Janne Westerlund

Janne Westerlund
Background information
Born1973 (age 51–52)
OriginHamina, Finland
GenresExperimental rock, krautrock, folk
Occupation(s)Musician, singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)Guitar, banjo
Years active1990–present
LabelsEktro Records [fi], 9pm Records, Bad Vugum, BV2 Productions

Janne Westerlund (born 1973) is a Finnish musician, songwriter and visual artist known from such Finnish groups as Circle (with the band since 2001), Pharaoh Overlord,[1] and Plain Ride [fi].[2] His main instrument is guitar but on his solo gigs he plays banjo as well.[3] He sings and writes lyrics mainly in English. Westerlund's career started in the beginning of the 1990s in a small Finnish city called Hamina when he founded Sweetheart, an experimental noise rock group, with his friends. After Sweetheart, he released two albums of "organic electronica" with a trio called Chainsmoker [fi].

All the studio and live recordings with his past and present bands included, Westerlund has played on approximately 50 albums.[4] In the autumn of 2012 he released his debut solo album named Oran.[5]

In 2013 he started a collaboration with Jyrki Nissinen [fi], a Finnish cartoonist and musician, composing a soundtrack album for his comics book, Kehittymättömät ufot ("The Undeveloped Flying Objects").

Marshland, his second solo album, is released in January 2015 on Ektro Records.[6]

Discography

Chainsmoker

  • 2001: Guarana Planet, CD (Bad Vugum)
  • 2003: Stations, CD (BV2 Produktions/Bad Vugum)

Circle

Further information: Circle (Finnish band) § Discography

Pharaoh Overlord

Further information: Pharaoh Overlord § Discography

Plain Ride

Solo career

  • 2012: Oran, CD
  • 2013: Kehittymättömät ufot, a soundtrack LP/CD for a comics book by Jyrki Nissinen
  • 2015: Marshland, LP/CD

Sweetheart

  • 1991: Mr. Cocktail / White-Eye, 7" (Bad Vugum)
  • 1992: Forestside / Rag Paradise, 7" (Bad Vugum)
  • 1992: Well-Dressed Meat, LP/CD (Bad Vugum)
  • 1993: Branchline / Diesel Engine, 7" (Bad Vugum)
  • 1994: An Ordinary Family Visits Hell, LP/CD (Bad Vugum)
  • 1996: Intoxicated Boom Boom, CD (Bad Vugum)
  • 1998: Stitches Removal Day, CD (Bad Vugum)

References

  1. ^ "Music – Pharaoh Overlord". BBC. 1 January 1970. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Information". Plain Ride. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Ilosaarirock 2009 | Club Kasettiaseman kesäterveiset: Janne Westerlund". Ilosaarirock.fi. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  4. ^ "Janne Westerlund Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Circle – NWOFHM". Circlefinland.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  6. ^ Nyyssönen, Janne (4 December 2014). "Plain Riden monitoimimies Westerlund: Kraut on täysin loppuunkaluttu sana". Kaleva (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.