From Kuopio to Crete — My Story Behind HEVANDER

Hey, I’m Jussi Hevander, a Finnish vocalist and songwriter, and these days I make music under the name HEVANDER. I’ve spent most of my life around music — listening, singing, writing, fronting a few bands, and trying to make something by my own too. 

I spent most of my adult life up in Kuopio, Finland, and over the years I’ve sung in several local bands like The Evolution, Refrain, and Everia. A few years ago, I moved to Crete, Greece, and life took a different turn. For a while, the band stuff and music making in general faded into the background — until I found myself missing that creative spark.

Now I write, record, and mix everything myself in a small home studio, my so-called “mancave“. It’s not so fancy, but it’s mine and it has got everything I need for my experiments and productions. Every sound, every idea, every mix comes from there. There’s freedom in doing it all yourself — and sometimes, a few guest musicians might drop in remotely to add their own touch.

And yeah, Hevander really is my surname — just to say coz in Finnish slang it also happens to mean “heavy metal music” in general. 

From the cold North to the Cretan sun, this is me — still making noise, still chasing good songs.