Heikki Kiviaho new bass player in Sator

Interviewed by Roger McScott | August 2003

So Heikki, now you’re the bass player in Sator. we wanna know something about your background. Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in Jyväskylä, Finland but I grew up in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

What kind of town is Eskilstuna?

A typical Steeltown, A lot of working class people.

So it’s quite similar to Borlänge where the other guys grew up?

Yes, only it’s slightly bigger.

What was your first band?

S.S Dase in 1979. We were pure punkrock but sadly we never released any records.

How come you got interested in music in the first place?

Punkrock of course and the idea that anyone can start a band. As a young boy in Eskilstuna you could choose between sports and music. It was an easy decision for me.

What other bands have you played in?

Minx, Ingo&Floyd, Thåström.

I know that ingo&floyd made a lot of records but what about Minx?

Minx released two singles. “Övergivna tårar” in 1981 and “It’s reality” in 1984.

You also spent a couple of years in the band Whale. Tell us something about that.

Me and Jörgen Wall joined the band for the second (and last) album. It was a really expensive album that took us to London with producer Tim Simenon (Depeche Mode, Bomb the bass…), Chicago with producer Brad Wood (Veruca Salt…) and back to London again with producer Chris Potter (The Verve…). It was lot of fun, work and travelling but I don’t know if the album “All disco dance must end in broken bones” turned out as we really wanted. The US-tour with Blur and Tricky of course was a big thing.
The Whale/Sator tour was a highlight too. That’s when I got to know the Sator guys a little closer and later as you know I became a real Sator member. Thank you Sator.

Do Whale still exist?

It’s a tricky question to answer, I think Whale exists in some form but I don’t know in which shape or form the band is right now.

The last Whale release was a track on the Ramones tribute. Did you record anything after that?

No there’s been no recordings after that, as far as I know.

How long have you been playing with Sator?

About two years now. I started out as a “prospect” at the live shows but I haven’t been in the studio with the band until now.

When did they ask you to join as a fulltime member?

Chips asked me at a party at Polar Studios this summer -03

Did you do a lot of thinking before you joined or was it an easy decision?

I was actually quite prepared ’cause I had a feeling that the question might come. So it really was an easy decision for me. Who could ever say no to such an opportunity?

Is it hard to be the “new guy” in a band that’s been together for so long?

No, not really since we have the same background. OK, sometimes when they go on about old memories it’s hard to catch up. I get to hear a lot of crazy stories from their past. Maybe I should write them down for my book “My years in Sator” that I’ll write when I’m old.

Will you be writing any songs for Sator?

I really hope so. I have a couple of songs that I think could fit into the Sator-sound.

What do you do outside Sator?

I have a studio at Södermalm, Stockholm. Right now we’re recording an album with Fatboy, a country/rockabilly band and it sounds great so check it out!

Which has been your favorite Sator show so far.

The first one I did in their hometown Borlänge in August 2001.

Why?

Because it was the first one and because of the introduction I got from Chips that night, the audience gave me big applause! I was really touched. It couldn’t have started better. Thank you Borlänge!

Any other projects in the near future?

We got our twins in February so they take a lot of my time. Music-wise I’m writing songs and I’m also trying to finish the Fatboy album.

Who is your all time fave bass player?

I never really had one but Paul Simenon of The Clash is cool.

Any classic bass lick you wish came from your mind?

“London calling” by The Clash.

Tell us about your equipment.

I have three Fender Precisions (2 white ones from the early seventies & one brown from the sixties). My amplifier is an Ampeg Classic with Ampeg 8×10 speakers.