BACK IN BLOOD

An interview by Meghan Player

With their first Australian tour just around the corner, Push To Fire writer Meghan Player, spoke to the Helsinki Vampire himself, Jyrki 69 about his thoughts on the upcoming tour, the new album and the influence of comic books.

"It is a great pleasure for us to come down under for the first time of our lives," the singer comments in his unique voice. On the eve of their Australian tour, the 69 Eyes are understandably excited about playing to their fans here for the first time, but the singer is quick to remind us that while it has been a long time waiting, "it’s also going to be a nice start for a long relationship I think as well."

He continues to add that being the Helsinki Vampires that they are so well-known for, has played a part in the reasons for touring a particular country.

"The vampires don’t come to your house, unless they are invited," he claims, "So, that’s the case of coming to different countries as well. Now we have been invited, we can get into our coffins [and] put them into cargo, and fly over."

Being that this is the bands’ maiden voyage to Australia, fans should expect nothing but the ‘best and blessed’ of the 69 Eyes for their live shows - kicking off in Melbourne on the 18th of June, followed by Brisbane on the 19th, and finally Sydney on the 20th.

But the vocalist has also hinted the band will treat the audience to a taste of their new songs, from the upcoming album. "Ultimately, this is going to be a ‘best of’ set. Hard-rocking, hard-gothing. I’m sure we’re also going to play a couple of new songs as well."

With years of touring around the world under their belts, and nearly 20 years of experience, surely there would be moments in their career that have stuck by them during this time.

"Mosh pits are a regular thing [at our gigs]. When we play the song, ‘Sister Of Charity’ I’ve seen people crying. It’s interesting to have a chance to cause such emotion instantly."

"I don’t think they are crying because we are so terrible," the singer laughs, "I think we have succeeded in playing and presenting the song, and loaded it full of emotion, so that emotion transfers to the audience."

However, while the mosh pit excitement is always just as exciting for the band itself, its that experience of seeing such a raw, emotional reaction to their music, that has stayed with the singer.

"It’s great to see people jumping around and throwing their mini-skirts on stage," he muses, "but when somebody is crying, it’s something that you can’t forget."

To channel such emotion is an applaudable talent, but is not necessarily represented by their influences. The vocalist describes that, while when the band started out, the influences came from a lot of bands (anywhere from Iggy and The Stooges to The Cult to The Sisters Of Mercy), he has managed to narrow down the list considerably for the latest album - naming just two key influences.

"Now I think the coolest thing is that the major influences [we have] are Elvis Presely and Count Dracula," Jyrki reflects, "It took us about 10 years to create the 69 Eyes sound, but that’s something that noone else is playing. If your playing punk or black metal, there is always a couple of bands who are pretty close to the stuff that you are doing, but in our case, [especially] soundwise, there aren’t any other bands who are doing what we are doing."

Undoubtedly so, with the band being well-known for their own blended signature of sleazy rock ‘n’ roll, affectionately known by the band and its followers as ‘goth ‘n’ roll’.

But it seems that their own unique style shouldn’t be put down to just being a genre of music, but more of an art form, with the singer being influenced, especially during early years, by comic books.

"I was a big time nerd," the singer admits, "I still am in that way of course [relating to comic books]."

Drawing as a teenager, the singer managed to become successful and famous within the underground comic artists in Finland, where he developed his skills and his own personal drawing style to the likes of several comics - most of which, have had some bearing on the concept for the 69 Eyes as a band.

"The reason I got into this band was because I just wanted to hang out with rock guys. I wanted to start to make flyers and draw logos for bands, and I met these guys in our band, and I just wanted to [do that] for them, and ended up to be a singer."

"I did all of the early flyers and posters for the 69 Eyes but, at some point, I didn’t have time for that," the singer reminisces, "I’m still planning to draw a completely new book of comics when I have time, hopefully. I have a lot of ideas."

Having been a fan of comic books, and experienced them by drawing and publishing them (including the underground comic, "Zombie Love"), the style was always set to influence his later career as a musician.

"My comics [especially from the mid-80s] are always happening in the night. They are pretty much the people who are, or are not so far from looking, like how our band looks. So, its kind of strange that, I sort of drew the future, like 25 years ago."

"My comics look like how our music sounds. They’re not so far away from the music and the whole concept of the 69 Eyes. When I am writing lyrics for our songs, my approach for a song, is that they could appear like comics. [Songs like] ‘Gothic Girl’, the storyline in the song, is not so far away from being straight drawn into a five-page rock ‘n’ roll comic."

Which begs the question, how will all these elements of futures past reflect their new album - set to be released in September this year.

"We wanted to turn a new page in the history of the 69 Eyes, and we wanted to create something new and fresh.

Working with producer, Matt Hyde - who has developed and produced bands such as Slayer, Monster Magnet and Foo Man Choo - was a new experience and a "spiritual journey" for the band, something that Jyrki believes has re-created the 69 Eyes, with a "classic rock background."

The album has since been completed, after a 2 month stay in Los Angeles, and the singer promises that it will be "an amazing album that I’m so proud of already."

Focussing on the concept of Vampires, the album will be an experience that 69 Eyes fans have never heard from the band before, boasting a mix of aggression and excitement that will still have the underlying ‘goth ‘n’ roll’, but promises to "hit you harder then any record we’ve ever done before."

"It will be really rocking. It’s going to be really aggressive and in your face!"

As such, the album is without a name, with Jyrki explaining that the name has been chosen, but he is still yet to reveal it - however, after a little hesitation, revealed that the album will in fact be called, "Back In Blood."

The release of the new album in September will also see the band clock up 20 years as a group - a feat that is not so easily achieved by bands of today’s era. But the singer believes it is because of one of the most simple aspects, that the band of vampires has stuck together for such a long time.

"We’re just really good friends. It’s a friendship. We’re just 5 friends from Helsinki rock clubs, who shared the same taste of music and hard-hitting enthusiasm for rock ‘n’ roll. We’ve been more like music fans than the determined guys [whose] strategy [is] to conquer the world," he explained, "Everything’s faithful to having an endless rock ‘n’ roll party, with no business plans."

"When we started the band, we wanted to be the coolest and loudest band in Helsinki. Then after playing some other towns in Finland, we wanted to be the coolest and loudest band in Finland. And now, as we are having the new record out this year, of course, we want to be the coolest and loudest band in the world."

"Basically, we are 5 guys who are friends, and after all these years, we don’t have any other friends," the singer laughs, "We would be pretty lonely if we weren’t playing in this band."

After talks of the new album, and ideas for future ambitions, the band certainly has the world at its feet, and begging for more - but for now, the main focus is the upcoming tour to Australia, for which Jyrki had the following message for the eager fans.

"Be prepared. Don’t bring any Garlic Butter. Don’t forget your sunglasses. The Helsinki Vampires are there. Right here, right now."