As we bid farewell to 2023, come along with us for a series of interviews with a few artists. We’ll chat with them about their experiences, challenges, and successes throughout the year. These talks give you a close-up view of what happened in the metal music scene in 2023. We chatted with Juho Jokimies of BLAME ME! to see how the alternative metal band have experienced 2023.
BLAME ME! recently signed a record deal with Out Of Line Music and released a new single, “Always Misplaced,” do you overall feel like 2023 was a successful year for BLAME ME!?
Juho: Yes, most definitely! Our biggest success was, of course, the record deal with Out Of Line Music. Even though we have known them for only a short time, they have proven to be amazing and warm-hearted professionals. In the background, we had to do lots of work to get things rolling. Now, things are looking bright for the future and we are ready for 2024 – with new music of course!
What’s the biggest lesson you learned as a band in 2023?
Juho: Patience is a virtue. [laughs] It has been a tough lesson to learn. We often get frustrated when things don’t happen when we expect them to happen. Of course, that also applies to life outside of music. It’s a good lesson to learn overall.
In 2023, it was announced that BLAME ME! is also going on tour with RAVE THE REQVIEM early 2024, what can fans expect from your show on that tour?
Juho: We will give the Western and Central European crowd a fiery and bursting experience of Northern modern metal and we are sure they can bring their dancing shoes to the show. We won’t say anything but if you’re coming for the show, there’s a chance you can catch some new BLAME ME! tunes there.
Have you (re-)discovered any new music during 2023?
Juho: We clearly have seen an effect [on our music preferences] by signing the record deal with Out Of Line Music. Both me and Joona discovered bands from our labelmates. I discovered NOVELISTS and their new singer Camille. She is so great and the new singles are kicking ass. They’re such a good band! Joona discovered Swedish alt-rockers PALESKIN. They have some great new music out too.
What else can we expect from BLAME ME! in 2024?
We will continue our hard work with the best team and our new partner, Out Of Line Music. After the tour in Europe, we will bring our live show energy back to the Finnish audiences. New music is in the making as we speak and we have a really good feeling about our new songs. The good old modern and melodic BLAME ME! sound is still there but we also have some exciting updates to our music.
Written by Laureline Tilkin
