J.P. Kallio
... is a Finnish born singer-songwriter and an acoustic guitar slinger, who spent most of his life in Dublin. He is known for writing honest songs about life. Everything you say might end up in one of his songs.
“Hey darling, don’t you worry about me. This is the life I was meant to live. I always loved the wide open road. And I always loved to sing my songs” (-J.P. Kallio-)
How would you describe the human behind the artist J.P. Kallio and how did you get into music?
Hey, and thank you for taking the time to talk to me. I am J.P. Kallio. I am Singer-Songwriter and a guitar slinger from northern Europe, a beautiful country called Finland. At this point I have lived most of my life in Dublin, Ireland. Who knows where I am going to end up next.
Music has always fascinated me from a young age. Growing up, the world around me didn't always make sense. But music did. When I was 17, I lost my dad to suicide. Strangely enough, it made me appreciate my life even more, and I promised myself not to waste it and make the best of it. So I started saving money for a flight ticket, packed my bags and moved to Ireland. Ireland always had a buzzing music scene; soon enough, I played several nights a week. And I have never looked back since then.
Writing songs was always a way to communicate some of that chaos from my youth. I had to take a good look at my own demons, which I believe is part of every artist's life. I became very comfortable navigating the chaos where most of our traumas reside. Still, most people are scared to look at it. So I see my job as a kind of filter to bring back snippets from the chaos that might help other people heal and maybe make their day-to-day life a little bit easier
Your cover version of "Staying Alive" sounds extraordinary, why did you select this song for a release?
The Bee Gees wrote the song about trying to keep up with society's expectations in New York back in the 70s, which was very much survival. If anything, I think people struggle even more these days with those expectations. But at the same time, it is just a fun song to sing. When I perform it live, I often don't introduce it, and I love watching the audience's faces as they slowly recognise the song. My version is different from the original, and it usually takes them a bit before the penny drops.
What can we expect from your upcoming album?
This was my first time working with a producer on my solo stuff. And from the beginning, even that I had a vision, I also wanted to let go of control and let the producer work his magic as well. The album turned out far beyond my expectations. Vincent Molet, who produced and engineered the album created some amazing soundscapes far beyond anything I could have hoped for.
If you take a look back on "Northern Boy" for example, what are the differences concerning your songwriting to now?
Northern Boy was my first album, and it is very dear to me. The tittle track is very much an autobiographical song about going after your dreams when everyone around you thinks you can't. And I still sing it all the time.
But just like me, my songwriting has matured. And the new album is a lot about the balancing act between chaos and order. And with Vincents help, we created an album with a story. And if you take the time to dig deep, I believe it can take you to places.
What are your Top 3 songs, right now, in this second?
Oh, that's a hard one... I have a new cover song coming out on 20th of January. One more before I start releasing singles from the album. It is "Say Something" by The Great Big World. I love that song. Northern Boy is still there. It really is my rebel cry saying, "look, I'm doing what they told me I could not do." And a song of mine called "Tell My Darling" has been with me for a long time and has travelled to many places with me. But all the songs on the new album are still fresh and exciting, and I cannot wait to share them. And once people hear them and hopefully find their favorites they can relate with, the songs start to take their own life. And that's usually when they start claiming their place in that top 3 list.
If you could choose an artist for a songwriting collaboration, who would it be?
Oh, it would be a long list... Tom Waits, The Tallest Man On Earth, Noah Gundersen, Jason Isbell... Do they need to be alive? We could be here for a while...
Do you have planned any gigs in the near future?
I play acoustic sessions here in Dublin in The Porterhouse, a great venue and the original Irish brew pub, several times a week. I also play few shows a week with Sliotar, a band I have been in for over 20 years. But I will definitely be doing solo shows around Europe later this year as the album comes out.
...and, what are your plans for 2023?
Obviously, the new album will play a big part in 2023. And Starting to play regular solo shows is a big goal this year. But I also have some big life-altering plans (for me) in 2023, which I cannot yet talk about. But as it all unfolds, I want to share and document it through vlogs on my YouTube channel and social media. So if you want to follow the journey and be part of it, don't forget to follow me on whatever your favourite social media is.
