We hop into the spring with a new entry on our popular "New Artists to Follow" series, in which we take a look at some of the coolest and most exciting newcomers in Finnish music. This time we feature psychedelic funkster Grande Mahogany (in the cover image), electronic producer Henri, alt-pop chanteuse Goldielocks and instrumental rockers Tinyhawk & Bizzarro.
Find a playlist with all our "New Artists to Follow" below the introductions!
Grande Mahogany
Grande Mahogany is the alter ego of Finnish-Ghanaian guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer Jesse Essel, who claims to "definitely sleep with wah-wah pedals under his pillow". Born and raised in Finland, his family migrated to Manchester, UK at the age of 11. Infusing funk, rock, r&b and psychedelia, Grande Mahogany describes his music to be "a wah wah flurry, groovy with a soulful booty, funky swang with the rock thang, fuzz ’n’ rnb on top". Now based in Helsinki with his live band, Grande Mahogany’s debut album As Grande As was released in early 2024 and is already making waves in the music blog community, with “the internet’s busiest music nerd” Anthony Fantano praising his “super raw and fuzzy chop suey of ideas borrowed from Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone and Funkadelic”.
Henri is the solo alias for successful music producer and songwriter Henri "Hank Solo" Salonen. In his bio, Henri says that the solo project was born, when he "got burnt out by all the pressure the world and I were laying on myself and then one day decided to quit my job". He explains that he "hit reset and moved to our family cabin in the middle of nowhere during the summer" and started making his solo songs, where he channels "his imperfections, all the madness and the sadness". Henri's first album release Rakkaus, echoing the emotive deep house music of Fred Again.. and Four Tet, was released in June 2023 and followed by the EP Valo six months later.
Aternative pop artist Goldielocks rose to prominence in Finland in 2023 with the singles "Electrifying", "Angeline" and "American Wedding", as well as debut EP East to South. Goldielocks promises to take the audience to a "dramatic movie world where the past and the future meet". Her sound combines organic band elements of past decades and today's indie-influenced pop with a very strong voice and stage presence, much recommended to Alma's fans, for example. Goldielocks’ debut year took her to several shows and showcases around Europe, where she has found a good fanbase for her music.
Tinyhawk & Bizzarro, the experimental rock band led by composer and guitarist Jenni Kinnunen stormed into the Finnish scene in 2023 with their amazing debut album Nekorok – which has already been nominated for the coveted Teosto Prize 2024. Someteimes referred to as "the Finnish Khruangbin", Tinyhawk & Bizzarro's sound incorporates elements of surf, psychedelia, spaghetti western soundtracks as well as West African desert blues, smooth and polished American 80s AOR – and even Japanese instrumental rock. With a sound that is as ready and suitable for Tarantino soundtracks as it is for international clubs and festivals, Tinyhawk & Bizzarro should already be in your list for new acts to check out in 2024!
