Interview: The Rasmus On Their First-Ever Australian Shows

After more than three decades of shaping dark pop, goth-rock and outsider anthems that defined a generation, Finnish icons The Rasmus are finally making their long-overdue Australian debut – and they’re arriving in the middle of one of the most powerful chapters of their career.

Their 11th studio album Weirdo is out now via Better Noise Music, and if you thought the band had already said everything they needed to say about feeling different, misunderstood and gloriously out of place… think again.

The Rasmus ft. Lee Jennings – ‘Weirdo’

“It’s comforting that our 11th album has pretty much the same message as our first in 1996,” frontman Lauri Ylönen tells Music Feeds. “It’s about defending the ones who are different and proudly being themselves. That’s been our philosophy from the very beginning.”

Reclaiming The Word ‘Weirdo’

For Lauri, the word “weirdo” used to sting. Now it’s a badge of honour.

“I’ve always felt like an outsider,” he admits. “I’ve been called a misfit, a freak, a weirdo – and that used to make me angry. But not anymore. It’s become my source of strength and confidence.”

That mindset pulses through the album – a fierce collision of stadium-sized guitars, glossy modern pop hooks and signature Rasmus darkness.

“The first song we wrote was the title track ‘Weirdo’ – and it shaped the entire record,” he explains. “It celebrates being different. Since the first song I ever wrote in 1994, I’ve always felt like I don’t quite fit in.”

The band even teamed up with Lee Jennings from The Funeral Portrait on the title track – turning it into a full-blown anthem for outsiders everywhere.

“We, the weirdos, unite,” Lauri says. “All the people I find inspiring are somehow strange. The world changes because of people who don’t fit in.”

Why It Took 30 Years To Get To Australia

Despite racking up 6x Platinum and 8x Gold certifications worldwide, Australia somehow remained a giant missing puzzle piece – until now.

“We’ve seen Australian fans online for years,” Lauri says. “People asking, ‘Why haven’t you come here?’ Finally someone said, ‘Let’s do it.’ And now it’s happening.”

And it’s not just a victory lap. After three straight months of touring Weirdo across Europe, the band is in lethal form.

“The new album is heavier – almost metal at times,” he explains. “These small venue shows are going to be intense. Energetic. Powerful.”

Fans can expect a wild mix of nostalgia and modern firepower – a chance to time-travel back to your teenage bedroom and get your face melted by a band who are somehow playing better than ever.

“There’s a real buzz around the band again,” he says. “It feels like the beginning of something new.”

Whether you were screaming ‘In The Shadows’ into your bedroom mirror in 2003 or discovering The Rasmus for the first time in 2026, one thing is clear – the weirdos are uniting, and Australia is finally invited to the party.

You can take The Rasmus’s new LP Weirdo for a spin here, or suss their full list of East Coast Aussie tour dates down below.