My Favourite Nemesis: We All Take Part

With a new sound, a new EP, and a new way of writing music, Finnish metalcore unit MY FAVOURITE NEMESIS have undergone no small degree of change since their last release. Now, with a new single, We Annihilate, out and the EP We Annihilate I on the way, we found time to sit down with the band and talk about what to expect from the upcoming release, live performances, and more.

The upcoming EP covers some deep, dark themes, marking topics that are truly personal or have been playing on their minds. When asked where their inspiration came from, and how spending time writing about such challenging topics impacts everyday life, vocalist Janne Piela answers, “I don’t really plan what I write about. I just write about what’s on my mind at the time.” Tracks this heavy don’t always come all at once, either,” he reveals. “Sometimes I get some ideas for songs early on and let those ideas sit for a while, then try to write something about it.”

Certain topics on the EP are close to the whole of MY FAVOURITE NEMESIS too. “Mental health is kind of relevant to everyone in the band lately, and, war, obviously. We write about current things most of the time,” vocalist Sanna Solanterä agrees. “It’s the same for me. I don’t really plan on writing about any specific theme.” Writing is more of a therapeutic process for her to get things out of her system, she explains. “Something can be happening to you or someone you know, something you’ve been struggling with, or your friend has been struggling with. You just need to get it out. A lot of the time it’s just venting, you know?”

Partially responsible for some of the progression the band has seen with their latest release is their lineup change. “Me and our current drum player (Valtteri Estola) joined the band two years ago. That’s why writing was a bit different this time,” Solanterä explains. Now, writing the music is a much more collaborative effort between the whole band. “Our guitarist Joel writes most of the riffs and instrumentations, and Janne sometimes writes those with him. I write most of the clean vocal melodies, and Janne writes the growls, we both write lyrics.” Putting the tracks together is collaborative beyond the writing, too. “We even arrange the vocal melodies together, so the original version I wrote might not be the same as the recorded version, we all take part!”

One thing older listeners may notice on We Annihilate is the increase in clean vocals, which is something that Janne has seen impact the vibe of their live performances. “I guess our performances in general have been a bit more mellow in the past years. Early on, we would just go crazy on stage. It’s a bit different now.” This can be relieving at times, though. “It gives me room to chill on the stage and rest my vocals a bit when Sanna‘s singing!” He admits.

For newer listeners, this new sound could be the perfect starting point. Sanna explains, “this EP is a bit different compared to our previous songs, so it would be a great way to start listening to us. We already released the first song and it’s online, so you can check it out. The rest of the EP is kind of similar, but there are some differences.” Janne agrees, “as a whole it’s kind of a good mixture of our current sound. There are a few tracks that might be a bit on the softer side, but it still sounds like us.” Any progression to this softer sound is a natural exploration for MY FAVOURITE NEMESIS. “We don’t purposely try to make more mellow or soft songs. They just come out naturally. I think a lot of time you can hear if you’re trying to do something, then it doesn’t really stick.”

In terms of new, experimental sounds, the track Sanna is most excited for listeners to hear is A Paradox You Seek, released March 15. “It’s a bit different. I want to see what people think about that, there’s grunge vibes in it.” She grins. Janne dives into the sound of the new single even further. “It’s a very groovy song and very melodic at the same time. So there’s a more heavy focus on the clean singing on that particular track.”

Alongside the release of We Annihilate I, the band have a huge gig at Uprising Festival booked for later this year. This achievement perfectly matches their goal of playing more shows across Europe this year. “That’s our main goal, to get more audience abroad. Because, yeah, Finland is a small country so touring in Europe would be great for us! ” Sanna laughs, and it’s a sentiment Janne shares. “Yeah, I’d say we’ve played pretty much everywhere in Finland where you can play.” He jokes, “so I think it’s time to go outside sometime now!”

If We Annihilate the single is anything to go by, then fans across Europe will be strong in agreement that it’s time to get some shows across Europe in too.

We Annihilate I is out now via Seek & Strike.

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