Discovery of the Week: Sara
The hypnotic evolution of alternative heavy sound where dark electronica seamlessly fuses with crushing guitar textures
Sara is an alternative rock band founded in the mid-nineties. Its initial lineup included vocalist and guitarist Joa Korhonen, guitarists Antti Tuomivirth and Tommi Koivikko, and bassist Kristian Udd, who were joined shortly after by drummer Eetu Uusitalo. The band was originally named Cellar Folk but later changed it to Sara.
The band's career began to gain momentum after they won the “Ääni ja vimma” contest. This led to a contract with Kråklund Records, a label owned by the rock band Klamydia, as well as the recording and release of their debut album, titled Narupatsaat. Although things were going well for the band, the first internal rift appeared in 2001.
The band's career began to gain momentum after they won the “Ääni ja vimma” contest. This led to a contract with Kråklund Records, a label owned by the rock band Klamydia, as well as the recording and release of their debut album, titled Narupatsaat. Although things were going well for the band, the first internal rift appeared in 2001.
Eetu Uusitalo left Sara, citing a lack of interest and motivation, and was replaced by drummer Niko Leminen. With him, the band recorded the album Kromi, which reached number 9 on the official Finnish album chart within a week of its release. Without slowing down, Sara immediately plunged into working on new material and, just a year after their second album, introduced their third full-length record, Saattue, continuing to refine their dark sound. Following this release, the band ended their collaboration with Kråklund Records and decided to look for a new home.
Around the same time, Joa Korhonen and Antti Tuomivirth joined the industrial rock band Pedestrian's Motor, which featured Lapko's Ville Malja on vocals. Their collaboration resulted in the release of three EPs, (Pedestrian's Motor) I–III, under Fullsteam Records between 2005 and 2007.
In 2005, Sara experienced another lineup change, which once again affected the drummer position, as Andreas Bäcklund replaced Niko Leminen. In the spring of 2006, Sara signed a new contract with Universal Music, leading to the release of the singles “Momentum”, “Vielä muodostan varjoni”, and “Huokaus”, which can still be heard on the radio from time to time. All of them were included in the album He kutsuivat luokseen, as was the song “Pyyhit vuodet kasvoiltasi”, which tells the story of the death of a close friend of Joa Korhonen. The album was well-received by music critics and generally earned high praise.
The fifth album by Sara, released in 2008, is titled Veden äärelle. It is dedicated to the sea and the band members' hometown of Kaskinen, which is considered the smallest port city in Finland, with a population of only 1,423 people. The album Veden äärelle received numerous rave reviews and was even named album of the year by Noise magazine; additionally, it was recognized at the Femma Awards. Later that year, Sara performed at HIM's Helldone festival at Tavastia. In 2009, the single “Rauhan aika” from this album was nominated for an Emma Award, marking the first nomination in the band's history. That same year, Sara performed with a symphony orchestra for the first time in Joensuu.
Despite the obvious success of Veden äärelle, Sara's next full-length album was not released until four years later. In 2009, the band's frontman, Joa Korhonen, and Jenni Niemi founded a new English-language band called Meadow Island and focused heavily on promoting it. Korhonen returned to recording Sara's sixth album only two years later, and Se keinuttaa meitä ajassa was released in 2012. The title single from this album was featured on Uuden Musiikin Ilta. Overall, this record did not receive much attention, and Sara vanished again for nearly three years, resurfacing only in 2015. They released SOLUS, an ambitious and highly experimental album that served as a compilation of three EPs that Sara had been releasing throughout the entire year. The band ended their collaboration with Universal Music, but this time they did not look for a new label, instead creating their own called Viihde Oy.
Sara's eighth album was the LP SUMMA, released in 2018 under the production of Arto Tuunela from Pariisin Kevät. Two singles were released from it: “Avaa se ovi” and “Ethän vielä kuole”. The band continued to experiment with their sound, retaining a subtle, dark 2000s influence in the songs while diving deeper into electronic music. Consequently, Sara only highlighted their distinctive and highly recognizable style, where Joa Korhonen's voice perfectly complemented the melancholic and mystical lyrics.
Sara's latest full-length album to date, titled Pimeys, was released in January 2022. Arto Tuunela remained its producer, but in addition to their own label, Viihde Oy, Sara enlisted the help of distributor Playground Music. This album showed a clear trend towards a more dominant instrumental sound, though the prominent electronic parts did not fade into the background. The record received decent reviews from critics and was generally well-received.
At the end of September 2024, Sara released the maxi-single “Anhedonia”, which included the title track along with the song “Valtameri ovella”, once again capturing the media's attention. It is worth noting that, compared to their previous releases, these tracks truly stand out with their vibrant, almost otherworldly sound and an original approach to both composition and lyrics. Sara's tenth studio album, titled Hallava, was subsequently released on January 17, 2025.
Around the same time, Joa Korhonen and Antti Tuomivirth joined the industrial rock band Pedestrian's Motor, which featured Lapko's Ville Malja on vocals. Their collaboration resulted in the release of three EPs, (Pedestrian's Motor) I–III, under Fullsteam Records between 2005 and 2007.
In 2005, Sara experienced another lineup change, which once again affected the drummer position, as Andreas Bäcklund replaced Niko Leminen. In the spring of 2006, Sara signed a new contract with Universal Music, leading to the release of the singles “Momentum”, “Vielä muodostan varjoni”, and “Huokaus”, which can still be heard on the radio from time to time. All of them were included in the album He kutsuivat luokseen, as was the song “Pyyhit vuodet kasvoiltasi”, which tells the story of the death of a close friend of Joa Korhonen. The album was well-received by music critics and generally earned high praise.
The fifth album by Sara, released in 2008, is titled Veden äärelle. It is dedicated to the sea and the band members' hometown of Kaskinen, which is considered the smallest port city in Finland, with a population of only 1,423 people. The album Veden äärelle received numerous rave reviews and was even named album of the year by Noise magazine; additionally, it was recognized at the Femma Awards. Later that year, Sara performed at HIM's Helldone festival at Tavastia. In 2009, the single “Rauhan aika” from this album was nominated for an Emma Award, marking the first nomination in the band's history. That same year, Sara performed with a symphony orchestra for the first time in Joensuu.
Despite the obvious success of Veden äärelle, Sara's next full-length album was not released until four years later. In 2009, the band's frontman, Joa Korhonen, and Jenni Niemi founded a new English-language band called Meadow Island and focused heavily on promoting it. Korhonen returned to recording Sara's sixth album only two years later, and Se keinuttaa meitä ajassa was released in 2012. The title single from this album was featured on Uuden Musiikin Ilta. Overall, this record did not receive much attention, and Sara vanished again for nearly three years, resurfacing only in 2015. They released SOLUS, an ambitious and highly experimental album that served as a compilation of three EPs that Sara had been releasing throughout the entire year. The band ended their collaboration with Universal Music, but this time they did not look for a new label, instead creating their own called Viihde Oy.
Sara's eighth album was the LP SUMMA, released in 2018 under the production of Arto Tuunela from Pariisin Kevät. Two singles were released from it: “Avaa se ovi” and “Ethän vielä kuole”. The band continued to experiment with their sound, retaining a subtle, dark 2000s influence in the songs while diving deeper into electronic music. Consequently, Sara only highlighted their distinctive and highly recognizable style, where Joa Korhonen's voice perfectly complemented the melancholic and mystical lyrics.
Sara's latest full-length album to date, titled Pimeys, was released in January 2022. Arto Tuunela remained its producer, but in addition to their own label, Viihde Oy, Sara enlisted the help of distributor Playground Music. This album showed a clear trend towards a more dominant instrumental sound, though the prominent electronic parts did not fade into the background. The record received decent reviews from critics and was generally well-received.
At the end of September 2024, Sara released the maxi-single “Anhedonia”, which included the title track along with the song “Valtameri ovella”, once again capturing the media's attention. It is worth noting that, compared to their previous releases, these tracks truly stand out with their vibrant, almost otherworldly sound and an original approach to both composition and lyrics. Sara's tenth studio album, titled Hallava, was subsequently released on January 17, 2025.
- Tuuli TalvinenFounder & Editor-in-ChiefInterviewer