Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS continue their blockbuster series of new singles with “Thinking Of You,” out October 20. The new track is a true rocker and a major shifting of gears from the contemplative piano ballad “Mr. King” that marked the previous standalone track from the band that's been defining Finnish power pop since the late

Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS continue their blockbuster series of new singles with “Thinking Of You,” out October 20. The new track is a true rocker and a major shifting of gears from the contemplative piano ballad “Mr. King” that marked the previous standalone track from the band that's been defining Finnish power pop since the late '70s.

BABLERS founder, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Arto Tamminen – who's led the band, now alongside Janne Haavisto (drums, vocals), Pekka Gröhn (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Hannu Pikkarainen (guitar, vocals) since those early days – explains how the energy of the new song is an important side of the band's multifaceted identity. “After our last live performance, a fellow artist came from the stage and told us, 'You guys take no prisoners!' That’s one side of us as a versatile band: pure rock with lots of power. We can be the most personal and intimate band playing pop waltzes or acoustic songs with cellos, or the most hard-driven pop, rock or power pop act…or anything in between. We always put the songs in the center. That’s the key: doing whatever is needed to execute every song on its own terms.”

And indeed, this track is gloves-off time for The Bablers. “Thinking Of You” is a pure rocker with energy to spare. The band is on fire with an instantly memorable riff worthy of 007, and the song is executed with roaring guitars and rocking bass and drums. The melody is the kind of earworm that listeners have come to expect over the recent run of singles since the band returned with the new 2021 album PSYCHADILLY CIRCUS and set about dominating the global pop rock airwaves of the 21st Century (scoring a “Coolest Song In The World” nod from Little Steven's Underground Garage for “You Are The One For Me”). The intensity of vocals on “Thinking Of You” is the final ingredient making it another sure-fire favorite among their fans, and destined to grab the attention of pop rock enthusiasts who haven't caught on just yet.

“The story is an about the demanding period after the relationship is ended that almost everyone has experienced -- but with a forward-looking attitude and hope,” says Tamminen. “With The Bablers, hope is always present. It's the secret ingredient in every song.” That connection is there across all of the band's latest single releases: “Thinking Of You” is the fourth track to preview the album LIKE THE FIRST TIME, a record previously only available in Japan and Finland and slated for eventual reissue at a future date. But for now, the new single shows off the most energetic side of Finland's national pop-rock treasures, THE BABLERS. “Enjoy the ride and fasten your seat belts!” says Arto. “We're taking no prisoners with this one!”

Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS continue their blockbuster series of new singles, shifting gears for a contemplative piano ballad that's as timely as today's headlines. “Mr. King” sees release as a single streaming everywhere worldwide May 5, just one day before the coronation of King Charles in the UK, and is up for pre-order/pre-save

Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS continue their blockbuster series of new singles, shifting gears for a contemplative piano ballad that's as timely as today's headlines. “Mr. King” sees release as a single streaming everywhere worldwide May 5, just one day before the coronation of King Charles in the UK, and is up for pre-order/pre-save now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and all major streaming platforms. It follows the hits “You Are The One For Me” (which reigned as The Coolest Song In The World on Little Steven's Underground Garage last year) and “Holding You Tight Tonight” as the latest track to hit the international airwaves from the out-of-print album LIKE THE FIRST TIME, previously released to great acclaim only in Japan and slated for international reissue by Big Stir.

BABLERS founder, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Arto Tamminen – who's led the band, now alongside Janne Haavisto (drums, vocals), Pekka Gröhn (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Hannu Pikkarainen (guitar, vocals) since its late '70s genesis – tells us about the track and how it differs from the boisterous guitar pop of the two prior single. “It's built to be a classic big piano pop ballad, the kind you've rarely heard since the golden days of pop.” And that's exactly what “Mr. King” delivers: intimate, intense, bold, confident, and powerful, the tune has a million dollar melody that sticks in your mind, and a timeless message. As with all of the tracks from the LIKE THE FIRST TIME sessions, the song is played 100% live with original instruments: upright piano, electric guitar, bass and drums. The band’s sound is glued together, tight yet flexible, and the take heard here has a magic and a mood you can almost touch. It makes you listen, demanding attention that will be rewarded.

Tamminen lays out the backstory behind the emotive lyrics, offering insight into the choice to release the song as the English monarchy – and so much of the world – enters a new era. “It’s been a long day. A lot of public activities. Horses and soldiers. Roaring audiences. Applause. Flags. Smiling faces,” explains Arto. “Finally, at the castle, someone is knocking at the door. It's troubadour asking permission to sing a song, crafted especially for the occasion. Permission is granted. He starts to sing, and in the chorus asks the most important question...”

Both the deft handling of the subject matter and the richness of the music mark a true change of pace after the previous two singles from THE BABLERS. That versatility won't surprise longtime fans or anyone who's heard the band's thrillingly eclectic and lovingly crafted 2021 Big Stir Records album PSYCHADILLY CIRCUS. But it's all too rare to hear a new work of this depth and purity of sound on the radio these days, and that alone is reason to celebrate another triumph from THE BABLERS, who are rapidly ascending to the throne they have long deserved: the Kings of Finnish Guitar Pop, and royalty on the global stage as well. Long may they reign!

BIG STIR RECORDS announces the next single in the amazing comeback story of Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS! “Holding Me Tight Tonight” will see release Friday, November 25, streaming everywhere worldwide, and is up for pre-order/pre-save now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com. It's the followup to the runaway success of “You Are The One

BIG STIR RECORDS announces the next single in the amazing comeback story of Finnish guitar pop supergroup THE BABLERS! “Holding Me Tight Tonight” will see release Friday, November 25, streaming everywhere worldwide, and is up for pre-order/pre-save now at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com. It's the followup to the runaway success of “You Are The One For Me”, the single from earlier this year that became The Coolest Song In The World on Little Steven's Underground Garage and has enjoyed months of worldwide airplay as Big Stir's most-streamed single ever.

It would be an understatement to say that THE BABLERS are going stronger than ever, decades after their late '70s beginning as the leading lights of the Finnish power pop scene. Their 2021 album PSYCHADILLY CIRCUS – their third overall, first this century, and the band's debut for Big Stir Records – introduced the band to a new global audience and landed on music critics' “Best Of The Year” lists from the US to Spain, Germany, Brazil and beyond. This year's release of the wonderful “You Are The One For Me”, a track from THE BABLERS' intriguing middle-period album LIKE THE FIRST TIME (which to this day has only been released in Japan) raised the band's profile still higher. A hit on guitar-pop-leaning radio outlets both terrestrial and online upon its May 2022 release, the single showed remarkable staying power, eventually catching the ears of Little Steven himself, who personally selected it as the Coolest Song In The World in mid-October, with a week of featured airplay from all of the DJs in the Underground Garage (including the likes of LA radio legend Rodney Bingenheimer).

The followup, “Holding Me Tight Tonight”, is equally terrific and looks set to follow in its predecessor's footsteps. Taken from the same sessions as “You Are The One For Me” – and furthering the buzz for LIKE THE FIRST TIME's first global release as an album in 2023 – the song showcases the same mix of hooks and heart that made the last single so beloved. BABLERS main man Arto Tamminen says of the track:

“'Holding Me Tight Tonight' is a song about distance, longing, and love! Being far away from the one you love, and the sweet feeling of being blessed with having someone to miss. How love can make distances to disappear - and suddenly noticing the smile on your face while thinking about that special someone, thousands of miles apart. Having that warm and most precious feeling inside knowing that you have someone one to love and to go back to! It’s also about mixing power pop and country rock, and all the heartfelt yearning they can both express at their best!”

Enjoy the ride, with a band that rocks, guitars that chime and slide, and sweetly-sung melodies with the unique Bablers sound that's exploding well beyond Finland, beyond Japan, and beyond even Big Stir's home in America. THE BABLERS are quickly becoming inescapable on the global pop-rock stage... and fans of that classic sound wouldn't have it any other way.