Auri release their enchanting third album and new lyric video

Last Friday marked the highly anticipated release of III – Candles & Beginnings, the third studio album from AURI — the visionary musical collaboration of vocalist Johanna Kurkela, Nightwish keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley.

With III – Candles & Beginnings, AURI once again open a portal to an otherworldly soundscape where folk, progressive rock, symphonic textures, world music, pop, and avant-garde elements entwine. At the heart of the album lies Kurkela’s ethereal voice, soaring across lush sonic landscapes crafted by Holopainen’s emotive keyboard playing and Donockley’s eclectic instrumentation.

This new release is a tapestry of emotion and imagination, where each track tells its own story — from nostalgic reflections to deeply personal experiences.

Coinciding with the album’s release is the launch of the third single, ‘Blakey Ridge’, accompanied by a brand-new lyric video. Joyful and transportive, the track pays tribute to The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, a historic and beloved pub nestled in the remote beauty of the North York Moors — a personal haven for the band.

Troy Donockley comments: 

“Can the remote, isolated, back of beyond feel like home? Is the middle of nowhere the middle of everywhere?

The sun is setting.

The moon is rising.

The night is coming.

The Lion is waking…

We’ll meet you up on Blakey Ridge.”

III – Candles & Beginnings is not just an album; it’s a journey to be felt with the senses, a sanctuary for dreamers and seekers alike.

Stream the album on all platforms: https://auri.bfan.link/iii-candles-beginnings

Having been a studio endeavour in the past, AURI is finally going on tour with their first- ever live European trek kicking off in August 2025. Check out the dates:

AURI – A Trail Of Candles & Beginnings 
16.08. FI  Tampere, Tampere-talo 
20.08. FI  Oulu, Madetojan Sali 
22.08. FI  Vaasa, Ritz 
23.08. FI  Helsinki, Helsinki Festival / Huvilateltta (+ Eye Of Melian) 
12.09. UK  Manchester, RNCM Theatre 
13.09. UK  Edinburgh, Queen ́s Hall 
15.09. UK  London, Union Chapel 
16.09. BE  Gent, Theaterzaal Vooruit 
17.09. FR  Paris, La Cigale (+ Eye Of Melian) 
18.09. NL Utrecht, Tivoli Vredenburg (+ Eye Of Melian) 
20.09. CH  Zürich, Volkshaus 
21.09. DE  Stuttgart, Liederhalle 
22.09. DE  Cologne Theater am Tanzbrunnen (+ Eye Of Melian) 
23.09. DE  Essen, Lichtburg 
25.09. DE  Mannheim, Capitol 
26.09. DE  Munich, St. Matthäuskirche 
27.09. AT  Vienna, Simm City 
29.09. HU  Budapest, MOM Kult 
30.09. CZ  Prague, Hybernia 
01.10. DE  Berlin, Passionskirche 
02.10. DE  Leipzig, Kupfersaal 
04.10. PL  Warsaw ,Palladium 
06.10. DE  Hamburg Laeiszhalle 
07.10. DK  Copenhagen, Amager Bio 
08.10. SE  Stockholm, Nya Cirkus 
09.10. NO  Oslo Sentrum Scene 
10.10. NO  Bergen Grieghallen 

TICKETLINK: linktr.ee/auri.band

Line-up:
Johanna Kurkela | voices, violin, viola, keys
Tuomas Holopainen | keys & backing voices
Troy Donockley | guitars, bouzouki, mandola, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices