Interview with Pete Devine of Pete’s Rock News and Views (http://petesrocknewsandviews.com)
PD: How would you describe yourself or your band as an artist?
SC: We are a kind of old school rock’n roll guys playing old school hard rock with a twist of punk rock attitude of 80’s and 90’s
PD: Can you tell us briefly about your background – i.e. where you’re from, how you came to make music, etc.
SC: We come from Europe – western Finland (Lapua-Seinäjoki area). I think everyone of us came in to the music business because it’s nice to play in a band having fun with the band mates and kicking out the musicial ambitions. And of course to create something new or something own..
PD: Who and what inspires you to make music, both in terms of musical and other influences? What do you like to write about in your songs?
SC: I think every guy in this band would have a little bit different answer to this question but all kind of 80’s and 90’s hard rock and punk rock is the basics of this band. Most of our songs are telling about girls and boys and all the feelings between love and hate, pain or joy, right or wrong, good or bad and all those other simple questions and cases in this life.. But anyway not taking all this too seriously.. this is life – no more, no less..
PD: What are your aspirations as an artist?
SC: Well. We all have been doing this quite a long time (from the 80’s) so of course it would be nice to have a little bit better succé and bigger audiences and much more gigs to play and get our music to be heard as much as possible
PD: What is the proudest moment in your music career so far?
SC: In my (Mr Fire) own history in the beginning of the 90’s it was great to have my band’s single to be played in a radio station in United States – but in this band and in this time it is very nice that Standing Crew songs have been streamed over 200 000 times in Spotify and other digital platforms all over the world.
PD: Promoting one’s music is such a challenge these days, especially with so many new artists emerging from bedrooms
in the day of the home studio. How is that going?
SC: It is not so easy but at this age and with this experience we all have our networks and friends and all that and then – the patience. This is what we need. Patience and lots of work. And after all that we can see what happens.
PD: And how do you book and promote your live shows and tours? Any performances coming up?
SC: With our networks and old contacts and of course all the new social medias are very important in this work. We have done with me (the new singer Mr Fire) three shows and it is coming lots of more in this year. Now we are spending time at the studio to record the new songs and that’s why we have the next shows later in the spring and summer this year. Of course it is easier to have the shows here near where you live and the band is better known. Now we are working for to have the shows all over the country and then maybe outside of Finland too.
PD: What do you think about downloading music online? What about streaming sites like Spotify?
SC: Of course it is not like the old days. Songwriters got much better royalties than today. It is not fair the way how it goes today. Of course it is much easier to listen the music with all these digital equipments where ever you are. And every one can load ones music to these platforms without any record company and with low budget. So this is not so easy question. It has plenty of sides.
PD: What song do you wish you’d written and why?
SC: This is very personal answer (as many others of these too): Finlandia (by Jean Sibelius) (lyrics V.A. Koskenniemi). It is very current now with the message of the independence and freedom. And for me and many others it is very touching, emotional and deep song. A very big part of Finland’s history and part of this time too!
PD: Is there anything you don’t like about the music industry, which you would change if you could?
SC: It is very hard to come out from the training rooms without the big companies and big money. You can do some gigs near by your hometown but if you wanna go further then it is more difficult. It would be better if the alternative and indie music would have easier way to be heard at the shows. More possibilities to the new unknown bands to have 
the shows and get the songs to be heard on the radios and so on. Nowadays it is only few big companies owning the radio stations and TV channels and they play only music from there own record labels.
PD: So, what are you working on at the moment?
SC: We are recording the new material to be published on all the digital platforms. The first single with Mr Fire as a singer came out two weeks ago and the next single will be coming out at the end of march. And then we are releasing one or two more singles before the full album which is coming out later on this year.
PD: Where can we learn more about you and buy your music/merch online?
https://www.facebook.com/standingcrewtheband
Sodeh Records: https://www.sodeh.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/standingcrew/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4rirSQEf1KXFfN4w7sfvBA
Homepage: https://standingcrewtheband.weebly.com
Standing Crew links:
Band/Artist location – Finland
Website – Facebook – You Tube – Soundcloud – Merch –
Twitter – Instagram – Apple – Spotify – Amazon – Deezer – LinkTree –
Check our page for Standing Crew
