[Interview Number 47]
This time, we get to know Mauri Dark. His track "Thin Line of Understanding" is featured in the New Artist Spotlight Family of Playlists.
Link To New Artist Spotlight Playlists:
Okay, letโs get into the Ten questions for Mauri Dark!
๐ญ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐?
I am from Turku, Finland. I am also professional visual artist so art and music are my passions. For hobby I have hiking in nature (I am a landscape addict), traveling (when that again is possible). I also play football and go to gym.
๐ฎ. ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ/๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
I was about 7 when I heard and saw a cassette of Kiss in their make-ups. It was impressive! I started to play drums at that age, and at 16 started to play in bands and write lyrics. At 18 guitar, vocals and songwriting came along. Since then I have done 8 albums. My debut solo album is called โDreams Of A Middle-Aged Manโ is coming December 18.
๐ฏ. ๐ช๐ต๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐ด๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ณ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐?
Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, Tom Waits, Neil Young, The Beatles and Pink Floyd. I listen mainly 70s and 90s music.
๐ฐ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป ๐บ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ?
Well I started to do it โseriouslyโ at 16. Gigs started soon. I counted I have done about 500 shows. Most of them (and five albums) as vocalist-guitarist of metal duo Mystons. I have been writing songs for 25 years and I think I am learning to be better at it all the time.
๐ฑ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐บ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐?
I am 42 now and still kind of dreaming of โstardomโ but it is very different dream than when I was younger. Now my goal is to make as good as possible songs, lyrics and music that is able to touch snd give something to people. I also want to keep performing live. I think music and live shows can give wonderful things to people. It helps them relax and feel something extraordinary and takes them away for a moment from their troubles and everyday lives. There is magic in music and I just hope to be able to spread that magic because it does good things to people.
๐ฒ. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ?
I have never toured in USA. Would like to tour there. Generally all the places where I haven't performed yet. I have been in many countries and tours in Europe and nearly every town in Finland. It's always fun to see different audiences.
๐ณ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด?
The first that comes to mind is โThe Endโ by The Doors. I have not heard any other band or frontman who has the ability to make that kind of studio recording.
๐ด. ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐?
First that comes to mind was at metal duo Mystons show. Theres only two guys in the band, the other one playing drums. My guitar went dead quiet in the middle of the song. It was a loooong drum solo for the drummer before I got things working. Lots of embarrassing moments have happened at the shows, but you just get through them not showing your embarrassment too much. The thrill of live music!
๐ต. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐?
I think of all of the public artworks I have done as visual artist (with my birth name Mauri Kosonen) and all of the albums. Especially the upcoming Mauri Dark album which was a lot of work, learning new things and instruments and feels a very big achievement. I also got to work with mastering engineer Vlado Meller who has done mastering for Johnny Cash, Metallica and many others. But I still have to say without a doubt that it is my 2,5 years old daughter. I could not be prouder of her.
๐ญ๐ฌ. ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ถ๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ?
Well I have always dreamed of being Produced by Rick Rubin. Most of my favorite albums are his productions.
"Thin Line of Understanding" on Spotify
and follow his socials
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauridarkmusic/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/mauridarkmusic
You will not be disappointed!
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This was a fantastic read, Mauri, looking forward to the album release! Huge fan of Finland by the way, especially the Turku area!