Birds, break-ups, massive choruses and the Charlie Chaplin impact can all be discovered on In Murmuration, the ninth album from Finland’s Von Hertzen Brothers. However as they embrace their energy pop influences, have the Finns forged off their prog wizard cloaks as soon as and for all? Mikko von Hertzen talks in regards to the Seattle affect, songwriting secrets and techniques and sax solos.
“It’s all the time arduous to foretell the temper of the Brothers once we begin a brand new venture,” says Mikko von Hertzen. But the Von Hertzen Brothers – Kie, the eldest, Mikko within the center, and Jonne, the youngest – appear to be in a really upbeat place on their ninth album. The trio’s sound has all the time spanned a variety of influences, however with In Murmuration they’ve blended their prog stylings with a beneficiant shot of sunny energy pop.
“The basis of the band may be very a lot in 70s rock – Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Queen, Led Zeppelin,” says Mikko. However as youngsters the brothers additionally encountered American energy pop and Seattle storage rock via Massive Star, The Posies, Dinosaur Jr. and others. “We had been 18 to 21 years outdated, and we had been very a lot affected by that,” says Mikko. “That lingered within the background and now and again it pops up in our music.
“In case you have a look at ’90 to ’94, it was stuffed with nice albums like Purple Scorching Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Intercourse Magik and every little thing that got here out of Seattle, together with Soundgarden with the 2 greatest albums they made. We had been sponges, taking every little thing in from what we heard on MTV.”
With its bouncy riffs, effervescent vitality, and a notable lack of prolonged instrumental sections, In Murmuration feels closest in spirit to 2013’s 9 Lives moderately than their prog-heavy current outings. “I might say that Conflict Is Over, in 2017, was a very epic prog rock factor,” Mikko says, “whereas in 2022, when Purple Alert In The Blue Forest got here out, that was very pandemic period – considerate, gradual, lengthy songs.
“It was extra laid-back, contemplative in a manner. With this album, we felt like it will be so enjoyable to have one thing which is a bit happier with riffs, good choruses, shorter songs. It’s like a response to what we’ve finished simply earlier than.”
What’s instantly hanging about In Murmuration is the energy of the songwriting, with an abundance of massive hooks and anthemic choruses. The Brothers have scored three No.1 albums of their native Finland, so if anybody is aware of the key to crafting catchy tunes, it must be Mikko, Kie and Jonne. Seems the important thing entails a silent movie star.
“I don’t wish to sound like I feel we all know what we’re doing, precisely, nevertheless it all the time boils all the way down to the melody,” says Mikko. “There are particular methods you need to use if you write a melody. You should utilize main and minor chords subsequent to one another so that you simply create that Charlie Chaplin impact – such as you’re hopeful however you then’re a bit bit depressing. It’s melodramatic.”
It’s a facet of composition that Mikko has studied in some depth – he teaches songwriting to youngsters in Finland. He picks out the refrain from A Good Life, the second music on In Murmuration, as a case research. “There’s an ideal instance of being cheerful after which proper afterwards you’re melancholic,” he observes.
“You’re enjoying with the listener’s feelings, throwing these little hooks into them. They get connected and that creates the sensation of a very good refrain, one thing you wish to sing. We realized how one can write these actually good melodies – this sounds very egotistical – that folks keep in mind and wish to sing alongside to. It comes with expertise and understanding the way it’s finished.”
Thematically, the album is split into halves. The primary explores environmentalism and conservation, expressed within the title and the picture of birds in flight on the duvet. It’s no coincidence that the Brothers’ father was an ornithologist and Jonne has a sideline as a nature photographer. Purple Alert In The Blue Forest addressed the destruction of woodlands and habitat loss; and now In Murmuration continues in that vein.
“We had been speaking about slicing down the forests and the way we’re dropping so many species due to that,” says Mikko. “I had the thought of starlings in my head as a result of so many instances I’ve discovered myself mesmerised their murmuration – it’s so stunning; it’s wonderful to look at.”
We discover ourselves enjoying with the thought – ‘This can be a complete Rick Wakeman second, a five-minute synth solo’
The album’s ornithological aspect has led to a collaboration with British comedian e book artist Charlie Adlard, who’s labored on The Strolling Useless and 2000AD. The band met him on the Prog Awards in 2013 after they gained Anthem Of The Yr for Flowers And Rust. “Charlie got here to congratulate us. I talked to him fairly a bit – we had been already pondering then it will be so enjoyable to do one thing collectively,” says Mikko.
Life occurred and years flew by till Mikko contacted Adlard to ask if he’d like to listen to In Murmuration, they usually determined to affix forces to boost cash for conservation efforts, with Adlard creating illustrations primarily based on the music. “We’re not 100 per cent certain what we’re going to do with all of them,” says Mikko, “however we’re going to have them on the market by some means and promote them with handwritten lyrics or one thing. All of the proceeds will go to BirdLife Worldwide for safeguarding the birds.”
The second half of the file, beginning with the music Tightrope Walker, explores the emotional levels of a breakup. “It offers with a foul relationship turning into separation and longing and acceptance,” Mikko explains. “In psychology, when a relationship involves an in depth, you undergo phases. It begins from a foul relationship, in want of The Change; then Separation, then Snowstorm, the place you are feeling such as you’re misplaced as a result of one thing has actually gone out of your life. Then on the finish, Wait For Me is a ballad that has that eager for one thing else.”
Within the press notes, Mikko jokes that In Murmuration sees the Brothers getting rid of their “prog wizard cloaks.” He confirms: “I had Rick Wakeman on my thoughts once I wrote that,” however he’s misplaced none of his love and admiration for progressive rock. These influences are nonetheless current, even when they’re not foregrounded as totally on this album as they’ve been prior to now.
For Mikko, the enchantment of the nice prog bands is of their skill to throw themselves into the music with complete abandon. “You possibly can see they go right into a zone the place they’re the wizards,” he says. “They create this elixir folks wish to drink. We discover ourselves enjoying with the thought now and again – ‘OK, it is a complete Rick Wakeman second, a five-minute synth solo.’
Bringing the sax in felt contemporary – I don’t know if any bands are doing that now. It’s not what a rock band would normally do
“With these new songs, there are hardly any solos right here. It’s easy. There’s perhaps one guitar solo, a number of sax solos. Synth-wise, there’s not a lot there on this album. That’s what I meant.”
The sax contributions come from Markus Pajakkala, who accompanied the Brothers on their 2023 Acoustic Sufficient tour. Whereas many rock acts of the 80s featured saxophonists, they fell spectacularly out of style within the 90s. “It was so uncool at one level, a complete no-no,” says Mikko.
“However bringing the sax in, we felt prefer it’s contemporary for us – I don’t know if any bands are doing that now. It’s not what a rock band would normally do. The concept got here when he performed a solo on Peace Patrol from the earlier album, and we felt like, ‘Yeah, this man is aware of his shit.’”
When the time got here to broaden their line-up, Pajakkala was the primary individual they requested. “That additionally creates some new, contemporary emotions,” says Mikko. “It’s the ninth album – what are you able to provide you with that feels contemporary for your self? Once you go and carry out this music, it has to really feel like you’ve got one thing new to say. And this component is new.”
Whereas the Von Hertzen Brothers have launched albums via a wide range of labels prior to now, these days they’re conserving the music in-house on their label DoingBeingMusic. “That is our life and we actually wish to be answerable for our music,” Mikko explains. “It’s not one thing that someone else can determine what to do with. The file label has been there for fairly some time however we’ve all the time simply licensed our music.”
If we’d taken one other route, perhaps we wouldn’t be doing music any extra – perhaps it will’ve created friction for us to be one thing we’re not
There have been a number of exceptions: the Brothers’ 2001 debut, Expertise, was initially launched through Finnish indie label Zen Backyard Information, and Conflict Is Over got here out on Music Theories Recordings. The Von Hertzens have been slowly however steadily regaining the rights to their catalogue.
“Among the licensing has expired so it robotically comes again to the band and our personal label,” says Mikko. “Among the albums, like Conflict Is Over, we needed to ask, ‘How a lot would you like for it?’ And we purchased it again. We now have a imaginative and prescient of the long run with the band proudly owning all our stuff and it’s simply going be distributed by another person.
“In March 2025 the final licence of New Day Rising will return to the band. Then after that we’ll have all 9 albums below our personal label. We are able to reprint vinyl or make a field set – no matter. We all the time thought these must be choices the band makes as brothers, not someone else. It’s going to be a lot simpler when it’s all below us.”
With the good thing about almost 25 years’ hindsight, Mikko believes that they made the precise name by trusting their very own instincts. “We made a very good determination – I really feel just like the band’s music has stayed very authentic,” he says. “It doesn’t sound like anything on this planet, a minimum of that I’ve come throughout.
“If we’d taken one other route, perhaps we wouldn’t be doing music any extra – perhaps it will’ve created friction for us to be one thing we’re not. We might’ve jumped on a bandwagon and gained extra business success, however I feel we’re all very comfortable that we’ve saved our imaginative and prescient clear.
“We do our personal stuff and if folks prefer it, we’re comfortable. In the event that they don’t, what are you able to do? We’re happy with the 9 albums – it actually sounds the best way the Brothers needed it to sound.”
