Indica (Finnish band)

Indica

Indica is a Finnish pop rock group founded in 2001. Jani Jalonen of Sony Music became interested in the group, and a recording contract was signed 2003. Indica's first album, Ikuinen virta was released in 2004. It has since sold platinum in Finland.

Indica supported Nightwish during their Scandinavian tour 2007 in which they performed English versions of their songs. Tuomas Holopainen of Nightwish produced their next album, Valoissa. The band was also added to the line-up for Nightwish's 2nd half of the Dark Passion Play Tour with Pain.

History

Jonsu (vocals, violin), Heini (bass), Sirkku (keyboards), Jenny (guitar) and Laura (drums) founded Indica in 2001. Before this the girls had already spent their entire childhood surrounded by classical music and had also played in a few different band line-ups. In the Christmas of 2002 Indica signed a management contract with Peter Kokljuschin and in 2003 a record deal with SonyMusic, leading to Indica starting work on their debut album.

The album was co-produced by Gabi Hakanen and Erno Laitinen, and from here began the journey of Indica and Erno together which took them through three albums. The 30,000 platinum-selling debut album Ikuinen virta was released in 2004, and from this album the title track as well as the song Scarlett were released as singles. Indica's second record Tuuliset tienoot was released in the autumn of 2005 and went on to sell over 20,000 discs, and the third album Kadonnut puutarha was released in spring 2007.

Indica's music and lyrics are written by the band's charismatic singer Jonsu, who started her composer's career even before she went to school, writing little 'symphonies' two bars long. Jonsu has explained that, to her, the biggest inspirational source for writing music is the music from movies. The lyrics stem from her own life, the lives of her friends, and also from dreams.

Indica, known for their playful and lively stage presence and their distinctive music, went travelling outside Finland near the close of 2007 when they performed as the support act for Nightwish during their Scandinavian tour. Indica were well received in the other Nordic countries. A tight collaboration between Indica and Nightwish frontman Tuomas Holopainen started on this tour, aimed at creating the next album. Tuomas was the producer of the fourth Indica longplayer, released autumn 2008 and titled 'Valoissa' ('In The Lights'). The first single 'Pahinta tänään' ('Worst of Today') was released on May 8, 2008, followed by 'Valoissa' in August 2008, and '10 h myöhässä' ('10 Hours Late') in January, all with accompanying music videos.

Work on their fifth album 'A Way Away' is nearly finish, with a release date of June 2010. It will be a CD of English reinterpretations of some old songs. Some that have been rewritten are 'Pahinta tänään', 'Noita' ('Witch') from 'Kadonnut puutarha' ('The Lost Garden') and 'Vuorien taa' ('Beyond the Mountains') from 'Tuuliset tienoot' ('Windy Shires'), which has been rewritten as 'Siren Song', of which a short piece can be found on their website, and on live performances on 'Youtube', along with a few other English versions.

New Albums

A compilation album called 'Pahinta tänään: Kokoelma', has been released in Finland on October 21, 2009, and contains old tracks, along with four new or unreleased ones. One of these unreleased songs is 'Valokeilojen vampyyri' (Translated on their webpage as 'Vampire in the Light Beams'). This is an old Indica song which was played at a few gigs in 2004, and Indica said it would never be heard again. This song is also their last single, and a video has been made, with the theme of Indica's early days.

Jonsu also revealed in an interview that an album with English versions of their old songs will be released in early 2010. The forthcoming album will include Production by Tuomas Holopainen as well as collaboration on all lyrics by the poet and screenwriter Rory Winston, as well as orchestration by Pip Williams. According to the official French forum, a video has been recorded in Tokyo for this English album by the french photographer Denis Goria. The song in question is Pahinta tänään, renamed Straight and Arrow. Straight and Arrow's video clip have been recently revealed on the net.

Members

• Johanna "Jonsu" Salomaa – vocals, violin, guitars, keyboards
• Heini – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Sirkku – keyboards, clarinette, backing vocals
• Jenny – guitars, backing vocals
• Laura – drums

Studio albums

• Ikuinen virta The Eternal Stream (2004)

1. Saalistaja (Predator)
2. Scarlett
3. Ikuinen virta (The Eternal Stream)
4. Valehtelen (I Lie)
5. Surusilmä (One with Sad Eyes)
6. Lasienkeli (Glass Angel)
7. Onnen kartano (Mansion of Joy)
8. Ihmisen lento (The Flight of Man)
9. Lauluja paratiisista (Songs From Paradise)
10. Aaltojen takaa (From Behind the Waves)
11. Vettä vasten (Against the Water)
12. Scarlett music video
13. Link to a hidden part of Indica's website, for access to two old songs, "Odotan" (I Wait) and "Unten maa" (Land of Dreams).

• Tuuliset tienoot Windy Shires (2005)

1. Vuorien taa (Beyond the Mountains)
2. Pida Kädestä (Hold My Hand)
3. Tuuliset tienoot (Windy Shires)
4. Lapsuuden metsä (Forest of Childhood)
5. Häkkilintu (Cagebird)
6. Varo (Beware)
7. Niin tuleni teen (So I Make My Fire)
8. Kummajaisten joukko (Crowd of Freaks)
9. Rannalla (On the Shore)
10. Viimeinen tanssi (The Last Dance)

• Kadonnut puutarha The Lost Garden (2007)

1. Viimeinen jyvä (The Last Grain)
2. Linnansa vanki (Prisoner of Its Own Castle)
3. Ikävänkantaja (The Bearer of Sorrow)
4. Ulkona (Outside)
5. Nukkuu kedolla (Sleeps in the Lea)
6. Noita (Witch)
7. Pahan tarha (Garden of Evil)
8. Äänet (Voices)
9. Mykkä (Mute)
10. Unten laiva (Ship of Dreams)
11. Helmet (Pearls)

• Valoissa In The Lights (2008)

1. Elä (Live)
2. Pahinta tänään (Worst of Today)
3. 10 h myöhässä (Ten Hours Late)
4. Hiljainen maa (Silent Land)
5. Askeleet (Steps)
6. Sanoja (Words)
7. Valoissa (In The Lights)
8. Täältä pois (Away From Here)
9. Pyromaani (Pyromaniac)
10. Hämärää (Murk)
11. Ei enää (No More)

• Pahinta tänään: Kokoelma (2009)

1. Valokeilojen vampyyri (Vampire in the Headlights)
2. Ikuinen virta (The Eternal Stream)
3. Scarlett
4. Tuuliset tienoot (Windy Shires)
5. Vuorien taa (Beyond the Mountains)
6. Valoissa (In The Lights)
7. Ruusupensaat (Rose Bushes)
8. Murheiden maa (Land of Sorrows)
9. Linnansa vanki (Prisoner of Its Own Castle)
10. 10 h myöhässä (Ten Hours Late)
11. Kersantti Karoliina (Sergeant Karoliina) (Popeda-cover)
12. Pahinta tänään (Worst of Today)

• A Way Away (2010)

1. Islands of light (Vuorien taa)
2. Precious Dark (Pidä kädestä)
3. Children of Frost
4. Lilja’s Lament
5. In Passing (Valoissa)
6. Scissor, Paper, Rock (Ikuinen virta)
7. A way away
8. As if (Elä)
9. Straight & Arrow (Pahinta tänään)
10. Eerie Eden (Vettä Vasten)

Singles

• "Scarlett" (26 March 2004)
• "Ikuinen virta" (5 August 2004)
• "Vettä vasten" (23 March 2005)
• "Ihmisen lento" – Promo (2005)
• "Vuorien taa" + "Nuorallatanssija" (19 October 2005)
• "Pidä kädestä" – Promo (2005)
• "Niin tuleni teen" – Promo (2005)
• "Linnansa vanki" – Promo (2007)
• "Noita" – Promo (2007)
• "Ulkona" – Promo (2007)
• "Pahinta tänään" – Promo (8 May 2008), Internet single (12 May 2008)
• "Valoissa" (August 2008)
• "10 h myöhässä" (November 2008)
• "Valokeilojen vampyyri" (Autumn 2009)
• "Ghosts in a Crowd" (Winter-Spring 2010)

Music videos

• "Scarlett" (2004), directed by Kusti Manninen
• "Ikuinen virta" (2005), directed by Kusti Manninen
• "Vuorien taa" (2006), directed by Marko Mäkilaakso
• "Pidä kädestä" (2006), directed by Marko Mäkilaakso
• "Linnansa vanki" (2007), directed by Jesse Hietanen
• "Pahinta tänään" (Spring 2008), directed by Jesse Hietanen
• "Valoissa" (Autumn 2008)
• "10 h myöhässä" (Christmas 2008)
• "Valokeilojen vampyyri" (Autumn 2009)
• "Straight and Arrow" (Winter 2009)

External links

• Official website
• Template:Myspace

www.youtube.com/indica www.facebook.com/Indicaofficial www.twitter.com/indicaband www.last.fm/music/Indica