Tuomas Saukkonen (Before The Dawn. Black Sun Aeon. Finland) INTERVIEW

I discovered Before The Dawn by accident, trough a friend from Finland who told me I should buy a particular album, I was a bit skeptic but I bought it none the less, Before The Dawn – Deadlight, and from there on everything is history. I started devouring all the projects that this guy called Tuomas Saukkonen gave birth to. I had to fly to Spain to find a particular album of Dawn Of Solace – seeing that the band was signed to Locomotive Records of Spain it seemed the best starting point to start looking for this album in stores. It is always awesome to find such musicians with this immense talent and this immense calling towards music. There are a lot of things that can be said about Tuomas Saukkonen and his projects, one of the best descriptions you will find under the following link – it is more related to Before The Dawn but you will have the opportunity to find out what makes a great artist tick –

www.beforethedawn.com/bandbio

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Sir Olaf Pol: We have the pleasure of talking to Tuomas Saukkonen. Main composer and song writer for a bunch of bands, maybe you can tell us all the names

Tuomas Saukkonen: Well at the moment my active bands are: Before The Dawn, Black Sun Aeon, Dawn Of Solace, The Final Harvest, RoutaSielu and Bonegrinder. In Bonegrinder I am just a drummer.

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Sir Olaf Pol: And how many of these bands are the brainchilds of Tuomas Saukkonen?

Tuomas Saukkonen: All but Bonegrinder. Well with The Final Harvest we will share the composing in the future

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Sir Olaf Pol: For the people who are not to familiar with your music, maybe you can tell us a short history about the man behind the music, how did it all start, what was the first project you created and how did this hobby evolve into all these projects?

Tuomas Saukkonen: I started to play guitar when I was 8 years old and wrote my first song after 2 months of playing. I have always been into writing music instead of learning songs made by others. When I was 16 I started as a drummer of a local rock band and at the same time had a lot of songs written that didn’t fit the sound of band so I booked a studio and went and did the first Before the Dawn demo by myself with a friend of mine as a sound guy. That was a kind of an ignition point and I really realized what was “my thing”, to make music. From that first demo I have spend most of my time and money for music, writing and recording it. It is still a hobby for me even though I see myself as an more professional by attitude now days

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Sir Olaf Pol: What word can you associate with every brainchild you have, or what word comes to mind when you hear the names of you projects

Tuomas Saukkonen: A difficult one! I can associate with a facial expression: smile. All my bands are the happiness of my life. I live with my everyday demons and darkness and music is just a pathway for that. Bands are not tokens of darkness to me.

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Sir Olaf Pol: All these different projects you are active in, do they reflect a different attitude of yourself? Or you just think that the sound of a song will not fit very well with a particular project so you incorporate the song in another project?

Tuomas Saukkonen: I don’t think at all. I just write music and the songs kind of pick their bands. Never had to choose which band gets a latest song. I just write different kind of music and want to proceed with all the styles which are the reason for so many projects. I am just a kid on a sandbox with too many buckets and shovels – laughs –

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Sir Olaf Pol: Where do you find the energy to do all these projects? With all these buckets and shovels is there any time for Tuomas off stage or in the studio?

Tuomas Saukkonen: I have my off time when I need it. I watch a lot of movies, go to gym etc. And being in studio producing my own music is the best fun I can think of. It is not work in that sense so it is easy to find the energy on your live shows

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Sir Olaf Pol: Tell us a few words about RoutaSielu – frozen soul -, I heard that it is a brand new project not more the 1 month old … and perhaps a few words about Teargod, when should we expect any discographic material?

Tuomas Saukkonen: RoutaSielu is my newest project and first one 100% Finnish singing project. Music style is somewhere between old Rob Zombie, Slipknot and Rammstein. I will start the recordings of the debut album, next week. Teargod is still sleeping and the future will show when it will rise again

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Sir Olaf Pol: What about Dawn Of Solace which has been sleeping for 3 years now

Tuomas Saukkonen: I got Dawn Of Solace out from the shitty deal that was the reason for the loooong break. Now the band is free again and I have the opportunity to continue. Will demo record some new songs soon and maybe return to stage with the band also in next few months. The break was almost 4 years and not sure yet will there be a 2nd album. Need to find a new label etc etc

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Sir Olaf Pol: You once said that with Before The Dawn you could play in a Dönner Restaurant, but with Black Sun Aeon you need a bigger setting?

Tuomas Saukkonen: For Black Sun Aeon I need a venue with a certain kind of darkness so that the music can be created. Before The Dawn is more like a rock and roll band that will kick ass anywhere.

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Sir Olaf Pol: Can you say that you have a favorite project? Or they tend to rotate?

Tuomas Saukkonen: All are equally dear to me. All are equally important. The biggest attention goes to the band that is making an album of course.

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Sir Olaf Pol: Why don’t you talk, or present the songs on stage? With Before The Dawn, Lars does the talking and with Black Sun Aeon no one speaks a word on stage.

Tuomas Saukkonen: I am on the stage to play and sing. I rather let Lars do the talking and stand in the spotlight between the songs. Sometimes people have been thinking that i am arrogant etc but it is nothing like that. I communicate with the audience by music and feel connection by that. I don’t feel the need of shouting “aaareeee you haaaviiiiin fuuuuun” between the songs. with Black Sun Aeon there is no front man, there is no talking. There is just the music

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Sir Olaf Pol: 10 years with Before The Dawn, what do you think of this experience over the years?

Tuomas Saukkonen: Music business sucks – laughs –

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Sir Olaf Pol: The anniversary EP Decade Of Darkness went number 1 in Finland. How did you react to this news and also winning the 2nd place for best finish musician of the year during the Finish Music Awards?

Tuomas Saukkonen: Decade Of Darkness as 1# in the single charts was not that big of a surprise since we have had 2 singles Deadsong and Faithless 2# on the charts earlier. It was actually a goal to have it as a 1# single. FMA 2# in “musician of the year” was a huge surprise. Didn’t see that coming at all, a lot of guys were behind me that I would have never thought to be even compared to

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Sir Olaf Pol: You hit Asia with a tour not that long ago, how did the crowd in Asia compare to the crowd from Europe?

Tuomas Saukkonen: The crowd in Asia was totally crazy. Don’t want to compare audiences from different countries since we have had amazing crowds all over Europe also but the loudest crowd so far comes from Asia.

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Sir Olaf Pol: So it’s true what they say, what a crowd that will make you stand and stare, go to Asia.

Tuomas Saukkonen: Yes!

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Sir Olaf Pol: Last year you had a European tour that included Romania, Bucharest, what where the impression that the Romanian public left on you?

Tuomas Saukkonen: It was awesome. Our first time in Romania, a lot of technical problems but the audience really saved the night! – smiles -

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Sir Olaf Pol: What did you know about Romania before you came here? Have you ever heard of Romanian bands?

Tuomas Saukkonen: I know the crazy ex dictator and his wife with thousands of shoes; also you have good athletes in summer sports. Never heard of any local bands…

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Sir Olaf Pol: Well it is nice to see that we are not all in love with the myth that we are all vampires over here, because all that people usually know is Vlad Dracul or Dracula and Transylvania,

Tuomas Saukkonen: Vampires are just a fairytale…or is it?

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Sir Olaf Pol: When is the next gig in Romania?

Tuomas Saukkonen: Hopefully as soon as possible.

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Sir Olaf Pol: And the toughest question … drum roll…. If you had the chance to live as a cartoon character, who would you choose, and why?

Tuomas Saukkonen: aaaaargh …Garfield….I just want to chill out and eat a lot of lasagna.

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Sir Olaf Pol: Thank you for your time and mostly for your patience … hope you will grant us the honor of another interview as soon as possible

Tuomas Saukkonen: I am always ready!!

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www.beforethedawn.com