Биография

The Bottenviken artist project started with its founding members, songwriters Love Antell, Mattias Björkas (Vasas flora och fauna) and Thella Johnson (Varja Ponjo) beginning to exchange experiences on making music and art in the Nordic countries in the 2020s. Driven by a common urge for dialogue across borders and for deeper exploration and understanding of their two native languages Swedish and Finnish - and of that ”mental space” between their two home countries which remain closely tied together throughout history with significant migrant populations on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia (Bottenviken) - they set out to create what is the project’s debut release: 'Du och jag - ett rike - ett land', an album interpreting Finnish songwriting of the past 30 years. In the first single, 'Jag kan skydda dig från allt', released in February 2023, we get to travel by ski over the icy city waterways of Helsinki, take a train to Cologne and roam across city limits in Latvia. Originally 'Minä suojelen sinua kaikelta', a modern classic by the iconic Finnish pop rock band Ultra Bra and their main songwriters Kerkko Koskinen and Anni Sinnemäki, The Bottenviken translation by Johnson and Antell introduces a new generation and a whole new audience to this gem of Nordic poetry.