Ginger Evil Talk New Album, Favourite Instruments And More

Four-piece Ginger Evil have released their debut album ‘The Way It Burns’ via Frontiers Music Srl. Bassist Veli Palevaara chatted to us about the new album and more:

Who is in Ginger Evil, how did you meet and what do they play?

Hi, great to be doing this interview with you! I (Veli Palevaara, bass) and our guitarist Tomi Julkunen have known each other since early youth, when we formed our first band together—back when Walkmans, big hair, and Music Television were all the rage. In between, we’ve had a whole book’s worth of band adventures, but the current Ginger Evil lineup came together in 2019 when singer Ella Tepponen and drummer Toni Mustonen joined the band.

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

Elvis Presley. I was about four years old when my mother recorded rock ‘n’ roll songs from the radio onto cassette tapes. I would shake my head wildly while listening, and The King was always the greatest—until AC/DC’s Back in Black was released. That took things to a whole new turbo level!

You have the single ‘Black Waves’ which is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

Tomi brought the main riffs to the table. I added some heavy-hitting bass lines, and Toni layered a stylish and rather clever drum groove on top. Ella and our producer Teemu worked their magic with melodies and harmonies. The song came together through a collective creative process, which is how we usually work.

Sometimes, we also sit down and discuss themes and ideas that could fit the lyrics. This was one of those songs where the lyrics were shaped by these conversations. Black Waves explores the darker corners of the mind that sometimes take over us all. Here in the north, we have a long, dark season every year when sunlight is scarce, and during that time, it’s easy for the mind to slip into darkness.

Did you collaborate with anyone on your new music in terms of the writing?

All the songs on our debut album started with riffs—some more complete ideas than others. Usually, Tomi sends me an idea, I add bass and give some feedback, and sometimes it’s the other way around. We bounce ideas back and forth before sending a rough draft to Toni, who lays down demo drums. This then goes to Ella, who develops the first vocal melodies.

In addition, your debut album ‘The Way It Burns’ is out now. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

We had a backpack full of ideas and picked the most interesting ones to create a musically diverse collection of songs. We don’t want to be a band that sticks to just one style and it was important to make that clear from our debut album. From the start, we knew we needed a top-notch team to bring it to life.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

After a few test recordings, we chose Teemu Aalto (Insomnium) as our producer. He’s a multitalented professional—an engineer, songwriter, producer, mixer, and, most importantly, a great guy. The key thing was that he understood the kind of sound we were aiming for. We recorded at his studio in a small village called Karhula, where we could focus entirely on the music without distractions.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

The work was intense, structured, and at the same time, really fun. During pre-production, we were all present and recorded the basic tracks together, but for the final recordings, we did everything individually. This allowed the producer to focus 100% on each musician, and things moved quickly.

If I remember correctly, recording my bass parts took three days, though actual playing time was just a fraction of that. Most of the time was spent fine-tuning sounds, adjusting arrangements—and, of course, talking bull****! Haha! I even managed to break the studio’s bass cabinet during my short session. The volume was definitely turned up to eleven!

One day during the recordings, we took a walk in the village and stumbled upon the official World Championship of Football Penalty Shootouts. No one there took a single shot sober! Finland truly is the promised land of bizarre summer events.

Do you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the album?

Our producer Teemu could answer this best, but I do know that he prioritizes getting the best possible raw sound. You can’t fix bad recordings with mixing and effects. We trust our amps—Tomi has a classic Marshall JCM 800 from the late ’80s, and I swear by my Fender Super Bassman 300 tube amp. We also made sure the drums were tuned perfectly because they need to sound right from the start.

In general, we don’t want to kill the organic sound with excessive effects. That makes everything sound lifeless and generic. No, we want you to taste and smell what happened in the studio. A great record has character—and even some imperfections. That’s part of rock music! Of course, that doesn’t mean we aren’t insanely meticulous about our work.

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

Each of us probably has different opinions, but here are mine, based on the musical mood:

– ”Dead On Arrival” has such an uplifting energy that it always leaves me feeling great!

– This one’s tricky—we don’t really have angry songs, but I’d say ”Black Waves”. It’s one of our most powerful songs, and it dives deep, where anger sometimes rises to the surface.

– ”Flames” is more contemplative than it first appears. It operates on multiple levels, even touching on climate change, which affects us all.

Who created/designed the album artwork?

Our good friend Jani Tanskanen, who also directed our ”Arrowhead” and ”Hands Move to Midnight” videos. He’s taken our promo photos as well—a true multi-talent and a musician himself.

Was it a difficult album to write?

Yes and no. Making music is a marathon—it takes patience and the right people to get every little piece to fit perfectly. The devil is in the details. Some things come naturally, while others, like writing lyrics, can be painfully slow.

Ultimately, making the album was an incredibly fun experience. What’s difficult is everything around the music—having to be an expert in so many areas. Should I be a lawyer today, a marketing manager, or an influencer? Screw that—I just want to play rock music!

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

1. That the crowd is totally into it, screaming and singing along.
2. That we’ve been so immersed in the music that time just disappears. A great gig is a therapeutic
and empowering experience.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

Yes! Tomi swears by his Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop from the early ’70s. I’m all about Fender basses, especially my 1974 Jazz Bass, an absolutely perfect instrument.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

We come from two cities! Tomi and I are from Helsinki, while Ella and Toni are from Kotka. Helsinki is one of the world’s finest cities—friendly people, clean, and not too crowded. Kotka? Well, it’s a seaside town famous for…maybe mermaids. 🙂

How do you look after your voices?

Ella is a professional singer and also teaches singing. She has the techniques for it and knows how to adapt songs to fit her vocal range. Of course, the way you live, eat, and breathe affects everything!

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

Vanishing Point from ’71 would be an awesome film to compose music for! I’m not sure if there’s a
novel, but let’s just say there is. It would be the perfect film for some killer rock ‘n’ roll as well as
more delicate, road trip-inspired material—just like our song *Flames* from the album, which
would fit it perfectly. If anyone is planning a remake of this classic movie, here comes the
soundtrack!

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

We all love music from the ’70s to the ’90s! Led Zeppelin, Guns N’ Roses, AC/DC, Kiss, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters and Lenny Kravitz. You can hear flavors of these bands in our music, but we never want to copy anything one-to-one. We want our music to have that spicy kick—like ginger!
We’re passionate music listeners and vinyl collectors, so we could give you hundreds of recommendations. Among the so-called “newer” bands, Rival Sons is impressive, and my latest exciting discovery is the Norwegian band Spidergawd—they’ve definitely got something special!

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

Hopefully very soon! We’re completely ready for it. Our manager is currently working on this, and we hope to play outside Finland already this year. Unfortunately, I can’t share any details just yet.

What makes Ginger Evil happy and what makes you unhappy?

Ginger Evil’s happiness is rooted in music and the impact it has on listeners. Without culture, there is no real life. Money and power run the world, but they are not the key to happiness. We see the chaos, suffering, and wars they cause—that makes us unhappy.

Has humanity still not learned to keep madmen away from power? We have so much history to learn from. Love is the source and the force behind everything. Our music comes from love.