Värivarjo are guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Joni Vierre and accordionist/pianist Tommie Black-Roff. Their name, which translates as “Colour-Shadow” is named after the large and colourful rainbow sheets commonly used in group kid games. That feeling of wonder and sensory saturation is the goal. They bridge the divide between jazz and folk backgrounds through collaborative composition and improvisation. Värivarjo is a musical laboratory in which they test ideas, games and creative tool – the outcome isn’t always known from the outset, but the journey is what counts.

Their upcoming debut album ‘Courage in Colour’ features 10 tracks recorded live in the cow barn of Kallio-Kuninkala just outside Helsinki, Finland. The material, co-written by Värivarjo, is closely interwoven with personal stories and memories, such as ‘Anker’ inspired by the stories of an old merchant fisherman from the Danish island of Fanø, or ‘Piispanrannan valssi’ dedicated to the remote lakeside summer cottage where the duo assembled much of the material.