GIRA is an alternative metal band from Southern Finland that consists of five members. They have roamed the venues of Finland since 2012, but found their current form in 2014. The band is known for its eccentric, high-energy live performance, modern heavy metal sound, and catchy melodies. GIRA‘s music takes a lot of influence from genres such as shoegaze, djent, black metal, and thrash metal, and mixes it up to a fresh kind of music. The band’s sound has been compared to the leading Finnish Metal acts such as STAM1NA and MOKOMA, and to the metal classic STRAPPING YOUNG LAD. Today we have vocalist Jere Saloranta‘s playlist for you!
1. The first song you remember hearing as a child
You remember the Smurfs? They made albums. They were basically chipmunk parody versions of popular ’90s pop songs. In Finnish. So that used to be my jam.
2. The first song you can recall ever really and truly loving
That would be METALLICA‘s “One.” I was truly obsessed with that song when I was 5 or so. I was bugging my big brother all day, every day to play that song for me from his stereos.
3. A song that you loved as a teenager/reminds you of high school
As a teenager I would often go to my friends house to listen to all kind of music. MARS VOLTA with the song “Goliath” blew our minds and the song still takes me back to those days.
4. The song or band that got you into metal music (or the current genre you play in)
My brother was a SLIPKNOT fan when I was a kid and I was (still am) sucking every bit of influence of him. I think it was the song [sic] that made me think “Wow, this is weird and aggressive… I like this.” By the time I was 10 I had seen SLIPKNOT live with SLAYER.
5. The most recent song to get stuck in your head
“FourFiveSeconds” by Rihanna. Love that song.
6. Your guilty pleasure song/band
I don’t ever feel guilty about liking a song. If I like the song I like the song and there is nothing more to it. But if I had to say something I’d say that I rather enjoy the Twilight soundtracks. Christina Perri and all that sappy stuff.
7. The first album you bought with your own money/the first album you were really excited to own
Most likely it was SYSTEM OF A DOWN‘s “Hypnotize.” My good friend and now bandmate had a bootleg of the album and it tended to skip so I decided to make that investment. That started my addiction of buying albums. I don’t even own a CD-player anymore, but still I buy CDs. I have a problem…
8. A song that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a hot beverage
Sufjan Steven‘s “Casimir Pulaski Day.” A very sad and thought-provoking song with great storytelling in it.
9. A song to blast at full volume while you’re on the road
IN FLAMES – “My Sweet Shadow.” You’re on the road with your best friends. You’re getting close to your folk’s summer cottage. Your main man from the front seat turns up the volume and puts this song on. The poor driver has to try to maneuver a curvy dirt road while these apes scream and shout. There is no other way to start a cottage party.
10. The song you’d most like to be played at your funeral
To be honest it would be nice if they played something I took part in composing. If somebody is planning my funeral at the moment (first of all stop, that’s creepy), play “Peili.” The somewhat uplifting lyrics on a sad sounding song would hit the spot.
Interview by Eliza Rask
Musicalypse, 2016
OV: 2454
Recent posts
[recent_post_carousel design=”design-1″]
Related posts
News post
