The 6st ring
In 2003 the days of working alone on demos in the basement came to an end. It was time to step out and make music together. My brother Risto (1953–2014) joined in, and a duo was born. We started playing Irish‑styled folk and original songs at gigs, bringing those melodies to life on stage. In 2004 we recorded our first CD "The 6st ring - Promo"By the end of that year the small promo no longer felt like enough. A full album started to call. Half of the songs were already written, and the rest came to life during the project. For drum tracks we found Jarmo "Jake" Hangaslammi, who not only played as a studio musician but also joined us on the road.
Four years of determined work finally reached the finish line at the end of 2007. The result was the "Viiala blues" album – in reality more of a high‑quality demo than a polished studio release. Every track was recorded with a Yamaha AW16G, and the learning curve in recording and producing was steep. Holding the first hard copy in hand brought a clear realization: there was still a lot to learn. Yet the making of this CD became an essential part of the healing process after losing a close family member.
A longtime dream is about to happen
About ten years later the story continues with a new chapter. This time the journey leads into pop and progressive rock. Part of the material reaches back to the late 70s, while other songs have been written along the way during this project. At the moment of writing, the work is about halfway through the mixdown phase, and a long‑held dream is steadily taking shape.
Update: The "Taivas ja Maa" album finally saw the light of day in late 2025 – and it turned out even better than imagined. The sound quality is rich and immersive, and the performance of the excellent session musicians surpassed every expectation. Feeling incredibly grateful and excited! Next up: diving into live jam sessions, the ultimate happy place!
