The latest exciting Scandinavian export set to take the world by storm, 2020 sees Tomi Saarioprimed to share his songs with the world.
The success of ‘Just A Little’ has already seen him garner support from the likes of Rollercoaster Magazine, as well as major radio and tv stations across Germany and Scandinavia. If ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ is anything to go by, this is just the beginning of an exhilarating journey for this talented young man.
Combining Tomis sparkling vocals and trademark sunny guitar licks with slick pop production and a warming earworm of a chorus, ‘Don’t Hurt Yourself’ deals with the complicated emotions that arise from wanting someone who’s already taken.
With a family full of fighter, stunt and airline pilots, plus an uncle who’s the most successful songwriter in Finland, Tomi was never going to be an ordinary guy. Having fallen in love with blues music aged seven listening to Stevie Ray Vaughn, it wasn’t until he was 17 that he wrote his first song, citing John Mayer and D’Angelo as major influences. Before then a career in football looked more likely, having represented his country at youth level, playing against the likes of Real Madrid. “But then I had the realization that I was better at music and when I finally started writing songs it was a no brainer” he explains.
Before he could fully commit to music, however, he had to complete military service, which is mandatory in Finland. After a year in the urban warfare squad, an experience he describes as rewarding and life-enriching, he moved to one of the music capitals of the world: London. Gigging relentlessly, he played over 1,000 shows in four years, turning up at any open mic night that would have him in order to hone his performance skills.
