AURI's Ethereal World: Dreams, Distance, and Cinematic Soundscapes

Interview by Angela Croudace
Auri's third album, Candles and Beginnings, invites listeners into
a dreamlike, genre-defying realm where emotion, memory, and nature
entwine. The trio—Johanna Kurkela, Troy Donockley, and Tuomas
Holopainen—embrace an intuitive and organic approach to
music-making, shaped by their lifelong influences and an unwavering
trust in each other.
"We don't plan anything," Tuomas explains. "It all comes naturally.
Nothing is pre-calculated." The result is an album that resists
classification, weaving together airy melodies, earthy rhythms, and
moments of heavier intensity.
The band doesn't aim to dictate meaning, instead offering their
music as an open canvas: "We provide a stage for feelings," says
Johanna, "and the interpretations are for the listener." Though
some songs echo Celtic elements, the band insists these tones
emerge organically. "We don't identify with any genre," says Troy.
"We use whatever tools we need to express the emotion."
Despite physical distance (Troy often writing at sea, of all
places, and Johanna in Kitee), their creative process thrives in
isolation. They only come together when it's time to mix. "It's
like getting a Christmas present," Johanna smiles, describing the
excitement of hearing each other's ideas evolve remotely.
A particularly personal track, The Apparition Speaks, stands out
for its heavier edge. But for the trio, choosing favourites feels
impossible. "They'd get jealous," Tuomas jokes. "We love them all."
Visual art also plays a vital role in shaping Auri's universe. The
watercolour album artwork was hand-painted, no AI involved, and
Johanna's calligraphy adds an intimate touch.
As for touring Australia? "We'd love to," says Troy, "but right
now, we're not sure we have many fans there." Still, Troy and
Tuomas's previous Nightwish tours proved Aussie crowds are
"fabulously mental," and they hope to return soon.
Auri's music is hard to define but easy to feel, leaving listeners
soaring on Johanna's stunning vocals, whilst Troy and Tuomas add
melodic and at times heavier elements. Candles and Beginnings is a
cinematic listen and an amalgamation of this seriously talented
trio. This album doesn't just play, but unfolds like a dream you
never want to wake from.



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