Sunrise Avenue
| Sunrise Avenue | |
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From left: Riku Rajamaa, Osmo Ikonen (external member), Sami Osala, Samu Haber, Ilkka "Raul" Ruutu
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Helsinki, Finland |
| Genres | Alternative rock, soft rock, pop rock |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels |
Universal Music EMI |
| Website | SunriseAve.com |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Sunrise Avenue is a Finnish rock band originally formed in 2002 in Helsinki, Finland. In the early days the band was called Sunrise and the name was changed to Sunrise Avenue in 2001. Sunrise Avenue is known for their catchy melodic and modern songs and energetic live performances. Their style varies from rock and pop-rock to rock ballads. The band has sold more than 2,000,000 albums and 2,000,000 singles and has played several tours and more than a thousand shows in twenty European countries and Japan. Sunrise Avenue's best known songs are "Hollywood Hills" (2011), "Fairytale Gone Bad" (2006), "Forever Yours" (2007), "The Whole Story" (2009), "Heal Me" (2007) and "Welcome To My Life" (2009). The band has released four studio albums, two live albums, three live DVDs, a best-of album and 18 singles.
Samu Haber established Sunrise together with Finnish singer songwriter Jan Hohenthal in April 1992 in Espoo, Finland. They performed at all kinds of pubs, small festivals and private parties until 1998, when Haber moved to Spain. The other band members that time were Sami Heinänen (Bass) and Antti Tuomela (Drums).
After four years in Spain and only a handful of performances at private Spanish events Haber moved back to Finland. The band changed the name to Sunrise Avenue in October 2001 in restaurant Memphis in Helsinki at the “Sunrise world domination plan meeting.” By that time Tuomela had left the band and the band had no drummer. Bassist Sami Heinänen designed the American Street sign logo for the band after the meeting.
Jan Hohenthal left the band in 2002 as he wanted to focus on his own career. These days Hohenthal plays with his Finnish folk band Metrofolk. Heinänen introduced a new guitarist, his high school friend Janne Kärkkäinen to the band in 2002.
With a new drummer, Juho Sandman, the band performed in many student events, small festivals and in small clubs mostly in the Greater Helsinki area. The guys worked with two Finnish producers (Jone Ullakko and Jani Saastamoinen) before finding their future in-house producer Jukka Backlund. Haber still says Backlund is the “All time musical mentor and teacher for himself and for the band.”
Between 2002–2005 Haber visited record companies and agencies 102 times in Finland and Sweden before they were finally signed to a small Scandinavian label Bonnier Amigo Music. The answer was always the same: Without black clothes and make-up, rock music can’t succeed.
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