Were there any challenges or obstacles you faced while creating "Höst & Landet som icke är?"
"As I reconnected with my biological family and Finnish heritage after two decades apart, 'Voices from the Karelian Isthmus' began to take shape. Yet, amidst the album's creation, grief struck with the sudden passing of my mother. While her loss was profound, the shared gratitude for our reunion resonated beyond words, becoming a powerful source of solace during the grieving process. This album, then, is a declaration of love - to Edith Södergran, to my mother, and to the roots that continue to nourish me. It's my ongoing journey of personal peace, woven into the very fabric of these songs."
What is your songwriting process like? How do you usually start crafting a new song?
Melodies often weave their way into my life, inspiring me to weave words to match. This time, however, a magical transformation occurred. Though a century may separate us, the distance between Edith and myself vanished the moment I discovered that the melodies of her poems were already within me. These same melodies had already graced me in recent years, whispering through the air as I sat at the grand piano in Bingsjö rectory. It felt as though her spirit danced beside me, guiding the music towards me. Unwittingly, I had become the voice for her poems, and now, just one final step remained: to share these songs with the world, alongside the talents of my colleagues.