Now that 2022 is coming to a close, it’s good to look back at what this year has looked like. We invited a few artists to talk about how 2022 has been for them and what the future holds. A few years ago, RIASA surprised us, so naturally, we had to see what they were up to in 2022. The band released an album, “Kaaoksen kämmenellä” at the beginning of this year. We talked with singer Molli about how 2022 has been for them, so read the interview below…
What musical goals did you set for 2022? Did you achieve them?
We don’t usually set concrete goals. The constant goal is to find new ideas, make new music, play more gigs, and spread the word. We are missionaries on a holy mission.
Were you able to dedicate as much of 2022 to your project/band as you had hoped?
We have managed to keep ourselves busy. At the beginning of the year, we released an album, “Kaaoksen kämmenellä,” that we see as the decision of an era. Since then, we have focused on the band’s future and the next steps. The first taste of the new chapter came in the form of a new “Kaikki syntini” -single. It would have been nice to play more gigs, but on the other hand, every show we played was really good.
What were some of the highlights you realized in 2022?
Making the “Saatanan sammakko” music video was definitely one. We asked for video clips from the fans and it was great to see how enthusiastically people got involved. We have an incredibly great group of loyal and active listeners. Other highlights were the gig in Vaasa with STAM1NA and the gig in Seinäjoki with KOTITEOLLISUUS. Those were a blast!
Is there anything you learned during 2022?
With the last album, we released as many singles as possible in advance, so there were also some unconventional choices. The singles probably ate up attention from each other and even though, for example, “Sadistin humppa” is a great song, maybe it’s not the one that could bring new listeners through playlists. In the future, we will think more about which are single songs and which are album tracks.
Have you (re-)discovered any new music during 2022?
The year has been full of many kinds of music. Among the new releases, I could single out AVANTASIA, Maija Vilkkumaa, ARCH ENEMY, BLINK 182, NYRKKITAPPELU, Juha Lagström, RUOSKA, KÄRMES, TURMION KÄTILÖT, Loretta Problem, ANTINRANTA, URSUS FACTORY, KOODINIMI KÄKIKELLO, RENDEZ-VOUS, and ANTIVALENT. The list could go on and on, so I’ll stop myself here.
What can we expect from you in 2023?
We are going to take you for a ride and introduce you to a new world. We can’t wait!
