Playlists

New Indie Music from Finland

Words by Music Finland

Published 13.6.2023

The Finnish indie music scene is blooming with versatility! Some of the internationally known names in the genre are Bobby Oroza, Pearly Drops, Jaakko Eino Kalevi, Knife Girl and Jesse Markin, while labels such as Soliti, Playground Music, Svart and Solina bear the torch for Finnish independent music.

Under the admittedly vague umbrella of Finnish indie, you can find anything from 60s influenced psych jangle to gleaming synths and beats, adventurous art rock, laidback alt-country, melancholic shoegaze, lo-fi bedroom soundscapes, otherworldly dream pop and everything in between.

The playlist, available on Apple Music and Spotify, is updated frequently. Please scroll down for artist biographies.

New Indie Music from Finland on Apple Music

New Indie Music from Finland on Spotify

Crimson Peak

Pop-rock band Crimson Peak are a colourful combination of their shared influences: big melodic choruses nestle amongst driving rock guitars and widescreen indie-folk soundscapes, all driven by alternating vocals from Lina Sandvik and Elias Losinskij-Kovanko. Their debut single Mountainside was released in 2018, and since then been followed by five more tracks, as well as the debut EP “Wonders & Worries” (2021). Crimson Peak’s singles have received support from Spotify on their European New Music Friday playlists, adding up to a nice following on the platform.

Aves

Formed by Antti Ojala, Joonas Hakava, and Eino Anttila, Aves is a Helsinki-based trio known for their blend of synth pop and dreamy, tropical electronic melodies. Aves first popped on the Finnish indie scene around 2011, in the pinnacle of the chillwave wave, with their debut "Sun Sky A Floating" (2013). After several years of silence the trio suddenly came back in 2019 with a new single "Gem of the Ocean" featuring Icelandic singer JFDR. Aves' long awaited second album was released in march 2024 and features a range of collaborations.

NEØV

Dream pop band NEØV was formed in Juankoski by brothers Anssi and Samuli Neuvonen. NEØV's back catalogue is three albums deep: "Orange Morning" (2013) and "Dominique" (2015), "Volant" (2019). After reducing to the original duo of the Neuvonen brothers, NEØV's fourth album "Picture a Good Life" saw the light of day in January 2021, combining elements of dream pop, shoegaze and the more ambitious side of alternative rock.

Nevala

Founded in early 2020 by Oliver Bentley, Emil Inberg, Sakari Soukka and Ossian Stadigh, indie folk quartet Nevala originated when the four musicians moved into a shared home. A year later, they signed a record deal with Swedish label Ninetone Records, and their debut single, "Lover in the Dark", was released in June 2021. Since then, Nevala has put out a handful of singles as well as their debut album "Wastelands, Nevala", released in February 2022

Klara LaFleur

Indie pop group Klara LaFleur's music combines the sensitivity of Japanese pop and the dreamy rawness of shoegaze. In the band's versatile compositions, you can hear influences from the 17th century to the present day. According to the band, the five-song EP "Mind Sketching", released in spring 2023, is an interesting story about change, self-discovery and letting go. Klara LaFleur's debut album "And She Caught a Glimpse of The Ocean" was released in March 2024.

Franka Oroza

Franka Oroza is a Helsinki-based singer-songwriter whose music is a vibrant fusion of global influences. Raised in a household steeped in South American rhythms, she draws from a wide range of folk, jazz, neosoul, and electronic influences. She has performed with groups in singer-songwriter clubs before embarking on a solo career while living in Copenhagen. Collaborating with Cold Diamond & Mink, Franka has newly discovered a new folk-infused soul sound, where she blends her diverse influences into captivating song-form storytelling.

Bobby Oroza

Bobby Oroza is a soul artist hailing from Helsinki, Finland. Teaming up with the Timmion Records house band Cold Diamond & Mink, he has a tight quartet of musicians to support his vision. Despite being a rather fresh artist, his music has already been sampled by rapper Earl Sweatshirt, and can also be heard in multiple Netflix shows and a feature film. Oroza’s sensual and soft music has a dreamy, vintage atmosphere that could flow right out of an old transistor radio on a careless sunny afternoon at the beach.

Pepe Deluxé

Pepe Deluxé, originally formed in 1996 as a downtempo/big beat outfit, is nowadays something completely different. Calling themselves an "inter-continental collective orchestra" the duo of James Spectrum and Paul Malmström makes really excessive music – think surf rock operas, rococo bubblegum soul or progressive lounge jazz musicals – with some of the rarest instruments found. And get their music placed on commercials for Adidas, Levi's and Angry Birds – to name a few.

Sätilä

Singer-songwriter Sätilä combines a fusion of alternative/indie music with rich pop soundscapes. Sätilä spent his formative years in an alternative rock band before moving to Sydney, Australia, where he studied songwriting and eventually he headed back to Europe to follow his own sound. His debut solo single "Always Will" was released in 2017 and has been followed by nearly two dozen more since.

Juppe

Singer and songwriter Juppe mixes organic 1970s funk and soul flavours with a bit of 1990s indie electronica and a big bag full of sardonic lyricism. At one second moving and intimate and next assailing into a disjointed funk stumble, Juppe sounds like a 2020s version of young Beck mixed with a slice of Mac Demarco and 90s Jimi Tenor stepping into the studio with Steve Albini.

Brother Alfred

Mathias Hermansson and Julius Sihvonen have been operating on the Finnish indie scene for some time now, playing in bands like Sima, Tiisu, Jaakko Aukusti and Nefer Nefer. As Brother Alfred they want to make "wimpy pop", inspired by imperfect production aesthetics and the slacker attitude of Mac DeMarco.

The Holy

Helsinki-based quintet The Holy rely on a massive sound (backed by two drummers!) and adrenaline-filled stage antics. Their brand of epic indie rock has been championed by bands such as The War on Drugs and Arcade Fire, but The Holy’s songs have enough potential to fill stadiums on their own one day. The Holy's debut album "Daughter" was released in 2018 and its follow-up "Mono Freedom" in 2020.

Jaakko Aukusti

Musician and multi-instrumentalist Jaakko Aukusti performs colorful electro pop, which has been described as ”Mew on ecstasy”. His singles ”Shadow Boxer” and ”Himalaya” have been noted by the likes of Clash, The Line of Best Fit and IndieShuffle, as well as numerous blogs around Europe. Jaakko Aukusti’s debut album "Mountain", produced by Artturi Taira (Rubik, Shivan Dragn), was released in early 2017. After a couple years' hiatus, Jaakko Aukusti returned with new music in 2023.

Kyyhky

The former guitarist for indie darlings Satellite Stories, Marko Heikkinen launched his electronic alter ego Kyyhky (which translates to dove) in 2017 with single "Art Chocolate Nature", just as his band was on the verge of splitting. Plenty more singles and two "albums" (7 and 18 minutes long, respectively) in the "lofi beats" vein have since followed. In 2023 Kyyhky collaborated on an indie pop single with a mysterious artist named Tutorial, who sounds uncannily like former Satellite Stories singer Esa Mankinen.

Ruissalo Amping

Turku-based dream pop and shoegaze outfit Ruissalo Amping (named after the [c]amping area at Ruissalo island, home to Finland's longest running rock festival Ruisrock) is essentially a solo project of singer-songwriter Samuli Virtanen. Ruissalo Amping emerged in the Finnish indie scene with the debut album "Tähtien suojatit Maan povella" in 2022, followed by a dream pop cover of HIM's love metal classic "When Love and Death Embrace", translated to Finnish as "Rakkaus kuolemassa elää" in 2023. When playing live on stage – which happens quite rarely – Ruissalo Amping expands to a five-piece band.

Tuomo & Markus / Pratt & Moody

Tuomo & Markus (alko known as Pratt & Moody) is a musical project from Finnish soul/jazz artist Tuomo Prättälä and singer-songwriter Markus Nordenstreng of The Latebirds. The duo's music is influenced by folk rock and jazz as well as soul, American alt-country and americana. After releasing their debut full-length "Dead Circles" in 2016, the duo toured internationally, playing shows with bands like Wilco. Their 2nd album "Game Changing", which features artists Jonathan Wilson, Pekko Käppi and Verneri Pohjola, was released in January 2023 after several delays.

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 and he became a sponge to all kinds of music. 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, Essel switches back and forth between Finland and the UK.

Aho

AHO is the solo project by Helsinki based producer and composer Matti Ahopelto. Aho's music blends ambient textures with vivid compositions. His first full length album "Nowinter Nosummer" was released in 2020 by PME Records. On the debut album, Aho's the simmering electronics are faced with organic instruments creating a unique soundscape. Aho's second album "Odyssey" saw the light of day in the Summer of 2022.

Moonwards

Helsinki-based indie rock quintet Moonwards’ music speaks to the themes of yearning and wanderlust. Drawing much of its inspiration from alternative, shoegaze, and new wave acts of the 80s and 90s, Moonwards offers its own brand of left field rock music soaked in layers of melodic guitar and the occasional progressive rhythmic pattern. Founded in 2022, the band is due to release their first batch of singles in the winter of 2023–2024 followed by their self-titled debut EP in February 2024.

T.Jarva And The Dark Place

T.Jarva And The Dark Place's music traverses between alternative country and folk noir. Formed in 2018 by Taneli Jarva (a well-known figure in the Finnish metal scene with history in bands such as Sentenced and Impaled Nazarene) and Sami Hassinen, the duo started out playing live covers of Townes van Zandt, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Marianne Faithfull, and Mark Lanegan songs. Their sound relies heavily on the dark baritone voice of Jarva and the interplay between his steel-stringed rhythm guitar and the nylon-stringed melodies by Sami Hassinen. Their debut album "Post Festum" was released in 2024.

Mikko Joensuu

Mikko Joensuu played in the much appraised and currently inactive cult band Joensuu 1685 (whose other members formed Siinai), but his solo album trilogy "Amen I" (2016), "Amen II" (2016) and "Amen III" (2017) is far removed from their shoegaze-noise rock. If you like your Americana and country-folk slow, soothing and relaxed but with a cosmic tint, Mikko Joensuu could be just the right guy for you.

Emily Frost

Emily Frost is a singer-songwriter and producer from Helsinki. Her music mixes electronic and organic production with expressive vocal melodies and even oriental moods, resulting in an indie pop sound not much unlike artists such as Chairlift, Glasser or Active Child. Emily Frost also plays the electric guitar and sings in the alternative rock band SKYCRY.

Ludalloy

Ludalloy is a shoegaze/dreampop band formed in 2018 in Seinäjoki. Mixing jangly guitars and fuzzier tones with female and male vocal harmonies, the result brings associations to classic 80s and 90s bands such as Cocteau Twins, Lush, Pale Saints and Chapterhouse. Ludalloy's debut album "Sine" was released in 2021 to a warm reception, also gathering nice blog reviews and praise in global shoegaze communities. Ludalloy's sophomore album "Lumenari" is slated for release in early 2024.

Jesse Markin

Liberian-born singer-songwriter Jesse Markin has been creating music since he was 16 and performing live since he was 18. He’s a veteran of the Finnish hip hop scene as a rapper and producer with his group The Megaphone State since 2004, but his real rise from the margins took place in 2019, when Markin released his first solo album, "Folk", with a sound combining electronic pop, soul and psychedelic rock. It became one of Finland’s big surprises of the year in terms of both popular and critical success. Markin returned in 2021 with his sophomore full-length "Noir".

Mama Longhorn

Mama Longhorn, often called a "rhythm tank", makes Afrobeat and funk-based music, fusing it with diverse influences. The band's ten members have sound experience in a wide variety of different groups, which can be heard in their eclectic music: catchy melodies, Afro-rhythms, improvisational playing and psychedelic, sometimes melancholic rock tones combined with singer Eeva Poijärvi's personal vocals, exuding northern mysticism, and resonant soundscapes.

Jaakonaho

Guitarist, producer, songwriter and musician Jussi Jaakonaho is someone you can call a "usual suspect" in the Finnish music scene – having worked on dozens and dozens of albums and bands during the past few decades. On his second solo album "Ghost Riot" (due out in March 2024), Jaakoaho makes instrumental music with influences ranging from jazz to trance and groovy rhythms. On the album, he is assisted by an all-star backing group with international musicians such as Dana Colley (Morphine) and Glenn Kotche (Wilco) as well as local talent like Antti Lötjönen, Tuomo Prättälä and Joakim Berghäll.

Pink Chameleons

Pink Chameleons are a three piece fronted by Black Lizard’s Paltsa-Kai Salama (vocals and guitar) with Antti Sauli (Bass) and Iiro Tulkki (Drums, Keyboards) formed in 2016. Although they may pigeonhole themselves as 'garage/blues/country band', others might say otherwise. "It’s all fuzzy riffs and nods to power pop hooks that leave you with anthemic sing-along choruses you won’t get out of your head", writes the US blog Austin Town Hall about Pink Chameleons' 2021 single "Hot Dog" – which was followed by their debut album "Peace & Love" in the same year.

Forwardman

Sakari Viittala’s solo project expanded to a full band, Forwardman looks up to 60s and 90s British legends from The Kinks and The Beatles to Oasis and Blur for inspiration. Already before his first album "This Ain't No Rocket Science" (2015), Forwardman played shows in London, fittingly. Especially Forwardman’s third album, 2021’s “The Brass Bandit” has found many fans, with respectable streaming numbers on e.g. Spotify. The 4th Forwardman album "Stranded Future Soho Fugitive" was released in 2024.

Underwater Sleeping Society

Underwater Sleeping Society is an indie rock/pop band from Helsinki that combines pop melodies and dark moods. Critics have compared them to e.g. to bands like The National, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley and Mew. Originally founded in Riihimäki in 1999, Underwater Sleeping Society came to the indie audience's attention with their debut, "Future On A Plate" (2004). Their catalogue consists of three more full-lengths: "All Other Lights Go Out" (2007, number 13 on the official Finnish chart), "The Dead Vegas" (2008) and "Instrumental Health Care" (2016). During 2007, the band toured Central Europe.

Ty Roxy

Ty Roxy alias Tytti Rohto is known from Finnish indie acts such as Kissa, Plastic Tones and Ghost World. Her solo music celebrates the synthetic lofi-pop of past decades, blending together sounds of the 80’s dance music with an early 90’s twist. She released her debut album “Music” in 2021 on Fonal Records.

Playlists