most of our stuff is a constant source of entertainment on the road and when out drinking.
Joonas is the voice of reason in our band, which he should be, being our guitarist, composer, recorder, post producer etc. He keeps all our bad jokes going, squeezes the last drops of laughter out.
Janne is the party expert. There hasn't been a gig trip where he hasn't escaped the prison of clothes and caught on tape doing something illegal and/or embarrassing.
Jimmy, our bass player, is impossible to explain. When everyone quiets down, he says something totally out of the blue, in context to absolutely nothing. Big as a bear, but wouldn't hurt a fly.
Then there's little me, Petri, and I try to pound on the drums every now and then.

TrashAndRiot: When did you found the band and why and how long have you known each other before ?
Petri: Schmorf began to take form in the summer of 2006, and after lots of bad ideas the worst came to by naming the band with an abbreviation, without thinking about what it was shortened of... Playing some songs by System of a Down, Yup and a few others, the fellas had one thing in common: a very twisted sense of humor.
We are maybe different in the way that no one has known each other from before. The band members changed a lot in the very beginning, but very soon it stabilised to the five of us.

TrashAndRiot: When did you started to play drums?
Petri: At the tender age of 13, encouraged by my music teacher. Got my own drum set back then, and then almost immediately attended both of the music schools here at Kokkola. My band teacher always yelled at me: 'You're playing too hard and too much!'. Well, his wish was granted, and is still in effect today...

TrashAndRiot: Do you play any other instruments?
Petri: Not really. Some basic chords with the piano and guitar, just to get by when composing and arranging. But my singing voice is very tone rich and beautiful, but it somehow distorts and gets garbled beyond recognition when in contact with oxygen...

TrashAndRiot: Did your parents and friends support you in becoming musician? And how do they think about that today?
Petri: Everyone loves a hippy musician! In my case, everyone who knows me knows that I really don't care or react if they're trying to put me down, so I guess they've never bothered to try... Today, all the people that have known me before the band are interested about Schmorf, when they've noticed that things have started to happen.

TrashAndRiot: Think about changing the roles in the band for one day. Which bandmember would take the others place?
Petri: Playing-wise, Janne would probably play drums, Joonas would sing, Jimmy would play lead guitar, I'd be on rhythm guitar, and Antti on bass. On some gigs, we've actually done this, and played an unrehearsed grindcore song, lasting about a second... Otherwise I'd say the roles are quite constant, so it'd be difficult to 'roleswap', but why not try sometime! Just for the hell of it!

TrashAndRiot: Can you remember the first song you've ever written? What was this song about?
Petri: I wrote a bunch of stuff way back, but the first song for Schmorf was 'Set Me Free'. Never recorded, and never will be... This was the pre-Antti -era. When he came along, we noticed that he was not only very good in writing great and sick stuff, but he also was hyperproductive. We have easily 200 recordable-quality songs, if he'd never write a song again.

TrashAndRiot: I think your music is kind of really individual, you're style is very different to other Finnish metal bands. Why did you decided to make this kind of metal, what have been your influences and where do you get your inspiration from?
Petri: The only 'restrictions' we have while writing stuff is to be a bit different than most bands of any kind, but to do it with a 'horror-movie-like' attitude; with a hint of humor in it. Even though the material is not to be taken seriously, the playing and performing is polished as much as possible.
Arrangements have never been altered because 'the song is too normal', or 'too twisted', so the writing part comes kinda naturally. A song can include elements from all kinds of music and sounds, but the underlining style is metal, because of its endless possibilities and openmindness.
The influences and inspiration is all around us, and fueled by the 'product' mentality of music business, and the fact that it is focused so much on everything else than the actual music. We're here to throw some monkey-wrenches into their wheels, and to open the eyes of the 'voters', the people who listens to the stuff!

TrashAndRiot: Who has been your idol when you were a child?
Petri: I really can't think of any particular one 'wow'-type person, but I've kept my eyes open and sucked influences from everywhere. Sure there are lots of great drummers, amazing songwriters and charismatic live performers, but I try to honor them by creating something of my own, and trying to perfect the band as a whole.
I've always thought that the best practise a band can have is playing together as much as possible, even with the expense of being the absolute best at your own instrument. The band is your ultimate instrument, at the end of the day.

TrashAndRiot: Did you always wanted to be a musician? When did you start to play music?
Petri: When I started playing, I was sure that this is it. It was familiar to make decisions with my ears, as I had listened to music since the age of 3, and not just what my parents were listening or radio or something like that. I wrote simple thrash stuff already back then. None of the bands I was in back then went anywhere so the playing kinda just faded away.
After moving around, studying and being thrown around by fate, everything just clicked in the summer of 2006, and here we are!

TrashAndRiot: Is everybody of you involved when it comes to writing new songs?
Petri: The basic writing stuff, riffs, leads and a rough structure is done by the composer - mostly Antti - when everyone hears the song for the first time. Vocals are quite rarely composed at this point. I write most of our lyrics, and I usually do the vocal melody at the same time. This might include some small structural changes to the song.
To this point everything is done with a computer, in midi format. Next, the song is rehearsed, and this is when everyone puts their five cents in. Arrangement ideas for their own instruments and the whole song. And voilá - we have built a new Schmorf song!

TrashAndRiot: Is everybody of you still following regular jobs?
Petri: Everybody works, studies or is in the military. This means we are working double duty, multitasking! The hours put into the band equals a fulltime job…

Tell us about your past concert experiences.

TrashAndRiot: When was your first concert and where took it place?
Petri: Schmorf's first gig was 6.7 2007 at English Pub, Kokkola. I still remember the pre-gig jitters!
Everyone involved in music will say that one of the most important moments in their career is the first gig. We've always been workaholics when it comes to rehearsing, so the gig went great.

TrashAndRiot: How many concerts have you played so far?
Petri: About 20. There's been pub gigs, outdoor venues, multi-band happenings and everything in between. We are in a nice stage of being on the road, the basic stuff is handled in a professional fashion, but there's still things to learn and experiences to be had.

TrashAndRiot: Have you played also on any festivals? There are lots in the summer all around Finland as we know.
Petri: Some smaller ones, yes. They're always a nice change, having the summer breeze in your face while performing. As opposed to the smell of beer and sweat on an indoor gig... Bar gigs are nicely intimate, but I prefer the outdoor gigs. There's more room for expressing yourself, musically or otherwise. And we tend to go overboard with our stage show every time when possible...

TrashAndRiot: Do you have any straight concept when you go on stage or is it more about to play the devil out of yourself?
Petri: Oh, god... There's been male sex dummies on stage, a big blow-up whale, projector stuff, gimp costumes, bicycle helmets, masks and a bunch of stuff... With the new album the theme will be puzzles and doctors. Maverick - our mascot, the sex dummy, will make a triumphant and anticipated comeback on the gigs this summer! And we have a bunch of stuff planned to make the trip to the gig worthwhile!

TrashAndRiot: How is the reaction of the audience when you go on stage?
Because I've seen a lot of concerts in Finland already I can say that the Finnish audience is really different to the German audience. Even at concerts of really famous bands the people are standing about 1 meter away from stage and are moving rarely. What do you think about my German experience about the Finnish audience?
Petri: You're probably right! We are reserved, no doubt about it, but the good thing is you know exactly what works and what doesn't. And if you get that head nodding, or - god forbid - even moshing, then you've made a friend for life. On stage, we try to fade the line between the band and the audience, and try to interact with the crowd in different ways.
We try to make the show as enjoyable as possible, experimenting with visual stuff, for example UV-lights, costumes and everything we can think of.

TrashAndRiot: Do you think it is different to be a musician in Finland because your music scene is so big and especially the bands which we would call here "Underground" are becoming famous. Every year there is another band from Finland which becomes famous all over the world. Why is that? What do you think?
Petri: The bubble started to burst back in the eighties with Hanoi Rocks, Havana Black, Zero Nine and so forth, but it was always a matter of time when the bands from Finland would make it big in all of Europe and the rest of the world. And I guess the scene is big, because you wouldn't believe the amount of great bands brewing in Finland right now. You haven't seen anything yet!
The bottleneck - I'd say - is the difference between the way bands are managed in the 'big world' vs. in Finland. Our country and the market here is so small, that it is impossible to fit in a manager in the way that the money is distributed. Now that we have a formula of doing things abroad, the sky is the limit.

TrashAndRiot: Where was the best place you ever played and where was the worst?
Petri: The best gig was here in Kokkola, a project that we came up with a few bands, called The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Schmorf was The Ugly (surprise, surprise). www.thegoodbadugly.net. We will have a tour with this concept, with bands all around Finland. This gig was set up with the best equipment and a huge show, and certainly entertained the shit out of people!
The worst was probably in a small place called Kannus Pub, where we were driven from the stage! Natives got restless, and didn't exactly appreciate the Schmorf way... But we got our revenge, in a fashion not acceptable to speak out here... Let's just say that it involves bodily fluids...

TrashAndRiot: What is the worst thing that could happen on stage? Any bad experiences so far?
Petri: Apart from that one incident, we've been lucky when it comes to bad experiences on stage. Usually the unexpected things are positive, or can be used to make the outcome positive. This is even more unbelievable, when I think of the things we've said and done. We're not exactly the most politically correct band around... The music isn't the easiest either.

TrashAndRiot: I know that you played at a band contest in Pietasaari yesterday. You as a band didn't win, but one of you got a special price. What was it?
Petri: Yeah, that gig was a perfect way of getting the rust out of our system, when preparing for the summer. At this show, our singer Antti got a Best Vocalist-prize, which was a nice gesture, and deserved also. Just listen to the latest record and pay attention to his gazillion styles and nuances... One of the greatest improvements within Schmorf on this record.

TrashAndRiot: I bet the wish of every band is it to get a record deal and to play in sold out concert places. Is that something you're dreaming about? What would be your final goal with the band?
Petri: The reason for a record contract is diminishing as we speak, but they are still professionals of marketing. Producing music today is cheap and accessible, but a label is necessary to get ahead, even if just a merit, a way of getting into the inner circle. In short, yes, these two are small goals on the way of realizing what we've trying to accomplish.
That is - redefining mainstream music, and making people understand that the art form known as music, isn't as boring as it appears. There's ALWAYS a demand for something new and exciting, but the 'machinery' tries to prevent that. We're here to kill the machine!

TrashAndRiot: If you could choose two bands to play a concert at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki tomorrow with you, which bands would that be?
Petri: Tough one! I think I'd go with two Finnish bands, even if I'd be able to choose any band. They are Waltari, for their versatility in music and groove, and the late Kyyria, for their raw live energy. The greatest live band ever, I might add!

TrashAndRiot: What are your plans for this year? Will there be any special things to come up?
Petri: There's so many things on our 'to do'-list you couldn't imagine! The album was just the beginning for a very busy year... Next in line is two great opportunities that arose during the postproduction of the album, and that is more recording! We are fortunate enough to make a split album with our long time favorite band!
We will also release a 'summer hit' www-single, with a top-of-the-line -Finnish celebrity featuring! To know the names, you just have to follow our website closely... In a few weeks, the Downtown Metal -compilation is released in the USA, where we were asked to participate with 'Paranoid', a song from the new album.
Lots of promotional stuff is happening, and the summer is spent on road. In the fall we will see great things with The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly! There were requests to broaden the concept a bit, and now we have a much bigger team working on that. So the schedule is tight!

TrashAndRiot: Are you planning to play concerts out of Finland or is that something still in the future?
Petri: That's not totally out of the question. If we get to prepare, and the time and circumstances are right, we're game!

TrashAndRiot: Where do you see yourself in about 25 years ?
Petri: Taking a dirt nap, with this lifestyle! If not, I could imagine doing some managing stuff for bands, and/or concert promoting. Of course, there would be Schmorf gigs to do... The music business is not getting rid of us that easily!

TrashAndRiot: What would you do if you break your hands tomorrow and never could play drums again?
Petri: I'd fall into a deep despair for about 10 seconds, and then I'd find a new drummer for the band and keep on going stronger than ever!

TrashAndRiot: And like in every interview I did, I would like to hear your own famous last words ;)
Petri: Turn your radios off, your brains on and find the music (or anything else, for that matter) that you love! The world could end tomorrow, so live, regret nothing, experience everything, and remember - STUPIDITY IS INTELLIGENCE.

TrashAndRiot:Thank you very much Petri and good luck with everything you are going to do !
Petri: My pleasure, thanks a bunch for this opportunity! Cheers!

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