An Interview with
'Thomas Wright'
The Bassist & Creative Leader of
'Rootbrain'
that took place on 10th March, 2025.
Interviewed by Glenn Milligan.
Glenn: Where did the name Rootbrain come from and who decided initially to call the band that?
Thomas: The name just stuck in my head after bumping into an article about plant intelligence. I think Rootbrain had a good powerful feel to it. I am fascinated by the patterns and textures of roots and find them aesthetically very pleasing.
Nature is an important element behind this band and our music. I quite like the idea of mother nature putting this parasite race called humans back to their place. So yeah, I guess it was me who came up with it, our Guitarist, Helle approved and we locked the name. No regrets there.
Glenn: Who came up with the band logo and what influenced it?
Thomas: The Rootbrain logo is made by Tuomas Valtanen an old friend and talented artist based on a brief by me and Helle. We didn’t want anything too polished. Tuomas delivered.
Glenn: What were your initial introductions to getting into music and forming the band?
Thomas: Metal music really wiped my feet off somewhere in my early teenage. The power, the energy the sense of danger and rebel. Also it wasn’t that cool among wider masses then so there was a nice us against the world feel to it.
I joined my first real band, a prog death band called Elenium as a 15 year old and we kept going for the next 15 years or so. Elenium’s frontman, Jukka Pelkonen is currently the singer of Omnium Gatherum and the Lead Guitarist, Kasperi shreds in Beast in Black and was even in Udo Dirkschneider’s band for a couple years. It was a talented band and I learned so much during those years. Soon after I ended up joining Kuolemanlaakso, a death doom band fronted by Mikko Kotamäki of Swallow the Sun.
For the next decade I doomed with them and started Rootbrain somewhere along the way since I was starting to burst with musical ideas while Kuolemanlaakso was slowing down. When I was younger I was more active in the Metal scene and also stepped in to do live bass duties for friend’s bands when needed. I think I first met Jules while playing a show with a Finnish Death Metal band called Amoral and we bonded immediately.
Helle who is the co-founder of Rootbrain was having his own death thrash band called Dauntless already when we started with Elenium and during the years our paths crossed being active in the scene and we became good friends. Dauntless built a reputation as a wild live band and the reputation was justified.
There was always a certain energy when we were together. That little danger and chaos amid all the fun and laughter and we totally digged it and understood that energy had to be the core of Rootbrain. Rootbrain was formed during long, thorough discussions about all the years and experiences gained, lessons learned. We agreed it all boils down to communication. As most things involving more than one human being.
Fat Tony was the obvious choice as drummer because I had formed a firm bond and groove with him in Kuolemanlaakso. He’s a very musical drummer and I’ve never felt as natural playing with other drummers. I love his groove. And we all love his character. What a guy! Jules was the frontman of a band called Profane Omen and we go way back as well. There was an immediate connection when we first met a couple of decades ago. It was a dream to be in the same band one day. Profane Omen and Dauntless had a close bond and toured quite a bit together so Helle and Jules have also been good friends for ages. They used to be called the nut bros.
With Santura we met through Kuolemanlaakso since we went to record our debut album into his Woodshed Studio around 2011 and we instantly clicked and through the years built a strong friendship. He has obviously vast experience as a touring musician in Triptykon and Dark Fortress. So all in all. We’re a new band but we have endless amount of live shows, studio sessions and experience on our belts. The line up consists of the most awesome friends and characters I’ve met during a couple decades navigating in and around the Finnish metal scene.
Glenn: Would you say it's an 'as and when' band due to you all being members of other bands? It must be a scheduling nightmare?? How do you manage to make it work?
Thomas: We work in phases, cycles and camps. So even though we don’t meet at the rehearsal place every week we can actually work quite smoothly. Nowadays it’s quite simple to communicate with people even if there’s a bit of distance between. I’m basically in writing mode 24/7 and everybody is gathering ideas when we’re apart. I work on my personal 8 track demos manically especially during the dark season.
Helle is usually my key gatekeeper who gives his brutally honest opinion whether a song is a keeper or not. Then we have an extended rhythm section of me, Helle and Fat Tony that lives in Finland and gets together for several day long intense rehearsal camps. That is usually when arranging the songs concerning the rhythmics and song structures.
For me these longer and much more intense sessions are from a different level compared to a few hours here and there. During our camps we live and breathe the creative process and shut everything else out. I’d definitely say we’re a proper band and not just a project. We’re not 15 any more though so it isn’t realistic to live at the rehearsal place 5 days a week.
Glenn: Who would you say are the main influences of Rootbrain and in what ways have you consciously or subconsciously immersed them into the style of the band?
Thomas: There’s a lot of music from the 90’s in the soul of Rootbrain. But it’s not a nostalgy trip or a retro thing. We all naturally have our personal favorites and every Rootbrain member has real input into our sound. Our roots are in extreme metal but Jules’ vocal arrangements and harmonies take the grunge vibes to 11. I can only talk for myself here.
Nowadays all influences are very sub-conscious. I think I’m a late bloomer when it comes to songwriting. I only realised I’ve kind of found my own musical language during a Kuolemanlaakso studio session in 2016 and Santura had a big role in that. I was really badly prepared for the session since my father had just died a month earlier and my life was spiralling on several fronts.
I was coming up with the basslines on the spot and constantly reflecting and testing ideas with Santura. He is the one person with the most similar kind of musical dialect as mine. The chords we’d intuitively choose, the twists we like to do with melodies and the next note. Little things. I like to weave riffs like spider web and have a theme that I alter into different shapes and moods. I like to use a lot of chromatics but in a weirdly melodic way and songs need dynamics.
Five minutes of blastbeat non stop isn’t heavy anymore. It’s just monotonic and annoying. But to namedrop some actual influences that have moulded my musical preferations and persuations. Let’s travel back to the 90’s. Edge of Sanity and Opeth were using clean guitars and dynamics in a new way in metal. I liked the energy of the Gothenburg scene and bands like At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity. In Flames were putting extra attention to vocal arrangements. It seemed everyone was experimenting with all kinds of influences. Oh yeah, the old Amorphis and Sentenced stuff.
The most important influences from my homeland. Along with two incredible bands in Kingston Wall and Kyyria. And all the bands I grew up playing while getting started with the bass: Nirvana, Metallica, Pantera, Sepultura. Their songs were played repeatedly and with mixed success in the garage. And even before starting to play an instrument I was binge listening the Beatles and Queen. They must’ve left a trace or two. There are really too many great artists and albums to list here and I’m already regretting I started. It’s not all metal either.
There are a few albums that will receive nods of approval from all corners of the Rootbrain camp. Dirt by Alice in Chains, Chaos A.D. by Sepultura, Wolverine Blues by Entombed, Burn My Eyes by Machine Head, Mezzanine by Massive Attack and Fat of the Land by the Prodigy to name few in case you want to get any of my band mates into the mood. But if you strip Rootbrain down to bare, bare bones it’s like Dirt, Chaos AD and Wolverine Blues having an extremely drunken and hazy weekend at the cabin. Or I don’t know. There are five talented, proper characters in our band and our sound is the product of combining our energies.
Glenn: How is the scene in your part of Europe for this style of Metal? Or Metal overall?
Thomas: We’re in a league of our own. It’s lonely here in the black grunge universe. The Finnish Metal scene is going strong and you know 9 out of 10 Finns probably play in a Metal band. I’m not following intensely as I used to back in the day.
Glenn: You are signed to Corpse Paint Records? What was it about this company that made you decide to seal the deal as opposed to with other labels around?
Thomas: First of all we could really tell Drew from CPR was really genuinely loving our music. Santura had met him already in 2007 while on tour with Celtic Frost. They were touring with Type O Negative and Drew was Type O’s merch guy. A friendship was formed. Everything just felt right with this.
Business-wise it’s not the biggest move but we’re building our tribe around us and we need just the right kind of people. We recognise them when they come along. We know what we’re doing and a lot of our inspiration and drive comes from doing things a bit differently than the industry norms require. Full artistic freedom and help with the non-musical side of things. No complaints there.
Glenn: What kinda of mindset do you need to get into when it comes to writing for Rootbrain and not end up writing a song that's more in touch with your other band (s)?
Thomas: At the moment all music I write is Rootbrain. In Kuolemanlaakso I wrote songs but I wasn’t the main composer and it being death doom, mostly slow stuff it wasn’t really ever hard to draw the line between what riff goes where. Speaking of mindsets the best for me is melancholy. A state of depression even. Pain is good for my creative flow as long as I can still function and get out of the bed. When I’m on a happy phase, I create way less if at all. Talking about vicious circles.
As for the other guys I think in the end it all boils down to the arrangement and almost anything can fit under the label of Rootbrain and black grunge as long as we do it with this group. Just take the #1 Crush cover. I’m sure many would consider it one of our own songs if they hadn’t heard the original.
Glenn: How would you say the band have improved or excelled as a creative unit since the debut album and how did you manage to make that happen?
Thomas: We’ve taken major steps forward as a band and creative unit on all dimensions. First of all now we are a fully functioning band with the finished line up whereas we entered the Breakwater studio sessions as a trio with Helle and Tony. All our characters match so well and creating together is an absolute pleasure.
Glenn: Were there certain reasons for picking Woodshed Studios, Q7 Studios and The Temple Of Bad Habits to record the various parts of the E.P. and if so, what were they?
Thomas: Timing and logistics was one reason but in the end we chose the best places to reach the best results and sounds possible with limited funds at our disposal. The Q7 Studio is a familiar place for Santura and not that far from his home. It has a better, bigger room for drum recording than Woodshed Studio. And for drums, the room matters.
For electric guitars the Woodshed Studio is the best choice for us since that’s where Santura has all his amazing gear and that’s his homeground where he always wins. For vocals and all kinds of utterly creative purposes and inspiration nothing beats The Temple Of Bad Habits. The feeling of dipping into the lake from the sauna after a long recording day is like no other while all the songs and ideas are still simmering inside our heads.
Glenn: Were you looking to capture a certain sound or overall ambience / tone for the E.P. before you started? If so, what bands or albums come to mind for this where the sounds came from and what were your collective thoughts with regard to the finished E.P. in this regard?
Thomas: I think our base sound is something we wanted to keep and especially Santura knew pretty well what we’re after and how to get there. Then it’s a matter of reaching a balance of ugliness and beauty that pleases us.
What essentially makes Rootbrain sound Rootbrain is in the way we play our instruments and how we play together so I can imagine a myriad scenarios sound wise that could perfectly be our soundscapes. When it comes to sounds and production we have a safe pair of hands in V. Santura.
Glenn: What are the plans so far for a second album from Rootbrain in the distant or Present Future? What were the initial reasons for releasing an E.P. and not a second full length album?
Thomas: No dates set for the release but we’re gonna start recording this summer. Let’s see how the logistics and such work out. The biggest work is the songwriting, lyrics and arranging at the rehearsal place and at least the first part is progressing well. The E.P. is a good bridge between the old and new material. We felt this was a good time to remind we’re still around and introduce our current form.
Glenn: Where did the cover idea come from for 'Mothertomb' with the skull?
Thomas: I got the feel of the visual side from discussions with Jules about the title tracks lyrics that he wrote. In order to bind a couple parallel themes together I ended up painting a fox skull I had found earlier from the forest golden and it looked so amazing I changed my original vision that would have had some additional elements and made the golden fox the main star of the show. Our trusted graphic saviour, Tomi Henttunen did the layout and graphic design duties.
Glenn: What sort of animal does the does the skull come from and what does it symbolise to you guys that you are trying to put across to audience?
Thomas: It’s a fox and aren’t they just wonderful animals. I have one visiting my property on daily/nightly basis. In Finnish folklore a fox is a wise and clever operator with an ability to con you. That has some substance in real life too. Foxes have adapted pretty much everywhere. But I won’t open the cover concept too much. I let everybody to make their own conclusions on the symbolism or meanings the cover might have.
Glenn: What drew you to the band 'Garbage' and why did you decide on '#1 Crush' as the song to cover?
Thomas: I’ve been digging Garbage’s music, excellent songwriting, taste for melody and their amazingly talented and charismatic singer, Shirley Manson. I also have a thing for Bond songs. '#1 Crush' was never my favorite Garbage song or anything like that but it has a text that I knew would work for us and changing the gender of the stalker would turn it really disturbing.
It had an ominous mood about it and cool melodies and bassline. And most importantly I think the original was lacking in dynamics. It’s kind of a tube from start to finish. So we could really crank up the intensity. Our first version was more loyal to the original but during one of our marathon rehearsals we ended up cranking up the tempo and adding loads of dirt and grunge. I’m glad we did.
Glenn: Has Shirley Manson heard your version yet of the song and if so, what were her thoughts to it?
Thomas: No I don’t think so. Not that I’m aware at least. It would be a dream if she heard it and even more if she had thoughts to it. I’m pretty confident she might appreciate our version at least on some level. We tried to do it justice and really put some thought in it. You can add Garbage to the earlier list of influences btw.
Glenn: What were your own personal highlights in the writing and recording process of the E.P.?
Thomas: I really enjoyed composing Mothertomb around an acoustic pattern that Helle played to me at the cabin. My partner was pregnant during the writing process and recordings so that added an extra emotion and purpose to every moment and action. I felt like I need to use every second in the studio well and there was no room to fuck around.
Also there was a real possibility that the labour might start at any moment during the recordings. I do remember feeling quite overwhelmed and stressed during the sessions until the last vocal recordings were in the bag. It’s a weird combination of joy and suffering in the studio.
Glenn: What songs on the EP mean the most to you and why?
Thomas: They’re like my children so I can’t really put them into order like that. They all mean a lot to me and have some extra meaning attached to them. If they didn’t they wouldn’t end on a Rootbrain release. I like the starting riff of Unawares and there is some real genuine pain for me in the lyrics.
Mothertomb for me is the Helle anthem and it’s connected with the shit he went through and his quite impressive resilience. #1Crush turned out great and much more than just a cover and the process of creating the lyrics for Svobomir together with Jules and Santura was a fun and fruitful process.
Glenn: What are your thoughts to making Promotional Videos for your songs and what have been the highlights of them in the creative process and why?
Thomas: Our videos are really low fi and DIY spirited. We’ve just filmed a lot of stuff ourselves with our phones and I’ve had the unthankful task of editing them into videos. I do not identify as any kind of expert in that but it’s also a lot of fun. So far, my favorite has been the video we did for #1 Crush. At least it’s different from some dudes headbanging in a warehouse wearing black t-shirts and looking grim.
Also the very first video we filmed with Helle for a song called Bullethead was awesome. At least the process if not the end product. That actually has to be the top highlight. We just made the video without having much expertise. Went to a forest and got drunk. It was the first time I used an editing program in my life. But we captured just the right energy. The dudes looking grim in a warehouse concept is still a bit lame even if you film it with a gazillion dollar camera and make it look ultra pro.
Glenn: What was the reason behind choosing those particular videographers?
Thomas: They were the only ones we could afford!
Glenn: What does the word 'Svobomir' mean in English or its equivalent and what influenced the song?
Thomas: It’s a name of a person. I don’t know if it’s really a name but it sure could be. At least I’m pretty sure there are no other songs titled Svobomir. But after us releasing this banger I’m expecting a global baby naming trend of little newborn Svobomirs everywhere.
Glenn: How will people be able to obtain a copy of the E.P.?
Thomas: At the moment only through the Corpsepaint Records Webstore (https://corpsepaintrecords.com/collections/rootbrain) but the distribution situation is ever evolving.
Glenn: Can we expect to see Rootbrain on tour or at selective festivals and if so, where and when?
Thomas: I hope so but at the very moment our tour calendar is empty and we’re putting our focus into writing the next album. Some festivals for the summer would be sweet though.
Glenn: In your opinion, what sets the band apart from other artists around at the moment in both sound, image, attitude and style that will make them memorable to someone hearing or seeing you for the first time?
Thomas: I think we have our own signature style and sound that doesn’t really compare straight with any band on the metal field. On top of that we’re a band of personalities and you can hear that through our playing and see it when we’re on stage. Rootbrain is a counterforce to all the overproduced, ultra-polished, generic metal out there.
Glenn: What would be your ideal band bill for you guys to be part of and for what reasons?
Thomas: Metallica, AiC & Rootbrain. I don’t need to reason that do I? Or maybe Mastodon, Kvelertak & Rootbrain if all the stadiums are already booked and we need to settle for clubs.
Glenn: If you could play any particular places around the world or certain live venues or festivals, which ones would you choose and why?
Thomas: South American tour would be cool. Also Roadburn Festival in Holland would be something I’d like to experience. Santura played there with Triptykon and was quite impressed. But to be honest there are so many cool places and festivals that it’s really hard to name a specific place. We’d love to play all kinds of venues and festivals and sometimes the most magical gigs are in places you wouldn’t expect.
Glenn: What do you all enjoy doing when doing when not involved in music?
Thomas: Different things, Santura climbs mountains, Helle goes fishing or relaxes with the chainsaw, Tony is a family man, Thomas is wandering or wondering in some forest and Jules has mojitos on a beach in Rio or somewhere else where it’s warm.
Glenn: What are Rootbrain most proud of so far?
Thomas: I’d say the music we’ve made. But it’s just the beginning and there’s so much more potential and more to come. It’s not the time to look back and get nostalgic yet. We’re just getting started here.
Glenn: What would you guys like to say to the folk who have read the Interview?
Thomas: Wow. You really read this far? Thanks! Most people just read the headlines and get offended. Anyway, stay strong and be kind! Listen to black grunge!
Thanks for the interview, Glenn! Cheers!
Varjo Art: Black & White Photographs.
Laureline Tilkin: Live Colour Photographs.
Rootbrain Social Platforms
Rootbrain TV: https://www.youtube.com/@rootbraintv4081
Official Website: https://rootbrain.net/home
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootbrain_official
Faccebook: https://www.facebook.com/rootbrainfin
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/72qGGL96oKwWdiIqWdb2Tu
Special thanks to Raquel Figlo PR for setting up the Interview