Today, we sat down with singer and songwriter Lasse from the band Flush! Be sure to check out their music below on Spotify after the interview.
interview:
What is your inspiration to write your music? Is it your surroundings?
(This Lasse, singer and songwriter in Flush, responding)
Yes, I find inspiration in surroundings, events, people, and places. Some songs are very close and personal, while others are about the state of the world and such. I don’t invent stuff or write fantasy, but who knows, maybe one day I’ll give that a go too. I listen to a lot of music so the inspiration to create sounds, rhythms and melodies is almost always present.
What type of music did you listen to growing up?
From my childhood I remember my dad playing Finnish pop and rock, some of it also quite punky. I also remember hearing Rolling Stones, Slade, and Jimi Hendrix. My first own favourites were Kiss and WASP, followed soon by Metallica, Iron Maiden, Anthrax and Guns’n Roses. And then came the 90s and everything changed. Without Bad Religion and Pavement I probably would not have started writing music myself.
Is there someone you looked up as a hero?
As a kid and in my youth, I didn’t have any musical heroes. I liked bands and their music but didn’t have any individual that I specifically looked up to. Later, as I started getting properly into music, I started finding inspirational characters. Not sure I would label any of them a ‘hero’ but I admire Tom Waits for his career, I like Steinbeck’s and Bukowski’s writing, I enjoy the storytelling of Springsteen as much as most others, and I think Kurt Cobain was truly ground-breaking in his art. Recently I have also realized that I have too many male role models and have made efforts to find inspirational female artists too. And there are tons! Laura Jane Grace, Kate Tempest, St Vincent, Laura Stevenson, Phoebe Bridgers, and many more…
If you weren’t a musician, would you be doing today?
Well, honestly, none of us in the band are full-time musicians. We all have day jobs. But if music was not my passion, then it would most likely have been football. I played a lot as a kid, was pretty good at it, and still enjoy the game.
What advice do you have for our fans out there that want to create music?
Not sure I should give advice for anyone who actually wants commercial success. But maybe that is the first challenge and/or advice I would give: Be clear and true to yourself on whether you want commercial success or if you want to pursue your true artistic aspirations. If you go down the artist path, then just try out what works for you and be true to that calling. If you are not driven by the art, then it won’t be as rewarding and you won’t find the energy for the mandatory hustling and hassling involved in doing music.
Music:
