Everything's ok now. The album is out everywhere and we are playing our first gig since the release in a week.

We have many people involved in the song writing process so it's almost impossible to name any single bands or artists that influence us as a band. Every member has their own favorite bands that inspire them in their song writing. This versatility is definitely one factor that distinguishes us from many other bands.

It's of course nice that the album has now been released worldwide and that everyone can listen to it! Quite a few reviews have stated that prior to listening to the album they thought that SHEAR was going to be another symphonic/gothic metal band, but as they started listening to the album they quickly realized that it's definitely not. SHEAR was never intended to be one of those numerous bands, we have taken a completely different approach in our music and it's good to hear that people listening to the album agree with this.

I don't think that we were trying to achieve any genre or style in particular. Our songs are just the combination of people with different musical backgrounds making music together. It just happens to sound the way it does and because people like to put everything in genres nowadays we ended up with the "power metal" stamp. If you listen to our album you'll probably realize pretty soon that it's not that easy to categorize Shear into something specific. I don't see it as a bad thing.

Lyric wise we didn't have a single major theme for the album, every song tells its own story. The lyrics are written by me and Lari. We have a slightly different approach in our writing but I still think that it works as a package. We don't want to go to exact details regarding the lyrics, it's more rewarding when every listener can make their own interpretation of the lyrics.

We hadn't decided beforehand what the "message" of the album would be. The album pretty much reflects our lives and views on it in this moment, or particularly during the writing process. There are some songs that are about victory and conquering your fears, some parts are about pure confusion on why people choose to do the things they do, there's some revenge and judgement day at some point and yes, there might be something about heartache. It's a reflection on life and It's all honest. I think that's the message I, at least, as a songwriter wanted to express, honesty.

We played at last year's edition of Summer Breeze Open Air in the New Blood Awards competition. After the festival we were approached by Lifeforce because they had liked our show at the festival. At this point we had already finished recording our album and the guys at Lifeforce gave it a listen. They liked the album and this is how our collaboration started.

Some of my biggest influences are of course Freddie, Steven Tyler and Robert Plant. Quite obvious, but hey, they were and still ARE the best. There's a depth to them that not just any singer can achieve. Freddie's range from a delicate nearly whisper to a complete balls-to-the-wall flamboyant shriek. Steven's intensity and articulation, and of course Plant's versatility and perfect ear for melodies. They just have everything I look up to.
How did I end up in Shear? I saw an add on the Internet and applied for the part. We played a couple of songs together and that was basically it. I was in.

Yes we have. Lauri, Mike, Lari and I have all started writing separately and we'll probably bring our work for the rest of the band to listen to when we each feel ready to do so. Might take a while for me, because I feel like I'm heading in another direction than what we had on Breaking the Stillness and we'll have to see what everyone else has come up with.

Play live as much as possible. That's the main goal. I also wish we had the possibility to play proper full-length gigs on bigger stages more often, instead of 35 minutes on a stage where we all six have to fit like sardines In a can. I need to be able run around more!

Right now we have our album release party coming in a week. After that we hope to book as many gigs for this summer as possible. Still looking into it!

Thank you very much!