Do you feel yourself tired of music sometimes? Do you have such feeling, that you want to forget about the studio and do something else? How do you think, your life turned without music?

I have never had such an urge that I would stop working with music. Music has given me life and I breathe from it. Of course there have been moments when I’ve been very tired and exhausted, but it never have occurred to me that I would leave everything that I have already accomplished behind. I actually become “sick” if I am not rehearsing singing in one week.

Tarja, you took part in “Rock On Volga” this summer in Samara. Now you know some phrases from Russian language, you sang a song “Ya Zdes”, you’re good in it. Are you planning to study this language? And did you like Russian rock?

If I would have just time to do anything else than I am already doing, it would be nice to learn languages. I don’t have time for it at the moment unfortunately. I enjoyed very much performing with Kipelov in Samara. People graced our performance together and welcomed me warmly to Russia.

We have a question about very beautiful song – Naiad: To say roughly, this song is the main in the whole album. Why Naiad hadn’t been included in the main track-list, and also had been performed so few times in the tour (we were very upset because we didn’t hear it in Russia). And also we are interested in, what does “circle of sixteen turned to stone" mean? What is the circle, who walked around it, and why are sixteen?

When all the songs for the album were decided; I was concerned to have too many slow numbers for it. WLB has a great red line going through it now. It tells the perfect picture which I wanted to tell in the first place in its songs. The song Naiad is very important to me and I love it. But I also love the other ballads, so when it comes to choose songs to include them or not is very hard.

Probably if I would have decided any other day, it could have been different and that it wouldn’t be right or wrong per se.

The songs that I record for an album are all “in”. If I have any doubts about a song, I don't record it. Maybe I feel the style wont fit to the album or that I would like to produce it in a different way that first approached. So, for me WLB are all the songs I recorded for it and not just the ones that made it to the regular version of the album.

The songs that will take part in our set list are being decided before the tours, but I decide the final set list for each concert on the same day. I have already plenty of songs that it is impossible to play all of them in the shows unfortunately, but the good news is that we are preparing songs from MWS and from WLB for the Final Tour. I promise you now that I will try my best to always play as many songs as possible that we haven’t played in the same city before!!

I am not willing to explain my lyrics too much in detail, because I want people to make their own interpretations. They do have a meaning for sure, but that is not as important as what they mean for you.

If you have to paint a picture of your inner world, what would it look like? What would be there (flowers, people, animals, abstraction, etc.) and what colors would be there?

I think all of that what you mentioned plus all the bright and strong colors of life. The strongest one being black ;)

Nowadays, there are a lot of bands that have video blogs besides ordinary. Don’t you want to give it a try in the future?

I don’t have anything against a video blogs, but the problem is that someone should be filming the videos all the time and I don't enjoy being the one. Still today I prefer taking photos.

Don’t you feel bored about people that do not give you a pass, and even on an ordinary day can meet you in a store/ on the street during a walk/ in hotels and ask you about photos and autographs. How do you feel about such not official meetings?

More awareness your music gets, more awareness your appearance in public gets. It is obvious that people wants to get close to you if they recognize you and it is more than fine for me that this is happening. If I have a chance to give one minute of my time to someone else, I’ll do it with pleasure. Anyway, the fame comes with a price and sometimes it is not easy to live my private life without having a place to be as I am, as a private, normal person.

The question will be about WinterStorm fan movement. What qualities of character should you fan/supporter have? What do you like on the concerts and what you dislike? If you were the leader of fan-club how should you organize support on the concert?

My fans are a blessing for me. They already are the running force behind me and I can only be grateful for all the support they are giving me. To see people leaving happy back home after my concerts or getting emotional during my concerts is the best feedback I receive from my work. Then I know that I am doing something important here and someone is listening to my art and me. It is amazing truly. There is really nothing I could mention that I would dislike in my fans during a concert. They’ve been so great to me. I am very lucky to have official fan clubs all over the world and to see that they are fully functioning. I think all the fan clubs can use their imagination in how they want to work and what they want to do. I am very co-operative in that sense when it comes to my fan clubs, because I want them to know that they are very important to me.

What is the most insane and crazy act that you committed in your life?

I gave a hug for a real lion once :) A hug from a lion girl...

You’re travelling all over the world. What do you know about Ukraine and what would you like to know about our country? Don’t you want to visit Ukraine as a tourist, not only with the performance?

I would like to know more about your culture, your music and arts. I know that your culture is very much influenced by Christianity, which is also the main religion. So far I have only been in Kiev and haven’t had enough time or possibilities to travel anywhere else in the country even though I would love to.

It’s your 4th arrival to Ukraine (we’re waiting impatiently, by the way). It’s very interesting to know, what did you like from the last visits? (food, places, people, etc.) Maybe you have some funny stories happened while you’ve been in UA?

There was a tiger attacking us in the main square in Kiev! Not a real one though :) But the concert was beautiful and my fans very really welcoming. I was wearing for the first time an outfit with which I didn’t feel very comfortable. It was maybe too sexy… or that’s how it felt to me, so I was thinking about it too much. At the same time, I chose new high heels that night. Very nice ones, but for the performance, too high… but I managed to perform the songs good enough until the point of the clothes change.

Do you believe in Santa and in Christmas miracle and what does this mean to you?

Of course I believe in Santa. He is living in Finland! Christmas is a miracle time of a year because it means normally that I can be with my family and friends.

By the way, do you have a tradition in your family to decorate the Christmas tree? If yes, what do you prefer, artificial or live Christmas tree?

We used to decorate our Xmas tree just a day before Christmas Eve. We definitely have always had a real tree in our living room in every Xmas. The scent of a real tree in the house is part of Christmas.

Soon there will be you concert in Kiev, what would you like to wish to your winterstormies in Ukraine? :)

My storm! I hope to see you all in my concert in Kiev! I am so excited to return to Ukraine and I am sure we will have a great time together again.

Have a merry Xmas and Happy New Year!

Love you all