Steve 'N' Seagulls Inks Deals With Spinefarm

Five nutcases. A whole bunch of instruments. The Finnish countryside. All that adds up to Steve 'N' Seagulls. The band just signed to Spinefarm Records, which comments:

"This ragtag crew has been active since 2011, but they hit like a hammer in the summer of 2014, thanks to the popularity of their YouTube videos, which found them offering up S'N'S'ed versions of metal classics like Iron Maiden's 'The Trooper' and AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck.'

"The videos have earned praise and coverage from the elite of the metal world, with Guitar World, Revolver, Loudwire, Blabbermouth and Metal Sucks picking up on and writing about their efforts. 'Nuff said.

"Now you have the chance to see and hear Steve 'N' Seagullsfor yourself, as the band has signed to Spinefarm. Banjo keeps a rollin' and accordion keeps on burnin'. Your quality of life will probably be greatly improved once you mindmeld with this musical experience. Hold on to your hats and skirts, kids!"

Steve 'N' Seagulls is: Pukki Kaalinen on double bass and vocals; Wild Till Hiltunen on accordion, mandolin and Casio; Herman de German on banjo, guitar and vocals; Remmel on vocals, acoustic guitar and mandolin; and Puikkonen on drums and vocals.

One thing Steve 'N' Seagulls want you to know? The band is not a joke act or a novelty. "It took us about three years to get the sound we were aiming at," the band said of its origins and history. "We wanted to give a new life to songs we grew up with, not just do basic covers, and our agency provided the opportunity. Our agency needed a 'concept band' for theme events in restaurants. Now, we had been doing those kind of gigs before and knew the places to be probably half-empty. Still, it sounded like a fun project, so we took the job. After the first 20-gig tour, we wanted to keep on doing it and they kept on booking us gigs in nightclubs, pubs, cruise boats and such. After replacing our singer, we posted 'The Trooper' video on YouTube simply because we hadn't published anything with the new lineup. Then it just took off somehow. But we aren't complaining!"

The band is working on its first album at Studio Bad Mama. The concept is a mixture of S'N'S's love for music and a celebration of childhood idols.