by Eden Hemming Rose

When I was 3 or 4 or 5, I played my mandolin and toy piano and sung and danced at the same time in a room with no lights on and my parents had to sit and watch and torch-light me.… Lal Lal Lal actually released some of my baby singing (as Sipriina) some years ago. But I suppose everyone makes music at that age. We started with Kukkiva Poliisi in 1999 and then again in 2001. A year later a solo project came along and all the other groups as well.

I can't remember much of that time. But I don't think the joy of making sounds has changed a lot.

I suppose it was Avarus, my boyfriend with a 4-tracker and Kukkiva Poliisi that made me want to start making music on my own. I don't know if it had happened if I’d lived somewhere else than Tampere.

The atmosphere here is really inspiring since most of my friends are making music.

I’ve always been able to live close to the nature... spending summers on a cottage by the lake when I was a kid, swimming in a small forest lake and my mum showing me fairies dancing in the morning mist.… The Finnish nature is really magical and living here feels safe.

I feel the attention comes from a big family where everyone is making music! And paying attention is a way of taking care of each other... I might be wrong as well but that's how I think about it.

Kukkiva Poliisi, Avarus, the Anaksimandros, Drawing Club, Hertta Lussu Ässä.

Tampere music "scene" is pretty dead. Avarus, etc., only seems to gather when there are gigs, at least the Tampere part of the team, Turku is still very active.

I can't see a conflict happening, just different approaches of making music. With Avarus, it is more like having fun with your friends; then with more female-oriented groups, it's more intimate and less improvised.

This one dude said it would be the best band in the world if the three of us would start an orchestra together and so we did!

We've know each other a few years before starting HLÄ.… I think we have similarities on how we're approaching music and yet when co-operating everyone seems to have something new to add in the soup. I’m really enjoying when playing with Merja and Laura.

HLÄ is less improvised than Avarus... we have songs that we practise beforehand!

With Avarus you can't really know how the show will go so it's more risky.… Usually it ends up either really shitty or really great; there hardly ever is something from the between...

No... I don't think so. Or at least it has become more easier nowadays. I do pay more attention to women making music... It interests me more... I think it's different kind of honesty in the songs. Maybe because I can relate to it easier?

The cutest moment was when we were singing a bit for Alex Neilson to use on his project and suddenly he appeared behind the door singing too and playing this kantele-like string instrument.… We just couldn't help but laugh... funny! We also found from one gas station neon fart cans which we ended up playing in all the remaining gigs.

Every time we can play abroad it's great! I’m really looking forward to our tour in the US next August with Davenport and the Finny crew... that should be great. UK tour with Virgin Boys and Taurpis Tula was great as well.… Oh, and Russia with Kukkiva Poliisi! Touring couldn't get much more exciting than that! We met some really nice grandmothers there and had a closer contact with the Russian militia.… Playing in Sweden with Avarus was probably the strangest thing so far... Maybe it was because the heavy rain and no sleep.

Lately, been listening the new Lal Lal Lal stuff, Paavi rules! I love women with banjos! I love Vashti Bunyan and Linda Perhacs and all the new/old folky stuff, oriental tunes, smoky jazz, rockrockrock and definitely I love Lau Nau and Islaja, love couldn't grow deeper!

I’ve got BA studies in fine art, so it's video/photo/painting/drawing etc. for me. It's all the same really.

Piano!

We talked about this last night in Drawing Club and I got an answer that my cats are there to make me pregnant and then I’ll give a birth to a catwoman. Mighty woman shall she be!

Moontree. I had the first CD-R ready and then I was in a hurry and had to make a name... I can't really start talking about moon or trees! But the moon shines on my bed during the winter... It's a magical light to sleep on!