Heikki

Stockholm's folk-tinged indie pop combo Heikki features the core duo of guitarist Jari Haapalainen and vocalist Maria Eriksson along with a revolving cast of supporting musicians. Haapalainen, who also plays with the Bear Quartet and has produced albums by Nicolai Dunger, Ed Harcourt, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, and the Concretes, among others, and Eriksson, who also plays guitar with the Concretes, met and began working together in 1999 as Heikki (taking the name of Haapalainen's Finnish grandfather). Three years later, they released Heikki, their debut mini-album, which introduced the band's unique mix of '60s girl group pop, folk, and country-pop. In 2004, their first full-length, Heikki 2, arrived; early in 2005, it was distributed in the U.S. by Magic Marker. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi