[Cover photo credit to Outi Pyhäranta]

Finnish indie Folk artists Tuomo & Markus have shared their new single, “Waiting Room” via Grandpop Records, featuring guitarist/artist/political activist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Black Keys, T Bone Burnett) and Nordic jazz trumpet player Verneri Pohjola.

“Waiting Room” is the first offering from Tuomo & Markus’ upcoming album, comprised solely of cinematic instrumental pieces recorded and mixed in Dolby Atmos. The new single is influenced by 1970s Jazz-Funk sounds. Marc Ribot plays wah-wah guitars on the track as well as adding a spoken word element.

Tuomo & Markus recall:

‘Waiting Room’ was originally just a studio jam number, built around a bluesy, slightly Tuareg-sounding guitar riff. It wasn’t really until Marc entered the studio that we found a sense of purpose for the track. His amazing intensity and willingness to jump into the deep end turned it from a jam to a gem.

The musicians remember digging the groove in the studio so much that they kept playing the track until the 2” tape ran out. Keyboard player Tuomo Prättälä was inspired by the sounds of a vintage Vox Continental organ, while Verneri Pohjola added live effect treatments to his trumpet on the spot.

Meanwhile the two drummers, Juho Viljanen and Jaska Lukkarinen, laid down a West African groove, together with bass player Jeremias Ijäs and rhythm guitarists Markus Nordenstreng and Miikka ‘McGyver’ Paatelainen.

Tuomo & Markus most recent album, Game Changing, was recorded with Jonathan Wilson at his LA studio and released in January 2023. Its predecessor, Dead Circles (2018) was recorded in a studio in Tucson AZ, backed by their friends from Calexico and Wilco.