written by Marko Jakob
Pix666: Hello Mika. The most important question right at the beginning. Are you well and are you healthy? How are the other guys from the band?
Mika: I’m well and healthy as a horse! The guys are doing great as well. We’re all incredibly excited to be sharing our new songs and can’t wait for the opportunity to perform them live!
Pix666: In 2008 you founded your band One Morning Left. What was the crucial point to start that band? Who are the current members?
Mika: I wanted to create music that I would enjoy performing, something with a good feel to it. The band was founded once I found like-minded people to share the excitement with. The current members are myself (Mika Lahti) at vocals, Leevi Luoto at vocals and guitar, Tuukka Ojansivu at guitar, Miska Sipiläinen at bass guitar, Niko Hyttinen at drums and Touko Keippilä at keyboards.
Pix666: In your career you have already played live in Germany, Russia and Japan, just to name a few countries. What have been the absolute highlights for you so far – what will you never forget?
Mika: Our shows in Japan, Russia and Belarus; the most epic fans ever! Iceland was probably the most exotic place we’ve played and Germany never disappoints!
Pix666: Your music is a wonderful mix of styles – electronic sounds as well as elements from the hard rock days of the 80s. Where exactly does the inspiration for your songs and sound come from?
Mika: We draw inspiration from a wide variety of sources, not just other musical acts but movies, games and graphic novels as well. While writing the material that later became “HYPERACTIVE” we listened to a bunch of 80’s rock – Def Leppard, Billy Idol and Judas Priest to name a few, but also some more modern heavy metal and synthwave.
Pix666: Your videos are really great! The latest video, ‘Neon Highway’ was released at the end of December and I think you had a lot of fun shooting it – but how difficult was it to shoot the clip under ‘Corona conditions’?
Mika: Not really difficult. Our crew was very small, we never had more than 7 people in the room. We took the safety measures really seriously and did everything we could to minimise the risks involved.
Pix666: A few days ago, the next single ‘Ruby Dragon’ was released. How have the fans reacted to the two new songs so far?
Mika: We couldn’t be happier with the reception! Our fanbase has really embraced our new sound.
Pix666: In a few months your new album ‘Hyperactive’ will be released. Are there any significant musical differences to the other albums? Do you have already plans for a tour in 2021?
Mika: On “HYPERACTIVE” we have massively expanded our sound palette in comparison to the previous material, but the biggest difference is in sheer quality of the music on display. Every aspect of the album – from songwriting and performance, to engineering and mixing – is on a different level. It’s clearly our best work so far!
We are working hard with our label, management and booking agent to have our live show reach as many people as possible, and there have been talks of a possible tour; although nothing is set in stone.
Pix666: How did you experience last year from the point of view of a band? Did you have to adapt your plans, especially in terms of time, to the respective situation?
Mika: The album recording process took the lion’s share of our time so we wouldn’t have had a lot of time to go on tour anyway. In the studio the time goes by normally, even when the world outside is going crazy. We did, however, provide our fans with two free live streamed concerts in the summer.
Pix666: What was the reason for the relatively long break between ‘Metalcore Superstars’ and the upcoming album? Were there other projects in the meantime?
Mika: The majority of the time was spent finding the right people and the right sound. Both things clicked once Tuukka, Miska and Touko all joined the band. They have all been crucial in terms of the development of the band. Once the lineup was completed, the album pretty much wrote itself. Covid-19 also postponed the release a bit.
Pix666: Which things do you miss most at the moment and have you maybe discovered new hobbies?
Mika: Touring with the band and travelling are the things I miss the most. Can’t really go anywhere at the moment. I have been spending a lot more time at the gym, so at least there are some positives.
Pix666: Germany is currently experiencing the next lockdown. You are from Finland – what is the general mood in the country regarding the Corona crisis right now?
Mika: Of course it’s a challenging situation regardless of where you are. I guess we’re all just waiting for it to be over.
Pix666: Do you have any other news about One Morning Left that you would like to share with the fans?
Mika: All new developments regarding the band will be shared on our social media, so be sure to follow us as we have more exciting material coming out soon!
Pix666: Thank you for the interesting answers – good luck with the new album, – stay safe and healthy!
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photos © by Lars Johnson and Andre Rodriguez
