Finland’s rising alt-metal force talk about finding confidence, evolving their sound, and why their pirate attitude keeps them pushing forward.

Words by Cheryl Mann | Oct 24, 2025

---

Block of Flats are a blend of melodic pop choruses and modern metal riffs. The band has signed with Ranka Kustannus and Backbone Management, placing them among Finland’s top alternative acts like The Rasmus, VV, Blind Channel and Swallow The Sun. The band has a buzz around them that is growing worldwide, making them one of the most exciting new bands out now. I caught up with singer Jonne Nikkila to chat about the music, their upcoming tour and what he thinks it takes nowadays to make it in the music industry. 

“I think when we signed our first record deal in 2018, we always thought we were not good enough yet. We were always thinking we had to be better. But you really should just trust yourself and don’t be so hard on yourself. Either way you are going to get there if you really want it.” – Jonne Nikkila 

You guys have been going now for over ten years and it looks like things are now starting to pay off, was there ever a time when you felt like giving up, especially in the early years when many bands do? 

Jonne – “For me, it has always been, we have to do this, it doesn’t matter what we need to do because we want to get there. We want to get to what we want and that is being the biggest band in the world. Of course in the journey there has to be ups and downs, but to be honest, I have never even thought about quitting. After so many years it feels like it would be so stupid to stop right now.” 

Do you remember the first time you ever performed on stage, that made you realise that this is what you want to do? 

Jonne – “Maybe it was in 4th grade when I went to elementary school for a singing contest. My place has always felt like it is meant to be on the stage, so it felt pretty normal, and I actually won the contest. So after that I felt like, maybe I can sing, as before the contest I had never sang before.” 

Cheryl – “So you basically discovered you could sing on a stage? That is so cool!” Jonne – “Well before I really started getting into music and focused on that, I was trying to be a professional skateboarder. I remember my dad taking me to the skateboard park and asking me what I wanted to do in life. I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. I said I wanted to be a professional skateboarder, and he was like, ok, what about music? Do you want to try music? I was like no, all I care about is skateboarding, and look where we are right now. I don’t skate anymore because I don’t want to break my hands!!” 

Cheryl – “I was literally about to say that! What about hurting yourself! I am glad you are not doing that now, and just focusing on the music!”

So I first found the band on Tiktok, I was scrolling looking for new bands, I heard your song Lifeline and it literally stopped my scroll! I loved it, it has a nostalgia for the early 2000s and stood out from the crowd. Did you face many challenges when creating this song 

Jonne – “So I wrote this song with Rami Nykanen who is a Finnish producer and mixing engineer, so it was the first song that we wrote together, basically when we started we had an idea to make it unique something we hadn’t done before, and we had never written songs together, so it was a good test. It came out pretty easy, the sound was much heavier than the first album, I had to really think then was this the sound that we wanted for the new album, but when I played it to the management and label, they all liked it. It came out pretty easily I think.” 

The sound of the band has evolved since you first started, from a Disco Ensemble pop punk influence to now the heavier development. Was this intentional to go heavier? 

Jonne – “I have always listened to metalcore and things like that, even deathcore, but I have never been such a good screamer, that has been my weak point. I always thought that because I could not scream so well, that I had to do not so heavy stuff. But then I realised I could do it without the screams, although now I can actually scream better than I could. Band influences are Architects, Bad Omens, Bring me the Horizon.” 

New bands feel they have to be evolved already and need to be perfect and ready to go, do you have any advice for them? 

Jonne – “I think when we signed our first record deal in 2018, we always thought we were not good enough yet. We were always thinking we had to be better. But you really should just trust yourself and don’t be so hard on yourself. Either way you are going to get there if you really want it.” 

I need to address the elephant in the room! How did you guys come up with such a unique band name!! Block of Flats? How did that come about? 

Jonne – “When we started, one of our friends was having a farewell party in Porvoo, which is our home town in Finland. The party was in a Block of Flats and it was our first gig. We played covers and a few of our own songs, and then he asked if we wanted to play again the next day, so we needed a name for the band. Our bass player at that time just opened Google Translate and typed in what Block of Flats which we had in Finnish as Kerrostalo was in English. We saw it translated as ‘Block of Flats’ and we then decided that we would use it for now and figure something else later on and never did!” 

You guys are touring with The Rasmus in Europe and the UK in December this year, what can people expect from a Block of Flats live show? 

Jonne – “We haven’t even started to rehearse yet! I think it is going to be the perfect Finnish way to play some heavy metal shit! We just want Europe and the UK to see that this is what you get with us.” 

For the song Lake Of Fears, which is an insane tune, can you tell new fans what the story is behind it? Also, the video for it is really cool. Can you share some money saving tips for new bands starting out on making a music video?

Jonne – “For Lake of Fears, I was at home watching a Bad Omens gig, and I can’t remember the song, but there was a melody in my head, that just came and it was the inspiration, but the melody was very familiar. I had to call my friend and I played the chorus for him and asked him, what is this song! What is this melody? He said it’s Linkin Park’s song Crawling. So then I was like, oh shit it sounds the same, so I had to change the melodies and then went straight to our studio and wrote the song in one day and sent it to the guys. It came out pretty easy in the end. Sometimes it just happens that way, but it hasn’t happened after that yet. 

For the video, we did our first videos back in the day with our friend. We didn’t do them for free, but it was so much cheaper than videos today. If you have a friend who can do it, use them for it! Don’t be afraid to ask too, if they say no it’s fine.” 

Do the lyrics come to you in English or in Finnish? And then I also know that with the Finnish language, it is more restrictive with certain words, like the word love, for example, in English, we use it so loosely, whereas in Finnish, you don’t. Is it easier to write in English? 

Jonne – “It is so different to write the lyrics in English or Finnish, it is a whole different game. I have never learned to write songs in Finnish, because I have always listened to English speaking bands. Finnish music was just not my thing.” 

Your vocals are great, I love how you can vary them by sliding up and down and the odd screamy!! Do you have tips for kids starting out to test their vocals without pushing too far? 

Jonne – “The first 3 things that come to my mind are practice, practice, practice! It is not a good thing to hurt your vocal chords but maybe that is also the key to success because you have to know how it feels when it hurts because then you know if you are doing it wrong. I had to find a way that I could scream, and at first it hurt, I lost my voice, but it taught me this was the wrong technique for this, so I had to find a way that it doesn’t hurt and it won’t make me lose my voice. Also find a good vocal coach, I know it is also expensive, you can do as much as you can on your own, but you should still look into a vocal coach at some point too.” 

Just on vocals, for recording, as opposed to performing live, are there different techniques? Because you guys are quite an energetic band. So I would say stamina, breathing, things like that are important for vocal prep, what would you advise on this? Jonne – “When I know I have to go to the studio, I would start opening my voice about 2 days before as I need my voice to be in good shape because I do not want to risk it cracking or losing my voice. It sucks when you are in the studio and you have to tell the producer you have lost your voice. But sometimes it happens, no matter how much you prepare. I have the same type of ritual for performing live. I just try to use my voice as much as possible before the show. I want to give the audience what they came for.” 

Fun question time, the late great Ozzy Osbourne once said that before he goes to the recording studio, he must sacrifice a first born, do you have any studio rituals yet? Jonne – (Laughs) “When I go to the studio, I try to dress up as good as I can so I can feel good. I usually wear a cap because I do not want my hair to be all out, I have no idea why, so basically, the answer is yes, I do have a ritual.”

What do you hate most about studio time? 

Jonne – “Maybe waiting (laughs, then pauses) probably editing, which is so boring. But it is necessary, I mean the producer can do it, but if you don’t have one, then you need to do it.” 

I love the song Dead Inside, can you tell me did you face any challenges with it on its creative journey? 

Jonne – “Dead Inside at the start was so different, it was like another song, the chorus was different, the only thing that we took from the original was the melody. We wrote the thing all over again!” 

Fun question time, if you could take Block of Flats to any decade to perform, when would you go? 

Jonne – “I think maybe the early 20’s, I mean 2000’s not 1920s!! But if I could choose to go back without the band, I would choose the 70s. I am a huge fan of Kiss and Deep Purple, that would be awesome to see those guys in their prime.” 

Is there any other advice you would offer to new bands starting out right now that you wish you had known at the start of your journey? 

Jonne – “If you love making music, keep at it, it is a hard business. I was watching The Lords of Dogtown movie, I don’t know if you know that one?” 

Cheryl – “Hmmmm not sure I do.” 

Jonne – “It’s about how skateboarding was created, Heath Ledger is in it?” Cheryl – “Ah yes, I do know it!” 

Jonne – “There is a part where the guys are all skating and some of them leave because they have to go to work (I am not saying, don’t go to work) but Health Ledger says they are not a pirate, meaning that you have to have a bit of a pirate attitude to be in that life and not follow the standard working life. So this stuck in my mind that you have to kind of be a pirate to be in this industry and push yourself forward. Because it is so hard. In a year there are 365 days, it is basically 360 days hitting your head against the wall and the other 5 are pretty good! That is what our record label said to us before we signed the deal. You just have to push your music and yourself to become who you want to become.” 

What is next for Block of Flats? I know there is a tour with The Rasmus in Europe and the UK starting in November. Is there another album coming soon? 

Jonne – “Yeah I actually don’t know when it is going to come out, but we have lots of songs, we have been writing like maniacs. Half of the album is already recorded, and we are currently deciding on the songs that will be in the second half of the album. We have ballads this time because in the first album it was straight forward rock. There was no time to catch our breath, but in this album we decided that we need to have a couple of slower songs. Two have been picked and we are thinking about the last 3 if we decide to do a 10 song album.” 

Cheryl – “Ohhhh I love a good ballad so I will be excited to hear them.” Jonne – “They are ‘our kind of kind of ballads’” 

Cheryl – “Ahhh yes, ballads with balls!! That’s what I like!” 

Jonne – “Yes!” 

Both – (laughing like teens because we said the word balls!!”

Finally the song Bleed, my take is that it is about betrayal, but also finding a way to overcome it. Very relatable, what do you hope the band makes your fans feel now and also in 10, 20 or 50 years from now? 

Jonne – “For me the best thing that fans have said to me, when they are in a bad situation and my songs helped them to get through a dark time. So if my music can help someone that is the main thing. I hope that our songs bring some sort of energy to your life in a positive way. You feel like you want to do stuff when you hear our music. It is so humbling to hear someone say the music helped them.” 

Check out Block of Flats on tour in Europe and UK from Nov with The Rasmus kicking off in Hamburg 11/11/2025 

Listen to their new single Darkest Days now on all streaming platforms