By: burgundy bug
Sätilä holding half of his face while cast under the warm glow of light
Source: When you feel like it’s not going well, stick to the plan. | Sätilä
Sätilä is a Finish indie-pop artist fueled by his life-long love for music and cultural seamlessness from living all around the globe. Last month, the musician touched audiences with his incredibly personal single, “Like You Do.”
Over the weekend, we reached out to Sätilä via email to learn more about his relationship with music as well as his current and upcoming releases.
What sparked your love for music?
I was naturally drawn to music when I was a kid.
“We had a piano in our house and I guess I found joy in playing and making noise.”
Sätilä
Who have been some of your biggest inspirations over the years, both musically and personally?
It has changed over time. When I was young, I listened to a lot of alternative rock. I looked up to people like Miikka Koivisto and Jussi Ylikoski (Disco Ensemble), Ville Malja (Lapko), Matthew Bellamy (Muse) and Brandon Boyd (Incubus).
Since then, I have fallen in love with pop artists like Ellie Goulding. Kevin Parker is such an inspiring person!
Having lived all around the globe, where do you feel most at home?
Turku, Finland. It’s beautiful, relaxed, has loads of great restaurants and all my closest friends live there.
While living in Sydney, you studied songwriting. What do you feel is most beneficial about studying music v.s. artists who are entirely self-taught? What were the most valuable lessons/tips you learned from studying songwriting?
I think studying music can accelerate your learning and surround you with like-minded people to collaborate with, but you still need to be motivated and disciplined to write.
I gained a lot of helpful tools to better my lyric writing or how I structure melodies, parts in a song, or deliberately break structures.
Do you ever find yourself with writer’s block? If so, how do you get out of that rut?
Yeah, quite often. I take a break or distance from that song and move onto another. Or do something totally different.
Last month, you released the single “Like You Do,” which details being loved by someone who you believe is more gracious and trusting than you are. What went into writing the song and how has it helped you grow as a person?
I started writing this song at the start of 2017. I remember I had to sit with the verses quite some time and just work on the lyrics. It’s a very personal and reflective song, so a lot of soul searching was involved.
“It’s helped me to accept my incompleteness and encourage to keep moving and growing.”
Sätilä
Instrumentally, the track blends elements of pop, indie, and alternative genres to encompass a full and truly dazzling sound. What was your vision for “Like You Do” going into the studio? Did it turn out anything like you thought the song would?
I had been working on incorporating synths and electronic elements to my music and I gave the producer, Supboe, an acoustic guitar and a voice demo with the freedom to do whatever in production.
We had had a conversation about the musical inspiration and direction I wanted to take and he smashed it. To be honest, I didn’t have any expectations, only trust in Supboe. This time, it worked really well!
How do you hope to impact your listeners through your work?
I hope it encourages and inspires people. Maybe it can console at times, too.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians looking to break into the industry?
“There is no right or wrong way to do it.”
Sätilä
Think about what you want to say, sound like, bring to the table, and what are your goals. Have friends and good people around you supporting you (not just industry people and your team, but people not in the industry, too) and cherish them!
Be prepared to work towards your goals over a long period of time, cause it might take time. You might have to work somewhere part-time to sustain your career because making money in this industry is hard – just make sure it’s not sucking the life out of you and killing your passion for making music.
Where do you think you would be today if you hadn’t pursued music from such a young age?
I want to believe I would be working in music but on the business side. Maybe managing or putting on shows.
Going forward, what’s next for you, Sätilä? Do you have any music in the works or upcoming tour dates?
I have heaps of music ready to go so I’ll be dropping new music consistently. The next single is coming out at the beginning of next year.
A tour next year would be amazing, but for now I’m doing solo shows in London and a couple in Finland in January while I’m there.
Do you have any additional comments or final thoughts to share?
As the end of the year is approaching, it’s a good time to evaluate this past year and to slow down and really appreciate the people you have around you. Never take people for granted!
Give “Like You Do” a listen on Spotify and Apple Music.
Be sure to follow Sätilä on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with his latest work!
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