A Finnish Singer-Songwriter in NYC: Petra Jasmiina And Her Debut Single “Hours”
Finnish singer-songwriter Petra Jasmiina discusses music and songwriting after releasing her first single, "Hours," in her debut EP in October 2019.
“As a 9-year-old, I didn’t think that what I was doing was songwriting.”
The first time I listened to Petra’s debut single, “Hours,” I instantly fell in love with the song. It’s elegantly fast-paced, with a melody that soars into a theatrical chorus that deserves to be performed live with an army of drums and a full choir of backup vocals to shake an entire stadium.
It was “love at first listen” and soon after that, I caught a couple of Petra’s live performances and we sat down for a chat. We discussed her music, her writing, what she considers to be her strengths, and her aspirations as a musician. Much of that conversation can be found in the video.
When Petra realized that what she was doing – songwriting – was a craft and decided to share it with the world, it was a gift to us all. Go ahead and watch the video, give “Hours” a listen and get to know Petra through our conversation. She was also featured in this #OpenMicTonight video where she performed “Arsonists,” another song from her debut EP, with cellist Anthime Miller.
What I didn’t get to include in the video were our talks about life as an immigrant, her support group, the Writer’s Room, which she considers her “home away from home,” and her walks in Central Park with her cat (yes, her cat, on a leash!). But for now, I hope you enjoy this introduction to a promising singer-songwriter named Petra Jasmiina.