Hero Dishonest are a raging fast hardcore band from Finland
Introduce yourselves.
Tommi: I play bass and make sure everyone knows the difference between a triplet and syncopation. I have large feet and a poor sense of humor.
Vellu: I scream and fart
Mikko: I play the guitar and sweat.
Why all the yellow artwork? Surely punk bands are only allowed to use black and white!!
Tommi: We're kind of fruity, aren't we?
V: That color was scanned straight from my underpants, but I don’t remember if it was from back or frontside…
Who did all the artwork on the record? Was it stolen or do you have a really talented friend?
Tommi: It was stolen from a really talented band-member.
Some of you are also in Echo Is Your Love. How does the crowd differ between Hero Dishonest gigs and Echo is Your Love gigs? Why do you think that so many people are really narrowminded in their music tastes?
Tommi: I would like to think that there's not much difference with the audiences as a whole. Sure, the Hero Dishonest crowds tend to be uglier and smellier and the Echo is Your Love crowds tend to be total losers, but I guess the essence is the same since I feel both bands play music that's definitely not meant for anyone or everyone and both bands have artistic integrity that scares away the most shallow people. So TV-glasses or leather jackets, it's all the same. As long as the reason for listening to music is not what you wear or what you eat. It's the way it makes you feel.
People in general have a pretty poor idea of what music can really mean to a person. In an ideal situation a person can reflect the entire spectrum of emotions through music, but this state can pretty much be obtained only by keeping your ears open to everything out there. Disco makes you feel like dancin', punk makes you feel like tearing apart the world, pop breaks your heart and jazz makes you feel intelligent. People should realise that and just let the music do the talking.
Mikko: Echo Is Your Love´s crowd is prettier and has more money.
What do you all do outside the band?
Tommi: Dayjobs, studying, hanging out, eating... It's pretty difficult to say, since at least for me life is pretty much all playing music and the rest is just killing time or gathering resources that enable me to play as much as possible. Music is the #1 thing in my life and I really do hope I can gradually tone down on the other stuff (ok, I do like the sleeping part) and be able to just play, play, play...
V: I change diapers and chat with old people, that’s my profession. Apart from that my time’s spent between music and wondering (about girls).
Mikko: I do astanga yoga, love cooking, try to spend as much time with myself and my girlfriend (who is also in Echo Is Your Love) as possible, hang out with my granparents ´cause they´re still alive, listen to music, travel, study..
Give us a rundown of what If Society records is about, what you've released and what's coming up.
Tommi: A detailed answer would be pretty chaotic, since If Society tends to be more of a means than an end. It's just kind of a by-product of everything we do, since we are strong believers in the D.I.Y. ethic, so it would be ridiculous if we didn't have at least some kind of a distro/label, right?
Mikko: Coming up - new Hero Dishonest 7", Siniaalto 7", Hero Dishonest/Mukeka Di Rato split 7", Sea Scouts re-issues (emo-noise from Australia, RIP). Check out www.ifsociety.com for news.
Is all the MTV style punk popular in Finland? Is it a good way for younger kids to get into punk music or is it just rubbish commercial crap?
Tommi: It's not that popular, but you can't really avoid that stuff, anyway. Commercial punk in itself is really horrible, but that's just my opinion and who the fuck gives a fuck about what I think. Of course it's great if some kid checks out what patch Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has sown on his pants and then checks out the Dead Kennedys and falls into the path toward "righteousness", but I'm not sure if it justifies the existance of such horrible music. I'm not sure if I care either...
Mikko: Punk in itself is horrible.
V: Everyone can do what they will, but to me it seems more important to keep the diy underground alive. For me it’s a lot more honest way of communicating with others.
Am I right in thining that there is compulsory military service in Finland? How does this affect you? What happens if you refuse to do it?
Tommi: The choices are 180-360 days military, 13 months civil service or about 1/2 year in prison. Everyone else in the band has cleared their obligation in one way or another, but I'm the only one who's just been avoiding it, so eventually I'll have to have 13 months doing something (hopefully) useful with very little pay. It shouldn't affect the bands that much although we might not be able to tour as much as we would want to during that time.
I'm going to have to ask you about Children of Bodom!! Is it true that they've had number one singles in Finland? Is that kind of stuff really that popular in Finalnd? Are you fans?
Tommi: That's very true. They're huge here. Personally I don't really give a rats ass for their music or the whole phenomenon.
Why do you think that fast hardcore has seen a revival in the past few years?
V: ‘cos it’s fast and there was to much metal. I don’t know. Why do you think these “trends” happen in the first place?
Yet what do we accomplish?
V: Fucking look at us! I’m not very proud of this shallow circus I’m forced to participate. And what we use as an excuse, “that’s the way things have always been done”, the worst excuse ever. Look what we have become by doing so and still say you want to follow on that same path. To me it tells exactly the opposite.
What's that you need that you don't already have?
V: “so all I want there in the end is world domination and a whole lot of money to spent…” Well, what is it that we lack the most?
What are your reasons to live? V: Life itself.
How did punk rock save your life?
V: It taught me to mosh even harder than when I was into metal. Err, I’m just so inspired of the people I meet in this community. It just happened, though it’s not my whole life.
What does the future hold for Hero Dishonest?
Mikko: Faster songs, more tours.
* NEW IN * 2 Dayer 5th/6th July 2003 * GIGS * TOURS * ZINE * DISTRO * LABEL * THE DEVILS * LOSING THE BATTLE * INTERVIEWS * PHOTOS * RECORD REVIEWS *ZINE REVIEWS * LINKS * MP3s * FORUM * CONTACT *
