Interviews: Frozen Factory

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Alternative Rock/Progressive Metal band Frozen Factory from Finland. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, did you plan it, or came out just like that?

Hi! This is Stephen, Frozen Factory's singer, and I can tell you that the name of our band, Frozen Factory, was chosen by our former drummer, Mr Eddie X. When the band first came together, it was only intended to be a quick and fun project with a few sessions in a studio in Lahti, Finland. Our bassist, Tomi, called the project 'Alice in Chains in Lahti' just for a laugh and because he absolutely loves AIC. When the studio session went well, Tomi and Eddie X decided that the band should continue making music, and that was the moment when Eddie suggested 'Frozen Factory'. If I remember correctly, Eddie has just always loved that name, or then he plays a lot of Sonic the Hedgehog? We'd have to ask him!

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

Our genre is really hard to pin down - yes, I realize a lot of bands say that - but seriously, we're very fluid with our style. We're definitely a rock band though, there's no doubt about that at all. I think everyone in Frozen Factory loves rock music, and rock is what comes naturally to us. It's the kind of music where you can get deep and serious and other people will appreciate it, instead of asking where the party is. Personally, I got into rock for the grand stories, epic singers, and fantastic instrumental sections.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

Our lead guitarist, Mici, and our bassist, Tomi, have known each other for many years, I think since school. I've known our rhythm guitarist, Johnny (Joni), for about ten years, since our other bands have played a few nights together and we've been playing together in an Iron Maiden tribute band. Otherwise, we've all met through Frozen Factory. We found our drummer, Marianne, from one of her online videos where she was playing along to a Muse song - she was so damn good at it that we were determined to get her into Frozen Factory.

4. Each band member's favorite band?

We all find it very hard to choose one favorite band, however, we decided to pick one each to highlight anyway. The band that I'm choosing to highlight is Iron Maiden, who's been a huge influence on me as I've learned to be a musician and singer. Tomi, our bassist, has chosen Pink Floyd, the band that he continues to listen to when he wants to get inspired. Marianne, our drummer, chose to mention Muse. Joni, our rhythm guitarist, wanted to recommend Goldfinger. And finally, Mici, our lead guitarist, says that Rammstein is the one!

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

Personally, I find inspiration from all kinds of places: music, movies, news articles, conversations, jokes, almost anything! The motivation to write songs mainly comes from my need to get ideas out of my head and get a new perspective on them. It really helps me to write things out on paper and see my thoughts in a new light - I can process them and move on. The other writer in our band, and actually the biggest musical creator in Frozen Factory is Tomi. He's told me that he loves to make meaningful music and he enjoys the creative process, so there's his motivation. I know that he often turns to Pink Floyd and a good beer when he's getting in the mood for song writing, which sounds pretty great to me!

6. Where was your last gig?

We just played a gig in a little bar in Helsinki called Hard Rock House. That place has changed for the better over the years, and we have to respect any place that still dedicates itself to live music. Helsinki seems to be a tough place to run a small music venue in; we've seen a lot of places come and go over the years. As I'm writing this, we're about to go and play at On The Rocks, another bigger venue in Helsinki. We have the honor of opening for Flat Earth, which is a grungy band powered by a few well-known Finnish rock musicians - it's gonna be a blast! 

7. Where would you like to act?

We'll go anywhere to perform if the stars are aligned. We honestly believe that we can connect with any audience, no matter where we are in the world. If we're talking about dreams, then I'd love to tour Europe, because there's a lot of cultures to enjoy and I'd be very excited to go to South America, because the atmosphere at gigs always looks electric! Wherever you are, we'd love to come and join you for an evening of enjoying rock!

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Of course, we'd love to play with some of the legendary bands we've grown up listening to, just for the wild experience. At the end of the day though, we enjoy playing with anyone who's cool, friendly and creative. There's amazing music everywhere and at every level, and we love to get involved with that and meet the people who're behind it.

9. Whom not?

That's such a tough question, and in reality, the only people we'd probably refuse are those who promote hate or violence toward innocent people. Luckily there are very few people like that in music, and we hope it stays that way!

10. Have any of you ever suffered from stage fright? Any tips for beginners on how to beat that?

Personally, I haven't suffered from it in a very long time. When I was really young - a kid - the thought of getting on stage terrified me. My confidence was very low, yet it changed a huge amount when I practiced singing and recorded myself doing it. The moment that I realized I had nothing to fear, I stopped being afraid of it. So, I would say to anyone with stage fright that you can work on it; you can make progress. Being afraid of performing today doesn't mean that you cannot go out tomorrow with nerves of steel. Practice and listen to yourself improving, and let that feed your confidence.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

We're inspired by a huge amount of music. We usually only talk about a few of the bands that have inspired us, and those are Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Iron Maiden, Alice in Chains, Muse, Rage Against The Machine. There's so much more, and I think you can count on just about anything that has deeper meaning in the lyrics and well-thought-out music. Have fun looking for the sounds of our influencers in our music!

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

We have awesome fans who ask for really understandable things! I can't think of anything weird, at least in Frozen Factory. When I've been singing somewhere else, an old lady in the audience called me over and I thought she wanted to tell me something, however, she took my hand and forced it down her shirt! Ha ha! That's the weirdest fan moment I've had!

13. What do you think of your fans?

We really appreciate every single one of them, and we hope to meet all of those that we haven't met yet! Thank you to all of you!

14. What do you think of our site?

Breathing The Core is awesome! You're out here supporting musicians who really need a helping hand to get their art to new people. We respect that so much! It's not easy work and I bet not enough people thank you for it! A big thank you from Frozen Factory!

15. Something to add?

Please take a moment to follow Frozen Factory on Spotify or wherever you listen to music, and also be a little old-fashioned and tell your friends about us! We hope you'll do this for every new band you like because it makes such a huge difference for new acts when people follow and spread the word. We love you for it! Peace and happiness to you! Cheers!