Posted by Burnouts, Breaks, and the Beauty of Doing Whatever the Hell You Want
Interview conducted by Claudia Erhardt, with Nicky Meyer present and part of the question development
Tour life: it can either make or break a band. For Sentenced, it did both – and not in that order.
In a half-lit room that smelled like cigarettes and backliner coffee, we sat down with frontman Ville Laihiala to talk about their new album, the aftermath of Crimson, and what happens when you avoid each other for seven months for the sake of the music (and probably your sanity).
I wasn’t running the show that day—Claudia led the interview—but I was in the room, pen in hand, occasionally jumping in, mostly just soaking up the vibe. Ville was dry, honest, and surprisingly mellow for someone fronting a band that practically runs on existential dread and black humor. But that’s the charm. You don’t get ego from Ville—you get truth, with a side of sarcasm.
✦ Rebooting the Band… With Silence
“We were mentally burned out,” Ville says when asked why it took longer than usual to release The Cold White Light. “After Crimson, we toured a lot. Probably too much. We played well, but we didn’t enjoy it anymore. We needed to either break up—or disappear from each other for a while.”
They went with the second option.
“So yeah, we took seven months off. Like, completely off. No rehearsals. No messages. Nothing. Just stayed away from each other. At least from those assholes,” Ville smirks.
The result? A record that sounds surprisingly fresh for a band that traffics in decay. The Cold White Light balances morbid themes with moments of humor, love, and even melody.
“There’s even a pure love song,” Ville admits. “Don’t ask how that happened.”
✦ A Band Doing Whatever It Damn Well Wants
When it came time to pick a single, Sentenced ignored the usual label pressure.
“We couldn’t agree on one song, so we picked the ones we all liked. The first and last tracks. That was our logic. Flawless,” Ville says with a straight face.
Their label? Surprisingly chill about it.
“They’ve always given us a free hand. We record the demos, we make the calls. They don’t mess with that. It’s rare, but it works.”
And it shows. The band feels looser this time around. More alive. Ville credits that to the break—and to not giving a damn about genre boxes or outside expectations.
✦ Ville vs. The Studio
“Do you like studio work or playing live?” Claudia asks.
Ville doesn’t even pause.
“I hate studio work. It’s stressful. You always feel like you’re failing. Touring? That’s the drug.”
The irony? This album was largely recorded in their hometown—closer to home than ever.
“It was actually better,” Ville says. “People think it’s distracting, but I prefer it. Daily life grounds you. Plus, you don’t have to drag your ass across the country just to get a bad vocal take.”
The pressure, though, is real. Ville sets high standards for himself—and his bandmates.
“We always expect the best. Which means we always think we’re falling short. It’s a great system,” he says dryly.
✦ Art, Alcohol, and a Letter ‘S’
This time, the album art wasn’t outsourced—it came from within the band.
“Our drummer did the whole thing. He’s been studying photography for years. He finally had the time. It looks killer.”
Gone is the full band logo, replaced with a stark ‘S’ on the cover.
“We’re trying to get rid of the full logo. Minimalism is edgy, right?” he jokes.
Between the stripped-back cover and the more varied songwriting, The Cold White Light feels like a clean slate—and that’s intentional.
✦ Touring Plans, South America, and Weird Fans
Sentenced was gearing up for a headlining tour through Europe, with stops in Finland and Germany before heading (maybe) to South America for the first time.
“We get a lot of emails from fans down there. They seem completely nuts. Could be fun,” Ville shrugs.
Not that touring is always fun. Sometimes it’s just socks, smoke, and waiting.
“We kill time smoking, walking in circles, watching bands we’ve seen 40 times already. Once in a while, someone plays guitar and it turns into something really sick—not artistically sick, just… wrong,” he laughs.
Still, they take the stage seriously.
“We don’t care if the crowd ‘fits’ our vibe. We just go out and do our best every night. And if we’re having fun, they usually do too.”
✦ Fans, Followed
Sentenced has a devoted fan base—some of whom follow them across Europe. Literally.
“We’ve had people fly in from Japan and follow us city to city,” Ville says, a little bemused. “It’s weird. But also kind of amazing. If someone spends that much time and money to see us, we try to give something back. Invite them to the bus. Talk to them.”
He pauses.
“Of course, not all fans are great. Some are plain rude. But most? You can tell when someone really connected with a song. That’s rewarding.”
✦ No Big Dreams, Just the Next Show
What’s next?
“No big plans. No fantasy dreams. We just take one thing at a time,” Ville says. “We’re realistic. Our goals are musical, not about world domination. As long as we’re proud of what we do, we keep going.”
✦ Bonus Round: Rapid-Fire Weirdness
As we wrapped, someone decided it was time for a word association game. Ville, ever the good sport (and deadpan champion), played along:
- Coca-Cola? “More wrong than right.”
- Groupies? “Eh. You can play without them.”
- Superman? “Do Americans really think he exists?”
- September 11? “Give me the bridge.”
- Posters? “Depends on the font.”
- Politics? “Bullshit. Thank you.”
The Last Word
Ville doesn’t sugarcoat things—not the work, not the weariness, and certainly not the industry. But there’s a core of love in all of it. He might joke about the stress, the long tours, and the weird fans, but underneath is someone who clearly gives a damn. About the music. About the honesty. About doing it right.
“This is my life,” he says at the end. “There’s no drug in the world that beats that feeling when you’re on stage. And that’s why we’re still here.”