The album was recorded over the course of a few months, starting after Christmas 2017. The drums were recorded at a summer cottage in Sipoo, while the rest of the instruments were recorded in Johannes Granroth’s bedroom studio in Helsinki. The name “Layers” comes from the word “players” in the same way that “Peela” comes from the swedish word “spela” which means “play”. The name also reflects that the album wasn’t recorded with all musicians playing at once, but instead recorded one instrument at a time, “layering” the audio tracks in the process. The tunes chosen were the ones from our repertoire that had the least room for improvisation. As you’ll find, there is still some improvisation going on, which was actually quite challenging in a studio setting where the musicians really had to think through how to improvise, if that makes any sense.There was still one rule we had while recording - solos had to be recorded within one full take.

Layers

Fatet

Almost Too Late

Miles Apart

Kuri

Sleepless

The Cold/No But

For Every Blessing There's A Curse

"Stepping Stones" is a fresh collection of carefully picked tunes that take you on a journey between many different landscapes, ranging from energetic, funky and aggressive to relaxing and acoustic vibes, maintaining a balance between instrumental and vocal parts. The workflow of a high-end studio allowed the band to capture more of the interplay and live feel together, compared to their previous release.

The name symbolizes the band's path forward in life as musicians and humans, being one stepping stone towards their future.

Bass - Antti Ahoniemi
Drums - Johan Dahlbo
Guitar - Johannes Granroth
Vocals & Keys - Maja Mannila
Saxophone & Flute - Sami Leponiemi
Percussion, Vibraphone & Keys - Mikko Antila

Recorded by Tomas Niemistö at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, July 2019
Composition, lyrics, mixing & mastering - Johannes Granroth

Thanks to Svenska Kulturfonden for financial support.

Stepping Stones

Labyrinth

Ease Piece

Level Up!

The Path

Melt Away

The rising, fusion-influenced jam band “Peela” is releasing their EP “Stepping Stones” on Sept 10th, 2020.

Peela consists of some of the finest upcoming jazz musicians in Helsinki, centering around the compositions of guitarist Johannes Granroth. They draw influences from jazz, funk rock and neo soul to a blend where improvisation, powerful melodies, lush harmony and groovy rhythms play a central role. Their music is mostly instrumental, though at times enhanced by Maja Mannila’s virtuosic singing.

”Peela has great chemistry – as it only consists of strong personalities, that still don't overshadow each other. Together these talents are even more”, Pentti Ronkanen praises the group on the site Suomijazz.com

The band was founded in 2016 and along with actively gigging for nearly four years, Peela has released their debut album "Layers" in 2018. They have managed to catch the attention of acclaimed musicians such as pianist Iiro Rantala, giving them a push in the right direction. Their eagerly awaited second release is now coming out as well.

"Stepping Stones" is a fresh collection of carefully picked tunes that take you on a journey between many different landscapes, ranging from energetic, funky and aggressive to relaxing and acoustic vibes, maintaining a balance between instrumental and vocal parts. The workflow of a high-end studio allowed the band to capture more of the interplay and live feel together, compared to their debut album.

The group consists of Johannes Granroth (guitar, vocals, compositions), Severi Sorjonen (drums), Maja Mannila (keyboards, vocals), Sami Leponiemi (saxophone), Antti Ahoniemi (bass) and Mikko Antila (percussion). They want to bring people together to share the joy of playing and experiencing great music.

Peela

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