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Introducing Flush, a community rock band from Helsinki, Finland, and they have a new album coming out on 29th November 2024.
What are the origins of Flush?
The first incarnation of Flush was formed already back in the late 90s when we were kids getting really excited about rock music. The current line-up has been together for about 7 years, and this is by far the most productive line-up with a second album coming out shortly. Our drummer Börje and myself (Lasse, vocals & guitars) have known each other since we were 5-6 years old, so you could trace the history pretty far back.
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe Flush?
Nowadays we go by the genre definition Community Rock. We are a momentary escape and relief from the hardships of modern life, and we welcome everyone to be part of our community for the short moment we have together. Musically, we are a blend of punk rock, alternative rock, hard rock, and metal.
How did you feel performing your first gig as a band, and how was it?!
Flush’s very first gig was at a church on a youth evening of some kind! We had a rehearsal space in the church basement and were invited to play our Bad Religion-inspired, really fast punk songs, which questioned everything about faith and the bible. But we had fun, and it inspired us to continue and our next gig was at one of the sleaziest rock clubs in town. It felt like a much better venue for us!
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
We are just about to release our second full-length album ‘Noises’. It comes out November 29th worldwide and is a collection of songs about life, love, regret, society, heartbreak, anxiety, sex, and space satellites.
In terms of a similar audience, which band out there at the minute do you feel Flush would be best suited to open for?
If Against Me! were to get back together, then maybe them. Otherwise, we could open for someone like Deftones, Biffy Clyro, or Placebo. To name a few out of the tens of bands we’ve been compared to.
Excluding yourself, which new band would you like to see break out and become a success?
Mono is an awesome band… as is Oranssi Pazuzu. But these are already big in one way. One of us has another band called Hope Is a Lie, so let’s name them!
What frustrates you about the music business?
Where do we start… The mandatory use of social media to have any kind of perceived existence anywhere. The uneven distribution of revenues from digital platforms because of (secret) deals between the platforms and the major labels. The fact that many people happily spend hundreds of dollars/euros/pounds on reunion stadium shows where old music is recycled instead of spending a tenth of that monetary amount on seeing upcoming local acts at local venues. The fact that we as societies can’t make the economics work for something as fundamental to humans as the art of music. We could go on, but maybe that’s a start…
What are your first musical memories? And what was the lightbulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
Most of us grew up with hard rock and metal being there from a young age. Kiss, WASP, Guns’n Roses, Metallica, etc. The thing that then really kicked things off for us was late 80s and early 90s punk rock and the explosion of alternative music. Bad Religion, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, Dinosaur Jr, and many others inspired us to start doing this thing that we are still doing.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
A couple of us just saw our friends in Stråle play at a local club, and before that, the whole band witnessed one of our shared favourites, Therapy?, play in Helsinki.
What current social issue are you particularly passionate about?
Again, where do we start… The future of art and creativity is a concern in these right-wing times. Us humans need creativity to make this life meaningful and current politics is not making much of that possible. In general, politics and democracy are properly broken and there does not seem to be a lot of interest in fixing that by those in power. Instead, they just make it worse because it gives them power.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Pavement is one of the bands that inspired us in the start, and I think that would surprise a lot of people. We don’t sound like them at all. ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’ is the album by Pavement.
Everybody is a fan of something, who or what are you a fan of?
Hundreds of musical artists (literally!) but let’s mention something non-musical. Lasse, our singer, is a Liverpool FC fan. Börje (drums) supports a local ice hockey club called HIFK whereas Eero’s (bass) team is Ässät. Janne, our guitar player, tries to see every home game of the Finnish football (soccer) national team. So, plenty of sports. We are also fans of beer and most of us whisky too.
What new music have you been enjoying this year?
Tons! The new album from The Cure is amazing, as is Cigarettes After Sex. Spanish Love Songs put out an incredible album (or was it in 2023?), Kim Gordon had wicked production on her new album, Idles is one of our favourites, and Bossk’s ‘4’ was really good.
What do the next few months hold for Flush?
The album comes out on November 29th, then we play a release show in our hometown Helsinki on the day after, at Bar Loose, and then we break for this year. Expect more shows in early Spring 2025!
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
As mentioned earlier, we don’t like social media much, but we do Instagram and a little bit of Facebook. We avoid TikTok and X for ethical reasons. All links are available via our website.
