If you hear the name “SPACE WEASELS,” what style of music do you imagine? The band themselves have a bit of trouble deciding between indie rock and indie pop, so indie might be the simplest description. Founded only recently in 2016, this foursome has already spent some time in the studio and released a few songs. This week, vocalist/guitarist Mikko Pajukallio shares the playlist of his life with you.
1. The first song you remember hearing as a child
Oh my Evolution, this is a hard question. It must be some sort of children’s song from ’90s cartoons, or a lullaby. But if I need to name one song, I would say “Mamma Mia” by ABBA. My big sister used to have this CD called “Hits for Kids vol. 1” and as far as I can remember, “Mamma Mia” was one of the first songs on that album. We listened to it a lot.
2. The first song you can recall ever really and truly loving
I’m kind of proud of this one. At the age of 7 I heard “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” on the radio and I fell in love with the song. It’s funny how it took me more than 2 years to find out the artist. I guess it was my classmate who finally told me that the band was THE OFFSPRING.
3. A song that you loved as a teenager/reminds you of high school
There are so many songs I loved as a kid and each and every one gives me a different kind of memory. If I have to pick only one I’m going to go with some Eminem. I used to be a metalhead and at the ages of 10–16 I only listened to ’80s metal bands (teenagers with their very limited taste in music, I know right?). So it was a little shock when I opened a Christmas present from my mum and it was “Curtain Call: The Hits” by Eminem. That wasn’t the first thing on my list but I started liking the album and truly fell in love with the song “Stan.” That was one of the first songs that I listened to for the lyrics, and not for the melody (even though there is nothing wrong with the melody either!). I guess I still remember all the lyrics to that song – gosh what a flashback.
4. The song or band that got you into metal music (or the current genre you play in)
My current indie rock band, SPACE WEASELS, is a mix of happy summer vibes and melancholy mystics, but my former band was hard rock. One band that inspired me to want to do something not as heavy as we did in my first band is THE KOOKS. It’s one of my favorite bands of all time and the main reason why I wanted to turn off my distortion pedal. In my opinion, they haven’t done a single bad song and naming my favorite is as hard as choosing which of your parents you love the most, haha. But let’s go with the song “Is it Me.” THE KOOKS is a band I need to listen to every day.
5. The most recent song to get stuck in your head
For a couple of days I’ve been humming the song “Like Dogs” by PEGASUS BRIDGE. It gets stuck in your head easily, and not because of an annoying melody – it’s just a beautiful song. And the chorus has the simplest lyrics ever.
6. Your guilty pleasure song/band
I love the TV show Glee and I get made fun of quite a lot for that. In my opinion the show really has everything. How can anyone dislike the combination of comedy and musicals, right? There are a lot of Glee cast covers on Spotify and they’re great. Compared to the originals, they have way more harmonies and that’s one thing I love the most about them. One of the most known Glee covers is probably the song “Defying Gravity.” It’s a duet by a male and a female vocalist and their voices fit perfectly together.
7. The first album you bought with your own money/the first album you were really excited to own
The first album I ever bought was “Abbey Road” by THE BEASTLES. I went to Stockholm with my family and dad gave me some money, which I was super happy about. Sadly, the album was quite expensive and I didn’t have much money left to buy souvenirs or candies. A real life tragedy in the life of little me, but totally worth it.
8. A song that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a hot beverage
Not many songs will make me want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of tea. But if I’m already feeling comfy I’d rather listen to some soft instrumental music that isn’t too massive. A very cool song for relaxing is “Interloper” by CARBON BASED LIFEFORMS. It gives you the space to think.
9. A song to blast at full volume while you’re on the road
Well, I’m not much of a driver so when I hit the wheels I don’t usually listen to music really loud. But if I’m not the one responsible for the ride then I’d love to listen to “Back of the Car” by RAC. It’s such an awesome summer tune with easy singalong lyrics. The song gets more epic towards the end and it just makes you want to roll down the windows of your car and feel the good vibes.
10. The song you’d most like to be played at your funeral
Haha, I really hope my friends and family don’t have to worry about that for a long time, but just that everyone knows, I would choose “Sometimes Life isn’t Easy” by MEW. MEW is also one of my favorite bands and it really brings a tear in my eye imagining my close ones singing “Hold my arms back when they beat me, leave me in the ditch where they kick me, sever my limbs and deceive me. Sometimes life isn’t easy. Here we go, here we go.” The lyrics aren’t the best for a funeral but there’s a bit of irony, which I’m sure my family would understand. I would want to make them laugh even when I’d be dead. Funny ’til the end and beyond, I guess.
Interview by Kirsti Leinonen
Musicalypse, 2017
OV: 2297
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