Music has proven to be a cathartic outlet for many. But Lalalow takes that notion to the next level. Finland-based group Lalalow has integrated electric pop sounds with psychedelic aesthetics that will liberate your mind. The group consists of two members. Nina Jackson, vocalist and keyboard player, and Tommi Laivama, guitarist. Lalalow’s mission is simple: They let the sounds, rhythms, harmonies, and melodies do the talking. In a world where words often fail to capture the true essence of meaning, music serves as a direct form of expression. On the topic of expression, Lalalow’s latest single “Sensory Deprivation” will certainly get you into your feels. Most importantly, it reminds us we are all in this together. In our interview we cover all things “Sensory Deprivation,” the collective struggle of mental health, and Nina’s course, Generations ‘Lab, which is suited for creative thinkers who value inclusivity and wish to dedicate their time solving societal problems with modern solutions. Please read our exclusive interview with Lalalow below!

Where are you based?
We are based in Oulu, a city in Northern Finland.

When did you come together as a group? And how did you know music was your path?
Initially we met each other in 2012 at the University of Oulu. We started to write songs and perform, first with a band called Supah Butterfly, and then with Nina’s solo project. Lalalow was officially formed in 2018. We both have known from quite a young age that we want to make music.

What does Lalalow mean? Is there significance to the name?
The name is a mixture of different feelings. The first part Lala suggests something light, but the low as the ending changes the atmosphere completely. Creating weird spaces between feelings is one essential part of our musical aesthetic.

How would you describe the music you make? Does it fit into a certain genre?
Our music has been described as industrial or dreamy electro-pop with a shoegaze influence. We ourselves consider our music as alternative pop as it is not something you might hear from the radio, and there can be a bit of a different style in each of our songs.

Your music is supposed to provide a hypnotic or psychedelic feeling, how do you accomplish that?
This is an interesting question. The process is never straight-forward and the sound is not something we necessarily are aiming for. We guess this is a classical artist's answer, but it’s the truth. We try to express the feelings as they are. We seem to prefer psychedelic aesthetics by nature and often our texts call for hypnotic arrangements. On a practical level, we record a lot of backing vocals and pay attention to the synths we choose to create our songs.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your latest single “Sensory Deprivation” and what is the message to the listener?
The process included some improvising as the chorus was invented accidentally when we were testing our vocal mic. We were planning to have a different chorus, but we liked how our mic testing melody sounded. It was more unique than the chorus we had originally written. The message we want to give to our listeners is that we are all the victims of our own minds, especially during times like the pandemic as there are not a lot of chances to interact with the rest of the world. We believe that verbalising this might make people feel that everyone is in the same boat.

When your music is played, what emotions do you want to share with the audience?
We want to take our audience into interesting and even impossible spaces, and as we are talking about music, impossible soundscapes. We reach this by peppering our songs with unexpected details. The idea of impossible spaces is the main inspiration of our upcoming EP heavily influenced by the art of Oscar Reutersvärd and M.C. Escher.

Tommi, you have trouble expressing your feelings with “logical sentences” when did you discover that music was the outlet you needed?
I discovered it at a very young age, probably around the age of 10, when I started keeping a diary. Around that time everyone I knew was doing it. I somehow felt that everything I was writing was “lying” and pretentious and not exactly what I wanted to express. Writing songs is a very natural way for me to express my true feelings, as the words can be abstract, even irrational. In a song, the sounds, rhythms, harmonies and melodies can be combined in a way to get the original feeling out and across more authentically.

How does “Sensory Deprivation” reflect your specific struggle?
I wouldn’t call it a personal struggle, but rather a shared struggle in today's society. Everyone is in their own bubble. It feels like belonging, but at the end of the day, you are lonelier than ever.

Nina, you teach a course called: Generations ’Lab that brings generations and cultures to the forefront of problem-solving. Can you tell us a bit about this course and what you hope your students gain from it?
This course is for spreading tools of creative thinking. It brings together different cultures and age groups to think about current problems in today’s world. I, as well as my colleagues from the fields of modern pedagogics and business, believe that we can reach the best solutions when we let heterogeneous groups of people discuss.

A lot of information that is not written in the books can be shared between people through discussions, and with creative tools, people can learn to see connections between things that are seemingly unconnected. Discussions with people outside of your social bubble combined with easy-to-approach creative methods can break the information and notion bubbles I was talking about in the previous question and aim for a smarter, more climate-friendly and human society. We also need more conversations with people we disagree with and learn through our notions being challenged.

We are in very changing times. What advice do you have for people and companies to best adjust?
I advise and encourage everyone to be ready to think and act in ways that have not been seen before. Each of us has a lot of ideas in our head, but many times we do not follow them because of social norms. That way, a lot of good potential for doing things differently and in a smarter way is lost. For example, there are very few people who are against protecting the environment or people’s health. The biggest problem is that thinking is not the same as acting. I encourage companies and consumers to act in a way that has a positive impact, even if you feel your actions are too insignificant to mention or even if the path you choose might lead to a failure.

How did you get involved in teaching this type of information?
I have a Masters degree in Arts and Education and I have also been working in business and projects related to the future of education. I have a big variety of different interests but I have never felt that they would conflict with each other.

I can’t say my values are aligned with values that are often associated with business, but I believe that in order to change the world, you need to learn the rules of the game in order to break them.

How has Covid affected your music or group?
Covid has actually had quite a positive effect on Lalalow as we have been able to connect with people around the world, as everything has gone more virtual, from music conferences and collaboration projects to gigs.

How has music helped you understand your purpose in life?
This is a very deep and interesting question. Creating songs is a chance to be in very close connection with my subconscious mind. At least it feels like that. When you are able to be more connected to your subconscious side, you stop looking for logical explanations for things and everything feels purposeful as it is, no explanations needed.

Your group serves as a beacon of light for introverts, how do you achieve this, and is there anything you would like to say to your audience?
I guess it is quite a trendy thing to be an introvert nowadays and extrovert/introvert division is something some people find logical, and some people don’t believe in it. Also, I believe everyone can define for themselves which side they feel they belong. We feel we connect with introverted minds as we both tend to be highly introspective. It is a gift as you can get connected with your internal world and feelings and transform it into art. We hope the songs we create connect with people with a similar nature.

What are your future plans or goals personally or professionally in the band/music industry?
Currently we are focused on writing and recording a new EP. We feel that the most important thing for us right now is to write new music and be inspired through that to do other new things, such as collaborations or new interesting kinds of performances.

How have you been staying positive during shelter in place?
We have been lucky to spend a lot of time together during the last year. We also believe that the new normal can be better than what was before.

What is your motto in life?
The best things do not make sense.

You can find Lalalow on the platforms below:
Instagram: lalalowmusic
Spotify: Lalalow
Soundcloud: lalalowmusic

Lalalow- The Electro-pop Duo Taking the World Of Musical Expression By Storm