Auri are a Finnish trio with a very particular kind of atmosphere. It is Johanna Kurkela on vocals and violin, with Tuomas Holopainen and Troy Donockley adding keys, guitars and pipes. If you know Nightwish, you will recognise two thirds of the lineup, but Auri is a different world. It leans into misty melodies, folk colour, and a calm sense of drama that builds slowly rather than chasing big riffs.
British magazine Prog has described the band as prog folk, which fits. The songs feel like little scenes, with strings and keyboards doing as much storytelling as the vocals. Their debut album was recorded at Real World Studios, and it sets the tone for everything that follows. You get warmth, odd details, and that slightly magical feeling like you have stepped into someone else’s book for half an hour.
The self titled debut from 2018 is the starting point. II Those We Don’t Speak Of from 2021 goes deeper and feels more cinematic. Their third album III Candles and Beginnings arrived in 2025 and carries the same mood with a wider palette.
This category is audio-only for now. We stock Auri on CD and vinyl. Titles can come and go depending on availability, so if you spot one you have been after, it is worth picking it up while it is here.
We would also love to bring in T-shirts and hoodies. We are on the lookout and we will add them here as soon as we can source them.
