A new release from Favourite Colours comes through with a beautifully vast brightness that brings together elements of classic and vintage pop with a progressive and current new school feel that together, create this wondrous and almost fantastical atmosphere that you just don't want to leave once you're in.
The Summer '13 album has this almost magical sense of nostalgia to it as if the songs had played a part of the soundtrack in certain chapters of your own life and that connection is really strong the deeper into the album you go.
One of the things I really loved about this record is the vastness that it brings forward because it's got such a massive soundscape to it and it has a way of blending textures together which creates this cinematic vibe.
You can definitely tell that this has layers to it and it's really fun to peel those layers back and figure out what the songs are about.
As a matter of fact, having listened to the full album, it almost feels like it's a concept record of sorts and maybe the songs were actually from chapters of the songwriter's life.
Either way this record is a massive form of escapism where you can kind of step into a different world for a moment in time and forget about your own reality which is something that I've missed in music for quite some time.
There's some great experimental sections, there are great rock segments, but all in all this is a massive alternative pop opus where the songs are just gigantic feeling and have a great way of providing these deep-rooted grooves mend into an almost post punk undertone.
You can tell there is a mass amount of heart put into this record and although there's a lot of attention to detail there's also this particular looseness that gives the song the feeling of being alive and breathing.
The record has a unique drive to it and provides an energy that you can sort of feed off of along with a lot of sections that kind of keep you floating along in the ether of the record at times.
There's definitely that sort of connective tissue going on throughout the playthrough of the record and I found myself drifting off into memories of my own while listening to it which of course brings back that whole nostalgia aspect.
This is really cool because the songs don't really have a vintage soundscape musically but there's something about them that feeds into your inner child or your youth in a strange way.
I think it's all about recollection and you're able to take this record and put it into your own life, your own perspectives, your own situations, and bring in your own people as you're listening.
So because of that, the connection remains really strong throughout the record.
This is beautifully done and obviously created by a group of people who have an absolute love for their craft and put a lot into what they're doing especially in the recording process.
With such a wonderful woven record, we wanted to have a sit-down with Favourite Colours to find out where this record actually came from and what might be coming up next for the band.
Here's what went down.
Buzz Slayers: Okay, let's start with the Summer ‘13 record! This album had a vast, cinematic indie-pop and rock approach! How did this release come about?
Aaro: I like you mentioned “cinematic”, since I often draw inspiration from movies. For example the second track on our album, “Through the Night” came into being after having watched David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive!
The journey of Summer '13 started already before the pandemic, when I was still living in Berlin as a music student. Almost every song on the album was written there. I listened to a variety of music, ranging from 80s electronic music to singer/songwriter, and from post-rock to alternative hip hop. That eclecticism was reflected on the songs I wrote. After graduating I moved back to my home country Finland, where I began looking for musicians to play these songs with. They brought that lively band feeling, which I think had a massive positive impact on the music. Each of them are truly unique players, and if it wasn’t for their great musicianship, the album would have come out much different. Less organic for sure.
Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as a band?
Aaro: I was looking for a drummer but found a bassist instead. We met with Ilmo in this post-punk night club in Helsinki called "Club Anvil". Fortunately he knew just the perfect guy for drums, Niilo, with whom he had collaborated for many years. We rehearsed together as a trio for a little while, until one day this new guy moved right next door to me. He (Valtteri) turned out to be an absolutely amazing keyboardist, and we started jamming in our apartments. On one such occasion I asked if he’d like to join this new band I had put together, and luckily he said yes! Finally the guitarist, Atte, was found by Ilmo. Maybe you can tell this story Ilmo? Ilmo: Yeah, so me and Atte had played together in this Twin Peaks-themed project, and I remember I had never heard anyone creating such a long reverb tail as Atte. It was beautiful. We had to have him.
Buzz Slayers: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
Aaro: There is an apparent nostalgia in the songs I’ve written, so I would say my own memories provide me with an incredible amount of inspiration. What else… Movies and books can be creatively stimulating, but I guess also really mundane experiences like seeing a peculiar looking passenger on subway. It could be almost anything really!
Buzz Slayers: This release has some great approaches to it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
Aaro: My all time favourite band is this 80’s British group “Talk Talk”. I’ve learned my biggest lessons from them, such as the importance of silence in music. From modern artists Tame Impala comes to my mind. I was instantly taken by Currents with its moody, isolated feeling, and how seamlessly different genres including psychedelic rock, synth pop and hip hop were blended into each other. Valtteri: I too have to say Tame Impala. In terms of creating melodies, they’ve had the biggest influence on me. Niilo: For me as a drummer the biggest influences must be Mark Giuliana, Radio Head and Edward Vesala. Ilmo: Paul McCartney kicks ass! Atte: Groups like Cocteau Twins, The Radio Debt. and Slow Dive for sure.
Buzz Slayers: What are you all doing when you're NOT working on music?
Everyone: We don’t.
Buzz Slayers: Who's in all your headphones right now?
Aaro: I’ve recently listened to quite a bit of Pink Floyd for a change. Niilo: This Finnish progressive metal band “Oranssi Pazuzu”. Valtteri: The Beatles. Ilmo: I would have said just the same, haha! Atte: Nabihah Iqbal, Youth Lagoon, Slow Dive, to mention a few. All of them are included on my new Spotify playlist “Vahva Suositus”. Go check it out!
Buzz Slayers: Are you all doing any live performances right now?
Aaro: Yeah, we have couple of shows coming up in the end of the year in our hometown Helsinki and in another major Finnish town Turku.
Buzz Slayers: Do you record these at a big studio or do you have a home studio set-up?
Aaro: Both. I've worked quite meticulously on the production at home using Logic and Ableton, but all the band instruments we've recorded in a real studio.
Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
Everyone: Gigs, gigs and more gigs!
Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
Everyone: We really appreciate you guys for supporting us, and hopefully we'll see each other in one of our shows in the future!