Minna Ora Talks Her New Single, Musical Influences And More

The Finnish singer-songwriter Minna Ora has released her single ‘Freeze’ which is the sixth release in her current single series. We chatted to her about the song, her influences and more:

When did you begin songwriting?

I was maybe four or five years old when I would sit at the piano and make up my own songs. I played using one finger, and I sang whatever words came to my mind. My grandma sat next to me and cheered me on. It’s too bad none of those masterpieces got recorded. But my grandma remembered my early shows for a long time. Even when she was dying, thirty years later, she would ask me if I remembered playing the piano when I was little. My actual songwriting started as a teenager, when I would write songs for my first band.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I played my first ever gig with my band Soundi in 1985 when I was a teenager. I was very nervous when we performed on our local youth center’s band night. But the gig was a big success and the local paper wrote a glowing review about it the next day. It said that Minna (Saarinen) Ora, a singer with a golden throat, dazzled the audience in her first live show, and that time would tell whether Minna would end up creating a career out of music.

Your new single ‘Freeze’ is out now. What was the inspiration/story behind the track?

‘Freeze’ is about depression, mental pain, and emotional struggle. I’m drawing from my personal experiences here, as I’ve had postpartum depression, twice, a while back. When I started to work on this single, I knew it was time to take up this topic as an artist. And what a timely topic it is. Lots of people are suffering from depression these days, and many are falling outside of the care of the healthcare system. I want my song to not only serve as a source of support and hope for those suffering, but also to shake decision makers that something more needs to be done to help people with depression.

Did you collaborate with anyone on the writing of the song?

With my solo production songs I’ve written the lyrics first in Finnish for the Finnish version, and then Tuulia Vihanto translates the song into English for the English version.

Was it a difficult song to write?

Not really. Once I started writing it, the words just flowed out.

Where did you record the song and who produced it?

I recorded and produced the song in my home studio “Hippivintti” (“hippie attic”). Drummer Kämy kämäräinen recorded his drum track in his own studio and sent me the files. I added them to my own recording. Then the other musicians who play instruments in this single came to my studio to record their tracks.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?

I’ll tell you about the shooting of the video. The interesting thing about it was that we shot the first part of the video – both language versions – in just one hour! That, to me, was incredible, because the story of the video involved so many characters. So many things could have gone wrong, but everyone just seemed to know exactly how to act, and Juha Särestöniemi did an amazing job directing it all. We also had amazing luck with the weather as I describe below.

The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?

The music video for my previous single, “Storm” was shot and directed by Juha Särestöniemi. I was very happy with his work, so when I finished the demo of “Freeze”, I sent it to Juha and asked if he’d be interested in making another video with me. Within ten minutes of sending him the demo, he called me and gave me an enthusiastic “yes!” He liked the song and he already had an idea for the video if I’d accept it. The story of the video would take place in a bus. Different characters would take turns sitting next to me, but none of them would notice me. People would come and go, but I’d be invisible to all of them. At the start of the video the weather would ideally represent the landscape of depression but at the end of the video I would step out of the bus into a sunny summer day — reflecting the shift in the lyrics — and finally encounter a person who sees me and embraces me. And as it happened, we got the last snow fall of the year on the day that we had agreed to shoot the first part of the video. That was at the end of April. A month later, we chose a day to shoot the last scene. We actually had to chase the sun a little bit that day, but we managed to get the perfect shot for the ending. The sunny day came.

Who created/designed the single artwork?

My artistic photographer and soul sister Martina Vara. She has created the artwork for almost all of my previous single covers as well. Our inner landscapes have vibed perfectly together in these projects. When we work together, we both get to fulfil our artistic vision, and I love it!

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

I don’t use any special equipment. I use a Pro Tools recording software in my home studio in the attic of my house. The acoustics is naturally wonderful because it’s an old log house. I do create a lot of soundscapes using my own voice, background vocals, and other sounds that I create with my voice.

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

I think “Sea” sees me at my happiest. “Freeze” is where I am at my angriest because I want to shake the decision makers about the topic of mental health. People are struggling to get into treatment. As for my most reflective, probably my first solo single “Forest.”

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I hope that the audience has enjoyed my original material and that my songs have touched their souls. I hope that their souls carry a memory of me and that they would start listening to my music after the show too. It is a good way to reach new listeners.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

My 12-string guitar is my go-to instrument that I’ll never give up! It has a naturally great sound, and I don’t use any effects or pedals. That way my sound is authentic and genuine.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I live in Southern Finland in a village called Pertteli, which is part of the greater Salo area. Pertteli is a great place to live. Five words to describe it could be: beautiful, peaceful, friendly, lovely, countryside.

How do you look after your voice?

I don’t really look after my voice in any specific way. I’m self-learned and I have never taken singing lessons or had a vocal coach. If I’ve had a longer break from singing, and I have a live show coming up, then I start singing at home a few days before it. I do this practice loudly and intensively for several days to get my vocal cords used to singing again.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

The Brothers Lionheart, a children’s fantasy novel by the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. It’s a book I read as a child and I also read it to my children when they were little. It’s a very touching story, and I’ve always loved it.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

Kate Bush is one of my big influences, and I’ve been listening to her ever since I was a teenager. It’s amazing how she has the freedom and ability to do anything she wants with her songs without having to consider their radio-worthiness. If a track is seven minutes long… then it is!

She demonstrates, again and again, that you don’t have to take yourself so seriously, and that you can be a successful artist even if you don’t follow every rule.

When I work on my solo songs, I try to free myself from restrictions. I want to allow inspiration to bring me all kinds of soundscapes and interesting solutions. When I’m recording or making the arrangements for a song, I don’t think about how it will sound on the radio. And this method of working was strongly inspired by Kate Bush.

Do you have any UK/European live dates planned for 2024/2025?

At the moment, I only have live dates planned in Finland for 2024/2025, but you never know if something comes up from abroad. The past couple of years I’ve done live shows in France and in Spain.

Do you have any future music releases planned for 2024/2025?

I do plan to start working on my seventh solo single for a 2025 release pretty soon. It will take me one song closer to a full album, and once I have a full album, I plan to have it produced on vinyl.

What makes Minna Ora happy and what makes you unhappy?

Lots of reasons make me happy! My loved ones, friends, nature, and animals. My lovely home where I can fulfill my dreams and live a beautiful life.

What makes me unhappy is when I see others treated badly or in a cruel way. And any kind of misuse of power makes me unhappy.