Interview with Atomic Agent

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

I was around 10 years old, when I bought an Elvis Presley Best of cassette. The minute I heard Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto, I was sold. But it took five or six more years to get into playing music myself as my friends convinced to start playing bass guitar in their thrash metal band. At that point I knew that a bass guitar was the one with less strings than a guitar, but the very next day we already blasted out numbers like Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and God Save the Queen, much to the annoyance of the parents and the neighbours.

Since child I’ve been a music buff and been listening to metal, punk, goth rock, alternative, Britpop and whatever.

I do have a normal day job, but if I didn’t make music, I’d be into drawing, painting and writing as I’ve always been good at those. Who knows, maybe I’d be a cartoonist, an architect or an author. I am very creative.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

I take long walks with my wolf dog, renovate my old house, watch football (“soccer”) and play floorball myself.

How long has your band been around?

I started this in 2017, but it’s been a long process as I only started singing for the first time with Atomic Agent, and I’ve wanted to practice and improve before I properly came out with this. I’ve also had a certain metal band for a long time, and it’s still very active, recording and doing gigs, so Atomic Agent has been “the one on the side”, so to speak.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

I’m from Finland so half the year it’s frigging dark here, which I hate very much, but what an inspiration to vent out your inner darkness. To be honest I don’t know a single goth rock band coming from a warm, sunny country.

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Atomic Agent has a song by the same name (although still waiting to be released), and it just hit me, “hey, that’s a striking name!” To me it gives so many images in my head, so I liked it a lot.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

If we’re speaking about Atomic Agent, I wish I could, but since this is a solo project for the time being, I haven’t been able to take this thing onstage yet. I am working on to get a live lineup at least as I know this stuff would kick ass live. And it would be very visual too!

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

As a rather experienced musician I’ve played at many venues in many cities, but to pick a favourite… that’s difficult. I have played on bigger stages like Pakkahuone in Tampere (Finland), but I usually like smaller clubs as they are more intimate. I don’t think it even has to host more than say 40-50 people, but if it’s a full house, and you have to play pretty much among the audience, it can get really wild having people moshing and screaming right at your face!

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

If by lineup you mean other artists like I think you do, I think Atomic Agent would team up pretty nicely with acts such as Tribulation, Candlemass, Alice In Chains, Ghost and so on.

But if the lineup was about having a dream lineup for Atomic Agent, I’d take Mark Wheeler from the UK in the lead guitar, he did such an amazing work with Love Like Blood on a couple of their albums. On the rhythm guitar I’d have the young East Bay Ray from Dead Kennedys. For bass there’d be so many names, but one that has caught my ear lately, is Becky Baldwin from Mercyful Fate, she really commands that instrument and can step out from the basic bass pumping. If Cliff Burton were alive, there’d be none past him, though. On the drums I’d go for Mikkey Dee, he’s got the groove and he’d be a lot more than just a drummer behind the kit, he’s a showman! And I’d be ruining it for everyone on the mic.

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

Don’t let anything limit you! And by “anything” I mean anything! Just do it and enjoy yourself.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Hey, you in your twenties, try singing even if you’ve never done it.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

I’d go for Kiss the Sky. It deals with existential crisis and the uniqueness of your life. How life is too short to consume it on shitty things people can do, but to try and enjoy life instead.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Maybe Breathe Fire, Irene and Secret Society are the most fun, there’s so much of groove in them. But as mentioned before, not having yet played any gigs with this band I can’t answer the latter one. I hope I can answer that a year on from this though.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

It can be anything. Most common way is to come up with a guitar melody, but it can also be some lyrical line, a certain rhythm or a drum pattern, a bass pattern, a certain sound… Many ways to conjure up a song! Most difficult for me is when I come with just the lyrics first, and then I need to build it up from there, but if the music is there first, I hardly ever have any problems coming up with lyrics to it. And I usually have some sort of stories to tell too.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

The world might be going straight to hell as we speak, so why shouldn’t you party while doing so.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Funnily enough, sometimes, but eventually I come to an agreement with myself, haha. Although this is my solo band and I have a strong, clear vision for this, I’d let everyone’s voice be heard if I’d just find suitable musicians.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

To get a full live lineup, release a few singles and videos before the summer. And if I get a proper lineup, we’d hit the stages as there has been demand for that for quite some time already. If not, I’ll still release music with Atomic Agent and try to get as much attention and name for the band as possible.

Cheers!