As we kick 2024 out the door and welcome 2025 with open arms, join us for a series of interviews with artists who’ve braved the year’s riffs, breakdowns, and questionable soundchecks. We’re diving into their triumphs, challenges, and everything that kept the music industry alive and kicking. We sat down with Helsinki-based grunge/’70s rock group EAST ELECTRIC to hear how they experienced 2024.
Hi there! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions about 2024. Let’s start with the obvious, how has 2024 been for you?
Well, we haven’t really been around for that long yet, so 2024 marks practically our first full four quarters of operation. And what a year it has been: gigs, new songs, dramatic health issues, recoveries, new songs, and some more gigs. We are thankful for being where we are now, but it feels like the rock keeps on rolling ever forward. One could say that we’ve rocked our hearts out almost too literally…
By the time this is released, you will have released a new single, “Killer On the Run,” and you are releasing a new album next year. How much of 2024 did you dedicate to writing/recording that album?
The album has obviously been a goal that has driven us forward. Everything has happened quite organically, actually, and we haven’t felt like forcing it (yet?). A constant flow of ideas has guaranteed stable progress, despite some mid-year setbacks. We’ve been having so much fun with making the album, that it doesn’t even feel like dedication. It’s like the songs write themselves and we just need to follow the lead.
What were some of your musical highlights in 2024?
Some excellent gigs at various festivals in the Finnish summer, including one at a midsummer festival. Lots of new audiences, new venues, new settings, and a shitload of fun.
Have you (re-)discovered any music you’d like to share with our readers?
We are so old that discovering new things doesn’t happen often. Even if we try hard to keep up with the trends, we tend to notice that our “recent favorites” are often a couple of decades old. Still, every now and then we feel young again. THE WARNING, Gustavo Santaolalla, and SHAMUS are some names worth mentioning here.
What can we expect from East Electric in 2025?
Well, the album, of course. And with it, some more songs, more and bigger gigs, more more, more of what you would expect and more of what you wouldn’t. We might have found our own sound, but we want to keep our listeners on their toes. Expect the unexpected!
Interview by Laureline Tilkin
