SOURCE – Let’s start with the order: Sara’s 10th full-length album, Hallava, will be released on January 17, 2025. What would you like to share about its overall production?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – For the first time since Se keinuttaa meitä ajassa in 2011, we worked with a producer in the studio, which made the process really exciting for us. I’ve gotten into lower tunings and picked up a baritone guitar and an 8-string, which has definitely influenced our new sound. My excitement for guitars has kind of gotten out of hand lately! I’m using a Dunable Gnarwhal and an Ernie Ball Music Man St. Vincent for my main 6-string guitars, Jackson 8-string and a Gretsch baritone, also a 8-string Aristides 080SR on the way, can’t wait to get my hands on that one. During pre-production, the songs were refined much more than before, and I think you can hear it. They’re more versatile and feel complete. We are on a heavier path and I think we will stay on it. I think you can definitely hear some Sleep Token, VOLA and HIM influences on this album.
SOURCE – What are your goals and expectations for the new album, Hallava?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – Hopefully we gain more new listeners, outside Finland too, I think it’s our best album yet so I expect great live shows and lots of people coming out to see us. Maybe it could open doors to some record labels.
SOURCE – You released a large number of singles before the album. How important do you think singles are in this era, compared to full-length releases?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – I think singles are important, and we trust our management on these decisions. Personally, I feel one or two singles before the album is enough. Releasing three or four can change the way you experience the full album once it’s out. That said, putting out singles is a great way to share something new with listeners, even if the album isn’t finished yet. For me, I’ve always preferred listening to full albums. I usually find myself hooked on one or two records and playing them on repeat.
SOURCE – If you had to choose two songs from each album for a retrospective setlist, which would you choose?
- Seuraa, Älä tapa
- Tanssiin, Raskas
- Lasken, Ymmärrys
- Momentum, Ilman uskoanne näen
- Veden äärelle, Valmistettu tie
- Hiljaiset siivet, Alkava myrksy
- Hengissä vielä, Marionetti
- Avaa se ovi, Tahto
- Taivas feat. Jun-His, Se osa joka rikkoo
- Hyvästi kapteeni, Vaeltaa
SOURCE – What are your thoughts on AI and its potential effects down the line on the music industry?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – I’ve been doing my best to stay on top of all the developments in AI, but it’s challenging with how fast things are evolving. Like any new technology, it will bring both positive and negative impacts. I’m focusing on the positives and feeling excited about what the future holds, especially in how it might transform the creative process and I’m sure it already has changed that.
In the song Valtameri ovella, the lyrics touch on this theme. The chorus goes: What awaits us? Infinity. What does it shatter when it floods in?
SOURCE – When you think about the concept of success, what does that word mean to you as a musician? Has that definition changed from your early years in the business to today?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – We never quite achieved mainstream success. When you’re younger, there’s this unwavering belief that you’ll become the biggest band in the world—a kind of blind faith in yourself and your music. Over time, that intensity fades, and you stop dwelling on it as much. Still, I hold onto the dream of touring beyond Finland and performing for larger audiences.
Sara is often described as “one of Finland’s most underrated bands.” Honestly, I don’t think it’s the best term. The people who know us and follow our music genuinely hold us in very high regard. A better way to frame it might be, “We’re just a band too few people know.” Even calling us “unpopular” doesn’t fit because that implies people don’t like what we do—and that’s not the case at all.
If the music you create is something you truly stand behind, you can’t just simplify it or switch to a more accessible genre just because a different style might be more radio- or media-friendly. In a way, it’s not even a choice—it just happens to be that Sara’s music belongs to a genre that demands a lot more fortunate circumstances or other factors to reach a wider audience. It’s harder because it’s different, and you can’t change that when it’s genuinely what you want to create.
I never used to pay much attention to numbers, but over time, they’ve started creeping into my thoughts. Now, with platforms like Spotify, you can see in real-time how many listeners you have. When I discover new music, I check their monthly listener count and compare it to other bands to get a sense of where they stand. Of course, Spotify stats don’t tell the whole story. Playlists are another big factor—we were featured on the All New Metal playlist, which was great, though I expected it to bring in more listeners than it did. The good thing is that none of this influences me while I’m writing new material. These thoughts only come into play once the album is finished. Being featured on that playlist was important, especially alongside so many bigger artists. It felt like that our music belongs there and can stand out even among the biggest names.
SOURCE – In the digital age, music consumption and distribution have changed significantly. How do you see the role of physical formats like vinyl and CDs in the context of your music, and how do they contribute to the overall experience of your releases?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – We still make CDs and vinyls so it is important to us, the cover art contributes a lot to the mood of the album and if you play killer shows there’s always gonna be people who wants to buy the album after the show. More people are buy vinyls so we want to offer that to those who want them.
SOURCE – In your opinion, what are some of the challenges of being a Finnish band trying to break into the international touring circuit?
Joa Korhonen (Vocals, Guitar) – I think the Finnish language can definitely be a challenge for some listeners. For us, it feels completely natural, but if you don’t speak or understand it, it might be harder to connect with. That said, there are bands touring internationally, even though they sing in Finnish. We actually got an offer to open for a band on their European tour, but those kinds of slots are really expensive, so we couldn’t make it work.
We’d need to start focusing on international markets if we really wanted a chance to tour there, but there’s still so much to do here in Finland. Right now, we’re releasing our albums through our own label, so we don’t have the resources to invest in an international push. And even though we could do it, it does not automatically mean that it would all work out as planned or lead to the success we hope for. Hallava is the fourth album we’ve released independently, but we’ve started considering whether it might be time to explore working with a label again to have additional support.
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Photo Credit: Tiina Routamaa