Your new album, My Winter Storm, will be released in a few days: what are your sensations, aspectatives and hopes about it?
It has been a very long process, it took almost a year to plan all this with attention. I think I did it very well, cause the production started in June(and ended in September) when the half of the work was already done. All the people, musicians, choir, orchestra, experts with sound tracks, had to work in little times and at the same time in a very clear way, because I have started already with the idea of don’t turn back in studio to edit the material during the production. On the album has been captured the real sensations of those moments with everybody in the studio to recode, and I think it’s a fantastic thing, I can be glad of this.

I’ve been able to give this album the vision that I had clearly since the beginning, being able to be understood by my collaborators. Specially the producter, wich felpe me to give my idea sto the other peoplr. Of course it has not been so easy, because we worked with a lot of people and in many different studios. It caould also be a bad work in the and, in this cases we must be carefull of all. But I’ve always been present and I’ve given informations and indication with Daniel Presley(the producter)… and it worked! It has ben surely a news for us all…

This has been the first very experience of creation o fan album from the beginning to the end for you.
Yes indeed! I’ve followed all the production from the beginning without no one telling me what to do. Even because if someone would tried to say something I’ve would say: “Hey, what are you doing? This is MY album!”
When I look at my copy of the cd I can be proud, cause I really see myself in it. It has been the first time that I composed the songs alone and also with other people, it has been amazing
Now, thinking about at the fact that the abum will be published- in finland on wensday! Gasp!- I am really exited, cause it’s my first solo album that it’s launched at International levels! I know that I must be realistic: I’ve done some brave choosen in this work. I’ve not released an album not heavy and classic neither: it’s something else.
When people will listen to i twill be surprised, I hope in a positive way. But I know that I’ve not recorded an album keeping care of what the people could react from it. This would be wrong.

You recorded a Poison Cover, did Alice Cooper phone you to tell if he liked it?
It has always been my objective! I’m trying to make him listen to it through the mark of the album (laughs) When I was recording in the Remote Control Studios in Los Angeles I was just recording this song and we really had fun! In this studios works, in the Hans Zimmer’s composing team, a great Alice Cooper’s friend and I’ve prayed him to let listen to Alice my version of Poison. I’ve leaven to him a recording of the song, but Alice didn’t call me yet, so I don’t know if he did listen it, if he likes it.. Surely my version is very different, it represents me because it should fits with the rest of the album . It has not been easy: in Ireland the band has recorded the base and I was the only one with the final idea in m mind. They had some difficoultes to play like I wanted, i had to explane them: I knew it would be great, but also difficoult to understand just listening at the guitar, bass and drims recordings. All the original riffs of Poison missed and the band asked me:”what do u want? What should we do?” and I told them to believe me and believe my ideas. Now they litened to the final version and they think it’s very intresting, because it’s personalized, and you can hear me, my version.

Who’s the male voice in this song?

It’s my little brother Teo Turunen. Si He will play also in the concerts. Mike Terrana will play drums, my broche the electronic drums. And he will play also a bit of keys, guitas, and he’ll sing. So like you maybe understood, Poison will be in the concerts list .

Your experience with Nightwish, and with classical music had helped you in the release of this album?
Of course, it’s part of me, of my growning and of my background. For how I see it this album is my music experience in the last 15 years. What I’ve sperimented in ths period of my lide it’s all inside this album: since I was 15 years sold and I started to sing. Then Nightwish arrived and wil my classical background I had a lot of problems and I was looking for an equilibrium to sing in my band. It needed a lot of time, but many orizons opened up to me. I bring with me all those things.
At the same time, listening to the album you can hear that’s not meta, and not also classic. It contains elements of both generes, combined in a sort of score with paints scenes and images which every people can see in their ming. My Objecitve was to combine all this things and not being stupid or to complicated.
Maby asked me how can I put togheter classic guitar and cello and then put a song of electric guitars and another one with solo orchestra because they think it’s too complicated. In my opinion it’s not complicated, the most important thing it’s the emotion. Muisc is emotion, if it miss the listener doesn’t moves. Each of us listens to many kind of music and will have different impressions, but there’s never a wrong interpretation, there’s no wrong sensations, this is music.
Finnish music lives from many vears a golden moment: there’s you, nightwish, apocalyptica, the reasmus, Him. What reasons are beneath this situation in your opinion?
Gasp! Gimme a moment… I can’t explane you all in 2 words! (laughs) it’s wonderfull of course that finnish music has been so popular in the worls. I am glad to being part of it, I am like a message of Finland.I don’ t know if it’s just a good moment or if it’s comes from the fact that we are in search of the beauty in the music, and in our life. Sometimes to live is a mess, it’s stressing and there’s a evasion need. My escape it’s music. Of course, there’s friends and family, but music it’s music! I think that many people agree with me, needs a way to go far from the reality. Finnish misic it’s very sentimental and emotional and through its malincony and its darkness it arrives to people’s heart. Finnish music is living this golden moment from 10 years and it’s wondefull to belong to this. But in general all Scandivian music, from Norway and Sweden. There’s a lot of dark, rock bands that brings with them this sorto f malinchony. When you hear them you understand where they come from.

Let’s talk about your last video. Did you have fun when you realize it?

Yes really! I have to admitt that it was very funny. There’s needed 2 days and we realized it in a forest in Berlin. Don’t ask me why in Berlin and not in Finland where there’s millions of forests . The director and his staff were germans. Anyway, it has been beautiful and I’ve felt good with them. I’ve loved to act those characters, cause since I was young that I loved theatre. The make up for the Queen of Ice did least 3 hours and the problem was the wheather, rain and sun, and we had to run! There were the make up dressers that followed me because I wasn’t ready, but we needed light!
I walk alone has a more deep meaning for me, from it I’ve took the title from my album: : My Winter Storm holding me awake it’s never gone. People is the storm that held me awake. I know, it’s weird that I’ve took a video that doesn’t fits with the song. It went in this way: I’ve decided the characters and I’ve explained them to the director and he built the story. I wanted this characters in the video and in the artwork and in some way they are also in my songs.

Can you tell me about those characters and their meaning?

It’s a little bit fantasy video, and a little bit horror. It’s a sort of short film. Also the songs are like a movie, a sorto f sound track. The video’s history tells about 2 childrens which comes to the edge of a scary forest. The little sisters doesn’t want to come in but the brother take her in the forest. Inside there’s a spirit, the Queen of Ice, that try to lead them in the right way. But the situation changes with the dead boy that tries to scare them with the people of the forest. Phoenix at the end save them all… but it’s only fantasy and nothing more. It’s has been funnier to do it.

How it was to work with a relative of Elvis?tato lavorare con un parente di Elvis? (Ndr Daniel Presley, producer)

Ehehe it has been the first thing I’ve asked him when I’ve heard his surname ”are u a King’s relative?” He laughed, I’ve not been the first who asked it. He held my hand and woked to the production from the beginning to the end, I didn’t want a producer that tells me exactly what to do. I needed someone that did understands my idead and supported me. I’m thankfull to been able to find such person, able to translate my vision and realize it without his decisions.

Let’s talk about the next tour: will we see you in Italy?

Cause I’m here I have to promise it! Now, untill the end of the year there will be the warm up, that will be in 10 shows. I’m excited to start to come back on tour, I miss the sensation I feel on the stage, audience’s warmth. There’s always been a relationship between me and the fans and I miss it so much. I will start next week in Berlin, this dream will become true. We will do just a pause for Xmas and the last of the year. And we are planning for the next year, to restart in April and making pauses every week cause I need to relax and I don’t want to break the band. We will touch Europe different times, I come from Finland, so I am close! With the people I actually work I can plan everything without run! I will come surely in Italy. I didn’t decided when yet but I think I will come before 2008!

Fonte: Heavyworlds.com