Firstly, I must admit that I have not always had a good relationship with my own age. As a certain milestone approached, I found myself falling into a bit of a pit of despair. I felt that I should have achieved more, been further along in my career, had more to show for the years that I had been on this earth, most of it playing music. But as the miles kept rolling, I made my peace with it all, and began counting my blessings rather than my shortcomings. Like with so many things in life, it is what you make of it, and I decided to it was time to make the most of it.
For the years come with experience, which bring confidence; knowledge, which helps me stay patient; and a thick skin like armour which allows me to keep my cool. Most of the time. And also resilience, which I think is so important when carving out a career in an industry that often seems fast and fluctuating. You’re either pulled along at a dizzying speed, or you’re watching it all flood by you. There is definitely a large sector that prefers the young and naturally talented, and overlooks hard and slowly earned skill. It is so easy to lose heart. But for me, one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that only you can determine what success looks like for you.
I am fortunate in that I have been mainly able to use my age as an advantage. Sure there’s opportunities that I’m missing, but I don’t think I would have been able to stay my course and create music that makes my heart sing twenty years ago. I would have been worried about the opinions of others, whereas now I don’t mind so much. I am more able to stop pining behind the doors that won’t open, and move onto the next one. I also feel that I’m treated with a bit more respect, than I did before. This, I’m sure, is also thanks to the overall shift in the industry to recognising women as knowledgable professionals, which is so very welcome.
Creatively I am loving where I am now. This is where I truly think that age is just a number. To create music you need to play all the roles: the playful, daring child, the cool, calculative adult, and the wise crone that knows when to let something go. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
Outi Karhu is a Finnish singer and pianist. Though a musical nomad, her music is firmly rooted in the Nordic tradition. She navigates between style and genre with jazz-flavoured folk songs, where stories of feminism, sisterhood and freedom intermingle with fables and fairytales.
Outi’s debut album ‘Let The Light In’ was released in November 2025. Woven into a nostalgic story book, it plays like lullabies for adults, with delicate and thoughtful melodic turns, lyrical piano lines, daring rhythmic experiments, and harmonies which either cradle the listener or stir them aware. The album appeared as the ‘Album of the week’ on Celtic Music Radio. It is available on streaming platforms, CD and vinyl, and has garnered plays on BBC Radio Scotland and Amazing Radio UK & USA.
Outi has shared her songs with audiences around Scotland, as well as further afield, from intimate Sofar Sounds gigs to slots at Eden and Kelburn Festivals and Celtic Connections.
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