Earlier this year Kosto released their debut EP, “Kiitos.” The band is releasing even more powerful material. The newly released single “Miehet ei itke” is the first single from a new EP to be released next year, and the game is opened without fear of the opinions of potential detractors – the topic is important:
Miehet ei itke is an ironic statement on the prevailing perception of masculinity and manhood. Can a man cry? What have we been raised to be like, and is this male model going around in an eternal circle? Are coldness and screaming the only alternatives to feelings?
“The biggest questioners of masculinity are other men. We expect that there is a certain mold that we should fit into – or we are made to fit through violence,” singer and lyricist Jarno Hyökyvaara reflects and continues:
“I myself have been hypersensitive and prone to anxiety and depression since childhood. I suffered from anxiety disorder and I have learned to live with it. The only way to accept myself as I am is to admit that my strengths are sensitivity, empathy and striving for honesty in terms of emotions.”
Kosto, who hails from Valkeakoski, Helsinki, Järvenpää and Jyväskylä, wants to spark a discussion about young men’s coping and well-being and upbringing with their new single. The band will be collaborating with the Väestöliitto Poikien Puhelimi during the autumn. For example, on Men’s Day 19.11. Kosto will visit Poikien Puhelimi’s TikTok live to discuss the topic.
“I became a father to a son in 2019. After this, I have had to think about my own home upbringing and the environment in which I grew up as a man. What kind of educator do I want to be? Do I strive to do my part to ensure that the world is more open to the emotional upbringing of men as well. It is our job as men to highlight shortcomings, for example, the marginalization of boys, and to show by our own example that yes: men are allowed to cry!”, Jarno says.
“As a student of East Helsinki and a music therapist, I feel that music can be a saving resource for dealing with emotions and experiences for young people who do not necessarily have the tools to verbalize them. That is why we also want to do concrete work for young people, for example now with Poikien Puhelimi,” guitarist Sami Selei explains the background to the collaboration.
Kosto encourages everyone to support Poikien Puhelimi’s activities and make a donation. You can donate the desired amount using MobilePay to 19600 (fundraising permit: RA/2020/1558). Poikien Puhelin is a telephone and chat service intended for all boys and young men under the age of 20. The free phone number is available to callers on weekdays from 13:00 to 18:00 and from 13:00 to 16:00 on 0800 94884. The chat is open from 13:00 to 16:00. You can talk anonymously with an adult male person at Poikien Puhelin or an employee of the Finnish Population Association. All conversations are confidential.
Kosto is:
Jarno Hyökyvaara (vocals)
Sami Selei (guitar)
Ville Marttila (guitar)
Visu Uimonen (bass)
Tino Jäntti (drums)