Päivi Hirvonen, the internationally acclaimed Finnish singer, fiddle and bowed lyre player, releases her second solo album Kallio. Hirvonen has been touring the world for years both solo and with the group Okra Playground. Her music is based on the diverse roots of folk music but spices up the mixture with film music and pop influences. Hirvonen’s first solo album Alku – The Beginning (Nordic Notes, 2018) was released to impressive international reviews and got nominated in Finland for the prestigious Emma Award.
On Kallio Päivi Hirvonen paints a picture of a grown woman’s life with all its highs and lows. Her lyrics address such modern aspects of life as mental health and girls’ rights, but the album also boldly underlines themes like polyamory and childlessness – topics that touch many middle-aged women yet are rarely associated with the roles imposed on them.
“I, or any woman my age, should have the right to exist and live the way we want to – regardless of our years or whether our preferred way of living follows the norms set by the outside world”, says Hirvonen about the themes on the album.
All the songs on the album are written, composed and arranged by Hirvonen. She is also solely responsible for the musical performances on all tracks, except for the album opener, which features additional vocals by Tero Pajunen, Oona Kapari and Pekko Käppi.
Hirvonen is a groundbreaker in simultaneous singing and fiddle playing — a special talent she has been presenting the world through her music for years already. The music on the upcoming album continues to embrace the sound and uniqueness of these two instruments together. The album also features the jouhikko, a bowed instrument from the lyre family with its origins tracing back centuries. As a singer Hirvonen combines a powerful delivery typical of traditional folk music with pop aesthetics.
Kallio turns a new page in Hirvonen’s music, powerfully showcasing her skills as a composer and singer-songwriter. The album is full of musical layers and vocal harmonies.
A new element, programming, offers contrast to the acoustic side. Says Hirvonen: “When starting to work on the album I made the decision to not let myself be limited by how the songs could be performed live. I just wanted to set the music inside me free and tell every story I thought was worth getting heard.”
The recording, mixing and programming on Kallio was done by the rising Finnish artist and producer Oona Kapari who was from the beginning an obvious choice for the album’s production team. The pioneering bowed lyre artist Pekko Käppi, a former band mate of Hirvonen from the group Jouhiorkesteri, also played an important part.
“Having been impressed by her career and wanting to work on the new album with a female sound engineer and producer, I asked Kapari to join in. We especially took time with perfecting the vocal production and she is responsible for the programming. Käppi has provided me with a pair of extra ears and given his valuable insights into making albums and indie music, and using the bowed lyre to its fullest potential”, Hirvonen elaborates.
