Von Hertzen Brothers have never been an easy band to categorise by genre.
Their music is often and better illustrated in terms one might use to describe a novella, painting or a movie: Dynamic. Thought provoking. Magical. Nuanced. Expansive. Epic. Uplifting.
It’s understandable how a strong artistic temperament was instilled into these three siblings.
Kie, Mikko and Jonne’s father, Hasse and uncle, Lasse von Hertzen both played in well-known Scandinavian bands in the 60’s and 70s. One of Kie’s godfathers was an early Finnish environmentalist pioneer, the other one a well-known artist and a sculptor. The boys spent their holidays at their family’s seaside cabin on Finnish coastland where they still spend time writing songs and exploring the nature. An inevitable mutual vision steeped in Finnish folklore, musical traditions, wildlife, and humanitarian causes is often evident in their songwriting.
Initially, in the 1990’s, the brothers forged independent musical journeys, playing in separate successful bands. In 2000, a side project born from the idea of creating something together developed into their first album ‘Experience’. By the time their 2nd album ‘Approach’ (2006) topped the Finnish chart with its blend of progressive guitar driven rock combined with rich layered vocal harmonies, it was obvious that this band was something unique and special.
Since then, Von Hertzen Brothers have consistently achieved top 5 albums including 3 number 1’s in their homeland with ‘Love Remains The Same’ (2008), ‘Stars Aligned’ (2011), ‘Nine Lives’ (2013), ‘New Day Rising’ (2015), ‘War Is Over’ (2017) and ‘Red Alert in the Blue Forest’ (2022).
‘Stars Aligned’ was the band’s first album to be internationally distributed in 2011 and since then, the band’s vast sound has led to their popularity spreading across Europe and beyond.
The band’s most recent studio album ‘Red Alert in the Blue Forest’ a double LP, reflects the brothers’ unique upbringing, love of nature and the global challenges faced by humanity. The album was hailed ‘A masterpiece’ by Prog Magazine with many critics hailing it their best album yet. ‘Red Alert in the Blue Forest’ went on to spearhead a campaign to protect ancient forests in Finland. This culminated in a 50-hectare area being acquired by the Finnish Natural Heritage Foundation and named The Blue Forest. Red Alert in the Blue Forest was also the first album to use sound recordings of the Northern Lights by Professor Unto K. Laine as instrumentation.
Von Hertzen Brothers’ ability to mould complex arrangements into vivid musical landscapes led to an Emma Award (The Finnish equivalent of a Grammy) and a Progressive Music ‘Anthem of the Year’ Award in the UK as well as nominations and plaudits along the way. In 2022, the epic music video for ‘All of a Sudden, You’re Gone’ which was directed by Kie Von Hertzen won the Audience Award and Best Cinematography at the Finnish Music Video Contest. This success has made them one of the most important rock acts to have emerged from Finland in recent times.
A stunning live force, the band have performed in 22 countries. In February 2023, the band recorded a live show at their home city venue, Tavastia in Helsinki. 13 songs from this gig were released as a double live album ‘Live at Tavastia’ in February 2024. The album is available on 2LP, 2CD, Blu-Ray, digital streaming and download and as an on demand video.
The three brothers are joined by one of Finland’s finest drummers, Sami Kuoppamäki, known for acclaimed Finnish cult band Kingston Wall, and for performing in metal giants Apocalyptica and Stratovarius. Prolific multi-instrumentalist Markus Pajakkala who performed in the band on their ‘Acoustic Enough’ tour in 2023 completes the Von Hertzen Brothers line-up.
Von Hertzen Brothers are currently working on their 9th studio album.
VON HERTZEN BROTHERS ARE:
Mikko Von Hertzen - Vocals, guitar
Kie Von Hertzen - Guitar, vocals
Jonne Von Hertzen - Bass, keys, vocals
Sami Kuoppamäki - Drums
Markus Pajakkala - Keys, Sax, Flute
