Joel had decided that leaving Blind Channel had been the best thing for him. His insomnia issues had got too bad to maintain a band with Niko, it had felt like a golden cage eventually. After a few months of rest in Oulu, he had decided to create a new band, HOKKA. This one would be almost autobiographical, with an alt metal vibe. And he loved it.

He runs a hand through blonde hair. This band was themed, with an almost warrior aesthetic. Joel loved it, it finally felt like musically, he was where he needed to be, and he’d enlisted some big names. Pauli, the old guitarist for The Rasmus being the main one.

Joel’s blue eyes flit over his appearance as he rubs some dark eyeliner into his eyes. 5”11, Finnish, with long blonde hair, he looked all the part of the capable Finnish warrior frontman. He was excited to get all this music out there now, big things were on the horizon for him.

Being a solo frontman was a new commitment, being a solo frontman for his new band, that was even more exciting for him. It was his turn to show the world what he had, and Joel had big ambitions. He might be seen as brooding and sometimes intimidating, but he wanted HOKKA to be big. And that meant some hard work, and feeling more in control of his own destiny.