Jyrki 69 & Pekko Käppi: Wirsiä (CD-albumi)

Released on October 2, 2026, Wirsiä is a fascinating collaborative project between The 69 Eyes frontman Jyrki 69 and bowed lyre (jouhikko) artist Pekko Käppi, inspired by Jyrki 69's theology studies and the gospel recordings of rock icons like Elvis and Johnny Cash. The album includes eight well-known traditional Finnish hymns—such as Totuuden henki, Suvivirsi, and Jean Sibelius's Soi kunniaksi luojan—alongside four new hymns composed by the duo themselves, with biblical texts selected directly from the Bible by Bishop Teemu Laajasalo. Recorded at Inkfish Studios, the dark soundscape features vocals, gritty jouhikko, mandolin, pump organ, double bass, cello, and the Malmi parish children's choir, and the duo is also bringing this fusion of timeless church music and rock attitude to a broad ten-city Wirsiä church concert tour across Finland.