NIGHTWISH Mainman Says He Has Already Written Three Songs For Next Album

FestivalBlog.be recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen of Finnish symphonic metallers NIGHTWISH. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

FestivalBlog.be: So about "Imaginaerum", how do you compare it to previous albums?

Tuomas: Well, it's special in a way that it included the movie. We kinda went for the movie first into the project, that was the main thing of the release. The album is kind of a soundtrack to the film, so that was really special. It is the most theatrical, most orchestral album that we have ever done, it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I don't really know what we're going to do next. I have a gut feeling that it is going to be something a bit more simple, a bit back in time.

FestivalBlog.be: So a bit back to the roots.

Tuomas: Yeah, a bit more like a band album, because we have kinda searched this orchestral, really varied spectrum to its maximum now; that's how I feel. But maybe, you never know how the mind works… But I have three new songs done already, it's again something a bit different.

FestivalBlog.be: Did you write those songs during the tour?

Tuomas: During the past month I'd say. Whenever I go back home I just write stuff and I have three new songs now.

FestivalBlog.be: What are the plans for the near future for NIGHTWISH?

Tuomas: Well, we all have our side projects. I have this solo album about Scrooge McDuck coming up, so the next two months I'm going to be busy with that one. Floor [Jansen, vocals] is going to go on with REVAMP, Marco [Hietala, bass/vocals] is going to do his own projects, Emppu [Vuorinen, guitar] has BROTHER FIRETRIBE. Maybe take some time off, spend time with the family. I'm going to have a little vacation in New Zealand next spring. So all this kinda stuff is going to load the batteries to write songs and be ready for next summer. The first of July, we will enter the rehearsal room.

FestivalBlog.be: From what I've heard, there are still no plans to officially continue with Floor as vocalist. Do you have any comment on this or can you tell me something about that?

Tuomas: Yeah, well… The thing is that we haven't really thought about it in a concrete way, because there is no need to… It's been such a mess once again, I feel I need a month or two just to not think about the vocal issue at all. Then by the end of this year, we have to make some decisions. But everyone realizes that she is on top of the list, naturally. But I don't want to do anything official, I don't want to make this decision just yet.

FestivalBlog.be: Of course, I understand.

Tuomas: But she's incredible. I have nothing bad to say about her.

FestivalBlog.be: The music business has changed a lot in the recent years. Digital downloads, the rise of vinyl, social media, … How do you experience this?

Tuomas: I'm not an expert on the issue, but I realize that something needs to be done because the trend is what it is. And the fact is that people will never stop listening to music, they want to have music but if that trend goes as it goes, we don't have the resources of doing these kind of albums anymore because the record sales have just dropped phenomenally bad.

FestivalBlog.be: In comparison to the past?

Tuomas: Exactly, for like ten years ago. I mean, I feel that there are more people at our shows than ever before, but still "Imaginaerum" sold about half of "Dark Passion Play". But that's how it goes these days; it's the same for all the bands. We have to concentrate on the digital downloads and this side of music business, because there is no fighting back, you just have to adapt. You have to find ways of making that, so that you can profit from that as well. If we don't get anything back, we don't get to do albums; [that's] a plain fact. So we have to work some ways, but it's a good thing we have those big boys over there who know more.

Read the entire interview at FestivalBlog.be.