I COME ALIVE!

I am feeling much better, so thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. The year started very different but we are not giving up. I have started to take my daily walks again but slowly, I am not there yet. My best friend, my wife takes me out on a short walk every day. It feels like I lost all my condition with the A virus and the pneumonia but with Gods help I am raising up again.

This year is very special. We have so much going on and honestly it feels unreal that we already at this time have so much bookings in Germany and The Netherlands. It has never happened before so I would like to thank Marko and our team in Germany for their effort and hard work.

I have spent lots of time in my studio, working on the new ”Gospel Express” album. I am super blessed with the outcome as if I am allowed to say it myself it sounds good. It is a special album for me as it is my 20th album and that is a milestone in my musical career. Honestly I never planned this album or started to work on it, it just happened. This is how God works and the songs are more about me as an imperfect person in need of God. All is based on a true story, my life.

The further I walk with the Lord I realize that it is all about Him and not about me. I am far away from perfect and I am fine with it. I don’t even want to try to show that I would be something else than the broken man I am. It is in my brokenness where God becomes real. It is when I am small that God becomes huge. It is through my faults and mistakes where God’s mercy, love and grace comes forth under the light of the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and nobody comes to the Father without walking hand in hand with Jesus.

All that I am writing right now is been transformed into music and the ”Gospel Express” album is being released March 27th, just in time for our tour in The Netherlands and Germany. Before that we have lots to do. We are doing a short tour of Sweden in February and we are going to visit Betel in Runemo, The Salvation Army in Gävle and we are doing another small event at Mat & Nostalgi in Viksjö, February 21st. We are also brining more guitars to the store for sale and will be working on the guitar store. As I wrote last time this is something that helps us do what we do. When we sell instruments through Mat & Nostalgi and our web shop parts of the profit goes into our ministry.

As I said earlier I have spent much time in the studio and when I get up there it is like time is standing still but music is being made. Yesterday I went up there around 6 pm after a short nap. My wife followed me up with a cup of coffee. I am so into creating music that I close out everythng that is happening around me. I am so into making music with a message and last night I finished the cup of coffee around 9:30 pm and of course the coffee was cold. I do not mind drinking cold coffee as long as I get to do what I love to do.

The coming ”Gospel Express” album is team work as its best, I sit here in my studio doing my parts. I play the guitars, bass and even cello on some songs. Then the I send over the files to drummer Lelle Törnkvist, a well respected drummer in Stockholm, Sweden that have a list of artists he played with that is long, A new relationship that is working very well so if you need a drummer I. higlly can recommend him for different projects and all kinds of music, He is a pro!

Then the files comes back and one of my best friends since many years Janne Hyöty is preparing everything for the others to do their parts. I am so happy to have my old friend Mikko Rintanen on piano, organa and keyboards. He is most likely one of the best keyboard players in Finland. When I was a little kid running around in the music stores in town, Mikko was working in one of them. Mikko has been part of my life for most of my life and I have many funny memories from the years. One was in 1985 when I was twelwe years young and Mikko dragged my back stage at a festival in Närpes and I got to do an interview with Lemmy and the entire band Motorhead. That was published in the local newspaper the same summer.

Elna Romberg has been doing background vocals on my productions for a few years now. She is a woman of faith, standing on her own legs. Known from The voice of Finland with many things going on besides being a mother and wife. Currently touring as a back up singer with Leningrad Cowboys. She has also released own soulful music and there is that something special with her voice that I love. She has that soul in her and if needed she has power in her voice and I just think she is a professional singer and artist.

Now I will continue to prepare for the rest of this year. I do my daily walks with my wife. I don’t know what I would do without her. She has been through the fire with me. She could have left me with a valid reason so many times during my old life but she has been beside me in every fight. There is a song about here coming on the new album ”My godly woman”. I just believe that God saw what I needed and gave me Hannele. December 28th we celebrated 35 years since we got engaged.

It looks like we are getting a decent winter this year and me and Sebastian already did a short ride with the snowmobiles on the ice. I love being out in our archipelago both in the summer and during the winter time. In the winter time I drive the snowmobile where I cruise with my boat in the summer time. Pretty fascinating. I am a blessed man. I am working with the best musicians. I have a wonderful family and I get to do what I love to do.

We are still in a financial battle as last year we did not break even. I am still trusting God for funds so we would break even on last year and start this year from a blank page. If YOU want to help us out the details are below.

Hope you like the new songs from the single released today! I am super excited about the new album and the upcoming tours. It is all about Jesus and telling people about Jesus. It does not matter where we are, there are always opportunities to talk with people about Jesus and when I get started I come alive!