KALEVALA THE MUSICAL Composer Johanna Telander Drops 'Sandcastles' Single

Kalevala the Musical’s Concept Album composer Johanna Telander has released her new single “Sandcastles” which brings us a soft, bittersweet pink sunset of a score, with thoughtful lyrics and soulful vocals, supported by lush piano and acoustic lever harp accompanied by understated electronic soundscapes.

New York-based Finnish-American singer-songwriter Johanna Telander, known for having penned the songs for Kalevala the Musical’s  Concept Album, which has been listened to in over 80 countries and was considered for a Grammy® nomination, has released a single "Sandcastles" available in all music platforms.

Since her record deal with Universal Music in Finland in 2003, Johanna’s versatile music style has been shaped by two decades of diverse musical projects. Influenced by pop, jazz, folk, and musical theater, her signature sound layers complex chord changes over memorably catchy hooks, and she often leads her listeners on a journey through imaginative alternative keys with an effortless ease.

Her upcoming single, “Sandcastles,” however, is one of her harmonically simpler songs, a deeply personal pop attestation to the passing of time, a “coming to terms” with inevitable endings, the finiteness of our human experience, and the bittersweet last days of summer. 

The song is beautifully produced and mixed by Jay Alton and features a heart-wrenching violin track by Scott Tran. Inspired by pop lyrics with depth,  such as those written by Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Sinead O’Connor, Johanna speaks her truths in a timeless world reminiscent of the dramatic Roxette ballads of the 90s. 

“Ironically, while this song is about endings, for me, it has marked a distinct beginning and return to my early songwriting roots.” Remarks Johanna. “Sandcastles is my first original singer-songwriter release in over a decade! I am beyond excited to share this kind of a more straightforward, intimate pop song with new audiences.

My professional story over the years has had me stepping into many creative roles, hustling from project to project ranging from musical theater to jazz. But there’s nothing more exhilarating and terrifying than offering up the most intimately honest songs I’ve created and letting them loose in the world!  Those songs we write for ourselves and initially keep under lock and key are so often the hardest to let live outside of you, and that’s exactly why this song has come to resonate so deeply with me.

It has asked me to offer myself up, in honesty, reminding me I need to live in the moment and accept change as it comes.  It has awoken a new desire in me to create, and I’m so grateful for that. Sometimes the best way to heal and move forward is to simply speak the most painful words, and those you most long to hear, out loud.”