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© 2006 - present, Sabrina

translation by Suurlusmu

Bettina S: We’ve already talked about her, a woman whom the whole Finland was recently talking about, as she was chosen to be the new Nightwish-vocalist. Please welcome, Anette Olzon!

[Applause, Anette walks in]

B: You might’ve heard what we talked about? (She interviewed the singer of their house band The Concretes)

Anette: Of course.

B: You could be “Honorary Concrete” (guest musician on that band).

A: Sounds nice.

B: You might not be really Finnish yet?

A: Well, I feel myself somewhat Finnish. [Anette laughs]

B: What kind of Finnish features have you adopted?

A: I’ve lived in Central Sweden, and now I live in Southern Sweden and my birthplace is the same forest in Finland. And I’ve always liked to bath in a sauna. It’s also comfortable when you can be pretty quiet in Finland and you don’t need to be talking so much. Sometimes in Sweden you must talk and talk and talk so there wouldn’t be “annoying” silence. Luckily there’s no need for it in Finland.

B: I agree.

A: We’re different there.

B: We like to sit together and be quiet.

A: That’s what I like to do.

[They laugh]

A: We might be really quiet in the band, sometimes.

B: Really?

A: Yes.

B: How have you been? You must’ve had quite a pressure as you were to fill Tarja Turunen’s shoes.

A: No, I wear other shoes. [They both laugh] There’s been a lot to do and the media has been very interested in me… I’ve been OK. The band supports me and the boys are kind and helpful. Yeah, I’ve been OK.

B: How was it like to face the public? What kind of welcome have you had?

A: Welcome was pretty positive, more than positive in fact. Tuomas and I had a signing session in Switzerland last week and there were more than thousand screaming fans. I didn’t feel that Tarja should’ve been there instead of me. Everyone were buying Amaranth… Yeah, I think I’ve been accepted pretty positively.

B: You don’t speak Finnish, but have you heard what kind of noise rose when the break-up with Tarja occured?

A: I’ve been pretty distant about that subject – Well , I read that letter. I didn’t realize it until May that how important place Nightwish has in Finland. Then I did. I was also shocked when paparazzis appeared in my yard.

B: We had pictures in the magazines here…

A: Yes! Even pictures of my cat and junk of a car – I would have had a better car. I went hiding to the bathroom.

B: You were home by then?

A: Yes, the first day I was with my friend and then the neighbors started to phone me. The paparazzis had visited them as well. I called to my manager and he told me to go hiding in the bathroom. Then my neighbor called: “They are gone.”

B: I should have taken the magazine with me because the article was ridiculous. The title was something like “New Nightwish-vocalist is a MOTHER!” As if you were some kind of Moomintroll or something...

A: That’s what shocked me most. I don’t understand why it came to it. Only media of Finland has written about my motherhood. Well, of course someone has asked how do I deal with my family etc but only Finland has had a hullabaloo on how I am a “bad mother who abandons her child”. I felt like worst people in the Universe. [Laughter]

B: I’ve not read that you “abandoned your son” but maybe they thought that it was somehow wild that there is a mother in a longhair-band.

A: I was chosen because the band needs a mother. (she laughs)

B: No doubt. I reckon you are collecting guys’ dirty socks from the floor?

A: No, I’m rather reckless myself when I’m with band, naturally I’m pretty strict when I’m home. But, of course I’m some kind of mother figure for the band’s boys. For example, if they’re doing something unhealthy, I will notify them. “Stop smoking.” I’ve smoked myself, but I still say it. I also recommend them to exercise. I move a lot myself. But I’m still pretty kind.

B: But, let’s return to paparazzis on your garden, they got a picture of your cat…

A: One of my cats.

B: Has anyone translated the article for you? I read it and believed it. “It’s quiet in Anette Olzon’s home… The car is gone and only cat is sneaking around…” [Anette laughs] I remember it very well, it made an impression on me. “Cat sneaks around looking for his family…”

A: [Laughing] I really didn’t know that.

B: Impression was that they had left the cat alone and unfed. [Audience laughs] Who cares about a child? But cat.

A: [Still laughing] I couldn’t believe it… And they had exact directions on how to drive to my place. “Drive straight forward on motorway for 500 meters and turn right…”

B: They had talked with your neighbors as well.

A: Yeah, and I had never ever talked to them! [laughs] I didn’t know them at all, but now I do. We know each other very well.

B: Have you ever regretted your choice after the ruckus?

A: No, not at all.

B: You are happy with yourself?

A: Yes and the situation has calmed down. I’ve said I want to be in peace. And I’m sorry I certainly won’t present my house to the press.

B: No further than the yard.

A: [Laughs] Yes. I’ve been very strict about that. The band is my job, just like this is yours.

B: How did your son react?

A: He’s unbelievably proud, almost too proud. He might ask me in shop: “Mum, can I call you Nightwish-Anette?” and of course he’s wearing Nightwish-t-shirt. It’s embarrassing, but on the other hand, it’s really fun. He’s so proud. He would like to tell the whole world that his mother is the vocalist of Nightwish. He would like to be in magazines as well and I am deterring him. He would like to see Lordi with Nightwish on stage.

B: He’s quite young… How old he was again?

A: Six.

B: So, you are protecting him for his own good?

A: Yes, for his own good.


B: You've had pretty much publicity in Finland. You have a new CD out. How have your expectations been fulfilled?

A: Quite well actually. Of course there are some surprises. There’s so much more to do than just sing.

B: I meant musically.

A: Musically? Really well, I’m very happy and proud to be on that CD. We practiced hard together and it felt really good.

B: Your musical background is something completely different.

A: Well, I've still sung mostly rock and this feels like my own element. Nightwish doesn't even represent the heaviest of heavy metal. For example I like Finntroll a lot.

B: That’s pretty hard stuff.

A: Yes, so is Amorphis. This feels really good actually.

B: I read from somewhere that your uncle plays in Vikingarna.

A: Yes. I come from dance orchestra-family. It’s really comical.

B: It’s funny.

A: Yes, it is. [Laughter] But on the other hand, it’s understandable how did it come to this. I’ve lived in a tourbus with my mother, slept behind the stage and listened to dancemusic for my whole life. I wouldn’t like to sing it.

B: Nor listen?

A: No.

B: How did your dance orchestra-family react to your new job?

A: Wonderfully. My Vikingarna-uncle is really proud; he thinks Nightwish is a fine band. My mother is excited too, she was in metal-festival recently with my sister and now she’s into metal herself. We just haven’t listened to metal yet, we’ve had jazz, blues and dance music because most of us play for living.

B: There are many who wonder, why did a girl with dance music background wanted to be the vocalist in a band like Nightwish.

A: I think it was a trick of fate. I wasn’t planning this; I didn’t even know the band. I had heard the name, yes, and I had heard their music few months ago because my niece kept talking about them. I had heard them playing on a compilation album. Then our technician suggested that I would try out for their new singer because they had fired Turunen. “Me?” I asked. “Do I sing opera and classical?” And he said: “Well, if they want something else.” I thought about it and I wanted to try. I’d wanted for years to sing music like that. I recorded Ever Dream and sent it to the band.

B: Did you record it in studio?

A: I have a studio with my former band. I asked them to re-record the backgrounds. Guitarist did the solos and I did the singing. I listened the song only twice before the recording. I wasn’t so prepared, which is typical for me. I recorded it, sent it, and that was it. Answer came within a week, Tuomas praised my demo immensely. It was an awakening experience.

B: Did he call or write to you?

A: I got e-mail.

B: In what language?

A: English.

B: What language do you speak within the band?

A: Some kind of bizarre mixture between English, Finnish and Swedish. [Audience laughs.]

B: Does Tuomas speak Swedish?

A: Yes. He’s really good in fact, best of them all. In the beginning he was the one who resisted Swedish the most. “Sweden and Swedish, yuck…” Now he asks me every morning “How are you?” in Swedish and he writes it almost flawlessly.

B: Now we'll call the whole band here.

A: [Laughs] Now they're going to kill me.

B: We hope it doesn't go like that…

A: Tuomas must be nice.

B: 2 years tour… It’s a long time. Now, here’s the necessary question: How can you be apart from your family? Well, if you were man… No, wait a moment. I asked the same question from a male-artist last week.

A: It’s difficult for us all who have children, equally to Marco, Jukka and me. My own husband has travelled a lot so I know what’s it like to care for a child alone and he knows what’s it like to be away from home. But my son has the toughest part, it’s easier to me as I focus for working, but he thinks it’s miserable when I’m away. Not every day, but mostly. Sometimes he phones me crying, “You’re away for one more week?” It’s heart-rending. I’m trying to explain him that he’s the dearest and most important person in the world to me. But I tell him I would be sad without my new job. This is my dream.

B: Let’s hope that everything goes fine.

A: It certainly will.

B: Thank you, Anette. You must feel like I do… [Asks the audience] She looks like a Finn, doesn’t she?

A: [Laughing] Just a little bit.

B: [Laughing] There’s something Finnish in you.

A: My cheeks?