Finland’s One Hidden Frame has a new album out. This means it was only fitting that we get in touch to talk not only about classic Finnish foods, the local scene where they call home, and of course – their April 2022 release, ‘I Am Not Here.’ We chatted all of that and more with One Hidden Frame’s Pekka Multaharju.
Kendra: Coming up in the pop-punk/emo scene and then becoming a music writer, it was always interesting to me how small the world really was in terms of people involved in each scene. Is that more or less the same in Finland? Do you run into the same people over and over again when you play, or even when you attend a show as a fan?
Pekka Multaharju: Yeah sure, I’d say in Finland we play shows with also hardcore punk and metallic hardcore bands. As far as it feels for us, it is quite a nice underground scene here with different-styled bands.
Kendra: Speaking of attending a show, when I caught wind of “And The Crowd Roars,” my mind went to that moment in the venue when the lights initially go out and the band is milliseconds from walking on stage. With that, I’d love to know what musicians did you draw inspiration from when it came to stage presence and performance?
Pekka: Hehehe, I have to say that the song is actually about a mental breakdown, whereas “the crowd roars” actually means voices in your head. It is just a story though, not us personally experiencing anything that harsh.
About stage presence, not sure if anyone of us ever gave that much of a thought about it. Maybe, of course, seeing bands that are not being awkward rock stars, but just blasting through the set with energy and emotion, is something that gives a good feeling.
Kendra: Now let’s talk more about what you have going on right now. “Watch For Your Head On The Way Out” is a single fans have gotten to enjoy ahead of your April release. Was this one of the first tracks you worked on for the new record, and where did the idea sort of spawn from?
Pekka: I truly can’t remember which track was first, but the idea for the song started with the short lead guitar part that repeats many times. It is not in the traditional 4/4 time signature, that gives it a bit of a twist but being straightforward at the same time. We wanted it to stay energetic until the end and it ended up being quite short. The lyrics are about the wealth distribution inequality and the games stock investors play.
Kendra: As for the record as a whole, if you had to compare the overall style and sound of ‘I Am Not Here’ to a classic meal from Finland, which would it be and why?
Pekka: A classic meal from Finland? Not many of those. Let’s go with the Karelian pies because the band started in the South Karelia region. The pies are rough around the edges but give a reward when you get into it, so that works.
Kendra: Y’all have been creating music for two decades now. How do you feel punk music has changed from when you started to today?
Pekka: Not sure if punk music has changed that much, there are still a lot of different ways to go with it, like back in the days if you went with the Clash or the Sex Pistols, same but not the same at all. Still cassettes, zines, vinyls being released, DIY shows. There you go.
Kendra: Time to take a step away for a moment…April is my favorite month not because of Easter, but because of the candy and treats. Plus, rabbits are one of my favorite animals. Anyways, if you could have a holiday basket filled with your favorite sweet treat and an album that you live for, what would they be?
Pekka: Hah, alright! It would have the mint chocolate Marianne candies (vegan since 1949) and some lentil chips. The album to live for is ‘Today’s Empires, Tomorrow’s Ashes’ by Propagandhi.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘I Am Not Here’ out on April 8th, what else can fans both new and old expect from you during these spring months?
Pekka: If this comes out before April 8th, we will be at our favorite local pub in Tampere, playing our favorite vinyls and you can listen to it online here. We will start the evening with our album to celebrate the release day and also have a Facebook video chat open, so anyone can come and comment on the songs or cheer for our beer drinking and struggle with the wrong RPMs.
