Minutian

Members:

• Mikko Heino – Vocals
• Jaakko Jernberg – Guitars
• Jesper Johnson – Guitars
• Jouni Mikkola – Bass
• Antti Ruokola – Drums & Percussion

Where in Finland are you from?

- All of us live in or near Helsinki.

How would you describe your band for those who don’t know you?

- Minutian plays progressive rock/metal. Lots of odd time signatures, though we like to keep the songs quite structured. We don’t shrug off the idea of catchy melodic choruses, yet we still like to have some weirdness going on too.

When did you form as a group?

- The original idea of the band traces back to the beginning of 2008. I had recorded some songs I had made, together with Jouni. Soon we had some friends playing the songs at the rehearsal place with us, but both of the guitarists were replaced and the original vocalist quit in the fall of 2009. Luckily Jesper and Jaakko stepped in. When we got Mikko to join us, it gave the whole group a good boost in morale and we got things moving quickly.

What was the inspiration for your recent album?

- I can’t single out a specific source of inspiration for this album. Some bands that have inspired the overall feeling of the whole album include the likes of King Crimson and Tool — maybe a bit of Oceansize and Katatonia as well, to name just a few. As for Mikko’s vocals, bands like Dream Theater, Queensrychë and Iron Maiden play a role there.

- The music for this album was written long before Mikko joined the band and therefore his vocal style really stirred the pot, giving the outcome a feel of 80′s style classic heavy rock being mixed with a 90′s alternative, more indie-based progressive approach. Some will like it, some will not. Live & learn.

What other releases do you have?

- No other releases so far.

What is your favorite song on your most recent album?

- I really like ‘Give In’ for the song’s feeling. It is really dreamy and different from all the other songs on the album. It was actually recorded just at the last minute and luckily it somehow just came together quite effortlessly. On a different note, I really like ‘In Circles’ also. That song has a really groovy theme riff and the delay guitars. The vocals also came out really nice. I can hear lots of different bands in the song — King Crimson a lot, Kingston Wall a little bit, and there’s a tiny hint of Alice In Chains going on as well.

Do you have any gigs coming up?

- Yep, here are the confirmed ones at the moment:

• 30.9. Pub Katse, Jyväskylä
• 19.11. Club Liberté, Helsinki
• 25.11. Vernissa, Vantaa
• 2.12. Bar Bäkkäri, Helsinki

What’s your favorite type of venue to play?

- Well, any venue with a sufficient PA-system and competent staff will do just fine. So far we’ve only played at various rock clubs, except for one outdoors event in a park in Helsinki. We do hope we’ll get the chance to play at festivals and other events in the future as well.

If you could play anywhere in the world this week, where would it be?

- Hmm, a pretty tough question. Maybe at Greece’s parliament house, as a background band, while they are trying to figure out a way to balance their economy.

Do you have a Website, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter etc?

- Well, yes we do. You can find more info about us at www.minutian.com or at community sites maintained directly by us:

• MySpace
• Facebook
• Twitter

- Check ‘em out!

What are your influences as a band?

- The influences vary a lot inside the group – I think we mainly listen to a lot of modern stuff, some metal, some pop. I tend to listen to mostly rock/pop –stuff more than metal. Also, the influences are coming more and more from the attitudes of certain bands, not the music itself. At least for me. The music can be really different from ours, but if there’s a certain ‘thing’ about it, it might work its way into our music.

People who enjoy your music tend to like what other bands?

- I would assume that people who like us like bands that have influenced us musically. There’s Tool, King Crimson & Oceansize – more of that modern progressive stuff. And then there are some people who listen to the stuff with classic heavy vocals – Queensrychë, maybe Dream Theater. But, I actually have no idea what else some random fan of ours might listen.

Are you signed to a label?

-Nope, we are not. Should a great deal knock on our door, I don’t think we would mind. On the other hand the realism of this kind of music is that deals – even great deals – are not so easy to get. And nowadays, it is really easy and cheap to record at home or at your rehearsal place, so the budget can be modified accordingly quite easily.

- I think the biggest problem in DIY-stuff is the marketing of the final product. That costs the most and it could actually take more energy than the whole writing & recording processes combined. This is where a label would be of great help.

Where do you think you’ll be as a band in 5 years?

- No idea, whatsoever. Perhaps doing our 3th or 4th album on a lonely island near Bahamas. Probably doing our 100th gig as a cover band on a “love-boat”, sailing the Baltic Sea.

Is there anything else people should know about Minutian?

- Well, I don’t know if it’s a secret or not – I heard that the drummer of the band is actually a former soviet-mafia enforcer.

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