Bearwood is a fresh Finnish rock band founded by guitarist and composer Marko Karhu. The other members are Marko Hietala (vocals), Sami Sallinen (bass, keys, guitar and other stringed instruments), and Sami Kuoppamäki (drums).

The songs

Marko Karhu had long dreamed of making a solo album, and in 2020 he began putting together some of his old ideas while also composing completely new songs. With a clear vision in mind, he chose not to confine himself to any specific musical genre. While rock and blues serve as the foundation, the resulting material became beautifully versatile, brimming with dynamic energy and emotion.

Recognizing his own struggles with lyric-writing, Marko turned to his close friend Matthieu Brandt from the Netherlands, confident he would be the perfect match for the project. Marko, known for his love of dark and vivid vocabulary, found a kindred spirit in Matthieu, whose catalog of over 100 songs captures such themes masterfully. Together, they brainstormed ideas, with Matthieu transforming Marko’s melodies and hummed demos into powerfully evocative lyrics that truly brought the music to life.

The Producer

When only the first song was completed, Marko reached out to one of his dearest friends, Sami Sallinen, asking him to become the project’s producer. Marko had admired Sami’s extraordinary musical talents since their teenage years at the Joensuu Conservatory. When Sami agreed to join, Marko knew the project had not only the potential to move forward but also to become something truly remarkable. Over three decades of friendship and regular collaboration had given Marko full confidence in Sami’s ability to make a significant contribution to the project. Sami is a highly skilled multi-instrumentalist with a deep understanding of both music and music technology, capable of mastering many instruments at the highest level. For this project, Sami took on bass and keyboards, plus a variety of stringed instruments, including both electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin and pedal steel.

The Drummer

With Marko and Sami teaming up at this point, the next step was to find a drummer. That discussion was short. When they considered their favorites, the legendary Sami Kuoppamäki, known for his distinctive and recognizable playing style, was at the very top of their list. Both Marko and Sami were huge fans of Kuoppamäki’s vibrant personality and exceptional drumming. Kuoppamäki has rightfully earned his place as one of Finland’s greatest drummers, with an illustrious career that includes being a member of the legendary Kingston Wall, among many other notable achievements. Marko reached out to Kuoppamäki, sharing some raw demos to give him a sense of the project. Enthusiastic about the material, Kuoppamäki said “yes”. With his involvement, the band was truly beginning to take shape.

The Singer(s)

Initially, the idea was to feature multiple singers, and Karhu approached Antti Paranko and Aleksi Aromaa for the role for the demo versions. Both were doing phenomenal work, boasting great voices and incredible vocal ranges. However, Karhu had a vision that he’d mentioned to everybody in the beginning. He had long dreamed of having Marko Hietala join the project. As a huge fan of iconic Hietala, Karhu had imagined his powerful and globally distinctive voice as the perfect match for the songs. Without Hietala even knowing, some of the material had already been written with him in mind. Among Finnish male singers, Marko Hietala is arguably the most internationally recognized, and for good reason. His impressive career includes being a key member of legendary bands like Nightwish. Nowadays, he leads a fantastic band under his own name.

Feeling nervous, Karhu contacted Hietala. Although they had known each other and spent time together in the past, it had been quite a while since they last spoke. Karhu sent over the raw material and, to his surprise and delight, Hietala was impressed and agreed to participate, saying he found much to like in the project.

Scheduling the recording sessions was a bit of a challenge, but eventually, Hietala welcomed Karhu to his home studio in Spain, where the vocals were recorded. Initially, it was unclear how many of the songs Hietala would sing, but things fell into place in an unexpected and magical way. Hietala ended up singing all of the tracks and made everything click bringing Karhu’s vision to life in its fullest form! Hietala was the final piece of the puzzle. The band then adopted the name Bearwood, a nod to Karhu’s surname, which means “bear” in English.

The final tracks were further enriched by beautiful backing vocals from Jenni Honkaluoma and Antti Paranko, adding depth to the band’s powerful sound.