Hay & Stone
Genre: Retro-rock, independent
Homeland: Finland
by H.notes Staff Writer - sweetdork@hanson.net

The Finnish are coming! The Finnish are coming! The newest creations hailing from Finland are indi-induced Hay and Stone. Existing for two years the band consists of bassist and lead vocals Eero Heinonen, Petri Kivimaki on guitars, and drummer Hannu Risku. Eero is better known for his role in the already hugely successful Finnish quartet The Rasmus. However he wanted to venture out and pursue other music styles than what he originally was used to with his main band thus forming the triplet inspired band.

Eero began itching to do something other than his childhood project when he took a trip to Australia in 2003. On that trip he realized he wanted to record songs with his voice on them, not backing his longtime friend Lauri Ylonen. Knowing the type of styles his songs were, he concluded that there would never be an opportunity to have them heard if he were to record them with his original band. That's when he called his buddies from back home and Hay and Stone began to take shape.

Differences between The Rasmus and Hay and Stone are that The Rasmus are more "pop" and H&S is more "mellow," focusing mostly on blues and retro-spirited rock. But the bands are similar to the fact that they both endure and appreciate nature and the environment. Both are fun and have catchy hooks, but if you're having a bad day or just want to sit back and chill – pop Hay and Stone's music into your player and you're good to go.

Although the band has yet to officially release material worldwide, Eero says that for now the band is just basing themselves in their native land of Finland. But who knows…if The Rasmus Era ever fades down (which I don't see that happening for a long while to come yet) you might just see Eero and his two friends playing in a city close to you!

Who knows what the future holds for these young lades from Finland. But if one thing is for sure – Hay and Stone is definitely worth checking out!

For more information please visit:
Hay And Stone.com
Hay and Stone Myspace Page