We love it when a music artist discovers us (rather than us discovering them) and introduces us to their music. It means we are doing something right and it allows us to help and support them.
We have had a number of artists contact us recently, including the fantastic Finnish artist Markus Perttula. So we shared our questions with him to find out more whilst we got immersed in his Finnish lyrics and dreamy indie sound.
Be sure to check out his new album Aarnivalkea (translation Will-o’-the-wisp) which is released today.
Where are you from and what are your favourite places to experience there?
I was born in Seinäjoki, a small city famous for its lack of hills, abundance of fields and some of the most beautiful architecture by the renowned Alvar Aalto. Seinäjoki has some great music festivals in the summertime: Tangomarkkinat for fans of tango and Provinssi for fans of pop and rock.
Turku is another city I lived in for a long time, and it’s famous for its beautiful riverside with little restaurant boats, many summer festivities and vibrant night life (Dynamo is probably the best bar in Finland).
Nowadays I live in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and it sure is full of museums, live music and cool places to see. I’m still feeling like a tourist here after six years. I recommend a boat trip in the summer to visit the many little islands nearby. Kallio is a lively neighbourhood with nifty cafés and vintage shops.
How would you best describe your sound?
Chamber pop might come close with the latest album. The previous two were more folk rock. There’s an air of indie pop and honest DIY mentality. The sound I’ve created is deliberately light even if the lyrics and the atmosphere is melancholic. I’m sure you can spot an undercurrent of escapism and dreams even if you don’t understand Finnish.
What have you got planned for the year?
More music, I hope! Covid times have been rough, I haven’t been able to travel to see family and sometimes feel a bit stuck indoors, but honestly I’m loving the time I’m spending at the moment with my toddler. So, life is all I’ve planned for now, taking one day at a time and waiting patiently for a vaccine so things could maybe be normal again.
When can we expect to see you start to play some online or live music?
I have been planning to shoot some live videos to put online and live stream shows would be great, too. We actually shot one video last autumn that is still waiting to be released after the album is out. I’m hoping to be able to release more live videos on Instagram and YouTube during the spring or summer.
What can we do to help support your music and where do we need to go to do that?
Just keep streaming and sharing those songs online and let’s hope that leads to interesting live shows and tours. You can also visit www.sansparade.com, which is my other project where I sing in English. Some CDs, vinyls and art items are still available. Sans Parade and my personal artist page can both be found on Instagram and Facebook. Share, like and communicate!
Finally, what was the last thing you read, watched, and listened to?
I’ve mainly read children’s picture books lately for obvious reasons. That also means a lot of Moomin’s and Nursery songs. But I have managed to find some time for myself, too, and read Nikolai Gogol’s The Nose (short stories are a good choice if you have a kid) and some nerdy books about neuroscience. I’ve watched a new Finnish drama comedy called Aikuiset (Grown-ups) and the occasional snippets of the seemingly hilarious Bless this Mess. I’ve listened to Jeff Buckley a lot, which I’ve done for the past twenty years. I have also found some new favourites like Tamino, Andy Shauf and Puma Blue. And, in between, a lot of Radiohead.
If you want to be featured and supported like Markus then send us an email via the website and then check out our Buy Me A Coffee Page to help support us back.
And don’t forget to follow and listen to New Nordic Music playlist on Spotify (link below)
Interview by Alex Minnis
