Väylä from Helsinki have released their LP “Pinttyneet kuvat,” a record shaped by years of trial, friendship, and creative persistence. The band first appeared on the Finnskramz release with their single “Unohdun,” and this full-length follows as their most cohesive work.
The group started in 2021 when Samuli and Peetu began jamming hardcore punk. Soon after, Antti and Jesse joined, and the four found their own sound. As they recalled, “We are all kinda new to being in band for example Antti had just started to play bass before Väylä and Jesse also had never sing in band before but he had played drums in stoner bands. Peetu and Samuli had only been playing in couple bands before Väylä. Our friend said to us in the past before Väylä that you should get hobby instead of being in bars all night long so here we are now years later.”
Peetu’s story goes back to his teenage years. “My big brother has big influence to me because he is playing guitar also and we are very close. I guess he saw something in me and gave me his old Sony Walkman and Iron Maiden’s old albums to listen and I think that gave me the spark to play guitar finally.” He refused lessons from family and insisted on figuring things out himself. Guitar Pro and a guitar became his main companions after school.
Growing up in Tornio, he was surrounded by an active music scene and played in a couple of bands, even if not his style. Moving to Helsinki for education left him bandless for more than ten years. “I think during this time I really found my own style of playing and when I started to explore pedals more I really got the spark that I want still be in band and create music. Nowadays I’m a big pedal enthusiastic and my bandmates laugh my pedalboard and call it particle accelerator.”
Antti only began playing bass in 2020, at 30. He was invited into a friend’s band where Samuli later played drums. “Few years later Samuli and Peetu started playing together and invited me to join them, so I took up the challenge to learn some of Peetu’s unruly riffs that seemed almost too fast for me at the time. But practice makes better, and mistakes are tolerable when playing fast and noisy, so eventually it proved to be a really fun way to learn new aspects of the instrument.”
He grew up in Kittilä, far in the north of Finland, where there was little of a music scene. Drawing and painting had been his main creative outlet until bass replaced it. “It really means something in this age to let your creativity flow and have time for a common project together with close friends.” He highlighted what each bandmate contributes: “I really like Peetu’s out-of-the-box songwriting and how we together as a band forge them to songs where everyone can really express themselves. Samuli’s relentless search for proper drum compositions and general knowledge and great taste in underground music and songwriting is extremely valuable. Jesse’s lyrics always surprise me with their bold introspection.”
Jesse traced his roots back to his 7th birthday, when he received Stratovarius’ “Destiny” from his godfather. “A few years later we got internet connection to our family home and it all escalated from there. I have always enjoyed all kinds of music that evokes a trance like state of being or a natural urge to move.”
Growing up in Evijärvi, with no music scene, he and friends rented a basement to play CCR covers and stoner doom, also doubling it as a party space. He drummed on and off for years. “I always wanted to be a vocalist but never had the guts to pull it off. When I turned 30 I started to write lyrics and feel more confident with the idea of joining a band. When the boys asked me to join their project everything just clicked. I really love how everyone operates in our band. Everything just evolves naturally and intuition is present.”
The band described the roots of Väylä as “never ending desire to be creative.” They were already friends, which made starting easier. “We all have passion for music and especially this style of music what we do. Fast after starting to play together we understand that we have something special on going here.”
For Peetu, this was long awaited: “I have always longed for to be in band and write songs. Finally my dreams were answered when I met Samuli, Antti and Jesse after over 10 years of break. I am or were quite shy about my songs at first so it was nice to see guys really like those. That made me to continue songwriting even more and really trust my gut when crafting songs.”
Guitar was Peetu’s primary way of dealing with emotions. “Most important thing is to me my ear — if I like how melodies/riffs move forward then I know it will be good song.” He would bring early versions to rehearsal, and the group shaped them collectively. “Sometimes it takes couple of sessions and sometimes it takes years so that we are pleased with the song. We don’t have any deadlines so that is nice and this is important for us because we do this mainly for ourselves so we don’t want to hurry things.”
It was Samuli who suggested aiming for a whole album. Songs that carried a similar atmosphere were grouped, and the path toward “Pinttyneet kuvat” formed. Their method was to refine songs extensively before studio time. “We try a lot of stuff in our practise sessions and talk about did it sound and felt good. Once everybody has approved the song and own parts are clear then we usually don’t do any big changes to it.”
Jesse’s process was more spontaneous: “When it comes to writing lyrics I just let it come whether it’s in the middle of the night or in a bus going to work. When the guys are working on a song I am listening and searching the right lyrics for it from my phone and then I guess the right one just speaks to me.”
The band described one of their biggest hurdles as defining their sound during mixing. “We had to push ourselves to listen and talk about how we want to sound. Eventually everybody agreed on what direction we want to go.” Another challenge was their oldest song “Jokin minussa täytyi kuolla,” which existed in four different versions. “That song has come a long way. After couple of years of practise we managed to get it to shape what we are pleased. Maybe we can at some point record those versions because there is some wild stuff.”
According to the band, Jesse’s lyrics and Peetu’s melodic writing balance each other. “Peetu’s guitar parts and melodies tend to be hopeful which is perfect pad for raw emotions of what ‘Pinttyneet kuvat’ is about.” The title itself was described as “a place in your head with all the negativity, sorrow, self doubt and past events always present like a blurred photo album.”
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Antti’s list included Ajattara’s “Itse,” Electric Wizard’s “Dopethrone,” Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, William Basinski, Townes Van Zandt, and Songs:Ohia.
More recent inspirations came from U.S. Girls, Kali Malone, Jenny Hval, Maria W Horn, FKA Twigs, Beth Gibbons, and Sam Quealy, all of whom left an impression during Flow Festival in Helsinki. Emo was something he only explored after joining Väylä, but Joliette, Portrayal of Guilt, Frail Body, and City of Caterpillar became important touchstones.
He also mentioned Finnish emo acts Hauraus, Claire Voyance, and ∞, and outside that spectrum, Dome Runner, Unearthly Rites, Viimeiset, and Modem.
Antti admitted his listening habits have slowed compared to his twenties. Movies have taken more of his attention: “Perfect Days” (“full 5/5 stars, no words needed”), “28 Years Later” with its Young Fathers soundtrack, and “Leave No Trace,” which he described as refreshing in its portrayal of the U.S.
Jesse listed six key influences: “Cursed vocalist Chris has always inspired me with that raw relentless voice of his. True Widow have just something that takes me away from everything. Urfaust have that very unique madness inspiring to every senses. Show Me The Body knows how it’s done. Very refreshing hardcore in a long time. George Cessna is a mood. I love his lyrics. Eartheater, love the lyrics and the world of sounds she makes.”
“Pinttyneet kuvat” lands as a record built from persistence, long breaks, fresh beginnings, and a shared need to create. Väylä move without hurry, letting songs live through years of rehearsals and revisions, tying hopeful melodies to lyrics rooted in doubt and memory. The result isn’t polished for effect but carried by the band’s own pace, a reflection of where they come from and the weight they choose to keep.
