Joni Heinäkuu & Pekka Saukkonen: Toisin tuntevat - Open Stage

Indie-iskelmä summer is here again!

Joni Heinäkuu is a gender-nonconforming poetic figure in mature years who never quite grew up, even as the years pass slowly. Heinäkuu's music is lyric-driven indie-iskelmä, rooted always in feeling. The emotion rings through in melodic hooks, in song lyrics, and in the humanistic core of each piece. The music draws inspiration especially from major independent creators in Finnish pop and rock. In his own words, Heinäkuu has appeared on earth to remind listeners of music's eternal power:

"I've been writing songs for years, mainly as therapy for myself while wrestling with my emotional life and mental health. The songs are a blend of dreams, lived experience, and fates I've encountered, met, or sometimes even invented for people I've seen on the street. But most of it is also concretely true. My hope is that people might find something positive for their lives in these songs. If that holds true for even one person, then they were worth making."

Producer-wizard Pekka Saukkonen has produced Heinäkuu's music alongside countless hit melodies, chart songs, and queer anthems. Beyond the music he's created for other artists, Saukkonen has composed for himself, and from these songs comes a selection of gems spanning decades, performed by the artist himself.

At Espa's concert this summer, a quartet takes the stage where these two differently-feeling artists join forces and stand together for difference and love. Guitar, vocals, keyboards, and clever use of live electronics are joined by Finland's perhaps leading Loota drummer Joose Vihreä and award-winning violinist High-D.