After a decade in major record deals, Erika Sirola, Finnish-Canadian multi-hyphenate artist and force of nature, is breaking out on her own. She unveils her first independent release, the stunning, eerie electronic pop bop titled 'There Was a Boy', through her own label, The Gate Was Open, on January 26. With this single, Sirola introduces us to a dark, playful, experimental sound and futuristic universe where she truly blossoms.

Sharing her music independently for the first time, 'There Was a Boy' marks an essential leap in creative freedom. The song reflects on the innate Jungian archetypes within us — the masks we wear and the shadows representing hidden aspects of ourselves — and explores the question of whether it's possible to find our true selves.

“I was so young when I landed my first record deal and it sometimes felt like wandering bare-faced through a masquerade, but experience is a seductive teacher. And I’m grateful for the education. Looking back at this project now I see the first attempts of stepping out of the box I'd put myself in. I’ve learned to protect my visions better which I could see were evolving faster than the industry machinery typically moves. Now I want to do what I want and how I want it – and I'm at an exciting point of life to do just that.” – Erika Sirola

‘There Was a Boy’ is demanding, loud and straight to the point. It was written and produced by Sirola and Oscar Scheller in Los Angeles, drawing inspiration from Nat King Cole's original 'Nature Boy' and begins in an unsuspecting yet eerie soundscape. While Cole preached a path of love and unity, 'TWAB' flips the reciprocal love into an anxious space of ‘what if it all goes wrong’. The sudden electronic interruption grabs us by the ears as the chorus kicks in and the false sense of confidence conveyed through the upbeat music is abruptly met with its shadowy counterpart.