Imperium and The Spiraling Melodies of Never Surrender

Imperium and The Spiraling Melodies of Never Surrender

Imperium is the solo project of Finnish drummer & songwriter Mika Brushane.  The latest album from Imperium is entitled Never Surrender, now available worldwide via Pride & Joy Music, presenting a grand and wondrous soundscape of melodic rock and AOR.  Featured performers found within the world of Never Surrender include Robbie LeBlanc of Find Me, Michael Bormann of Jaded Heart, Stefano Lionetti of Lionville, and a whole lot more!  Highwire Daze recently caught up with Mika Brushane to discuss the spiraling melodies on Never Surrender as well as other information on the rapturous Imperium.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Imperium, and how long the project has been in existence?
I’m Mika Brushane the songwriter, drummer, keyboardist, bassist and producer of the project. The project started in 2012 when I released my first single Victory on YouTube.

Where are you based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
I’m working from my studio at Vantaa / Finland and the local music scene is quite big here in the metropolitan area where I live and work compared to other regions in Finland.

Is there any overall story or concept behind the album title Never Surrender?
Not at such, I just thought that while I know Never Surrender is not a very unique title 😉 it sounded so good I wanted to go with that…

How did Robbie LeBlanc of Find Me and Blanc Faces become involved with Imperium, and what has it been like working with him?
When I first heard Robbie’s voice years ago I just knew I had to try to work with him someday! And fortunately he said yes when I asked him to join the project for the third album Heaven or Hell! It’s so good to work with him because he delivers amazing vocals every time! He really get’s my vision from my demos and makes my ideas come to life perfectly!

Michael Borman of Jaded Heart and Silent Force is also on the new album. What has it been like working with him and how did he become involved?
As with all the guys in this project, working with Michael has been great, he’s an amazing professional with an amazing voice. I had heard also Michael before and then somebody endorsed him for another project I was involved with, and when he did not become a part of that project I wanted him for Imperium!

Stefano Lionetti of Lionville plays on the album. What was that experience like working with him?
It’s so great! He has the perfect understanding of this genre and what style of playing suits my songs! 100% gold everytime!

Mikey K Nilsson has worked with bands such as Arkado and Bai Bang. How did Mikey become involved with Imperium?
Mikey was also involved in a project that I was also in, but it never saw the light of day so I snatched Mikey to Imperium! 😉 Great guy, great guitarist!

Has Imperium ever played live, or would you like to do so in future days?
No, Imperium is strictly a studio project, has always been and will always be. We all play live with other bands…

What was it like releasing your previous album Heaven Or Hell in the middle of a worldwide pandemic?
It was ok. As this is a studio project, the pandemic actually gave everyone more time at our home studios, so I had no problems because of the pandemic!

When you look back on the first Imperium album Dreamhunter, what do you think if in now in retrospect?
First of all I still think it’s a good album! But… It was a showcase of my music taste, what I wanted to write, play and listen to. So, it was musically a bit all over the place! 😉 Now with the other albums I’ve found the style of Imperium!

Are you involved with any other bands or projects outside of Imperium?
Yes, I play drums & percussion on various projects for clients, and I play live gigs as a percussionist in a big party band and I’m the drummer of ROGUE ICONS, a hard rock band that will hopefully release it’s first album next year…

What’s up next for Imperium?
Next is album #5! 😉 I’m already working on it and plans are to release it in 2025.

Any messages for Imperium fans here in the States?
Thanks for the support to all the fans in the states! I see in the streaming and sales statistics that there are quite many of you out there, it’s so cool! Hope you enjoy this album until the next one comes out! 😉

(Interview by Ken Morton)

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