THE RASMUS Interview: From “In The Shadows” to Their First Ever Australian Tour with Lauri Ylönen

Finland’s greatest rock export are finally heading Down Under. After more than 25 years, THE RASMUS are set to make their long-awaited Australian debut tour in January 2026, and I sat down with frontman Lauri Ylönen to talk about what took so long, what fans can expect, and why now feels like the perfect moment. In this exclusive Metal On Tap interview, Lauri reflects on the surreal reality of finally touring Australia after the global success of “In The Shadows”, a song that defined an era and soundtracked countless teenage years around the world. Despite their massive popularity, this will be the band’s first ever Australian shows, something Lauri openly admits still feels strange. We dive deep into the mindset behind album number 11, the band’s continued passion for songwriting, and how music remains a form of therapy after decades in the industry. Lauri also opens up about the renewed energy within THE RASMUS following their lineup evolution, the importance of enjoying the journey again, and how that joy has directly shaped their current sound. The conversation also touches on the band’s Eurovision appearance with “Jezebel”, why it was a spontaneous one-off moment, and how it helped solidify the chemistry of the current lineup. Looking ahead, Lauri breaks down how THE RASMUS are approaching their Australian setlists — blending new material from the Weirdo era with classic hits and rare deep cuts, alongside carefully crafted visuals that celebrate every chapter of the band’s career. We also talk touring life now versus 20 years ago, staying healthy on the road, discovering new cultures through food and travel, and Lauri’s excitement about finally exploring Australia properly. If you’re a longtime fan or discovering THE RASMUS for the first time, this interview is a must-watch ahead of their historic Australian debut. 🎟 THE RASMUS – AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2026 📍 Fri Jan 30 – The Triffid, Brisbane 📍 Sat Jan 31 – Manning Bar, Sydney 📍 Sun Feb 1 – Max Watts, Melbourne 🎫 Tickets: thephoenix.au #TheRasmus #LauriYlonen #TheRasmusAustralia #RockInterview #MetalOnTap #Jaimunji #AustralianTours #FinlandRock #InTheShadows #RockMusic #NewMusic #Weirdo #Reactionstomusicthisweek 🍻 JOIN THE BREW-CREW ON DISCORD:   / discord   🍻 Hang out with fellow metalheads, share tunes, talk gigs, beers & all things heavy! Follow Jaimunji on:► 📺 Twitch:   / jaimunji   📸 Instagram:   / jaimunji_   🌐 Website: https://metalontap.com 👍 Facebook:   / metalontap   Music from https://www.bensound.com I do not own the rights to any of the featured song clips on this video. All credit to the artists and labels. These fall under fair use based on sufficient transformation for the purpose of review, promotion, and commentary. " Section 107 of the Copyright Act provides the statutory framework for determining whether something is a fair use and identifies certain types of uses-such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research-as examples of activities that may qualify as fair use."