“Some people say I am a genius, but that is not true”. Singer and songwriter Samae Koskinen is at the top of his game. Critics are raving about his second solo album, Elossa, a collection of episodes in the lives of several characters that will collide. Nyt, the entertainment weekly of Helsingin Sanomat, featured him on front page and many other magazines dedicated several pages to him. He is on top, but on the contrary to what it might be expected, he is a down to earth person, humble, and even shy.

At the same time, he seems positive. Full of life as his album title. The album reflects his move from Riihimäki to Tampere, a new personal relationship and a period of full artistic activity with his solo projects, his band Sister Flo and even as part of Kauko Röyhkä’s band as a bass player. On this lengthy interview, the singer talks about life in Tampere, his new album and the life a full time musician in Finland.

Why did you move to Tampere?

Because of Sister Flo, actually. We have a rehearsal place here. I also had a long relationship that ended so I wanted to change places. Tampere was the best option. I don’t like Helsinki much. It is too big for me. There are only 25,000 people in Riihimäki, so moving to a big city like Helsinki would be a big shock for me.

Do you think you will move to Helsinki?

I think I will have to at some point because my wife is working there. She’s a journalist. It will be mandatory for me to move to Helsinki some time soon, but meanwhile, I have a working space in Tampere and I love it. There’s everything here, cafés, restaurants… I am a vegetarian so it is important for me to have many choices and decent restaurants that serve vegetarian food. In Rihimäki that was not an option.

What do you like most of Tampere?

The history of the city. Many things have happened here, like the civil war. The presence of the water is also important. In Riihimäki there is no lake nearby. It must be the only place in Finland without a lake. The closest is 20 kilometers far. We just have a municipal swimming pool. Tampere is much different with all the surrounding nature and the lakes. Riihimäki is just known because of the railway.

How do you think that this new environment has affected your music?

It brought me out of my inner self. I am different. I used to be more introvert and shy. Now I don’t get so scared when there is a lot of people around. It is much more straightforward for me to express through music.

Is that the reason of the album title Elossa (Alive)?

Yes, it is. The title reflects the whole change in my environment. It is great to be alive.

You actually lived a pretty scary experience before this album.

Yes, there was this fire when I lived in Lapintie, in Armonkallio. A fire started in the storage room in the basement and soon it went up the building. This incident inspired the album title too.

Were you working on the album at that time?

Yes, I was. Not on the lyrical side, but the music for almost all the songs was done. Then I did the lyrics with Kauko Röyhkä. Because of that experience there’s so much death in the album.

The album is divided in different episodes, how did you come up with this idea?

It was really easy. It did not take more than ten minutes. I thought on the album there would be this young girl and this guy who watches her. Then there’s an old man in the balcony. There are different people and somehow their lives are connected. In the end of the album there is a tragedy, but the album is about moving forward. It is a positive album, anyway. You can find a good feeling on it.

How was working with Kauko Röyhkä?

It was very nice, because I knew him well after playing bass in his band. I went to his working room in Töölö and there weren’t any creative differences or anything difficult in the process. When I write by myself in English I need to find certain moment and state of mind. But this time with Kauko, it felt just like work. It wasn’t anything mystical, really.

Did you spend much time with him writing the lyrics?

We did 15 sessions and wrote 15 songs. It wasn’t a long process. We were also rehearsing for his band and we squeezed the writing work in between. I was also rehearsing with my own band so it was a busy time there.

You recorded Elossa with the rhythm section of Sister Flo.

We had the idea of creating some kind of Stax and Motown groove. A bit of soul. They are fantastic players. It is nice to record with people. I can play drums and bass and I did on my first solo album, but it is not the same. It is much better with guys that have some kind of history playing together.

Reviews have been great so far. Are you afraid of the day when there are some bad reviews?

It is a difficult thing about reviews, because I can define myself with them. If they say that I am really good, it is not actually true. If they say I’m very bad, that’s not true either. I try not to believe everything that is written about me. It’s much easier that way. But I’m not afraid of bad reviews. Some people say I am a genius but that’s not true.

Does that affect when you are working?

No, if I would care, it would affect everything I do. When I start a composition or I am humming a melody, I cannot think how to make it better so it would play on the radio or how to make it better so critics would love it. If I would care, it would be a disaster for the quality of the music that I make.