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The Rasmus / Lineup change leads Eurovision entry bid

The Rasmus will release the single Jezebel on 17 January 2022. Co-written with Desmond Child, the song is their entry into Finland’s annual Eurovision selection contest. This comes with the news that founding guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi has left the band.

“It was awesome to work with Desmond again,” singer Lauri Ylönen says. “He knows how to put a hit song together. Jezebel is about a girl who takes what she wants without asking. A free spirit.”

“Lauri gives me a call,” Desmond said, “and says, ‘Hey, I need to write the biggest, greatest song in the entire world, ever. Will you do it [with me]?’ and I said ‘Yeah, but I am in Folegandros [Greece]’ and he says, ‘I’ll be right there.’

“Jezebel is an homage, a tribute, to the strong women of today, who own their bodies, who are in charge of their sensuality, their sexuality, and who are determined to be an equal.”

Finland’s annual Eurovision selection contest, UMK, Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu will be held on 26 February 9-11 pm. The winner is chosen by TV viewers and the UMK jury. If you are outside of Finland, you can watch the show at https://areena.yle.fi/tv.

Finnish guitarist and singer Emilia ‘Emppu’ Suhonen will play the UMK show, having replaced founding guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi in The Rasmus. “I have decided to make my departure from the band,” Rantasalmi said, “and seek for new adventures and challenges in life.

Hella Rock Festival

“I want to thank everybody that has made this journey possible, especially all you amazing fans, for the best moments and memories. I Love You. I’m eternally thankful to my band brothers for everything and wish the best from the bottom of my heart. Lauri, Aki and Eero, I Love You. Music lives forever. This is not the end. It’s just time to turn the page.”

“I got a very surprising call in the fall,” Emppu says, “and answered yes. Although I was a bit nervous to go to the rehearsal room with the guys for the first time for a test drive, I still had a strong feeling that this would be a good thing.

“That feeling turned out to be right, and playing together felt totally natural right from the first riff. I am The Rasmus’ new guitarist, and it’s pretty insane to be on this ride!”

Emppu began playing guitar aged five, and a 13 made her album debut with the band Tiktak, who went on to become one of Finland’s biggest rock bands in the early 2000s.

“At the moment, I’m getting ready for the UMK,” says Emppu, “and the upcoming gigs with this awesome band I’m now in, The Rasmus. Being part of this group is a dream come true on so many levels.”

october

30oct7:30 pmThe Rasmus, NottinghamRock City

31oct7:30 pmThe Rasmus, ManchesterO2 Ritz

november

01nov7:30 pmThe Rasmus, GlasgowGarage

02nov7:30 pmThe Rasmus, BristolO2 Academy

03nov7:30 pmThe Rasmus, LondonO2 Forum, Kentish Town

The Rasmus to tour Europe in 2022
The Rasmus and Apocalyptica. Photo: Venla Shalin

The Rasmus recently released two singles from their upcoming album, which is currently untitled. Venomous Moon, written while the band were stranded in Hawaii, Helsinki and Sydney, features Apocalyptica.

“Venomous Moon is about isolation and being separated from the world,” Lauri Ylönen says, “but I wrote it before the virus came along. I must have caught a glimpse of the future, which then added a whole new layer of melancholy to the song.

The first single, Bones, was released in May 2021. “It’s about bad karma,” Lauri says. “Whatever you leave behind in life, you’ll find in front of you one day. This song presents a slightly different sound but still has the typical dark layer of The Rasmus.”

THE RASMUS TOUR 2022

October

Mon 10 Germany Hamburg Markthalle
Tue 11 Germany Berlin Metropol
Wed 12 Poland Warsaw Proxima
Thu 13 Poland Krakow Kwadrat
Fri 14 Germany Leipzig Taubchental
Sat 15 Czech Rep. Prague Forum Karlin
Mon 17 Hungary Budapest BNMC
Tue 18 Austria Vienna Ottakringer Brauerei
Wed 19 Germany Munich Neue Theaterfabrik
Fri 21 Italy Milan Fabrique
Sat 22 Switzerland Bern Bierhubeli
Sun 23 France Paris La Maroquinerie
Mon 24 Luxembourg Esch-Sur-Alzette Rockhal
Tue 25 Germany Wiesbaden Schlachthof (Halfhouse)
Thu 27 Germany Cologne LMH
Fri 28 Holland Haarlem Patronaat
Sun 30 England Nottingham Rock City
Mon 31 England Manchester O2 Ritz

November

Tue 01 Scotland Glasgow Garage
Wed 02 England Bristol O2 Academy
Thu 03 England London O2 Forum Kentish Town
Sat 05 Ukraine Kiev Mc Hall
Sun 06 Ukraine Lviv Malevich Club
Mon 07 Ukraine Odessa Musical Comedy Theatre
Tue 08 Ukraine Dnipro Shynnic House Of Culture
Wed 09 Ukraine Kharekiv Mekhanika
Fri 11 Russia Moscow Stadium
Sat 12 Russia St Petersburg A2

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