In today’s A-Z challenge we hear from Flush who take on the 26 questions to tell us all about themselves!
A song that made you want to make music?
Bad Religion’s Generator. No doubt. It inspired the band, the style, the message… everything! Made us realize one can combine melody and harmonies with high tempo and thoughtful messages.
Best rider you have had?
We played at a library / cultural center and everything was super nicely arranged. All kinds of sandwiches, snacks and drinks, and a huge backstage too. They even paid us handsomely.
Craziest moment as an artist?
First thing that comes to mind is playing at this really nice venue in Kaunas, Lithuania, where we had never been. People turned up to see us and were really engaged, and we had a fun night there. Didn’t expect such levels of enthusiasm at all.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
We’ll go ahead and pick Stella from the new album. We have more personal and emotional songs too, but this one is about a space satellite crashing down on earth, creating a love story… It does not really get deeper than that. Stella was definitely something else and she inspired that song…
Easiest song you wrote?
Wow. This might be the most difficult question answered. Well, on the new album there is a track called Gods and Masters, and not just because it’s short and simple, but it just came about very quickly and everything just clicked. The home demo probably had the best vocal delivery too.
Favourite song in your set?
Ask us again when the album is out and we play shows! Lately it’s been a song called Dive, our second single from the upcoming album. It’s up-tempo and has some cool dynamics that really gets things going.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
We have one feat. on the new album. DD Slick, from our buddy band Pro Widow, does harmonies on one of our songs, and I think this might be a thing we want to explore more. Female harmonies are a nice touch to our otherwise harsh sounds.
Interesting fact about you?
Our drummer Börje and singer Lasse have known each other since they were 5 years old! They have played “cowboys and Indians” as kids, and then eventually ventured into music in their teens, and still play music and hang out.
Joke you like to tell?
We’re more into situational humour, but let’s do a solid dad joke:
Q: How do flat–earthers travel?
A: On a plane.
Key to writing a song?
Be sincere. You can make up stuff or be complicated in the melodies, but there has to be something in the song that you are connected to, and you want the audience to feel that realness too.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
From Helsinki, Finland, to Bratislava, Slovakia. A special trip, one we’ll never forget.
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
Well one to definitely admire is Frank Turner. His work ethics is insane and having met him a few times at his shows, he also puts in efforts to be there, be present and welcome the fans. It’s no wonder his managed to build his thing fairly big now, steadily, one show at a time.
New band/artist you’d recommend?
We want to mention a local band called Realms Afar. They have some really good songs and they also do an amazing job in building a community around the band. Check them out!
Opening for this band/artist would be ideal?
Biffy Clyro or The Hold Steady.
Place you’d most like to tour?
South America definitely. The crowds are supposedly great there!
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
A classic from our guy, Charles Bukowski: “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
Noises is short and fits this being about rock music. It also fits the theme of dealing with anxieties and mental health issues, which we deal with in our music.
See me live at?
Next scheduled show is our record release gig at Bar Loose, Helsinki, Finland, the day after the album comes out (November 30).
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
To some extent, sure, and to some, not really. It’s also not a productive way to approach things, to consume energy on something that has passed. One thing that is definitely better now is that there are much lower barriers to entry now. Many sides, as always, and it’s usually best to focus on the ‘now’.
Unusual merchandise?
It’s not really merch per se, but we’re making beer coasters to go with our new album. Their purpose is more promotional and we’ll aim to plant them all over town. This is not something we’ve seen anyone else doing.
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
We’ve done one acoustic show and it was quite fun to re-think the arrangements. The one thing that stuck from that was turning our Two-Minute Punk Song, a really fast and short punk song, into a long, groovy psychedelic jam. A great way to end shows.
What do your fans mean to you?
We’d still do music even if nobody listened and came to see us play, but without fans at shows, the band would not look and work like this. It’s the reason for our existence. We exist to play shows, to be there with the people, and to be part of the communal experience of live music. We’re in it together.
X-rays or any treatments needed for performance-related injuries?
We played a show in Tallinn, Estonia, end of 2023, and our drummer’s hand never healed from that gig. 6 months later he had to fix it with a proper surgery, which took a couple of months of recovery.
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
We have never been late to a show. It would be some serious force majeure if that was to happen.
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of you?
What’s an animal that hugs people and wants to share a drink with them..? Some kind of a nice monkey that is well behaved and always thirsty for beer. That’s us as a zoom animal!