In the beginning of August it was that magical time of the year again when Flow Festival comes around and the streets of Helsinki get swamped by stylish hipsters and music enthusiasts. Over the past few years Flow Festival has grown into one of the hottest musical festivals in Finland thanks to its unique location, alternative line up and hipster reputation. This year I decided not to miss out on this amazing hipster extravagance everyone was going on about and I signed up as a volunteer on the festival’s website. The festival was definitely one of the highlights of my summer and although I only recognized a handful of the artists listed in the lineup beforehand, I ended up discovering tons of fantastic new artists. If you’re looking for new music to chill out or jam to you have come to the right place as I can help you fill your playlist with new amazing artists I came across at Flow Festival.
Lake Jons
“I can’t believe they’re a Finnish band!” was the very first reaction I had after finding out that the Lake Jons weren’t the mysterious British band I had imagined them to be but that in fact they are a local Helsinki based trio. The band plays beautifully atmospheric folk-rock and all their songs are sung in impeccable English. I was immediately drawn to their harmonic and serine sound at their gig and I still can’t get enough of their magical single “Didn’t Know”. Lake Jons is definitely the best chill out music I’ve found in a while.
Find out more about their music on their website.
Rooxx
Another Finnish band that I am truly thankful to have come across is Rooxx. Unlike Lake Jons’ subtle and at times melancholic songs Rooxx made an impression with their big and ambitious sound. Especially their hits “Breathe In” and “Summerlow” gave the crowd both chills and amazing beats to dance to. Although Rooxx is a relatively new band with their very first record on its way, there are a few more prestigious and experienced names working with the band. Their manager, for example, is Jori Sjöroos who has previously managed of one of the most popular Finnish pop-rock bands, PMMP.
Rooxx is releasing their first album this fall. Meanwhile you can find a few of their hits on Spotify or read more about them here.
CHVRCHES
One of the few bands I was familiar with beforehand was the Scottish band CHVRCHES (pronounced “churches”). The band has become incredibly popular especially in the USA and Asia and their electro-pop tunes have stuck on my own playlists ever since I first heard their single “The Mother We Share”. CHVRVHES delivered a solid performance at the festival and they were one of the most positive and most talked about performances on Saturday.
If you’re into upbeat electro pop check out the band’s music here.
Anderson Paak
The final festival day was supposed to culminate in the evening with Sia’s long-awaited performance but Anderson Paak together with the Free Nationals took the entire mainstage audience by surprise in the afternoon with their energetic show. Anderson Paak is an American singer and producer and his music can be described as a mix of jazz, hip hop and R&B. His wild energetic dance moves and brilliant ability to interact with the audience made his gig one of the best ones at the entire festival. His newest album Malibu was released last year and I can guarantee it will make you want to break into some sudden dance moves!
You can find Anderson Paak’s music and upcoming gigs here.