Now here is a new band that surely will get the hearts pumping of fans of the punk of ’77 and the powerpop of the late ’70s, early ’80s. Fernet Underground are a three-piece from Oulu, a large city in the Northern part of Finland that is rather isolated from the other major cities in the country. With isolation comes great creativity though, and Oulu has a vibrant music scene. The three band members of Fernet Underground (or its abbreviation: FUG) are past and current members in bands such as Ruotomieli, Roku Rousu & The I.O.N.S., Moses Hazy, Kotoisat Sävyt, The Blood Sausage Boys, and The Botherers. Central to the scene around the band is a century old house in Oulu where locals can practice and record their music.
The debut album of Fernet Underground is called Kaikki Säröllä and is stacked with pop hits with a punk attitude and indecipherable Finnish lyrics about dealing with every day struggles – listen to my personal favorites Täällä & Sun, Eläimet, Anna Aikaa, and Painajainen. Fernet Underground reminds me of classic punk bands like Buzzcocks, Undertones, and The Vibrators, and contemporary bands like Laika’s Orbit. Fernet Underground is also influenced by ’80s and ’90s alternative rock, which you can tell from songs like Mitä Tekisin, Realistinenm Kyyninen, Ateinstinen and Paine.
Given the quality and assuredness of this record, it’s crazy that Fernet Underground only started around 18 months ago – more proof that there can be positive side effects to pandemic boredom. I’m already curious what they will come up with next; clearly they have a good thing going up North. For now Kaikki Säröllä is only available on cd, cassette and digital. Fingers crossed that a label will pick this one up for a vinyl release!
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