Say Hello to Loki's Folly
- Erin
- Mar 1, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 6, 2023
Comprised of three siblings, Loki's Folly is a Minneapolis based punk- rock band who just released their debut album Sisu, a Finnish term meaning determination and perseverance. The album is aptly named in that it explores what it's like growing up in today's political and social climate. Additionally, the siblings tie in themes from their own cultural background and experiences with mental health and autism. What makes these mature, gripping themes all the more compelling is that they're being tackled by three young adults: Annie 21, Nissa 16, and Oskar 12.
Though the album is new to the rest of the world, it is a time capsule to the artists as they quite literally grew up creating it.
Nissa: When we first started recording I was like 12, so it's been kind of like this thing that we've grown up with. It's like our childhood and teenagehood put into one record, which is kind of a special thing that only is gonna happen once.
Just as people change and mature, so did the album.
Annie: Some of the songs did change over time, especially just with playing them live and developing how we wanted them to sound over that time. Also like our voices were changing over that time so, you know, then rerecording vocals and things like that to get it more accurate to how we play it now.
From their new album, there is already a favorite to play live:
Annie: My favorite to play live is definitely Into the Darkness because it grabs people and you get to scream and there's lots of change so everyone's kind of getting hit left and right with different things the whole time through.
Emotional connection to the album is further showcased through their song"Appease the Girl," where Annie incorporates her experience as an autistic women She spoke on the decision to incorporate a vulnerable topic.
Annie: It felt natural to use music to express those emotions in a way that's like comfortable and safe and where we kind of get to control our own narrative about it and get to present what we want to present.
Most are diagnosed with autism at a young age, but Annie was given her diagnostic in her late teens.
Annie: It was definitely a unique experience, I will say. I think personally it was kind of a relief if I'm being honest, like it felt good to finally get like a diagnosis and a sort of description for all of the issues and difficulties I'd been going through and to know that I wasn't alone and there wasn't like, I don't know, some weird force going on messing with my brain, it was like just an actual normal thing.
Clearly not one's to shy away from sensitive subjects, Loki's Folly utilizes playful lyrics to relay intense messages, as seen through their political commentary in songs like "Beaches and Peaches."
Annie: Growing up in such an intense political climate with a lot of really like disheartening things going on, I think it was something that just was really affecting us a lot. That sort of like maybe disappointment in like the adults, and in the world around us, kind of, I don't know, letting things go the way they've gone was very, you know, at the forefront of our minds.
I'm sitting on my beaches eating peaches The government is corrupt Employ an abogado with an avocado Now the world is gonna erupt. -Lyrics from "Beaches and Peaches"
Sisu is also deeply related to the creators as in their song they blend parts of their own Scandinavian heritage into their music. One doesn't even need to listen to their music to feel the pride they have for their Scandinavian heritage, it's in the band name itself paying tribute to Norse god of Mischief Loki. In their song "No Right," the band incorporates Kunlnig in their music, a Scandinavian herding call that has been practiced for centuries.
Annie: We're Scandinavian by Heritage and we listen to a lot of Värttinä and Wizard Women of the North and they both include Kulning in their music. I think that concept of something that's got that connection and also that it was a originally a thing that was intended only for women to do, which we thought was like kind of cool and connected with us to have that special communication that goes out specifically to other women.
Oskar had no comments on this (other than a happy and supportive smile for his sisters).
Oskar joined the band the latest seeing as he was still learning how to read and write never mind reading music at the time of the band's creation. Kidding, I actually have a strong feeling that he learned Every Good Boy Does Fine before the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
I asked the young Mozart what it was like joining the band after its initial formation and he responded with confidence only fitting of a rockstar in the making:
It came naturally.
Luckily, there's no sibling contention upon his late entry into the band.
Annie: I think it's really fun to have someone holding down the bass end of things. Ever since he was old enough to be able to play, it's always felt like just waiting for him to be able. Like you gotta have all the siblings can't have just the two of us, it's not complete yet.
She turned to her brother before continuing:
Annie: I think you're bringing a very cool and you know, suave, unaffected vibe to the band too that, you know, helps keep us going straight ahead.
Beyond making joining a new band way less intimidating, working together as siblings has other added benefits.
Annie: I think living all together and like having those like already existing like connections and communication already in place really helps out. You know, we can just be like, 'oh I'm coming over to your room. We're writing a song now.'
Nissa: It's also helpful on stage and during performances, you know, knowing, these two my whole life, it's nice if something goes wrong, to be able to just look and make eye contact and be like, 'okay, we're, we're gonna get back on here, and you can have that sort of unspoken sibling communication.
Annie: Putting together songs is really exciting, but also playing them live. I mean it's a toss up between the two. I think playing live is definitely what I first loved about it and then I kind of fell in love with the process of making songs and writing them and getting to express ourselves and I think getting to do that with these guys it's like, I mean it's like a win, win, win, win, and win.
The musician's parents were more than encouraging of the trio's creative aspirations as well.
Annie: They were very supportive I think since, you know, they kind of had a lot of similar tastes it made sense. It's nice because they can come down and watch us play and be like, 'Oh it's going great, you're doing this good' and stuff like that. Our mom had experience being in musical theater when she was young so she also gives us pointers on how to do performances and how to sing from the diaphragm and how to do things in a healthy, good way.
The siblings are currently growing up in Minneapolis which has affected their music journey in a myriad of ways.
Annie: We started off listening to like Green Day and My Chemical Romance and we were like 'so cool! This is the best' Our mom knew that we liked those bands and she was like, 'well you should try the Replacements' and bands like that. So we started checking that kind of stuff out and then exploring the whole Minneapolis music scene and all other sorts of cool early punk bands that just really connected with us.
The Minneapolis music scene connected pretty quickly with Loki's Folly too as they were soon receiving support from big names like Ed Ackerson and Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum.
Annie: It's been like a little gift from the Heavens. It's just really exciting, especially because they're all people we've really looked up to a lot, and having done all that research and knowing so much about our music scene, it was just kind of unbelievable and a great honor to get to work with the people we'd held in such high regard for so long.
Infusing their own unique sound, Loki's Folly ventures outside of their own catalog covering classics like "Army of me" by Björk and "7 Nation Army" by The White Stripes. Always looking for ideas to expand their discography further, Oskar chimed in with a song he would love to cover.
Oskar: "Centuries," that's a song by Fall Out Boy that I've always liked.
One cover that garnered a lot of attention was their rendition of Nena's "99 Luftballoons" sung in the original German translation, a language in which Nissa is currently studying. She is attending a project-based high school that allows her to work on school and music simultaneously.
Nissa: It helps balancing things out since I can kind of create my own curriculum, it's nice to be able to work it around band stuff. I'm also doing PSEO as well, so it's kind of certainly a lot but I'm able to keep them both going, which is nice and I love doing both of them so I wouldn't have it any other way but it is definitely a lot to balance.
In between rehearsal, you can find Annie and Nissa hitting the streets of Minneapolis for some vintage shopping. Though for any avid vintage connoisseur it's nearly impossible to pick a favorite find, I asked them nonetheless.
Annie: Favorite find... All of them. No, hmm, the one I'm thinking about recently is I just got this melamine seventies mug with pictures of Farrah Fawcett inside it all around it. And that one was a pretty good find.
Switching the topic so I could distract myself from the burgeoning jealousy I have over the mug, I asked Oskar what video game he would compose a soundtrack for.
Oskar: Undertale has good soundtracks. It'd be cool to do that.
The band's age helps distinguish them from other artists as well- not everyone would expect such an explosive sound coming from a young trio. We discussed how their age has affected their careers if at all.
Annie: We might have a bit of like needing to prove ourselves a little bit when we go into spaces and there might be a little bit of bias in that sort of way.
Nissa: There's lots of like sitting around the merch table before playing a show and some people are like, 'oh, why is your kid here? What are you doing here?' It's usually not mean or anything. It's more about like, 'who are you, what are you doing here?' And then 'Oh, that's why you're here. Okay, that's cool.'
Annie: I don't think anything's ever been with bad intentions, you know?
I asked the group if they have any advice for people similar in age wanting to get involved in music or any creative outlet.
Annie: I think really just knowing that it's like okay to just like go all out and just like really have fun and not worry about doing things right or well, or if you make mistakes, or if you look too weird or silly or anything like that, cause all of that stuff really just makes it even better and more fun.... I think.
With their album just being released, we talked future goals and what's next on the plate for Loki's Folly.
Annie: Well I mean having the record come out is already just a really exciting thing to happen. I guess a goal would be for that to go very well and nothing going wrong and all of that. I mean it's just been so exciting getting to this point that I can't even imagine more. I'd love to do more but you know, right now we're very grateful.
Nissa: Yes. We're very happy with this right now.
Only great things are sure to come for this talented and humble trio. Minneapolis really is the music gift that keeps on giving. Stay up to date with Loki's Folly through the links below.
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