By Margarita Khartanovich, Finnish correspondent at MyGlobalMind
In the dim glow of Helsinki’s dive bars, where the sound of reverb-heavy surf guitars and brooding gothic vocals mix with the scent of leather jackets and cheap beer, The Vantages are cooking up something distinctly their own. Frontman Tim Mikkola might downplay it, but their sound—think Arctic Monkeys crashing a HIM afterparty with a bottle of whiskey and a box of heartbreak—has started to catch fire.
When we caught up with Mikkola, he was refreshingly unfiltered, equal parts self-deprecating and self-assured, in that special way only Finnish rockers seem to pull off. As he put it, “We’re full-time rock hobos, which means we’re just trying to figure out if we’re onto something or just perpetually broke.”
The Struggle is Real (But It’s Also Kind of Fun)
You’d think starting a rock band in Finland—land of metal gods and darkness—would be a hard sell, but Mikkola insists their rise has been pretty smooth. “We dropped ‘Leather Jacket’ as our first single, and people just kind of freaked out,” he says with a casual shrug, like they weren’t expecting it. The track, a gritty love song soaked in surf riffs and goth melancholy, became an instant calling card, proving that rock in Finland wasn’t dead; it was just waiting for a new outfit.
Still, Mikkola isn’t delusional about the challenges of making it as a band in today’s music landscape. “You don’t get into this because it’s easy,” he tells me. “You burn the safety boats and just decide the Titanic can’t go down.” He’s laughing, but you can tell he means it. No Plan B here.
Mikkola and lead guitarist Anton Froloff are all in, hoboing it through the rock scene full-time while the other bandmates juggle part-time gigs. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Mikkola muses, which is the closest thing to optimistic you’ll get out of him.
The Sound: Not Metal, But Not Soft Either
Ask Mikkola to describe The Vantages’ sound, and you’ll get a lot of thoughtful shrugs. “We don’t sound like Nirvana or anything,” he says, “but there’s this thing in our music, like when you close your eyes and go, ‘Oh shit, this speaks to me.’” It’s a mix of old-school surf rock, some early 2000s goth—cue the HIM comparisons—and British indie, all with a cinematic, black-and-white noir feel.
But for the record, “we’re not metal,” he insists. Sure, people compare them to HIM because, well, they’re Finnish, and there’s a goth vibe. “I get it. Ville Valo’s been gone, people want the next HIM. But darling, we’re not the next love metal band,” Mikkola says with a grin. The Vantages are here to do their own thing—surf guitars, tape echoes, and all.
Mikkola is refreshingly candid about the band’s creative process. He’s the type who locks himself in a dark room, hammering out songs before bringing them to the band. It’s a surprisingly democratic setup, given his outsized presence. He credits Froloff for pushing him to dig deeper, especially when he was stuck writing “Danger,” their most popular track to date. “I had this riff and verse that didn’t fit together. I was about to scrap it, but Anton comes in and says, ‘Dude, what the fuck is this? The last riff was killer, stop messing around!’ So, I went for a smoke, came back, and boom—Danger was born.”
The song has since become their calling card, racking up views and airplay, but Mikkola remains humble about it. “Honestly, we didn’t expect it to blow up the way it did. It’s just a good riff that got lucky.”
DIY or Die
Despite their growing buzz, The Vantages are keeping it DIY for now. “We’re prepared to do this on our own,” Mikkola says confidently. “If a label comes along and it’s not a shit deal, sure, we’ll talk. But we’re not sitting around waiting for someone to make us ‘official.’” The band has embraced the modern, DIY ethos of the music industry. From producing their own tracks to handling social media (with some help now, they admit), The Vantages are doing everything they can to avoid relying on industry gatekeepers.
“Twenty years ago, we would’ve needed a label to get any traction,” Mikkola points out. “Now, you just need a couple of mics, some ideas, and the know-how to do it yourself.” But that doesn’t mean they aren’t dreaming big — Mikkola casually drops names like James Ford (Arctic Monkeys’ producer) as part of his “wishlist” of future collaborators. “We’ll see where it goes,” he laughs. “It’s not that far-fetched.”
The Ville Valo Comparisons: Cringe or Compliment?
It’s impossible to talk about The Vantages without addressing the elephant in the room: the constant comparisons between Tim Mikkola and Ville Valo, the gothic rock god and former frontman of HIM. Both are Finnish, both share a certain brooding charm, and yes, they look eerily alike. The comparisons were only amplified when The Vantages played at Helldone last December, Ville Valo’s legendary New Year’s festival in Helsinki. A photo of Mikkola and Valo together backstage went viral, cementing the visual and stylistic similarities in the eyes of fans worldwide.
“Yeah, I’ve heard it a thousand times — people saying I’m a wannabe Ville Valo,” Mikkola says, rolling his eyes but grinning. “Honestly, it’s weird, but I get it. We look alike, we’re both from Finland, and we both sing about heartbreak. But come on, we’re not trying to be the next HIM. We’re not metal.” The frontman acknowledges the comparisons, but he’s quick to point out that The Vantages are carving their own path with a surf-rock twist and a more indie, cinematic sound.
Some fans have gone so far as to call the comparison “cringy,” which Mikkola laughs off. “I’m not trying to be somebody else. We just happen to have a similar bone structure and an affinity for black clothing. But if people hear something in our music that reminds them of Ville, I guess that’s not the worst thing in the world, right?”
And while Helldone might have seemed like the perfect place to break the HIM-wannabe stereotype, the gig only made things more surreal. “We played the festival, took the picture, and suddenly it’s all over the internet,” Mikkola says. “It was a fun night, but I wasn’t crying backstage about meeting my idol or anything.” Still, the viral photo didn’t exactly quiet the chatter, as fans of both HIM and The Vantages latched onto the image, fueling the comparisons even further.
In the end, Mikkola embraces the moment for what it was — a cool experience and a chance to perform at an iconic event. But he’s also eager to show that The Vantages are more than just echoes of Valo’s past. “It’s flattering, sure, but we’ve got our own thing going. We’re not trying to be anyone’s second coming.”
Chasing the American Dream
Though The Vantages are steadily making their mark in Europe, Mikkola is aware that cracking the U.S. market is a whole different beast. “It’s hard to jump from where we are to having a full U.S. tour, but we’re ready when the time comes,” he says. For now, the plan is to focus on touring Europe, but the States are definitely on the horizon. “I think people in the U.S. would get what we’re doing,” he adds, shrugging with that Finnish mix of confidence and humility. “If you like heartbreak and surf guitars, we’re your band.”
Still, The Vantages aren’t in any rush. They’re staying grounded, continuing to build a fanbase organically and avoiding the pitfalls of chasing viral fame. “Anyone who says they’ve got social media figured out is full of shit,” Mikkola quips. “It’s all a lottery. You just hope your ticket gets pulled.”
As we wrap up, Mikkola tells me why he thinks people should give The Vantages a spin: “It’s ear candy, man. It’s real, it’s raw, and it’s the kind of music that sticks with you. Plus, we’ve got surf guitars. What more do you need?”
Their music, a hybrid of gothic gloom and indie swagger, feels both nostalgic and new. “It’s like a black-and-white movie,” Mikkola says, grinning. “But the soundtrack? That’s where we come in.” With new singles and another EP on the way, The Vantages are gearing up for the next chapter, and if their current momentum is any indication, it’s going to be a wild ride.
So, whether you’re nursing a broken heart or just craving something a little different, The Vantages might just be the band to soundtrack your late-night drives, your quiet moments of introspection, or your whiskey-soaked Saturday nights. And if you ask Mikkola, he’ll probably tell you they wouldn’t have it any other way.
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