On our latest edition of New Artists to Follow you'll get to know Erika Sirola, Joalin (pictured above), IANAI and Ada Aik. Find more out about these interesting newcomers and take a listen to their sounds – ranging from dark post rock to global pop sounds and swift electronic indie.
Also, scroll to the bottom of the page for our New artists to follow playlist, available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Erika Sirola
Erika Sirola is a singer-songwriter best known for her over 300 million Spotify plays garnering hit feature Speechless (2018) with Robin Schultz. Born and raised in Helsinki, Sirola has also spent a lot of time in her mother's homeland Canada. Now signed to Elektra Records, Sirola's debut solo single End of the Day was released in June 2022. Her sound is now far removed from the euro-centric EDM style of Speechless, landing somewhere nearer the melancholic and sombre art pop of Lana Del Rey or Olivia Rodrigo, lacedwith a heavily synthesized modern production.
“End of the Day embodies Sirola’s unique voice. Starting as a soft-spoken piano ballad, it soon falls into a world of dramatic synth pads and a drumbeat that sounds like it’s ripped from a club hit — all without losing its emotionality ," Concequence of Sound described the song in their article.
The multinational ensemble led by renowned musician Jaani Peuhu (Swallow The Sun, Iconcrash, Mercury Circle) channels music given to them, sung in an ancient language. IANAI’s music is imbued with flavors from indigenous musical cultures around the globe and clothed in darkly hued indie moods, bringing to mind a hybrid between Sigur Ros and Dead Can Dance. Peuhu acts as a messenger between these two worlds.
In the debut album "Sunir", IANAI is joined by a cohort of musicians from the world music scene and classical orchestras but also people from modern bands such as Massive Attack (UK), Client (UK), HIM (Finland), Sisters Of Mercy (UK), Theodor Bastard (Russia), Lord Of The Lost (Germany), Swallow the Sun (Finland) and Souvenir Season (Germany).
Young singer, dancer and social media influencer Joalin Loukamaa first became known as a member of the popular Now United pop group that was formed by the Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller. Joalin was born in Finland but has lived most of her life in Spain and Mexico – a fact that which may describe the nordic melancholy as well as the latin flavorings in her music. Her debut solo single Angelitowas released in June 2022. The mostly Spanish-sung track is the first single from Joalin’s debut EP which will be released by a Finnish music company 11 ONES, founded by two acclaimed Finnish producer-artists Chisu and Jori Sjöroos. The international release is handled in collaboration with distribution company The Orchard.
“Working with Jori has been something completely new, inspiring and super interesting to me. I’ve gotten to explore the world of music making on a deeper level and have my say in all the songs we’ve made ,” Joalin comments.
Experimental pop newcomer Ada Aik is better known as Karin Mäkiranta of the bands Karina and Babel, embarking on a solo career. Now she hides under a plastic wig and lives in
a dollhouse – the scene for her debut solo album, where each track represents a roomin the house
With her music, Ada Aik moves to the extremes of fantasy and realism. Recorded on a summer cottage with her grandmother, Ada Aik’s music has been influenced by artists such as Julia Holter, Julianna Barwick and Yaeji. She is also
known for her conceptual gigs: Creating a dollhouse room on stage as well as her website, performing arts is
one of her main interests.
