Reckless Love stormed into The Rockpit’s consciousness this year with their self-titled debut album, then just when we thought it was all over for the year they released the ‘cool edition’ with bonus tracks that make it impossible not to buy it all again. Lead singer Olli Herman caught up with The Rockpit’s newest scribe Tanya. He did treat her gently.
What inspires them? I think you can guess… So c’mon let Reckless Love into your life, you know you want to.
Tania: On behalf of the Rockpit, I want to thank you for taking the time to do this interview and Happy New Year to you all. Do you have a message for our readers?
Olli: Our pleasure. It’s a humbling and heart warming feeling to know that there are merry metallers in Australia too. Yes, the message is: stop worrying about tomorrow. Enjoy today and indulge yourselves with a heavy dose of Reckless Love’s merry way of rocking the troubles away. Where have all the good times gone? nowhere, we’re here and were here to stay!!
Tania: Tell us about the band and how you guys got together?
Olli: Reckless Love is the 1st band I’ve ever been in. Same thing goes with our lord of the strings on the electric guitar Pepe and the man bringing the thunder on bass guitar Jalle Verne. I’ve known Jalle since I was 4 and Pepe since I was 10, so it’s literally a band of brothers, more like a family in that sense. We decided to put a band together back in 2001 just for the sake of having a laugh with the best of friends and the early stages were more like hanging out together drinking and partying, playing covers of Guns n Roses, Van Halen and so on. Well, the party attitude stuck and we ended up inventing our own way of writing rock songs which we call merry metal. The only thing that has changed over the years was our drummer. Hessu is our newest comer/brother. I met him a few years back on christmas day. I went into club with my ex and saw a man with a big smile on the back of the small stage playing Burn by Deep Purple. The rest is history, now he’s the rock solid rock n’ roll groove machine behind our hellishly over-sized drum kit.
Tania: When you first formed what was you battle plan? And how far are you to achieving what you set out to do?
Olli: We are kinda happy-go-lucky bunch of geezers and as I said before there really wasn’t a battle plan in the beginning. We just wanted to have some jolly ol’ fun among the worst company there is, ourselves that is. Later on we’ve raised the bar as fast as we climb higher and higher, so we’ve only just begun our journey. We’ve always dreamed BIG but from very early on we’ve also recognized the fact that we wanna have plenty of fun on the way while we chase our dreams.
Tania: You guys have been going for 10 years now, and accumulated a fairly large fan-base; do you feel you have finally made it to where you want to be?
Olli: No not at all. In 10 years we’ve just done our warm ups. We’re heading for the ultimate party of a lifetime and we wanna bring that party to as many people as possible. Last year we kind picked up the pace so hold on tight, we’re coming to you… and after you, we’re knocking on the next door, going to the next house, next bloc, next city and country and you’re all very welcome to tag along and join the party. Besides, we don’t even know where we want to be eventually, but we know that if we keep working and partying hard, and we do it in our merry way staying humble and true, amazing things will happen.
Tania: Your image has a very 80’s hair metal slant to it; with your long hair and spandex pants, how do you feel about that image and that whole eighties scene?
Olli: Tough question since for us, there’s no other way to dress or to be or to express ourselves. My closet is full of torn T’s, wife-beaters, skin tight jeans, spandex pants, custom made cowboy boots and so on. My hair’s been long and blonde for over 10 years now. People think that it’s an image thing, but it’s actually the way we are for real. Of course it must’ve started out by copying the style of our idols, like Axl and Slash, but nowadays it’s just how we are. It looks like what we are in our hearts. It’s fun, cool and really practical, believe it or not.
Tania: Which bands from back in the day still make you smile when you listen to them?
Olli: The list is endless. Basically the whole 80’s hair metal scene starting from Van Halen to Guns n Roses, from Def Leppard to Motley Crue, Bon Jovi to W.A.S.P, KISS – Skid Row, Danger Danger to Ratt and so on…
Tania: Last year had been a whirlwind adventure for you all with your “Back to Paradise” tour in the UK and playing Download and Firefest festivals. What were your thoughts of playing such big shows?
Olli: It all happened so fast we hardly noticed it. I had to pinch myself on stage to believe it. It was awesome, the thought of it got me speechless many times afterwards. The unbelievably ecstatic response we got and the sheer amount of people that came to see us at Download. Holy F**K!!
Tania: How was Firefest? Friends are telling me that the warm-up night on Friday was the highlight of the weekend?
Olli: It was pure awesomeness from the moment we stepped on stage until the end. Simply great.
Tania: Are there any funny moments you can share with us from the tour?
Olli: Don’t know where to start. Our tour is like an episode from Comedy Central. We all have our stupid little things we do just to keep ourselves amused. For example, in Finland we always travel naked, causing countless dangerous situations on the road when some drivers actually see inside our bus. Haha…
Many journalists and reporters also asked us about the lingerie that gets thrown on stage from time to time, and one reporter asked about it on the latter part of the tour, just before the show. We didn’t wanna make a big fuss about it, cause many artists do and it seems so corny, so we just shrugged our shoulders by saying it doesn’t happen that often as they think. Which is true, except that during that nights show some girls threw even their tops and t-shirts among their knickers and bra.
Tania: How did you all unwind over Christmas?
Olli: There’s nothing you can’t mend with a couple days of quiet time with someone special, plenty of nudity, kisses and large enough supply of alcohol.
Tania: Your self-titled debut album was released early last year and entered at number 13 in the Finnish charts, then a “Cool Edition” was re-released with bonus tracks, please tell us a little about the recording of “Reckless Love” where was it recorded and how long did it take and what made you decide to add bonus tracks to the album?
Olli: We wanted to give our fans a little something extra and we also wanted to see how we sounded acoustically. The original album was recorded during the summer of 2009 at Hip Studios in Helsinki. However, the actual songwriting process took a little longer. The whole previous career before that to be exact. The oldest song(So Yeah!!) on the record was written as early as 2004 although most of the material was written during the recording process. Last sessions took place in september 2009 when we laid down the vocals for Get Electric and Romance. Later during the fall we had the album mixed and mastered. Get Electric didn’t make it to the actual album but as it was too good to waste we released it as a b-side for Badass in the UK and later on on the “Cool Edition”. The acoustic tracks were recorded at the Engine Room Studios in London UK, in May 2010 on our 1st visit to the country. The re-mix was originally meant as a joke, but once we heard it we had to release it. It was done by Eppu Kosonen a producer friend of ours who also worked for Lady Gaga as she was in studio in Finland. The original album was produced by Ilkka Wirtanen.
Tania: Can we expect new material from Reckless Love this year? Will there be a new album or an EP?
Olli: Yes, we’ve been writing some new material for a follow up and it’s due sometime next fall.
Tania: As a band what are your biggest influences musically?
Olli: We started out as a Guns n Roses cover band and they’re probably the reason why we ever got into rock music, however we quickly picked up on some of the other great artists of that era, such as Van Halen, Def Leppard, KISS and so on… actually the whole 80’s hair metal scene has influenced us pretty heavily.
Tania: What inspires you day by day?
Olli: Sex.
Tania: Good answer!
Tania: What’s the best advice you could give to a young band thinking of starting up today?
Olli: Learn how to make a great song. It’s what it all comes down to in the end. The world is full of beautiful and talented, cool virtuosos who will never make it if they will not get a good song. All the great bands have great songs and that’s what made them great. You are as good as your songs. Looks and individual skills are always a great addition to the package but their worthless if the songs are inferior.
Tania: So what are Reckless Love’s plans for 2011?
Olli: To keep ourselves busy recording the new album, touring in Finland during the spring, playing as many summer festivals as possible in as many countries as possible. Release the new album and to kick off a new promotional tour supporting it. BIG plans.
Tania: Any chance you might tour Australia in the future? What do we have to do to get you over?
Olli: I really hope so, I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. Actually it’s the only continent I’ve never been in alongside with the Antarctica hahaha.. well, it’s easy. Buy our albums, support us by spreading the word and of course you can also contact our booking agent Live Nation through our website: www.recklesslove.com
Tania: If you could have been involved in the creation of one album or piece of music what would it have been?
Olli: Reckless Love’s debut album… wait – I was a part of it!! wohoo… I’m living the dream baby!!!
Tania: And finally a really easy one: what is the meaning of life?
Olli: Well, you know that if have to ask you’re not doing it right. Some find it earlier some later on but in the mean time, while you keep searching, take some time off and get yourself a bit tipsy among your best friends, turn on some great uplifting music like merry metal by Reckless Love and enjoy the evening…
Tania: Thanks for rocking our year here at www.theRockpit.net! We wish you all the best for the future and hope to see you this end of the world sometime, any last words for us at the Rockpit?
Olli: Rock until you drop, forget about tomorrow and have another shot… and remember to say thank you!! THANK YOU AUSTRALIA!!! DON’T GO ANYWHERE, WE’RE COMING!!!
