Finnish modern metal quintet My Favourite Nemesis returned earlier this year with a fresh line-up and their brand new album Eidolon. We caught up with co-vocalist Janne Piela to discuss the band’s formation, influences, ambitions and more.
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and your band.
Hey, I’m Janne Piela and I am one of the vocalists in My Favourite Nemesis and we are from Helsinki, Finland. Rest of the band includes Sanna Solanterä (vocals), Joel Aav (lead guitar), Janne Suominen (guitar, backing vocals) and Valtteri Estola (drums). We brought in Sanna as a second vocalist after our previous drummer, who also was the clean singer, decided to pursue other goals in life. Working with a second vocalist has definitely been an interesting experience, and I feel it impacted our sound positively. We describe our music as modern metal. It’s a good mix of modern metalcore and 2000’s metal.
How did the band form and how long have you been together?
We formed the band with previous line-up back in 2014. We knew each other from school and originally we just played for the fun of it. After a few years, we wanted to start playing gigs and make an album. We released our first EP Dark Room in 2017 and our first full-length album in 2022. The current line-up formed in 2022 when Sanna and Valtteri joined the band.
Can you remember the first time you realised you wanted to make music?
Probably around when I was 12 or 13 years old. My dad got me my first guitar back then and I was addicted to it from the get go. I listened to bands like Pantera, Metallica, Children Of Bodom and Killswitch Engage. I considered them my heroes and I wanted to make music just like them. I had always loved all kinds of music, but getting my first guitar and getting into heavier music was the turning point for me.
Who and what are the band’s main influences?
That’s a tough one as all of us have our own influences. But I would say bands like Trivium, All That Remains, Children Of Bodom, Slipknot and Architects have all massively impacted our sound.
What do you aim to achieve as a band?
Keep writing more music and get out there on the road. We also want to make our mark and have an impact on music. We also would love to tour the US one day.
For those who are yet to see you live, what can they expect from a My Favourite Nemesis show?
We give every show 110%. We love playing live and we strive to give the best performance every time. It’s also very important for our audience to have a good time.
What’s next for My Favourite Nemesis?
Get on the road and play live as much as we can. Also promoting our recently released second LP, Eidolon. We’re also demoing new material for future releases, but playing live is currently our first priority.
Eidolon is out now via Seek & Strike, available to stream or purchase HERE.
