Once upon a time in high school in Oklahoma I had a friend named Pinja. She was an exchange student from Finland, and she was in my German class (irony, huh?). I went to lunch with Pinja quite a few times during my senior year of high school, and thus she got to hear (i.e. she was a captive audience to) whatever music I felt like playing in my car at any given time. It just so happened that I was going through a huge Murmurs phase during my senior year of high school, so Pinja got to hear a lot of the Murmurs in my car (the Murmurs… featuring Leisha Hailey, who is now much better known as an actress on The L Word… but this was in 1997, waaaaay before anyone knew Leisha Hailey was even an actress. Heck, I didn’t even know she was an actress until I saw her in the Yoplait commercials a few years later! I just thought she was a musician). Well, Pinja graduated high school in Oklahoma in 1997, went back home to Finland, and has not returned to the U.S. since. I didn’t keep in touch with her at all after she left. At. All. Not a single letter.
Fast forward to 2009.
Through the modern miracle of online social networking sites, about 6 months ago Pinja and I met up again online. It had been almost 12 years since we last spoke. We started talking online. She told me that: 1) pretty much as soon as she got back to Finland in about 1998 she founded a band (Jalankulkuämpäri) with a friend inspired almost entirely by the Murmurs (who she had first heard in my car!), 2) a dream of theirs has been to do a tour of shows playing only Murmurs covers, 3) she’s probably going to credit me on their next album, and 4) I have a place to stay in Helsinki if I ever want to visit!
Wow. I love this woman. Pinja, I miss you.
It had been a few months or so since we exchanged emails, and then I unexpectedly received this package in the mail out of nowhere on Monday:
Finnish Swag!
Pinja had sent me not only her band’s album (which ROCKS!!!! But it’s in Finnish so unfortunately I can’t sing along), but also 5 other CDs of Finnish artists she thought I would like. So far I’ve only made it through Cats on Fire. I actually like this album so much that I can’t stop listening to it long enough to give any of the other albums a chance. All in good time I guess…
She also sent me this really sweet note:
Letter from bassist/singer of Jalankulkuämpäri
Why is it that I always tend to LOOOOVE music originating from Scandinavian countries? A few of my favorite artists are the Cardigans, Kings of Convenience, and more recently I have been really digging Loney, Dear… I realize that Finland may or may not officially be included in the Scandinavian countries, but I say it’s close enough for inclusion. Those Northern Europeans really know how to make music. Kudos, Pinja. Kudos, Northern Europe. Muah!
June 22, 2009 at 2:54 am
Hehee! Finland actually is a part of Scandinavia with Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland
It’s been fun keeping in touch with you and noticing that even with 12 years and huge distance apart we still share a love for great music.
June 22, 2009 at 3:27 am
I’m glad I got that point correct. Wikipedia said that it was in dispute as to whether Finland and Iceland were considered a part of Scandinavia (sorry, ignorant American alert! I had to go look it up). It’s good to hear it from a Finnish person that you do indeed consider Finland to be a part of Scandinavia.
Your record label produces some amazing music. You really do have the best job EVER! Cats on Fire and Regina are two of my new favorite artists (but tell Regina to make an album in English!
)