Bad Valentines: Finding Company in the November Shadows
Who are Bad Valentines? A Helsinki five-piece with deep roots in the Finnish indie scene. Guitarist Pekko Mantzin, drummer Sirpa Immonen, Kupe Wessman, and Edu have all played in bands you may already know, including Daggerplay, Plastic Tears, and Flush. The singer, HON, is the new kid. She had sung all her life but never played in a band until she answered the group's call for a vocalist last summer, and the fit was instant.
What do they sound like? Start with 70s arena rock swagger, add the raw energy of punk and the melodic instincts of 60s guitar pop, then let five people with very different record collections argue about it. The band's own description is rock and roll, glam rock, and 60s pop underlined with a big fat punk rock attitude, and that checks out.
What is "November Shadows" about? It is the first single from Bad Valentines' forthcoming debut album, eleven tracks recorded in sessions that began in spring 2026 and due in 2027. Written by Mantzin, the song started life as a blues number before turning into something faster, a hard-driving blend of Motown and rock and roll. The lyrics find comfort in the darkness, treating the November shadows as companions rather than something to escape. It is a song about loneliness that refuses to feel lonely.
What came before? The debut single "Mariia" arrived in 2024, an anti-war statement inspired by a Ukrainian friend's post. The Memory Tattoos EP followed in June 2025, recorded with producer Petri Majuri, whose credits include Franz Ferdinand, Michael Monroe, and Hanoi Rocks.
Listen
Start here
- "November Shadows," the new single and the clearest statement of where the debut album is headed.
- "Last Days In The Sun," the opener of the Memory Tattoos EP.
- "Mariia," the debut single, for the band's conscience and their punch.
Pixanami Indie Music Blog will be watching for that debut album in 2027. For now, "November Shadows" is the perfect soundtrack for the dark half of the year.
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