Alternative/Rock
Dharma Guns Discuss Their Music, New Record ‘Ex-Generation Superstars’ & Being on the Road
Pete Leppänen and Jussi Kukkoniemi of Finnish band Dharma Guns join us to discuss their music and new record ‘Ex-Generation Superstars.’
There aren’t many traditional-sounding rock bands anymore, which makes acts like Dharma Guns all the more valuable. And when we say traditional, we mean a band committed to sticking to the genre’s tried, tested, and true fundamentals. That’s what you get on the Finnish band’s debut album, Ex-Generation Superstars. The band has been building anticipation for the album with the release of three singles, the most recent being “M.I.D.L.I.F.E. Crisis.” They recently released an accompanying music video for the track, shot in their practice room with a 360 camera.
Due out on November 1st, Ex-Generation Superstars features plenty of singalong choruses, hot guitar riffs, and traditional grooves that remind you of why rock music is so great to begin with. It’s an impressive debut release from a band with a very accessible sound. Whether you’re partial to alternative rock, classic rock, groove rock, or punk and hardcore, you’ll find plenty to like about Dharma Guns.
Leading singer Pete Leppänen and guitarist Jussi Kukkoniemi are joining us today to discuss the band’s sound, the new album, hitting the road, and more.
How would you describe your own music?
Pete Leppänen: “We think it’s kind of proto-punk meets Scandinavian action rock with a tiny bit of Glam. In Finland, we have this term ‘katurock’ (street rock) that describes us perfectly. However, some people don’t like the term, because there’s no such term in English, and that makes us like it even more, it annoys the Puritans. ‘Katurock’ includes garage rock, (proto)punk, action rock, but then again, lockers are stupid and we are simply a rock band (laughs)”
What is the story behind the name Dharma Guns?
Leppänen: “It’s been in the back of my mind for years. Jack Kerouac’s Dharma Bums was one of my favourite books when I was in my 20s and interrailing around Europe. And somehow I came up with Dharma Guns. Probably unconsciously combining Kerouac and Guns n’ Roses.”
Tell us about your new album. What was your experience of making it? What went on behind the scenes?
Leppänen: “It was fast and furious. It all started a year ago when my then band’s were on a break but I didn’t want to stop rocking. So, I demoed a dozen new songs and contacted these three cool stooges I knew from the Helsinki rock scene. Everyone was kind of busy, but after they heard the demos, they all hopped on board. Then I knew these are THE guys.
“We started practicing in November 2023 and went to the studio in February 2024. Just after two days, all the basic tracks for twelve songs were recorded, including the rhythm guitars and some leads. Then we started dropping singles in the summer and finally, in November, a year after we started, the album sees the light of day. It was all very painless: we had fun practising, and I think everybody found out easily what they wanted to give to each song.”
What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened at one of your shows or on tour?
Jussi Kukkoniemi: “This never happened in real life, but I keep seeing the same dream every now and then. I’m backstage, minding my own business, and then I hear our intro from the PA. I rush towards the stage, but can’t make it. Then the intro comes to an end, and I hear full silence from the crowd, knowing I have screwed up. So, a bit of a Spinal Tap situation in that dream.
“But actually this kind of happened on our previous gig. I was in the bathroom when I heard our intro playing. I almost pissed my pants, but quickly recovered realizing it couldn’t be our turn yet. It just couldn’t be! Soon enough I found out the sound engineer had by accident played our intro for the first band. Later in the evening, we heard that intro on its place, counting us into a sweaty and full-blown rock and roll show!”
Do you ever get stage fright? What’s your solution for it?
Leppänen: “Not really a fright, but I was really worried about how to remember the lyrics when we played our first Dharma Guns show. I’ve always been only a guitar player and all of a sudden we were playing ten new songs for the first time and I needed to sing them, too. I went for a walk by myself and went through the lyrics. In the end, everything went fine, of course. Besides, I don’t think anybody would realize if I sang the same verse twice. So, no stress.”
Your new LP Ex-Generation Superstars has just been released. Now that it is complete how do you feel about it, and what has been the response so far?
Kukkoniemi: “Proud! It’s great that people can finally hear the whole ten songs of Dharma Guns. The album introduces fast punk rock singalongs but also some mid-tempo songs. The songs have been our ‘babies’ in the rehearsal pit and in the studio, but now we’ll release them into the world, letting them make their way into people’s hearts, playlists and turntables.
“It makes it even more special that the album is not only released via streaming services but also on vinyl. You can touch and fiddle the album, which has become a rare experience in the times of digital streaming. This is also the first time for me to have my music on vinyl, so it makes this album extra special.”
How does it make you feel when that power and energy you channelled in the studio come to life in front of a crowd?
Kukkoniemi: “ Before the first show, I remember wondering, how we’ll get along on stage. And can we keep up the good energy, that we’ve had in the rehearsal pit since we four hadn’t played live together before? However, that worry was useless. Olli counted to four and kept up the beat, and we blasted through the songs, never minding some minor technical problems the venue offered. I saw Edu smiling at me from the other side of the stage, while Pete was shouting verses on the microphone and ramming his guitar (at times on his knees).
“While I was running to Edu’s side of the stage I realized it was all good. No plans or choreography needed, just lift your foot on the monitor, let the energy flow, play and perform how you feel the best and share it with the audience. Their smiley faces exposed if the magic was delivered, and they sure were smiling!”
When you write do you do so with the live setting in mind or do you write a song just for the song’s sake?
Leppänen: “This kind of music is intended to be played alive. And we played live in the studio as well. Only guitar solos, vocals and other extras were recorded afterwards. I believe you can hear it from the album. There’s this certain groove that can exist only when you play together live.”
What is the story behind the name of the new record?
Leppänen: “That’s a good one, isn’t it? But what does it mean? I let everybody make their own interpretations, but to me that’s about the generation gap, having already spent thousands of kilometres in a tour bus with the previous bands and believing in what you do. It’s a perfect headline for these songs and lyrics. It also sounds pretty damn good!”
When recording the album did anything strange, wonderful, or terrible occur?
Kukkoniemi: “I found it quite wonderful going to the studio for the first time with these gentlemen. We had a plan of recording basic tracks for four maybe five songs. But at the end of the first day, we had recorded the basic tracks for nine songs! Pete and I had even played some solos. It was a good day!”
Do you use the same gear when recording as you do when playing live? If yes, what and why? If not, why not?
Kukkoniemi: “When I joined the band I was thrilled to realize, that this was the band I got to use my old Marshall half stack again. I knew it would be a match with the upcoming Dharma Guns sound. And it surely was like coming back together with an ex-girlfriend – you immediately knew which knob to twist to turn on the heat and how to get out the screaming sound you’re after. I used this amp both in the rehearsals and in the studio. Didn’t change any settings, but maybe turned the volume a bit (to 11?). It was good to go and can be heard through the record. However, anyone carrying a Marshall stack, even a half stack, knows there are some cons in touring life, so when playing live I rather choose my gear to be a bit lighter.”
Leppänen: “The whole band uses more or less the same backline in the rehearsals, the studio and the gigs. The core of our sound is always the same. But I did borrow one hand-made fuzz pedal for the leads in the studio. And of course, I had to buy a similar one to myself when the album was ready. It ain’t cheap living your dreams.”
If you had an unlimited budget, where and with whom would you record your record? What about production and mastering? And why?
Leppänen: “I did ask one Helsinki-based producer to produce our album before we hit the studio, but he wasn’t interested. Now that the album is ready, I think he did us a favour. This is the sound of Dharma Guns, and with the first album, I think we just needed to create it ourselves. I believe this will be our method also in the future, just the band and our trusted recording engineer.
“But if we could get anyone, maybe we could play the demos to Josh Homme, Andrew Watt, and Butch Vig and see how our visions collide, and if they’re interested in coming to Helsinki.”
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