An Interview With Leena Ojala

There is something hypnotic about Leena Ojala. Her debut EP, EP1, was released last year via 51Den Music and it's been embedded in our minds ever since. This month, as part of a project that will see her release a track every month in 2016, she's releasing an original and a remix of the track 'Poison Words'. Having been captivated by her 'indie electronica' since the release of EP1 — in which her lush vocals were laid over shimmering layers of electronica that shifted between alternative and pop — we thought it high time that we spoke to Leena herself. 

MG: Hi Leena, 2016 has been a busy year so far. Tell us where your head is currently at.

LO: I’m making plenty of new music and collaborating with others. Live performance is also very important to me, and I'm trying to make inroads into the festival scene at the moment.

MG: What did you learn from 2015 that you have applied to 2016?

LO: Ahead of releasing EP1, I released the lead track ‘Why’ and the D/R/U/G/S 404 Remix of the same track as singles. They both received plenty of attention. I also have two other tracks in my EP which didn’t get the same attention, although I feel they are strong as well. For that reason, I will focus more on dropping singles instead.

MG: The response to your debut EP was very warm. Does that apply pressure as you move ahead with your career?

LO: I feel that my writing is getting better and collaboration with others is taking my music to a different level. I am really looking forward to releasing new material which I already have waiting to be released. I have some exciting things happening that I can't talk about yet!

MG: What was the most helpful feedback you received?

LO: It would have to be holding back on my vocals and that way getting more emotion to the song. I had a tendency of going all out with my vocals when it wasn’t necessary.

MG: What was the funniest response you heard?

LO: My video for 'Why' was covered in The Fader under the heading "7 Europeans That Are Making Pop A Safe Space For Weirdos". The article highlighted and discussed my eyebrow movements in the video. But it was great to be covered in The Fader!

MG: How has the positive response altered your ambitions?

LO: I did receive a positive response and I’m really grateful for that.  I think in music things generally happen slowly but there may be some triggers that can change things quickly.  I am not relying on the latter.  I am in this for long term and I feel I’m heading in the right direction.  Ambition is one thing you must have as a serious musician.

MG: If you had to define your sound to a stranger, what one sentence would you use?

LO: I would say my sound is electronic, haunting and dark with emphasis on structure and the vocals.

MG: If you could be filed between two artists in a record store, who would they be and why?

LO: I would pick Sade and Amy Winehouse. Both from different times and very different singers. But they both have that special unique emotion in their voices.

MG: We spotted that you have played a couple of dates recently - what is the Leena Ojala live experience?

LO: I am happy with the feedback I have received in the gigs. People come to me afterwards and tell me nice things about my music. My band and I always make sure that we are all well rehearsed and give our best wherever we are. We love performing and I’m really happy with our set. I am also doing a stripped back acoustic set with two guys where I play the guitar in addition to doing the vocals. On my main electronic set I just focus on the vocals. I really missed playing the guitar which I used to do as a solo act.

MG: What venue do you dream of performing at?

LO: I really wanted to get to The Great Escape this year but I think it’s too late now.  But I will be playing at a festival this summer — I'm just waiting for the final confirmation. People keep on telling us that our sound needs a bigger stage.

MG: Your sound is very structured. Do you have to make a lot of alterations for a live show?

LO: Not really since all the preparation has been done to include some synth sounds in the set, but we are generally close to the recorded sound.

MG: Lastly, tell us one secret that you have not shared in an interview before.

LO: I can be quite clumsy. I once worked in a pub and I dropped this guy’s fish and chips on his lap – and he was wearing a suit.

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In the coming months, we can look forward to further releases from Leena along with both electronic and acoustic live dates. For more information, check out her website and Twitter. The video for the single 'Little Place' is online now and you can check out her previous releases (including EP1) on iTunes.