On the Record with Auri
Guest interview by Kathy Criswell
When I was writing questions for my Auri interview from July 2025, I often cast a line out to some friends/fans to see if they have any interesting questions to include. Now, admittedly, I didn’t include as many of these questions as I would have liked because of time limitations, so I was pleased that Kathy Criswell decided to send her questions along as another interview, because there were a lot of gems in there I would have liked to include about the band’s upcoming release, “Auri III: Candles & Beginnings.” Check out her emailer interview here…
Auri III is a safe haven of sorts — an impromptu trip inside one’s mind and soul. So, when you have one of those days (weeks, years…) when you really need to isolate and dive deep inside yourself, what do you do?
Tuomas Holopainen: It’s usually outdoors for me. When there’s no roof between yourself and the heavens, most of the petty worries disappear instantly, and answers are found. Whether it’s a bigger social problem in one’s life, a sudden dilemma in your own mind, or an evading verse to an Auri song. Out there are many (all?) answers. On a more mundane level books, movies, & gaming work as a fantastic injection of escapism and self-searching.
Johanna Kurkela: Thank you. For me, walks in nature, meditation, yoga, gratitude journaling, TRE, or breathing exercises are all good tools to take a moment, recalibrate and reconnect with one's essence.
What do you think it is about the fantasy genre that gives creatives such a playground to play in?
JK: I'm guessing it has something to do with the ultimate freedom that's sometimes hard to find in real life. I've always been fascinated by stories. And the most fascinating thing is that we're all storytellers, whether we know it or not! We all cultivate stories about ourselves, other people, our lives, etc.,... Our heads are filled with stories all the time. As a default, those stories tend to veer towards the negative — that's just how our DNA is coded, I guess, to help us stay alert and survive the odd saber tooth cat attacks that once roamed the earth with us. The stories we tell ourselves can be terribly depressing and downtrodden, until one day, the storyteller has The Epiphany and realises that, actually, all they really are, are just stories! And that's when the best part begins, when one learns to flip the narrative and discovers oneself at the helm and in charge! Suddenly a victim becomes a hero, and the challenging people, things, and circumstances you once had to battle with all lose their power.
In a society that seems to value taking a picture with someone vs getting to know someone slowly and authentically, how do you balance staying “on” and “off” in life when in public or even privately?
TH: Thankfully, you have a lot of control over what you want to reveal about yourself. There is always the option of a polite “No, thanks” to an interview or a social occasion you don’t want to do. Always quality over quantity. This applies to the likes of promotional work, human relationships, the hours you spend in a day writing music, and eating Cornish pasties.
JK: It's not always easy. In any line of job where there's publicity involved, one can't just hang a "closed" sign in front of one's shop (in our case, our faces) and be done for the day. Whenever exposed to public spaces, there's always that odd chance of someone approaching and "willing the switch on." This is just something every individual needs to come to terms with in their own way, I guess. However, brief, heart connected encounters with people on an authentic, grounded, and meaningful level are always enriching and appreciated. It's those ego-driven, lack-mentality based, fan-delusion feeding activities that aren't helping anyone. We're all equally ephemeral stardust here. That's all that we are.
Aside from music, how do you express your creativity and are there any hobbies or avenues left unexplored that you would like to learn about?
TH: I used to write short fictional stories for fun, but haven’t done that in a while. Creating & solving crossword puzzles is something I still enjoy greatly. As I do cooking, which is a wonderfully creative form of art. Learning to bake the perfect rye bread is still something I haven’t mastered. Discovering ancient treasures by metal detecting is something we all love to do, too.
They are too modest to say this, but Johanna’s non-musical skills include knitting, drawing, calligraphy, typewriting, and editing social media video posts. She’s really good in all those mentioned. (I cannot draw a bloody stick man from a model, and don’t even get me started about the rest of those). Troy is the best magician I’ve ever seen, and a brilliant bread baker. His special way with words is something to marvel at, too.
JK: Troy's wife, Terri, is an amazing potter! One of these days, I would love to take a lesson and test out how throwing some earthenware feels. Terri's works are truly amazing, btw. Make sure to check out Throw & Turn Ceramics!
Do you think the character of Auri [from the Kingkiller Chronicle] would like Auri? Would Kvothe play one of your songs for a free meal and a jot?
JK: What a lovely thought. I wonder if even our lively group would be too loud and busy by touring & adventuring to gain the trust and friendship of Auri... Maybe she would come sit on the roofs of the venues we played, to sway along and secretly enjoy the music before quickly dashing back into her Underthing lest nobody notice. But to hear Kvothe play an Auri song! Maybe even join us on stage! That would be pretty awesome.
What specific characteristics about books, films, and all kinds of art draws you in? Certain subjects? What makes a good world to dive into?
TH: All things fantastical, thrilling, funny, dramatic, minimalistic, nostalgic, educational, hopeful, harrowing, and joyous. So… everything, really. I’m a character-first reader, so in books it is mostly about them. I’m a huge Joe Abercrombie fan, and whereas his books do not celebrate plot that much, his character work is simply so stunning it keeps me turning pages. Movies are slightly different, as sometimes you just want to see Liam Neeson kick ass for 2 hours without any deeper meaning behind it all.
When — in addition to the great characters — you have a story, intriguing worldbuilding (a world where you would actually love to spend time in), and flowing prose, then you’ve hit the jackpot. These are a rarity, but for example J.R.R. Tolkien, Tove Jansson, Robin Hobb, J.K. Rowling, James Clavell, and Don Rosa have succeeded perfectly in all four. George R.R. Martin, too, if you leave out the “would like to spend time in that world”-bit.
I’m a sucker for certain tropes, as well. Like the “unexpected hero,” “a stranger in a strange land”-scenario, “a coming-of-age through hardships” -story, and a smart twist ending.
JK: That is an interesting question. Why do some worlds instantly grip us into their hooks and some feel like lukewarm water no matter how hard you try to enjoy them? I've found this especially challenging in video games. After playing Skyrim, no other game has been able to move me quite the same. Apart from the Hogwarts Legacy, which I thoroughly enjoyed, even though I never quite learned to fly the blasted broom well enough... hah! I guess there just has to be that secret ingredient, that special "something" that feels like adding a missing piece to the puzzle of your being. Something that resonates and still manages to open up doors to new ways of thinking and feeling, which is, of course, constantly subject to change as well. I believe there's a right time and space for everything. The right things will always find us when the timing is right.
There’s a myth about inspiration where people assume you see or hear something inspiring and ka-boom! you have a fully-formed idea in your mind about something. What song in the Auri discography took the longest to finally wrangle out of your mind? How did you finally cut it free?
JK: I think Troy might take the cake here with “A Boy Travelling With His Mother,” time-wise. But for me, it was “Museum Of Childhood.” The idea sparked on the same trip to Edinburgh as the song “Kiss the Mountain,” but it took me a whole other album process to finally finesse the colossal collage that became the Museum.
What inspires you the most about humankind?
TH: The vast light, the occasional dark, and the infinite untapped potential for utopian deliciousness.
JK: Kindness. And our ability to so profoundly forget who we are! Only to start putting pieces of it back together after a whole lot of commotion and lifetimes of suffering.
Did you have to kill any darlings for this album?
JK: No darlings were harmed during the making of this album. But all jokes aside, yes, sometimes, especially during the mixing process, things are omitted at the last minute, for that most optimal impact.
If you could perform in any fictional location, where would you want to perform? I am personally offering up the Blackreach in Skyrim. That would be neat.
TH: Good one. I wouldn't mind doing The Eolian, The Prancing Pony, and the Pensacola Beach — planet at the end of Contact.
JK: Oh, Blackreach would be fab! We could adorn the stage with Crimson Nirnroots! Although, in Blackreach we might need to keep alert, quiet, and our bows at the ready... so maybe by the restored Gildergreen instead — or at the Eldergleam sanctuary. Also, I think Fablehaven would be a pretty amazing place, after having drank the milk, or being kissed by the fairies. ...And of course, The Eolian!
Ten years ago was a big turning point for all of you musically and you all made some individual musical decisions as artists like changing lineups and pivoting from a solo career. How has your life changed creatively since then?
JK: That's where it all began for me. Creativity. Becoming a channel for music. It was the first step towards the dream life I'm living right now. Tapping into ultimate freedom and love — the two yarns holding this mysteriously wonderful universal tapestry of ours together. I feel so grateful for the music I now get to channel into this world with dear kindred spirits.
One of my most revered self-realizations was that I have every answer to any questions I could ask myself and instead I should pursue questions instead of answers. Do you believe the same? Do you enjoy self-reflection and does that ever come out in music?
JK: Absolutely. It is all connected. I'm sure a lot of those revelations and epiphanies we've encountered through self-reflection now dwell in our music too. There's no doubt about that. I find asking myself questions especially intriguing in lucid dreams. They are relatively rare treats, but whenever I find myself in one, I always enjoy asking my subconscious some profound questions. The answers have been most interesting and enlightening! There are great books about lucid dreaming and how to train yourself to see them for anyone interested. I highly recommend it.
What’s it like to bare your deepest, darkest feelings in a very transparent way that only you can decode? Almost like hiding your inner secrets in plain sight via music.
JK: We are all darkness and we are all light. It is that feeling of, if this has helped me, maybe it could be of help to someone else as well. Just that energy of sharing and altruism, even though we are all very unique in our ways of perceiving things. Not everyone will get it. But if there's even one soul who finds something meaningful in our discoveries, then it all hasn't been just a lonely journey. And that's the beauty of it. You write for yourself, but also for others, in hopes of alleviating their burdens.
Will we ever hear a Finnish Auri song?
JK: Hmm... It remains to be seen!
You all have experience with video games to different degrees and I know they’ve impacted you. What do you think that it is about playing as someone or something that draws people in? Is it still the “world is what you make of it”? Or does predictability help people decompress?
JK: For me, it's sometimes just as simple as allowing myself to do absolutely nothing of real importance, after toiling away for months towards goals dealing with invisible wavelengths of sound and life purposes. Finding balance is a beautiful, but tricky thing. I think the possibility to also "load" a previous moment in the game and try out a different outcome is also a pretty intriguing concept and oddly satisfying.
The circle of inspiration never ends, with books inspiring music that inspires books or even any other form of art. Is there a piece of your soul that smiles knowing that you helped cultivate more art into the world?
TH: It’s a comforting thought, having contributed a Verse. As many Verses before us have contributed to what we are privileged to do. It’s a lovely cycle of light which beams into eternity, long after our atoms have scattered to the four winds.
JK: To be a part of this mesmerizing circle of life is an inexplicable gift in and of itself. I'm sure our egos take great pride in these kinds of things, but we know better. This is just the way it is and has always been. Absolute connection.
To end on a positive note: what’s your favorite thing about each other?
JK: Magic. Both in music and in other aspects of life. The magic of finding a piece of your home in other beings on this planet.
READ MORE: On the Record with Auri (2018); Off the Record with Altamullan Road (2024); On the Record with Altamullan Road (2020); Off the Record with Timo Kurkela (2024); Off the Record Yuletide Special with Johanna & Timo Kurkela & Troy Donockley (2024); On the Record with Auri (2025); Guest Interview with Altamullan Road (2024); Live Report: Altamullan Road Kitee (2024); Live Report: Altamullan Road Hyvinkää (2024); Live Report: Altamullan Road Porvoo (2024); Travel Blog: Altamullan Road in Kitee (2024); Guest Travel Blog: Altamullan Road in the Netherlands (2024); Guest Travel Blog: Altamullan Roat pt.1 (2024); Guest Travel Blog: Altamullan Roat pt. 2 (2024); Guest Travel Blog: Altamullan Road pt. 3 (2024); Gathering of Geeks - Trivia Showdown ft. Eye of Melian (2024); Guest Listen Back: Auri I (2024)
