Interview with Amoth @ Tuska 2022

Hello Amoth! How are you doing today?

Great!

Excellent. Excellent.

Great start for this day.

It was very surprising that the place was full of people. We were the first band, and it was pretty early, like two o’clock.

For a metal festival, it’s basically an early morning.

It was surprising. It was like a really fun gig to play because there were lots of people in the audience.

You get the energy from people.

Yeah. And like, I was expecting like maybe few people then.

Because 15 minutes before the gig, we saw the TV backstage, and there were a few people, and we were like, “Oh no.” But then we hit the stage, and the place was full.

Yeah. People came from somewhere.

Awesome! Has your practice technique changed over the years?

I don’t know. We started in the conservatory, and maybe we learned there at the beginning, like how we take new songs we learned in new songs, so, I’m not sure.

Uh, probably so. I speak for myself. I don’t have to do so much technique nowadays compared to before. Because I already can.

When I joined the band, I found myself at some point technically. But when I started practising these songs, my like level grew, and it’s, of course, easier to take like new songs. Of course, there is stuff that I have to practice again, but it’s a little bit easier, at least for me. And now it’s much easier since we all live near each other.

It’s really difficult. I’ve been in the band for less than a year. And I used to sing in an atmospheric rock band, like really low voices. Now I scream from the bottom of my lungs; it’s different. And it has taken a shitload of practice!

I get it! Who is the messiest person in the band?

It’s Tomi.

Or at least he wants to be.

Do you sing in the shower, and if yes, what do you think we sing?

No, because I can’t.

No, not really, actually.

I think sometimes because I have other bands that I sing backing vocals. Something Finnish.

Do you think it’s harder for women to be in the metal industry?

I never had any problem.

I think if I’m in the audience watching bands with female members, it might be a little bit harder if the female is singing in the band. Because the singer is usually the front.

There was one situation, we were on our European tour four or five years ago. We were in Slovakia, or I don’t know what city was it, but it was a Catholic country, and they didn’t want me to sleep with guys in the same room. They located me in a different area of the building, and after the gig, we came back there, and nobody was awake anymore. I went to wash my make-up away. I didn’t want to go in the shower because there were no doors, no locks or anything. So I thought maybe I’ll just wash my face, you know? And then the light went off in the hallway. I heard someone coming like footsteps, and I immediately ran into my room because I was on the opposite side of that shower room. The guy came, and he actually stole my soap. Can you believe it? My soap, I forgot it there. And after that, I slept with the nails scissor just under my pillow. I called the guys that someone would come to sleep with me. You get more attention when you are female on the stage, at least I think, I think so because, because we play like heavy metal stuff and people say, “There’s a female bass player!”.

I have seen many female players in bands in the black metal scene. I’m not a fan of black metal, but I went to see a festival a few months ago here in Finland.

I’m going to play a little game with you if that’s all right. Do you know the Statue of Liberty in New York is holding a torch? And if, instead, it was you choosing what the Statue is holding, what would you let her hold?