By: Staff
Lauri Jarvilehto's release, “Hey Kid,” offers a compelling blend of self-reflection wrapped in high-energy rock with a touch of blues.
We explored the lyric video on YouTube, which greatly deepened our connection to and understanding of the song’s message. From the outset, the track bursts with vibrant drums and a strong rock ‘n’ roll vibe. The opening lyrics—“hey kid, you’ve done some dumb stuff in life and I’ll bet you’ll go onto some more”—immediately set the tone, hinting at a reflective yet optimistic journey. As the song progresses, lines like “boy you’ve been cutting the lines and you’ve been bending the rules. It’s a wonder how little you’ve burned” reveal a narrative of looking back on past mistakes with a sense of acceptance and growth. These lyrics convey a message of learning from recklessness while embracing the lessons it brings. There’s a certain nostalgia and appreciation for the tumultuous experiences that have shaped Jarvilehto.
The track takes a more earnest turn with the line, “You only have one single life to spare. Why don’t you treat it with all of your love and care?” This suggests a personal connection to the song, possibly reflecting Jarvilehto’s role as a father and his desire to impart wisdom through his music. While the message is serious, the upbeat rock ‘n’ roll energy of the song keeps it engaging and fun.
Lauri Jarvilehto’s unique vocals and dynamic delivery add a distinctive touch to the track, making it stand out with its infectious energy. The song's high-powered arrangement complements its message, maintaining a positive and vibrant feel throughout. It’s easy to imagine this track thriving in a live setting, where its energy could truly shine.
This song offers a relatable and enjoyable alternative to traditional advice, making it accessible for a younger audience. Kudos to Lauri Jarvilehto for crafting a track that is both entertaining and meaningful. Highlights include the powerful drum fills and the sweet Minimoog solo towards the end, which add a special flair to the song. The production is top-notch, with a clear mix and master that ensures a terrific listening experience.
Be sure to stream Lauri Jarvilehto’s “Hey Kid” on all major platforms today. And don’t miss the lyric video on YouTube—it’s a great way to fully engage with the song’s message!
Powerful Quote from this artist:
“You can't undo the past, but I suppose this is also a sort of apology to all those I may have offended. "What is said and done is gone, you need to live with it. At least you know how sorry you are."
Wait….. there's more!
We caught up with this exciting artist, for:
“The Cage” Music Blog, to talk about music and learn more about them.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Is there a story behind how you chose your artist name?
Well, it's my given name. :)
I have written a lot of music under pseudonyms such as Songsworth and Lau, but felt that doesn't really bring any added value.
How long have you been making music?
Since I was 12 years old, so that makes it 35 years. Wow.
We read that you have children now and your past experiences and choices have brought a lot of emotions to the surface that are now shaping your music. Can you tell us a little more about this?
In creating the songs for my upcoming album Songs About Sadness, I've had to do a lot of soul searching and I've especially been writing a lot of lyrics about my youth, which culminated in the latest single, Hey Kid. My lifestyle in my twenties wasn't all that great, and it was mostly premised on this kind of a "me, me, me" thinking, with lots of focus on just having fun, partying and so on.
Now, there's nothing wrong with having fun or partying, but now as a father of five, I feel it would be great if some of my experiences would help my kids live a little more balanced youths. I think they're actually doing a great job so far, although I suspect it's mostly thanks to their mom.
What emotion do you feel inspires your writing process the most, ie sadness, worry, happiness etc.?
I think all over the board. There are songs I've written about sadness, worries, overcoming obstacles, happiness, family, great places in the world, books and movies I've loved... I don't really have a focal area here, although in the last couple of years I've definitely worked a lot with sadness. I don't really know where it all came from – but I think it's a gift to have music to deal with all of it.
Can you walk us through your songwriting process and where the inspiration comes from for this latest project?
I am constantly jotting down quick ideas, melodies, phrases, beats and so on. I have a collection of hundreds if not thousands of couple-bar loops, hundreds of lyrical phrases and sketches, melodies and stuff like that. Then I spend some time in the studio or on the road to combine that stuff and build songs out of it.
The inspiration for the latest music has been most emphatically works by David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan – who have been my key influencers at least for the last decade or so. Also, The Beatles have been a massive influence in my most recent music, as well as more present day artists like St. Vincent, the music by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff and the latest from The Weeknd.
Can you describe to us the theme for your artwork and what was the inspiration and intention for the observer to absorb from it?
I've been seeking a look for my new music for a while, and testing different kinds of ways to generate the art. I used to design stuff using Keynote (duh!) and Photoshop, but lately I've gravitated a lot to AI tools like Midjourney. I've generated hundreds of different image options with Midjourney and last spring I stumbled on this idea of using "German minimalism" as part of all the prompts for my music, which resulted with the artwork for Typhoon and Hey Kid. It's a lot of trial and error, and I always run a reverse image search before using AI generated stuff to make sure it doesn't infringe on existing art.
Funny thing is, I have not used any generative AI in my music. It's simply that I'm not that great art designer so there AI can help, but for music I just love the process so much it would be silly to outsource it to a computer, even if it could do a marginally better job.
What instrument do you use as the foundation to start your musical creations with?
It varies a lot. I think many songs start with some synth or piano riff, but lately also guitar has been a starting points. Sometimes it's a beat. My go to instruments are piano, guitar, Deckard's Dream, Prophet 5, Minimoog, SY99, Syntrx, Perkons and some other synths and drum machines. Sometimes it's my travel setup with an SP404mk2 and OP-1.
What instruments do you play? Which is your favorite?
The only instrument I know how to play professionally is the piano, or keyboards. But I can make sounds with anything I get my hands on, like guitar, bass, drums, percussion – or a ballpoint pen which I made pretty cool beat with the other day. The snare on Typhoon has an element that's me digging into a crate of my kids' Duplo legos.
My favorite instrument right now is probably a Martin acoustic guitar with which I've been writing a lot of new music lately.
What instrument do you not play, or play leisurely, that you wish you could master?
I would love to play the guitar better.
Where do you create your music, i.e. in a home recording studio or with a producer? How do you finalize your finished work, ie self-mixed/mastered or another source?
There are roughly four ways I create music. One, at the home studio. Two, elsewhere at home – at the piano, with a guitar. Three, with my portable traveling setup consisting of an SP404mk2 and an OP-1. And four, by writing stuff in my several lyrics books or humming on the phone when on the go.
I record and mix everything myself, because I love to do it, especially mixing. I don't usually do mastering myself, though. I think it's important to have a professional mastering engineer to make sure the sound is finalized properly. For the last couple of my albums, the mastering has been done by Christian Wright at Abbey Road. His capability of bringing out the best in my music is phenomenal.
What was the most challenging part of bringing this project to life, from the initial idea to the final recording?
Maintaining brutal honesty in laying down the lyrics and making sure I don't cop out while recording and producing the music.
What has been the most motivating force in creating your music?
I can't live without music. I've actually sometimes felt life could be easier or at least simpler if I didn't have this drive, but I don't really think I can ever get to a point where I wouldn't be writing music one way or another.
What part of the music-making process is the most stressful, ie the creation, the actual release date, etc?
Sending final tracks for mastering. I've had to work on my neurotic streak for years to get to the point where I don't just endlessly tweak the songs before calling them done.
Which of your already released songs is the most important to you, or had the most impact on your life or career and can you tell us why?
I'll pick two. First is Campion's Flower from my Songsworth 2012 album Launchland. It was inspired by an amazing sci-fi novel by Alastair Reynolds called House of Suns. By a series of coincidences, he gave me permission to use his painting as the cover for the album which was a surreal experience. Just getting in touch with one of my favorite authors of all time, let alone getting to use his amazing art in my work, which had been directly inspired by his writing.
The second is Typhoon, the first single from the upcoming album that was launched last May. That song was the catalyst for the album and also kindled the fire in me to really go all in with doing all the multi-instrumentation on my new music with a heavy emphasis on acoustic instruments like drums, bass and guitar. I'm a synth guy at heart, but now having all that expressive arsenal available is nothing short of magical. Also, people seemed to have liked that track a lot.
If there was one thing you could change about the music industry, what would it be?
Creating more direct artist-to-fan avenues for indie artists. I think it's actually better now than twenty years ago when I was a music professional, as back then the labels really worked as gatekeepers between artists and fans.
Where do you see your sound and artistry heading in the future? Are there any exciting new directions you're exploring?
The new album is coming out at the end of October this year, and I can't wait to get this music in front of everyone out there. Meanwhile, I'm already full steam ahead with writing new music, so I'd expect to have the next album ready some time next year.
As I mentioned, lately the acoustic guitar has become a kind of a dominant element in my songwriting and I assume that will play a role in how the shape of the new music I'm writing now will turn out.
Was there ever a time when you emotionally felt, “I can’t do this anymore”? Can you tell us why this happened and how you found the strength to continue?
Yes. I got out of the music business around 2007 as I felt the pressure of especially creating mainstream music was too much. I'd also come to realize that my most honest self-expression is not really suited for the mainstrean. That's when I went back to school to study philosophy, which eventually bounced me back.
It did take me more than a decade to recover from those experiences, and it was only around 2018 when I started working on my album North Star Revisited that I finally found the same sheer joy of music making I had last experienced in high school in mid-1990s.
We read you have some advice for your younger self. Can you tell us what you would do differently?
I would be less self-centered and less focused on a hedonistic lifestyle with parties, drinking, one night stands and stuff like that. I think there are some bad things that I experienced – things I did – in my twenties that I'll carry with me through my entire life that would've been better left undone. At least I think or hope those experiences are helping me be a little better person now.
What is your favorite song to cover?
Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind.
What is your favorite quote?
"Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."
(Paraphrased from Maya Angelou, the original goes something like "You did in your twenties what you knew how to do, and when you knew better you did better.")
Most people love or hate social media—where do you land?
I guess I don't exactly hate it. But in a perfect world, I'd just get my music in front of people some other way and get my dopamine hits from books, music and movies.
But it is great to have these channels to get music out there, and seeing some of the stats – Typhoon was heard more than 250 000 times on Tiktok and Instagram – does make me also quite happy that it's possible to reach so many people.
If you could go on any late-night talk show, which would it be? And based on present life, what would be the topic of discussion?
Stephen Colbert. I'd love to discuss music, thinking, philosophy – and AI.
If you were to reach the stage where you have the admiration and respect of other world-known artists, what band or artist would you love to call and say, “Let’s go on tour together”?
St. Vincent. She's phenomenal.
We have experienced that many people perform acts of selflessness each day. Once your artistry has reached far and wide, how will you use that more powerful voice to have a bigger positive impact on our world?
Some of the causes that I've already put a lot of work in anyway are educational equity and creating tangible solutions to sustainability issues. In my previous work especially in my startups and more recently in my work at the university I've actively sought to find solutions to these issues. If my artistic endeavors led to a breakthough, I'd probably double down on increasing the impact in at least these areas to begin with.
What is the most inspirational thing a fan, or anyone, has told or shown you about your music?
Back when my first album Twilight Cinema came out in 1999, an old lady called a radio station and said this was the most beautiful music she'd ever heard. I guess you can't get more touching feedback than that.
End Interview
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Lauri Jarvilehto on Spotify & YouTube.
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