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The Rasmus, photo by Venla Shalin The Rasmus, photo by Venla Shalin

Alternative/Rock

The Rasmus: “You really have to go low and almost die to come back again and to be born again.”

Our latest Cover Story sees The Rasmus’ Lauri Ylönen tell us how he had to hit rock bottom so the band he’d started in eighth grade could be reborn.

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From the brink of splitting up to appearing in the Eurovision Song Contest, 2022 has been a wild ride for Finnish rockers The Rasmus. Somehow, in the midst of all of that, the band, reborn with the addition of new guitarist Emilia “Emppu” Shonen, found time to record their tenth album, Rise.

Following the release of the record, we spoke to The Rasmus’ frontman and one of the founder members of the band, Lauri Ylönen, about the last twelve months, the inspiration behind Rise, and how it felt going from being on the verge of splitting up to appearing at one of the biggest musical events in the world.

Thanks for your time, Lauri; how’s life treating you?

Lauri Ylönen: “It’s pretty good. I have a few days off, and we have this summer house in Finland in the woods, so I’m just here chilling out.”

It’s been a rollercoaster of a year for The Rasmus, even without Covid. How would you describe the previous two years for yourself?

“It started about three years ago when we started putting this album together, and a lot happened during those three years. We had some plans to record the album in England. We had booked a studio in Eastbourne, and we were going to have some great times in a beautiful studio, just hanging out and recording the best album ever. That was taken away from us. We didn’t know if Covid was going to last for months or years, so we decided to keep working remotely as we all live in different cities – I live in Honolulu in Hawaii, Ero lives in Australia in Sydney, and the rest of the band are in Finland while the producer was in England. We decided to work on a laptop screen with the latest software to put the album together, but it was really horrible, to be honest. We got some stuff done. We had to learn new ways to record.

“I was recording at home on my own vocals, which I had never done before, so some of it was really shitty, but some of it was good. I actually spent a lot of time in the middle of the night and had nobody breathing down my neck, so I could just really get into the songs, and it was fun. I recorded something in my car. Something in an empty movie theatre. Just in different places. That was fun. Even the bass player needed certain bass sounds, so he went to a music store and was asking to try different bass guitars and would, pull out his laptop and record in the music store. How degrading is that? You don’t even have a bass, you have to go to a music store to record? Haha.

“It tells you something about this time, though, because it shows you don’t necessarily need the big budgets or the big mixing consoles. You need good ideas, a good vision, you need guts. That comes for free if you have it or want it. People can record amazing stuff at home, and it can compare to anything that is done in a real studio.”

V13 Cover Story 008 – The Rasmus – Oct 24, 2022

The start of 2022 was difficult for the band, and it seemed like you were close to splitting up. How close was that?

“Well, we did, basically. The guitarist left the band. Before that, I was saying how I would take this shit anymore, and I would go solo, then he left. There was tension between him and me. It wasn’t real fights, but we just grew far from each other both musically and as people. It’s kind of sad as we have been friends since we put the band together in the 8th Grade at fifteen years old. Sometimes though, some things come to an end. I think it was better that he left. He didn’t want to play the guitar and was saying how he hated guitar. He didn’t like touring, so it was better that he left. So, even though we split up for a while, it purified the air.

“We found this amazing guitarist who I didn’t know personally, but I knew her from different bands. She happened to be available, so I called her and asked her to consider joining us. We all met in Finland to play with her, and she was the perfect match. Even before we started playing, she was carrying her own Marshall Amp, and it was bigger than she was. She has attitude, and she’s a great player. She’s a charismatic, fun person to be with. It’s all about chemistry and good vibes, especially in concert. You can fake liking each other in the studio, but live gigs are something you can’t fake. You feel if it is a good vibe, it’s the best thing. Now she is the band we are stronger than we have been in decades. She brought back the joy of playing and the fire that is burning. She’s our angel.”

Going back to when you split up, what was the point where you said, “this isn’t over for me”?

“There were many things. I could feel the tension within the band for years before this. I just didn’t feel like I could kick him out. It had to come from him. I wanted to keep fighting until the end. Also, in my personal life, I was trying to have a baby with my partner, and we had suffered four miscarriages. I just wasn’t there. Then Covid happened for two years with no concerts. That isn’t the lifestyle I’m used to living. I’m so addicted to that, so when it was taken away, I became really anxious and really depressed. Eventually, that broke me.”

“You don’t necessarily need the big budgets or the big mixing consoles. You need good ideas, a good vision, you need guts.”

You started the bad in eighth grade; what was going through your mind when you thought that this could be the end?

“I think it was mostly a sad feeling. I was willing to do a lot, and I had a lot of ideas and vision, but in that group, I couldn’t get it through. Then all of a sudden, I called Desmond Child and told him I was stuck and that I needed help and that I was thinking of going solo. He told me to shut up and that nobody gave a fuck….”

Artwork for “Rise” by The Rasmus

That was what you needed to hear…

“I went to see him, and, literally, I was lying on a sofa like a therapy session. I was telling him what was going on in my mind, and he was writing stuff down, and that was the base for the song we wrote together, which was called Rise. The idea was to write a song that was going to help my situation and help others too with their lives. It was our anthem to show the way for me especially, and it worked. I spent time with him. He pumped me up with new energy and ideas, but it all came from inside me. He’s such a great producer and a great professional that he was able to get it out of me. With him, I was able to become a better writer, become a better singer.”

“Also, in my personal life, I was trying to have a baby with my partner, and we had suffered four miscarriages. I just wasn’t there.”

You’ve talked about Emelia joining the band and how it helped heal The Rasmus. Did her joining feel like a fresh start?

“Yeah. It did. Sometimes you really have to go low and almost die to come back again and to be born again. Somehow that happened, especially when we had Emppu playing the guitar with us. Her appearance woke us up, and somehow got the same feeling back within the group from decades ago, maybe even from the beginning. Instead of a fancy studio, we’re rehearsing in this crappy basement in this house which is just how we had it in ’95. It was so much fun. I think sometimes downgrading works because then you get to the basics of things. We’ve been rehearsing like crazy now she is with us, as she has to learn all the songs. We have just been jamming and spending time without a big agenda or big goals, just hanging and playing.”

You went from the brink of splitting up to being in the Eurovision Song Contest which are two very different extremes. How did that feel when you thought you’d gone from almost splitting up to being at one of the biggest musical events in the world?

“I’ve never watched any of the shows in my life, but it’s been around since I was a kid. I wanted to have a challenge. I wanted to do something. I wanted to get a kick out of something. We were not able to play shows for two years, and this opportunity came, and I said we should take it. Let’s get a goal in Italy. Let’s try to be there at the final and win the whole shit. It felt good as it was still uncertain if we could do the tours which we had postponed and how Covid would land. It was a great thing to have, especially with the new members. We had a goal together, something to conquer, and it was really good for bonding. It was fun too. I didn’t know what to expect. It was pretty technical as they prepare every number right to the steps you take on stage. I found it very inspiring to make this sort of live music video. Working together with the whole production and then, of course, going to Italy for two weeks in Torino, we had so much fun. It was a good thing to do.”

“Sometimes you really have to go low and almost die to come back again and to be born again.”

The album is out now as well, and the year is just getting better and better. For you, when you listened to the final result, did it justify your decision not to throw in the towel?

“Oh yes! The album has a happy note at the end. A happy ending. We had a new member. We wrote three songs when she joined us, and it tells the story of those hard times. Now, when I listen to the album, it’s very beautiful, and I’m kind of happy that these things happened. It feels like we are better than before, and we have learned from this. It feels kind of meaningful. It has its place.”

Artwork for the single “Jezebel” by The Rasmus

The album as a whole is that inspired by the last few years of your life?

“From my point of view, a lot of the things are similar to what other people went through during Covid. Fear, desperation, sadness, melancholy. Those are the elements that I use anyway in my music. I always have the positive side in our music, so now it is a mix between positivity and sadness. We call it positive sadness; it’s positive, but it is a kind of melancholy. I’m really happy that it is over and the album is out because, mentally, I can leave that stuff behind. That was that chapter in my life, but now I can do something else. I enjoy making albums that mark times in my life. It’s kind of like writing a diary. We started writing albums ten years ago, and this is the tenth album already.”

What have you learned from this particular chapter in your life? What have you learned as a musician, a band and as a person?

“I think as a person and a band member, even more appreciation for your friends and friendship. That was a big thing as it was taken away from us. We were always in contact and were almost more like brothers/sisters. It’s such a big part of my identity, the band and the people that I have to take good care of them. I have to deal with my problems before pushing them away. They’re like family. They’re very important. That’s the biggest lesson for me. Now everything is back in balance; I’m still a bit scared that I almost lost it, but it helps to have this appreciation towards it. Musically, I learned how to record my own vocals in my car.”

Just to wrap up, those fans who have been with you throughout your career, do you have any messages for them?

“We’re super-excited to come and meet you guys in person on tour. Those are the best and funniest moments with the fans. It’s going to be great to return after all these years.”

Tour Dates:

10/30 – Nottingham – Rock City
10/31 – Manchester – O2 Ritz
11/01 – Glasgow – Garage
11/02 – Bristol – O2 Academy
11/03 – London – O2 Forum Kentish Town

I have an unhealthy obsession with bad horror movies, the song Wanted Dead Or Alive and crap British game shows. I do this not because of the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll lifestyle it affords me but more because it gives me an excuse to listen to bands that sound like hippos mating.

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