Jess By The Lake’s fully analog sophomore album out in September

Jess By The Lake’s highly anticipated second full-length album, HUMAN, will be released on September 11th via Svart Records. Jasmin Lempinen, the former vocalist of Jess And The Ancient Ones, is now focusing on her solo career and has this to say about the upcoming album.

“This album is an analog counterattack and a celebration of live band music. It’s a statement against everything that modern society seems to be churning out from every nook and cranny: disposable, soulless, plastic, mindless output meant to be swallowed without question. The album is a carefully crafted work of art from start to finish and a tribute to both its creators and its listeners. In making it, we’ve strived for the best possible performance and sound quality that we were capable of at the moment of recording. And in that moment, we truly lived and channelled all our energy into it, which we hope will also reach the listeners. It unashamedly pays homage to the past, to the traditions of rock music.”

The band began working on the album in 2019, when the first songs were written, and it was recorded live on magnetic tape in the summer of 2023 at the legendary Höyrybaari in Lapinlahti, Finland. The recording was handled by Tommi Saikkonen and the band’s guitarist Sampo Leksis, who also mixed the album. The old railway company’s log warehouse resonated beautifully, and at times the tape also picked up the rumbling of a train on the tracks right behind where the band was playing. However, making the album took time due to changing life circumstances and new additions to the family. Keeping the album entirely analog has also delayed the process. It required practice, as well as finding the right people to work with.

“I no longer saw digital recording as an option once I had immersed myself deeply in the analog world: my own voice finally sounded familiar and authentic when recorded. Digital sound is always a sample,” Lempinen explains.

As its name suggests, the central theme of HUMAN is people. Most of the songs deal with human destinies and the human condition. The album, which explores timeless themes, is heavier than its predecessor, and its soundscape is exactly what Lempinen hoped for: raw, honest, human, and unapologetic. For the second album, the band leader knew exactly what they wanted and made no compromises, which is evident in the final result. Chosen as the lead single from the album’s diverse offering, the opening track Jaleihou represents the album’s most explosive energy. Listen to the new single HERE 

Lempinen is very pleased with the final result and is eagerly awaiting the album’s release.

“I hope the album conveys the joy of making music, the positive energy, and the trust that exists between us. Marianne (drums) and I are the only original members of the band, and Marianne was actually the first person I asked to join this project back in the day. Oliver plays bass and Sampo plays guitar. The band chemistry is fantastic and seamless—it couldn’t really be any other way with such talented and nice people.”