A Handstamp Interview with Joalin

Hi. Handstamp is a weekly music newsletter created by me, Josh Coyne. In each edition, I talk to a creative person about live performances that have meant something to them. Previous guests include Anna B Savage, Big Special, Cassandra Jenkins, Chastity Belt, Chet Faker, Christian Lee Hutson, Courtney Marie Andrews, Craig Finn, Gold Panda, Holy Fuck, Idlewild, Jasmine.4.t, Jason Stewart, Madi Diaz, Mat Baynton, NoSo, Public Service Broadcasting, Richard Dawson, Rio Kosta, Searows, The Twilight Sad, Uwade and We Are Scientists.

I’m usually pretty sceptical about big-name legacy acts coming together for a huge reunion show, especially when their last performance in the UK was over 26 years ago. However, the sun and moon really put on the show of the year last week.

In a stroke of good fortune, I’ve witnessed two eclipses in the same amount of years. In 2024, I happened to be on Central Park when thousands of New Yorkers, of all ages and personality types gathered with cheap protective glasses, bonded by the collective awe of natural phenomenon. I even captured a load of footage, which was repurposed to promote a song I wrote with friends.

On Wednesday, I had a slightly less impressive eclipse day in London. Less eager and perhaps even somehow unbothered due to my semi-recent experience in New York, I managed to mostly avoid the hype. During THE moment, the big closer, I was walking up a hill near my house, inconvenienced by the heightened heat and dodging locals walking the streets blindly like colander wielding zombies.

Joalin: “I was born in Turku in Finland, but I left when I was three and we moved to Spain, where all of my first memories are based. Then when I was 10, I moved to Mexico and around six years ago, I came back here, to Finland. Most of my life has been on the other side of the world, yet somehow here I am, back again.”

Handstamp: The homeland was calling.

Joalin: “[laughs] exactly!”

Handstamp: Where in Spain would those first memories have been made?

Joalin: “A small beach town, which is a reoccurring theme, I’m just realising.”

“I’m now understanding some of the parts of me that didn’t match the Mexican kids at school and realising that I wasn’t antisocial, I was just Finnish. It’s in my blood to be serious and melancholic. It’s all making sense to me now.”

Handstamp: Do you remember what your first experience of seeing someone perform was?

Joalin: “I remember performing myself, way before seeing anyone else perform. I was put into dance classes from about three years old, when we moved to Spain. So, my first memories of the stage were when I was on the stage. Most of my experience looking at performers and being inspired was related to dance, until I turned 19.”

Handstamp: So, you were dancing as soon as you could move, basically…

Joalin: “[laughs] yes.”

Handstamp: You had about a week of walking, then you were popping and locking.

Joalin: “My mum loves to tell a story, about going to an African dance class, where there were loud drums playing and she was watching. She says that I was in her belly at the time and I was moving along to the drums, so I think I was born dancing.”

Handstamp: So good. Who was the first person you remember seeing live that you were aspired by?

Joalin: “For some many years, it was only dancers. I remember in Spain, they’d be a thing called Sevillanas, where the street would be filled with food, you would see horses and you’d see these women wearing polka dot dresses, dancing flamenco. I love flamenco, it’s such a passionate and fiery style of music. I had my own little flamenco dresses and heels, I remember stepping all over the ground in them.”

Handstamp: So, everybody could hear you from streets away?

Joalin: “Yep! I’ve always been drawn to passionate and brave styles of music.”

Handstamp: Well, I bet that translated well to your move to Mexico, which is another proud, traditional and fiery place that celebrates art in a way that is different to a lot of other countries, right?

Joalin: “Yes and when I moved to Mexico, I continued dancing and my mum got married to a b-boy, so my stepdad is a breakdancer and later became my teacher. So, in Mexico, I really got into a hip hop scene and was seeing a lot rap battles. Being surrounded by that culture, I fell in love with how raw and brave it was. I loved it.”

Handstamp: Rap battles are about as close to sport as you can get in music. How would you compare the music culture in Mexico with Finland’s? I can only imagine it’s a stark comparison.

Joalin: “After six years, I’m just now understanding quite how big the difference is. Even though I was born here and my mother is Finnish, I don’t think I fully understood it. I think I’m now starting to understand the deeper levels of the culture, what the music scene is like and what the people respond to. I’m now understanding some of the parts of me that didn’t match the Mexican kids at school and realising that I wasn’t antisocial, I was just Finnish. It’s in my blood to be serious and melancholic. It’s all making sense to me now.”

Handstamp: Do you feel that some of those feelings of not fitting in fostered your passion for self-expression?

Joalin: “For sure. The passion for expression came at a very early age and I always had it, but I realised when I was older how much of a safe space it was for me. I’ve moved around so much, changed schools, changed countries, changed cities and been forced to rebuild my community so many times. Having this arts side allowed me to always have a family around me, of people who were like-minded, liked the same music, liked the same clothes and that kind of thing. The chance to fully be myself through performance means so much to me.”

Handstamp: It’s like a superhero’s double life.

Joalin: “[laughs] that’s a nice way to put it.”

“Once you realise how much people admire those who are authentic, you realise how important it is to be yourself. It’s part of the human experience to want to fit in, but I think we have to slowly get more comfortable with being ourselves.”

Handstamp: You mentioned clothes; when did it become clear to you that your outward visual presentation would be something you would prioritise?

Joalin: “Not long ago. When I was in Mexico, I was in a small beach town, where everybody wore flip-flops and shorts. Then when I came to Finland, I started making music and spending time in Helsinki, near this fashion scene. So, I’d say for the last four years, I’ve been paying attention to what makes me feel good when I wear it. I remember having my first singing performance and I wore a dress with heels, as I thought that was what women ‘should’ wear on stage. Nowadays, I’ll come out in baggy clothes, dressed in a sort of Chicano hip-hop style and it’s closer to me than that dress. It’s taken me a while to put the pieces together, but I feel good about it now.”

Handstamp: I think it’s a sign of personal growth to realise it’s better to fit OUT than fit in, especially when doing something creatively.

Joalin: “Once you realise how much people admire those who are authentic, you realise how important it is to be yourself. It’s part of the human experience to want to fit in, but I think we have to slowly get more comfortable with being ourselves. It takes time to really understand what it means to be yourself and no longer try to be like those idols that we have.”

Handstamp: Speaking of idols, what is a dance performance that you’ve seen that has really moved you?

Joalin: “The kind of dancing that I’ve always loved is the type you see at battles, where people freestyle. It grew so much that me and my family had an event we organised in Mexico, which involved pretty high-level breaking battles. I think those are my favourite memories of watching people perform. I saw people visit my hometown in Mexico from Europe, from Asia, from everywhere. You see so many athletes dancing, then when you get to the finals, it’s night time, it’s humid and everybody’s a bit tired and sweating on each other but enjoying the show, the crowd’s going crazy. It is a whole package of feelings that were so good to me, but it’s hard to explain how it feels.”

Handstamp: Sounds incredible.

Joalin: “It’s funny really. I don’t like preparing for interviews and I think maybe that’s connected to my love of going with the flow and free-styling, which came from those experiences.”

Handstamp: Being totally honest, depending on who I’m talking to, I will sometimes give myself a back-up, bullet point list of questions, just in case the conversation dries up, but due to your free-styling approach, that has not happened today.

Joalin: “[laughs] I’m so glad!”

Handstamp: What about music? Has any specific music performance impacted you in a similar fashion?

Joalin: “I have been to a maximum of maybe 10 concerts, so I don’t have that many to choose from. I did go to Coachella two or three years ago and saw Peso Pluma live. It was amazing to watch him perform live. It was Mexican music, with a whole band. It felt so passionate, raw and exciting. I’ve also seen RAYE live and she’s an incredible singer, but I connect more with singing that’s less perfect, if you know what I mean. Sometimes it can feel like that artist isn’t even there.”

Handstamp: The new EP is out, how are you feeling about performing these songs in a live room?

Joalin: “I’m always excited to do it. I take a lot of time between projects and this one came together the fastest of anything I’ve done before. So, I still feel really in the moment, still living in that world, which is important.”

Handstamp: Well, I hope the people who come to see you create a raw, exciting environment and are ok with sweating on each other.

Joalin: “[laughs] I hope so.”

The latest Joalin release Perspectiva was released in July 2026 via LDN Records. Subscribe to Handstamp Substack for future interviews. Follow @itshandstamp on social media and just bloody listen to Chief Springs on your chosen platform, will you? Illustrations by Alice Bowsher.