Photo Credit: Abbas Salehi, Harrison Miya

Suvi is a Stockholm-based artist with roots in both Finland and Sweden. Her path into songwriting began through a mix of schoolwork, early writing, and encouragement from a fellow musician. After a five-year break, she returns with “Undress My Heart,” a track that marks a shift toward a more stripped-down sound. In this interview, Suvi talks about her creative process, activism, and how motherhood and community have shaped her recent work and future direction.

Where are you based?
Stockholm, Sweden, Earth.

What inspired you to get into songwriting?
Long story short — Homework, Kate Bush, and an ex lover. Longer version: Studying singing we had a music theory class homework assignment where we were asked to write a short melody and harmonies. I got so immersed I didn’t finish the assignment and started ditching classes so I could sit and write. I had always written poems and short stories, but it never occurred to me that a mortal woman could write music. Surely that was only for Mozart and other dead guys. I presented some of my ideas to a singer songwriter guy I was seeing at the time and he became thrilled and said: “I’m really impressed with the harmonies. So that’s why we met — you’re going to become a songwriter” which I found very unromantic and uninspiring at the time, but later came to appreciate a lot. He was the first person to fully support my musical ideas. I then started exploring other female composers — Kate Bush to begin with. And I kept writing.

Your latest single “Undress My Heart” marks a return after a five-year hiatus. What inspired you to revisit this track, and how has your creative process evolved during this time?
Becoming a mother changed something. I felt less eager to please and compare. Less anxious. I don’t think my creative process has changed drastically but how I relate to it has. I’m more at ease and less rushed. I trust more.

The song’s lyrics delve into themes of emotional vulnerability and intimacy. Can you share more about the personal experiences or reflections that influenced these themes?
Sorry, I can’t fully explain where it all comes from. The lyrics are not planned or intentional or inspired by any specific event. My grandma was always super spooked about my writing. There is something mysterious and uneasy about not knowing where the source is. I find this one of the aspects of writing that make it interesting and worth exploring further.

Your 2019 album Mad At Heart showcased a blend of indie-pop and electronic elements. How did your sound evolve between that album and your recent work?
I’ve been on my way to something more stripped down. Undress My Heart feels like this bridge that will carry me over and enable the new. I needed to close a chapter. But it definitely has elements that I will take with me. Something haunting and submerged — unresolved and easy at the same time.

In a previous interview you mentioned that “Avion” felt like a dream from another life. How do you approach blending personal experiences with abstract or surreal elements in your music?
I don’t plan these things. I just let it all out. The session has its own life and really it’s not only me but everyone in the room that affects it to result. I can reflect on it afterwards, of course ,and usually it feels a bit dreamy in one way or another. It is the closest to magic one can get maybe.

Your music often explores deep emotional themes. How do you balance conveying vulnerability with maintaining a strong stage presence during live performances?
This is probably why I haven’t been performing live anymore. I want to honor the piece that was created. I often feel I don’t have the right resources and can’t make that music speak and expand by creating a live production. So, I don’t. I’ve been leaning more towards creating small films to support the music. Basically music videos or shorts based on and with the music.

Having roots in both Finland and Sweden, how do these cultural backgrounds influence your music and artistic identity? Do you identify more with one culture over the other, or do you see yourself as a blend of both?
I feel a deep connection to the folk traditions of both countries. I think it has affected my way of approaching melody and stories. It’s been a long journey. State lines are poor at defining the outline of one’s identity and heritage. But I think I feel Nordic in a way.

Your name “Suvi” translates to “summer” in Finnish. Do you feel this seasonal association reflects aspects of your personality or musical style?
Yes. I think so. Finnish summer and forest are in my dreams and I keep going back.

Given your diverse influences and experiences, how do you envision your music evolving in the coming years? Are there particular genres or themes you’re interested in exploring further?
I’m think I’m on my way to something more stripped down and suggestive. With more voice and acoustic elements. Experiencing further with form and focus on a melody. Some call and response, simple, but really I don’t know where it’s gonna take me.

You’ve been actively supporting organizations such as the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Greenpeace. Could you share what motivates you to support these causes?
What can I say. I wish for everyone to get help and support when they’re ill or face war and catastrophic events. Fuck multinational big corporations and nations and borders. We need to take better care of our planet.

In your experience, how do these organizations align with your personal values and artistic vision?
I believe in reworking our everyday lives. Unlearning colonialist truths and relearning how to build community — less internet, more interaction. It’s also a good start to try and not participate in doing harm. This might sound simple, but in our day it’s not. We are all tied together. Every thought and action matters. I think as long as we suffer immensely we can’t focus on being caretakers of our home planet. But we need to attend to both at the same time preferably. If I wasn’t a single mom I would volunteer more. I write in a dreamlike state, but I hope it carries depth in relation to making good things grow. It may be hard to grasp.

You’ve previously been involved in the group “Ingen människa är illegal” (No person is illegal) in Sweden, protesting deportations. Can you tell us more about your role and the impact of these protests?
I did participate in one or two attempts to stops deportations. I felt passionate about the cause. But the local group hung with at the time seemed somehow closed and homogeneous. I didn’t feel welcome so unfortunately I stopped trying to fit in.

In 2010, you helped organize the “Together Against Racism” event outside of the Swedish government offices, which attracted 10,000 attendees. What inspired you to take such a significant step, and what outcomes did you witness from that event?
The main learning was that you need to have someone working PR for these things. The press mostly focused on a few people who threw rocks at the police instead of the lineup of human rights speakers and artists who supported the cause. What inspired me was a shock over that we keep making the same mistakes. Now the political landscape in Europe and the world is even darker. We are seeing a system crash or change. Let’s focus on the change bit. Build community. Small things matter.

You’ve mentioned walking in the Stockholm Pride parade many times, considering it both a privilege and a political act. How do you balance personal identity and activism in such spaces?
We saw what happened in Budapest. Unfortunately we can’t take basic human rights for granted. We need to show support and actively attend to everything we care about daily. Not as a separate event or parade only, but show colour daily at work and in all our social interactions, for ourselves and those who can’t.

You describe your activism as a 50/50 commitment to both planetary and human causes. Could you elaborate on how you integrate these two focuses in your work and life?
Well my writing I believe concerns a human need to relate to their place in the universe — torn between feeling a true sense of belonging to all living things and estranged by the narrow and egotistical structures of the mind. I feel this is what we need to work on — and myself. Lately I’ve been starting to plan projects and shift my focus to even more local issues, smaller things. Maybe I can’t walk in a demonstration with a baby, but I can make the signs. I don’t want to talk so much of what I’m doing. I like to do good things, and find community around causes I care for.

Looking forward, what are some of the key causes or movements you hope to support or become more involved with in the future?
Biodiversity, I hope to start a seed library and gardening class group and have a collaboration with the city to enable more small scale gardening and farming. People need to stop moving public space lawns and plant pollinator friendly flora. A good friend recently had a poster making workshop for Gaza prior to protest which I could not attend, but I am looking forward to the next one. My kid goes to a “ur & skur” nature focus kindergarten that’s a co-operative parent teacher led association, looking forward to learning more, and to explore how to be active with my child. Embracing the re-learning and letting go — seeing the world from a toddler perspective.

It has been a crazy past few years, and we suspect at least four more. How have you been staying positive?
Making friends. Getting angry. Writing and finding community. Practicing kindness.

What is your motto in life?
Haven’t thought of it, but let’s see if I can find one now…”Love, rest, grow - earth my witness.”

To learn more about Suvi, please check out the links below.. but…
Get off the internet and call a friend!

Undress My Heart: Suvi on Music, Motherhood, and Meaning