Varvara new album due out 16 March 2018

Album release: 'Go' by Varvara
Release date: 16 March 2018
More info: Band website

Varvara premiere new single 'Anxiety' via Upset

Varvara from Hamina, South-East Finland have come a long way since the release of their debut album back in 2011. Varvara was originally formed by main songwriter and guitarist-vocalist Mikko Kiri in 2007 when moving back to his old childhood neighborhood after studies around Finland. Mikko wanted to start a band that would locate in Hamina and gather its’ influences from the late 90s and early 2000s; a period he had first gotten actively involved in music.

Soon Mikko found himself among friends and decided to name the band after a statue they used to gather round before nights of misbehaving. Varvara Schantin (1870-1941), the hometown hero who that statue represents, was born in Russia but became an important figure in the small town of Hamina. Schantin handed out food and refreshments to soldiers as they were preparing for war and their possible date with destiny.

Varvara's beginnings were humble, but the band quickly became more than a friendly pastime as demo releases became picked up on by various sections of the Finnish music media. With the help of an old friend Tommi Muhli, Varvara helped establish Haminian Sounds, a collective of musicians which releases music from local acts including Varvara and organizes events to cheer up the small town’s nightlife.

Since then Varvara's output, three albums and an EP, has slowly been recognised as a distinctive collection that harnesses diverse influences into a unique sound. The 2016 album 'Death Defying Tricks' was the bands first release actively promoted outside Finland. The album represented a self-confident band with an exceptional sense of melody amongst a series of quirky details. Combining off kilter rock shapes to straight-up rock, Death Defying Tricks collected nothing but praise in domestic and international rock media. Following the release the band also made their first shows outside the Finnish borders.

Now Varvara is ready to unleash their upcoming fourth full-length album 'GO' to be released February 2018 under their own Haminian Sounds imprint. The new album 'GO' as a whole is about that moment when summer turns into autumn. This reality hits you right in the face reminding that the calm and relaxation of summer is over. From time to time there is a strong contrast between energetic rock tracks and gloomy lyrics.

Produced and mostly recorded by the band themselves 'GO' offers an intriguing mix of aggressive garage and melodic rock sounds. The album was mixed by the leading underground rock, indie, and punk scene producer in Finland Lauri Eloranta and mastered by Brad Boatright (Fucked Up, Beastmilk.) at Audiosiege, Portland USA.

Press reaction to date

"Awesome track! Great vibe" - Lars Ulrich (Metallica, Beats1)

"Fusing blistering garage punk to exploratory psychedelia, it's a sound that is both dark and blood-quickening." - Clash

"The most exciting thing to come out of Finland since Jari Litmanen." - God Is In The TV