Bio suomeksi
1998
Oskari
performs his own songs for the first time at the Birdland nightclub in
Turku, wearing a fetching shiny silver suit and borrowing extensively
from Michael Jackson’s choreography. Pretty soon he realises he can’t
be bothered with the pressures of a solo career and sets about finding
himself a backing band. Given that Oskari doesn’t have his own ‘phone
and his dad won’t let him cross the big road, he’s somewhat limited in
choice – which makes the whole auditioning process a lot easier for his
new bandmates; brother Santeri and Juha Reunanen, who happens to live
in the house opposite.
1999
Oskari
and Santeri get hold of some electric instruments and form a band
called Grasso. The Grasso line-up includes sister Heini Ruohonen on
backing vocals and Sami Karvonen on drums . Grasso performs their
bouncy, Hanson-esque pop (with English lyrics) at various children’s
music events, and even try their luck in a ‘battle of the bands’
competition. Despite the audience loving the baby-faced 12 year old
Oskari, they don’t fare well.
2000
Sami
leaves the band to pursue his drumming career with more grown- up and
sophisticated musicians and is replaced by Jere Jalonen. Unfortunately,
Oskari, Santeri and Jere are seemingly incapable of doing anything
sensible when they’re together, having loads of fun but kind of
forgetting to actually practice much. At their gigs they put more
effort into schoolboy humour (involving such pressing, global issues as
reproductive organs and bodily functions) than they do into actually
playing music, and the audiences (who average 9 years of age) don’t
really understand what’s going on! Around this time the teenaged,
ever-rebellious, Santeri writes his first lyrics by translating Grasso
songs into Finnish.
2001
Mikko
Koskinen is brought in as guitarist and the band plays at the same
events as before, only with slightly more direction – Mikko’s arrival
virtually doubles the band’s IQ, and he somehow manages to keep them
sounding at least vaguely sensible. Nonetheless, by this time the
differences of opinion within the band are coming to a head, and
eventually Grasso falls apart.
2002
Oskari,
Santeri, Jere and Mikko decide to try their hand at another genre by
forming the rap group Luumupyssy . This project quickly drops off the
radar with the departure of Mikko and Jere from the ranks, subsequently
evolving into Herra Eurooppa. Translated ‘Mr. Europe’ , this is a two
man techno outfit involving Oskari and Santeri, alias Michael Keaton
and Richard Gere, whose song Tight Ass Bitch becomes a minor party hit.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to revive their inner rock musicians, Oskari,
Santeri and Jere find another rehearsal space. This new band goes
through many incarnations , eventually splitting up when they get
booted out of said rehearsal space for drinking, smashing stuff and not
paying the rent. Landlords can be very unreasonable.
2003
Oskari
and Santeri record some demos at their summer cottage under the name
Gay Homeboyz. Realising that these songs actually sounded rather
pleasant , the brothers avoided the temptation to immediately form a
new band, returning instead to the cottage for another sleepless trip.
The result of this trip was around ten songs of which Oskari comments
“they satisfy myself.” Having ‘satisfied themselves’ with the potential
of this new material, Oskari and Santeri present the demos to the
ever-critical Sami. Only a moment’s consideration is required, soon
Sami is back in the fold.
2004
Oskari
eventually has to admit to himself and the rest of the world that he
is, in fact, unable to play both the guitar and keys simultaneously, so
the boys begin the search for a new guitarist. Oskari remembers that,
in school, he played Anouk and Skunk Anansie with a curly headed dude
called Petri He sends Petri a text message saying simply “you can come
and play in our band if you want. But you don’t have to.”
Unfortunately, they call this new band Angels… The band develops in
another way as Oskari ‘forgets’ his keyboards more and more frequently,
leaving them at home and giving the band’s live shows the weight and
considerable energy boost of a two-guitar line-up.
2005
The
band records together for the first time at Studio Livingroom in Turku.
The resulting 3 track CD includes the tracks Studio Apartment, Three
Star Hotel and Day Without Air. While others are actually doing some
work, Santeri and Petri have time to think about a decent name for the
band whilst sitting around at the studio. They finally decide that
words borrowed from Pulp’s Wicker Man roll off the tongue nicely, so
the band becomes Traffic Island. They later find out that a band named
Traffic had an illustrious career on Island records, but, well, who
gives a shit? Towards the end of the year Traffic Island make their
first small budget music video, Studio Apartment.
2006
Record
companies, radio stations, promoters and the public begin to show
interest in the band, at least a little bit anyway. Traffic Island
rushes back into the studio to cut 6 new tracks. The band’s second
self-financed EP, imaginatively titled ‘Second EP’, has 4 of these
songs on it. Well, 6 songs is a bit much if you can only charge a few
coins for an EP, and you can’t just give it away! Of course, it depends
who you ask... One potential buyer disagreed, spitting at Santeri for
his audacity in asking a 10€ for the EP. In the spring Traffic Island
plays their first gigs, Santeri confiding to his mother before the
first gig that he’s ”nervous as hell”. In the summer, Traffic Island’s
problems come to a head with the departure of Sami from the ranks.
Fortunately, Mikko Siusluoto appears as if by magic to take his place,
and after the first practice Petri compliments him with “you were ok.”.
In November 2006 Traffic Island signs a deal with Universal Music and begins work on their debut album.
2007
The
debut album Enough Is Enough is released at the end of April and it
gets a decent amount of attention in the media and is received kindly
by the critics. It is also selected as Album Of The Week by the radio
station YleX. "Why isn't my record selling?", Oskari asks his mother
during Midsummer celebration. Traffic Island's first two music videos
(Day Without Air & Two Days In a Row), both directed by Jukka Salo,
get into rotation on the Californian music channel IMF. In June the
band is the supporting act for the "Glasvegas of Las Vegas" The
Killers. In the aftermath of VRock festival the band's problems become
critical. Santeri leaves the band. However, the next day he changes his
mind and requests to rejoin. The third music video is Long Island
Expressway. The fine video is directed by Juho Fossi. In Mikkeli the
band loses it: two members smash cognac glasses on the hotel room wall.
Petri's nose is bleeding in Tampere. The remaining members measure his
temperature from his ***hole.
2008
Traffic
Island travels to a foreign country for the very first time. Two days
in Canada. One live show. Way to go guys. Mikko goes totally mad in
Canada and spills Coca-Cola on the floor of a hamburger place. After
making it back to the homeland the band heads to the peaceful
countryside to work on material for their next album. The songs are
coming along nicely and as summer arrives there's a great deal of
material ready. So the band's summertime involves mostly chillin'
except for Mikko who is selling beer on a restaurant boat floating in
Aurajoki while Santeri sits on the other side of the counter. In the
fall the band takes the bull by the horns and starts working on their
new album. Karo Broman, a good man and the singer/bass player of the
band Manboy is persuaded to produce the album. In December the music
video for the first single that goes by the name "Words In My Mouth" is
being shot. The video is directed by Juha Lankinen.