NEW LIVE SINGLE "HARD AS STONE" OUT NOW!
As part of her 50th Birthday celebrations, Finland’s “Queen of the Slide Guitar” Erja Lyytinen will release “Hard as Stone” – the second single taken from her upcoming highly anticipated double live album Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026.
Released Wednesday September 9, 2026, “Hard as Stone” is available on all streaming platforms here.
Watch the official video “Hard as Stone” on YouTube
Released by Tuohi Records on Friday October 9th, Erja Lyytinen – 50th Birthday Live 2026 is available to pre-order on CD and vinyl on https://erjalyytinen.com.
As part of her spectacular 50th Birthday celebrations, Erja is set to unleash a deluxe live album package featuring a double CD, double vinyl, and full-length DVD, capturing an unforgettable night at Helsinki, Finland’s prestigious House of Culture — affectionately known as “Kultsa” — on 21st March 2026. Steeped in rock history, the legendary venue hosted some of music’s most iconic names, including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Queen, and Slayer, making it the perfect setting for Erja’s landmark birthday concert.
Erja reflects on why she made “Hard as Stone” a part of the set list on her 50th Birthday album:
“Hard as Stone is the second single from the live album, and I’m thrilled to have it back in the set list,” says Erja. “It has a force and personality all its own and stands apart from the rest of the songs.”
“In 2019, Hard as Stone first appeared on my studio album Another World, and it’s always been a track I’ve loved,” says Erja. “Since then, my guitar playing has evolved so much that I started to feel the original version was a little too sweet. I knew it was time to give it a tougher edge.”
Erja continues, “I changed some of the chords and drove them harder to give the track more punch — to make it truly hard as stone. I recently bought my first Floyd Rose-equipped guitar, a 1989 Kramer Nightswan, and it proved to be the perfect weapon for this song, especially for the Whammy Octave solo section and the heavier refrain.”
On the double live album, Erja’s amazing band backs her through this 90-minute-long concert full of old gems from her colourful career. The release features songs from albums such as Voracious Love, Another World, and the latest studio album Smell the Roses.