Response script from audio recording of interview:
EO: This is your 3rd visit to India. How does it feel to be back?
Marko Saaresto: It feels amazing, we feel great. All ready to play for you guys!
EO: In the history of the band, what would be the most memorable moment for all of you?
Marko Saaresto: Well, outta the top of my head, it’s probably like some of the biggest gigs, or the first album coming out and hitting #1, you know, these kinds of things. A lot of the time, it’s the experiences you have with different people, whether they’re good or bad, they are the strongest ones that you usually have. You meet a lotta people in this business, and you see a lot of places, so…..
EO: What message are you trying to convey through your latest album Temple of Thought and what are the different ideas that circulated within the band during the recording sessions?
Marko Saaresto: Well, one of the main ideas is to look at things and see that understanding is something that helps you get along. Also to have and find different points of view, different ways of looking at things and solving your problems. The ever prevalent idea of love and hope is also there. These are the basic ideas in the songs.
EO: Have you heard any Indian music? Do you have any favorites?
Marko Saaresto: Umm, you hear it occasionally. Especially when you come down over here, but this time around, we just haven’t had much time you know? Maybe the driver would put the radio on, and we’d listen to it while driving from the venue to the hotel.
EO: What is your opinion on popular music today where more emphasis is being given to marketing artists as ‘products’ rather than the quality and longevity of music?
Marko Saaresto: Well, in my opinion, I understand why they’re marketing things, here and now, for a short period of time, and for the purposes of making money. Making the artist a product, so it can make even more money. But, the way that we think (Poets of the Fall), it’s always been that the music comes first. Whatever we are, however we present ourselves, we usually want to bring the music up first because that’s the language that we like to use, to talk. And we are still in that sort of category of the music, of the longevity of the song. Sometimes we do stuff that is not, like, hit music, but if you listen to it, and you’re game to it, you would be listening to it for the next twenty years or so. So it’s not like a one-summer hit or a one-hit wonder kinda thing. You really like to have music with substance.
EO: Fast forward to say 10 years from now. What are you guys looking forward to achieve by then?
Marko Saaresto: A lot. I hope that by the end of like five years, we’d be touring a lot larger venues all over the place. And in ten years we would probably retire to the Bahamas and enjoy Martinis under the sun. You know, maybe I’ll even come to Goa, because I’ve never been to Goa, and everyone has told me to go.
EO: If you weren’t musicians, what would you be doing today?
Marko Saaresto: Can’t say for the others, but, umm, for my part, I would probably be some kind of a visual artist. Maybe do interior decoration or design. I like that stuff, I’ve done some of it. I used to work in advertising- I won’t go in there anymore! Maybe do graffiti art, and I’m studying acupuncture, so that’s one of the things that would be cool to get into. Most important thing in life- never stop learning. That keeps you young.
EO: What can we expect from Poets of the Fall in the near future?
Marko Saaresto: I have no idea. I mean, if I knew that, hehe. We are ever as unpredictable as we have been so far. I’m sure that we’ll keep on doing what we love doing and that changes over time for us, you know, because everybody’s tastes and their interests change. But pretty much we’ll just be who we are. Very down-to-earth, and be nice to other people, and do what we wanna do.
EO: What thoughts would you like to share with upcoming bands and your fans?
Marko Saaresto: Well, I suppose it’s really important to keep developing your own instrument, your music, and have faith and do what you really love to do. If that’s what you want to do, if you love to play, if you love to write music and perform, then you should keep at it and going. Don’t give up. Sometimes, you know there are detours and detours until you get to where you’re going. But eventually, if you keep on believing it, then it’s possible to achieve it!
Thank you so much for your time. On behalf of everyone at Eight Octaves, I wish Poets of the Fall a successful tour in India and hope to see you again sometime soon.
