Jyrki69 (born Jyrki Pekka Emil Linnankivi) is speaking from the second happiest place on earth.
Maybe West Chester, Pa., the site of some filming of the Finnish rock band’s new video isn’t many people’s idea of the runner up to Disneyland (the official “Happiest Place on Earth) but just being in the U.S., working on the video is enough for it to gain that status in Jyrki’s eyes.
“It’s like a dream,” said Jyrki. “Doing this video and the American tour. It is a big deal for a poor boy from Finland coming to play in the homeland of Elvis. I’m privileged to have this chance.”
The chance hasn’t come easily. Formed in 1989, the band has steadily worked its way up, morphing from glam/hard rock into a Goth sound. Mixing in influences from such notables as Elvis, Billy Idol and The Cramps has led fans to dub the band “Goth n Roll” after its 2008 release.
Jyrki and his band mates firmly embrace solid rock, though, talking about how they hope to recruit Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ sole heir, to guest on an album and Twittering from their tour bus about “Sonic Boom,” Kiss’ new release.
“You feel safe as long as Motorhead, AC/DC and Kiss are touring and releasing records,” said Jyrki speaking from the video shoot. “Someday there won’t be any AC/DC, Kiss, or Motorhead and I don’t know how the world will feel like without them.”
Left unsaid is his palatable hope that 69 Eyes hits a higher degree of success in the U.S. before they fade away.
“Our new album was made, just with us thinking to be different than anyone else,” he said. “We do follow in others’ footsteps but the sound is very much ours. Historically we are the band that time forgot. We still have great fans, an amazing fan base, but I just know that there are a lot of people out there that don’t know about us, but love us anyway.”
The band hopes its latest release and ninth studio album, “Back In Blood,” does the trick. Critics call it something akin to romance mixed with harsh Goth – think part The Cult, part Danzig, with dozens of other influences, and you have the idea.
But whatever influences you hear, Jyrki said he and his mates are on a mission to produce 69 Eyes’ signature sound to keep the Goth n Roll genre alive.
“We are just very idealistic guys,” he said. “We truly believe in Rock and Roll and The American Dream,” he said. “We thought The Ramones were serious and we wonder what the world would be without the Ramones and Elvis. We feel we have to exist to carry on this unholy mission.”
If you go
69 Eyes
Where: Jaxx Nightclub & Restaurant, 6355 Rolling Road, Springfield, Va.
When: 5:15 p.m. Sunday
Info: $18; ticketmaster.com
