Coffee and Conversation: Tomi Koivusaari of AMORPHIS

On Wednesday, September 18, 2024 I went to Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville, California to take pictures of AMORPHIS who was co-headlining with DARK TRANQUILLITY for a North American tour. The journey began on September 3rd in Richmond, Virginia and is winding its way through over two-dozen cities with the tour coming to a close on October 6th in New York City. Support is being provided by the band Fires In The Distance. Tickets for this must-see tour are on sale now HERE.

I got to see the show last night at Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville, California. AND, I was honored to get a chance to sit down with legendary guitarist  TOMI KOIVUSAARI, before the show and ask a few quick questions and ask about the tour and how it is going so far. Below is a transcript of our 10 minutes together. Enjoy! 

KOIVUSAARI at Goldfield Trading Post, Roseville, California 9/19/2024

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 CHEL EVAH (CE): So, thank you for your time today. I appreciate it. And we appreciate the band coming here and bringing DARK TANQUILLITY with you. It's been a while since I've seen either of you, I saw you here at Ace of Spades. Probably in 2019. I know that you guys have been together since about 1990, and, um, over those three decades, your music style has changed from deathcore, to progressive, to melodic. Um, why the evolution? Is it something that  happened because you all grew up together or is it something that was intentional?

TOMI KOIVUSAARI (TK): Well, yeah, when we formed the band we were like underage like 16/17 years old. And uh, at the time we were just, you know, the band was like Iron Maiden, then Slayer uh then Morbido Angel carcass. But of course, when you're that young, there will be like different kind of - your musical taste will be like, wider not maybe change, but it will be wider all the time. So we started to listen different kinds of bands, like Pink, Floyd and 70s progressive music. So that affected your music as well. eah. And we let it affect because we wanted to like have our own sound. Yeah. So yeah. It just happened.

CE: How did the band get together? Were you guys in school together?

TK: Actually, me and Jan, the drummer, have known each other since we were like 10 years old I had a first band. We were like in the same scene in Helsinki, you know we gathered with metal heads in some place in Helsinki Center and we got to know each other so just like that. Just evolved.

CE: That's great. It seems that this tour the band is promoting The Tales From A Thousand Lakes Live as part of the 30th anniversary of the first release of the album?

TK: Well actually it wasn't originally still like Halo tour. We didn't have like a specific tour for The Tales.

 TK: That's, that's the last tour we are going to do, like before we enter the studio with a new album. And we wanted to do one one more tour here in America. And, uh, I think it's, it's been, like, like great response.

TK: A few places are not huge if you compare to Europe, but it doesn't matter because the audience was has been great and the response was been very good. And uh, Dark Tranquillity are good friends of ours. So it's been like, It's nice.

CE: Well, you are halfway through this tour. I thought maybe it was because during like the pandemic you guys didn't get to tour much and maybe wanted to revisit the album.

TK: Yeah I think it wasn't the best time. It was just when everything started to open and there was a lot of like uh Like our parents said that they didn't like wanted to go to show. But this will be the last tour before the next album and uh next year is actually going to be really quiet. We start before after the album comes out. So it will be like, first time to have that kind of break.

CE: Earlier you mentioned the venues are different here than back home. What are the differences?

TK: Well, yeah, if you compare to Europe or Finland, they're larger venues. At least this, uh, bigger to us. But, but I still like the places. This is like, very different kind of venue for example, but I'm sure it's gonna be fun times. And we played in San Francisco, DNA Lounge. And it looked like a night club more like, yeah, still the feeling was great.

CE: Well, like I said earlier, the tour is halfway done. Have you, um, received a great response?

TK: Very good response and, uh, met a lot of, uh, most people. But it's been good. Uh, hot weather still now, it's like normal now.

RE: Now it's normal. Yeah, but it was 113 a couple months ago. I didn't know, I live in the desert!

CE: On the side note, my son and I want to visit Finland. Because we heard it's a very lovely place to go and people very friendly and it is beautiful. We want to see the Aurora Borealis.

TK: Are you planning to go and wintertime or summertime?

CE: I think it was probably more Springtime.

TK: I think they said April was the best time April or May but I'm not sure but they just have those like a couple of days. My friends send me pictures. It can be like in the middle of summer as well, if you catch the right days.

CE: We are looking forward to it!

CE: So, when I saw you here in 2019 at Ace of Spades, you guys provide a really lively stage show. Is this enough room for you guys today? Or is it going to be a little crazy?

TK: Yeah, feeling it between the audience and the band. That's that's what matters. Like yeah, you'll get that up close here.

CE: Is there anything that the fans can expect tonight? Any new songs coming that we're gonna hear?

TK: Well, I hope there are some different songs, but uh, it's still a Halo tour but there's like some awesome new and stuff. Like what we have just played like in the festival set in Europe this summer. So uh, I don't know if there's gonna be any surprises but uh yeah, I hope it's gonna be good anyway.

CE: I know we, the fans, appreciate the band, and I appreciate your time. So I won't keep you much longer, but thank you so much. It's nice to meet you.

TK: Nice to meet you. Thank you so much.

CE: Oh, I forgot to ask one last thing: Is there anything that fans can look forward to? You said there's a new album coming out next year?

TK: Or yeah, right after that, then the end of the year, we are going into the studio. I cannot speak that about that yet because we haven't announced it and so the album will be out like, Autumn 25.

CE: Okay, great, thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate the scoop!

TK: Thank you so much.

 ** For tickets to any of the upcoming shows, go HERE.