What better way to get that Friday feeling than to check out some new music from the fantastic Black Twig! Band members Rasmus, Kaarlo, and Aki talk us through some of their favourite spots in Finland, their plans for the year, and what they have been listening to (including a trash can that sounds like John Coltrane). Enjoy!
Where are you from and what are your favourite places to experience there?
Rasmus: Originally from Kirkkonummi, a town nearby Helsinki. Meiko lakeside in the summer. In Helsinki anywhere by the sea, preferably Lapinlahti.
Kaarlo: From Helsinki. When all the indoor places are mostly closed I’ve been discovering new beautiful and interesting spots outdoors. There is plenty to find in the Helsinki area. I mean, places with coastal or marine vibes, surprisingly interesting buildings or districts far from the downtown, tracks in the forest and so on.
Aki: Like the other guys said, there’s a lot of nice places in Helsinki near the sea and in the archipelago. I’ve also enjoyed walking around Mustikkamaa (that’s “Blueberry Land” in English…) area, now that there’s a new bridge that makes it easily accessible.
How would you best describe your sound?
Rasmus: Like wearing your favourite, nicest fitting pair of pants.
Kaarlo: Warm, jangly, relaxed but tight, well matured (he-he).
Aki: Less fuzzy than on the previous albums, but maybe a bit more articulate and refined.
What have you got planned for the year?
Rasmus: Staying in school and trying to stay motivated, growing my hair out, lots of pizza, swimming, bike trips, making music. hopefully playing some shows.
Kaarlo: Read and write quite a lot, do regularly yoga, paint and paint, play guitar and bass, see dearest people around me as often as possible and keep my mind clear and open.
Aki: Hope to play some live shows. Work on new music. Write more.
When can we expect to see you start to play some live music?
Rasmus: As soon as possible. Summer? Fall?
What can we do to help support your music and where do we need to go to do that?
Rasmus: Stay safe, stay healthy and tell your friends.
Kaarlo: Listen to it carefully and spread the word.
Aki: And ask us to play a show! You can find us on all the major streaming services and on Bandcamp. We’re planning to release a vinyl version of the new record, but there’s quite a long wait in the pressing plants, so it might take until fall to get it.
Finally, what was the last thing you read, watched, and listened to?
Rasmus: Been a lazy reader lately, last one I finished was probably The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I just listened to the album Dudu by B Boys. Haven’t really been watching anything meaningful, just binging on food and skateboarding related content on Youtube. I saw this video of a trash bin sounding like John Coltrane and it was great (see below).
Kaarlo: Read Infinite Jest (finally in Finnish), watched Cujo and listened to Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Aki: Read Solaris by Stanisław Lem (found it for free in the recycling room), watched a CSGO video by voo (covid made me do it), and listened to A Summer Long Since Passed by Virginia Astley (curated for me by Spotify).
Interview by Alex Minnis
Don’t forget to follow our New Nordic Music Playlist on Spotify and discover more of the fantastic artists we have spoken to over the years!
