Getting to Know… Free Carmen | Interview

In the 500th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Finland-based alternative rock band, Free Carmen.

 

Very true, Free Carmen. Free Carmen is Veeti Mäkinen (vocals and guitar), Onni Leminen (guitar), Roope Kaunisharju (bass), and Ukko Vuorela (drums). In response to our first burning question, they expound, opining, “It sucks the life out of the performance if it’s programmed to a light show or any of that bullshit.” Word! In the first Q&A of 2026, we get the inside scoop on the Finnish-based alternative rock band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know…Free Carmen: Interview No. 500!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

In my experience, nowadays, the fact that we don’t use a click or any backing tracks live makes us stand out from other rock and pop bands. It gives us total freedom to play what we want and how we want to. In my opinion, it sucks the life out of the performance if it’s programmed to a light show or any of that bullshit. It leaves no room for mistakes, also known as miracles that make the show human.

Another thing, of course, would be our songs and how they sound. We recorded all of the tracks from both albums live and then overdubbed something only if we could prove to ourselves that the song actually needed it.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Free Carmen form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

The funny thing is that three out of four of us met in the army. In Finland, for males, there is mandatory military service waiting for you at the age of 19, and we just happened to be there at the same time. Through that incredible coincidence, I found the guys who were excited about the Solstice concept that I had already come up with before the army. I was lucky to soon find out that these guys were also good-hearted, beautiful human beings. The main goal early on was to stay true to our vision and make art the way we want to. And we’ve succeeded in it.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or perspectives changed since you first started? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Actually, they haven’t changed a lot. We have a five-year plan that has always been a tool for us to work hard for our goals but also manage our expectations. We update it as time goes by, but the actual goals or aspirations hardly change at all. Our goal of someday playing at Wembley Stadium while staying true to ourselves seems almost paradoxical, but that’s what also makes it interesting.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

The biggest musical influence on me is Pearl Jam. That band has something so real and pure in the way they do things that it has become an example for me to follow. Some influences that the whole band agrees on are Tom Petty, Neil Young, Nick Cave, and Coldplay’s first two albums 😀.

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

During the last song of our first gig, my guitar strap broke, and my precious Gretsch White Falcon guitar flew through the air and got badly damaged. If you know anything about guitars, you know that it’s the kind of guitar you don’t throw around.

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To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

Either “One Step Behind” or “Sail Away”. “One Step Behind” is the first song we wrote as a group, and I think it’s just a world-class song. Making that song made me realize that these are the guys that I want to be in a band with for the rest of my life. It’s also something that we usually like to play live as the last song of our set. “Sail Away,” on the other hand, is the first song that I ever wrote completely on my own, and for that, it has a special place in my heart.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about …? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Well, I think it’s pretty rare for a new band to put out a double-album concept in its first year, instead of releasing single after another and waiting for one of them to blow up.

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What is Free Carmen currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

We are promoting our upcoming album, Solstice II. It will continue right from where Solstice I left us. We have the Solstice Tour coming up in spring 2026. It’s great that we can finally play songs from both albums in the way people have had the opportunity to listen to them. For the summer, we also have our first festival slots, which we are excited about beyond imagination.

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…Free Carmen: Interview No. 500 (2026) [📷: Free Carmen]

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