SOURCE – The band name, where did it come from?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – Back in the day the band was actually called Eleonora and we played some kind of melodic death metal. When we changed the language from English to Finnish and got a new singer we also wanted to change the name of the band. We were quite stuck with the old name and it took a while to come up with a new name. Koitos was short, easy to remember and it’s easy to google. There has been some amusing misconception with international listeners since it’s pretty close to “coitus”.
SOURCE – Do you have plans for more recording, or are you going to organically let it take you where it will, and when the time is right you will lay more music down?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – We’re currently still working on our debut album but all the recordings are now pretty much done. We still have to finish the post-production.
SOURCE – You released two singles in 2022 and one in 2023 – how did the recording sessions go for these tracks, and were you satisfied with the reach, response, and feedback you’ve received for this material?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – We started the album writing process at the beginning of 2021 but some songs on the album are actually from as far as 2015. We spent quite a lot of time with the demos and wanted to be as precise as possible. Actual album tracking started in the summer of 2022. We wanted to do everything ourselves so there were a lot of things to learn but after all, we are really happy with the results and have received a lot of positive feedback about the songs. It would be nice to gain more reach for the songs, but the competition for attention is huge these days and we hope to reach more people with a constant effort by performing live and releasing new material.
SOURCE – As many bands in the metal industry appear to be releasing more and more singles rather than just albums, do you plan on going that route, as well?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – Singles are for sure the number one thing to success these days but I would say that in the metal music scene, there is still a place for album format. A great album is also like a calling card for a band to show that you’re able to make a cohesive set of songs that will do well together and enhance each other. And that will transfer into the live set as well. With Koitos we intend to build a strong and uniform album with great singles as its core.
SOURCE – Tell us about the track Ilman Kurssia and the video you shot for it. How important are videos in the promotion process these days?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – Ilman Kurssia was one of the last songs to be completed in a demo phase. It actually did come alive not until we tracked the vocals and it sounded really fresh so we wanted to track it right away for the album and release it as the first single. The video was shot at Mediapolis in Tampere. Our bassist is completing his degree in media and art there so it was a convenient option for us. He also did the script, and edit and was responsible for the video together with Juuso Martikainen who shot the video. It was quite exciting to film the rainy scenes for the video. We think that videos are important for promotion these days, especially as social media content.
SOURCE – When you think about the concept of success, what does that word mean to you as far as being a musician – and has that definition changed from your initial years getting into the business versus today?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – We have been playing with the same group of people for over a decade. For sure we are still aiming to play in a bigger concert and gain more listeners but it’s also a project for our self-actualization and making the kinda music that we like.
SOURCE – If a fan comes to visit Pirkanmaa – Finland, what would they see and do?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – If a fan visits Pirkanmaa and Tampere for sure they have to first get to eat some mouth-melting chicken wings and then visit a local rock show. Most preferably a concert of Koitos of course!
SOURCE – What’s next for Koitos?
Hannu Nieminen (Guitar) – A few weeks ago we played our first live show after a three year break. It was a blast and we’re really looking forward to more shows and the next one will be on 19.5.2023 at Pigs & Chicks – Live Rock Club in Tampere.
We also have quite a few bangers in our pockets waiting to be released soon!
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