Bei Anruf Wein. Der Weinfreunde-Podcast. Ich grüße euch, liebe Weinfreunde, mein Name ist Tobias. Willkommen bei Anruf Wein. Samu Haber ist den meisten nicht nur als Frontmann der Band Sunrise Avenue bekannt. Viele kennen den Finnen zudem als Juror von The Voice of Germany. Hier stellte er durch sein gutes Gespür für Talente und den charmant unperfekten Deutschkenntnissen eine echte Bereicherung der Show dar. In der heutigen Folge von Bei Anruf Wein spreche ich mit Samu über die Abschiedstournee von Sunrise Avenue, seine Zukunftspläne und natürlich über den Neuzugang in seinem Forever Yours getauften Weinangebot, den Riesling Lumi aus der Pfalz. Passenderweise kann man diesen Wein in unserem Podcast auch gewinnen. Um teilzunehmen, einfach eine E-Mail an podcast@weinfreunde.de schicken. Ihr könnt aber auch gewinnen, indem ihr den Beitrag zu dieser Folge bei Facebook oder Instagram kommentiert. Und noch ein Hinweis in eigener Sache: Das Gespräch mit Samu findet auf Englisch statt. Er hat mir nämlich in der Folge auch verraten, dass er eigentlich gar kein Deutsch spricht. Und die anfangs etwas schlechte Tonqualität bitte ich zu entschuldigen. Also, bleibt mal dran. Ich ruf den mal an! Hello. Hello. Hi. Samu, is it you? Yeah. That's me. Hey. Perfect. Okay. Thanks for your time. For. For our podcast. Bei Anruf Wein. I think it's not so usual for you to talk about wine a lot, but. Well. It depends on the. On the weekends, Saturday and Friday nights. I talk about it a lot, but. But no, I love to talk about wine. Perfect, perfect. But for the start, maybe first some questions to to warm up and some questions that that fit more to you as a, as a musician. Because right now you're you're on your farewell tour with Sunrise Avenue. And I mean, I've seen all the pictures on, on Instagram and must have been amazing. But what I was actually wondering is, how does it feel arriving in a, you know, quiet hotel room after performing in front of thousands of people? What what is your feeling? Well, it's, uh, from left side to right side. It's a it's a, you know, the from maximum to minimum, of course. But the good thing is that usually after the show, you're very tired. So you're like, you're like super exhausted. I actually tried I had my sports watch on me on the first show in in Zurich now, like it's already like six, seven weeks ago. And I burned 1780 calories in the show. So it's more than more than a usual, uh, daily workout for even for a sports person, actually. Right. Uh, so when you get down, when you finally, like, get your energies down and you have a shower and you get like dry clothes on and stuff, then maybe you actually sleep like a baby, but sometimes the energy actually it stays in your system and it's hard to it takes like at least two, three hours to. Yeah, yeah. To get get kind. Of get grounded. But it's not you don't get into like a negative vibe like something because sometimes you hear, you know, people like artists. They, they fall into a hole and feel empty and things like that. But that's not your, your way of feeling it. No, I never had that after a show. But after a tour, it usually happens because a tour is very, uh, intense. It starts like months before the tour. You start preparing for everything and you, uh, practice everything. And then there's like, schedules and interviews. And so a normal tour with Sunrise Avenue, it means, I don't know, two 300 interviews and then like 20, 30 shows, traveling hotel rooms and like having activities on the off days with the crew guys and doing everything and then and every day is very easy for you because there's lunch, there's catering, there's dinner, there's show, there's interviews. Somebody is telling you every day what to do, and there's laundry days, laundry service, and there's interview days and stuff. Then you come home and you're like, uh, where is everybody? Where's the laundry? Where's, where's the catering? And you wake up in the first morning and like, I could have an omelet with, oh, there's nobody to make all medicine. But, um, but yeah, but then in the past, actually, we used to go, like, to the bars of Helsinki with the guys or go to somebody's house, but I'm very happy everybody actually has a life outside music. Like, I could go to do combat sports or riding with a motorcycle or something with other friends, and you can't. But that's when you go crazy if you stay at home. Actually, the best thing was like ten years ago when all the bills used to come. You know, the post and magazines, you come home, there's like a mountain of electricity bills and like insurance bills and all that stuff. And then you come home. This is the first thing you start doing is like Jesus Christ, like opening envelopes and stuff. So nowadays you pay them on the run anyways because it's all digital, but, uh, it's not that bad. I never feel depressed, and I actually love to go to Instagram to see the short videos that are tagged to the band or to myself, and like it's a good feeling because it's a miracle. Anyways, there's a lot of people in the room, they sing with you, so you feel very thankful. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I can imagine. And I think it's a, it's a good thing that you, that you look at it that way, that it's not a usual lifestyle. Yeah. No, no, it's always, uh, miracle. And uh, and the massive gift, is it. Still a ritual to, to have a glass of red wine when coming back from a gig? It's not a ritual anymore. Sometimes I do it. I don't really drink that much. Uh, because I don't like the thing that it does to my sleep. But if I eat something, if I have a dinner after the show, then definitely because it's like, uh, I don't know, it just makes the dinner better and more meaningful. And, um, it's kind of a reward as well. But I used to have, like, always after the show, it's like, well, first like two liters of water because you sweat so much, but then a good, good glass of, uh, some good. Red wine used to be the tradition, but actually the the longer you play and the longer you go with music, the less like any substances you want. And especially this tour, because, uh, I don't know, I want to be like, there. I really want to feel every emotion. And so 15 years ago, we had to have a lot of alcohol to get on stage because we were so nervous. But now you want to feel the, I don't know, the energy and the love from people, and it feels better this way, but but if I get a nice steak or a good pasta or something after the show and there's wine, I'll definitely have a good glass. Okay, so so for you, wine and food is a combination that that has to be because in Germany a lot of people, they don't get the concept of of, you know, having having wine with food all the time like they do in Spain and Italy and France, also in Germany, it's, it's uh, often, you know, you have dinner and then afterwards you open a bottle or, you know, it's it's not the same. What do they drink then? Maybe they, they have, like, a sip of wine, but maybe they just drink water or something. But this, this like common thing to, you know, if you open a bottle, there has to be food. Um, no, it's it's not like that in Germany. Well, it's like maybe I grew up in, uh, in a family where we used to do that because it's like, especially like the acids of wines and like, uh, what do you call it in English? Like tannins, like the. Yeah, stuff like that. The full, full body of of a red wine, the wine gets like two times better if there's something that supports the taste. But but there is no wrong or right way of, uh, of consuming wine and, uh, any way is as good as the other one. Yeah. That's true. So, um, let's get a little bit serious again. Um, you are one year younger than I am, uh, without, you know, uh, telling people how old we are. But what are your goals now? We have a, we have a we have a driver's license. Both of us. Exactly, exactly. Um, what are your goals for for. Yeah. Now, the second half of your of your life. Um, do you still see yourself performing music? Well, it's actually very hard to say, because I really it was a big struggle to realize that I want to end Sunrise Avenue. It was always my life dream. Since I was 16. I was 16 when I established the band. And yeah, it's been around like more than half of my life. Uh, it was always the grand dream, the whatever, the unreachable thing. And then it actually the dream came true. And for some reason, it started happening like years ago, that I started feeling strange feelings and stuff. And letting go of that has been a long process, and I'm still in the process. So I don't really know, uh, what happens after this? I think music will have a big part, uh, in my what I do daily or what I call professional. It's not a job, really. It's more than, like, more like a lifestyle. Uh, I have produced an album in Finnish language that is going to be out in September, which is has been the best project ever, especially during the pandemic. I was able to, yeah, take my time and be alone a lot and think about what I want to do. Um, so I will do the Finnish thing. So the Finnish language music career definitely. I don't know how and what and when if something will happen with, uh, something international, but if it will, it has to feel really, really weird, uh, like, um, strong inside my heart. Because I know what it takes to be successful or to to be able to do it. So let's see. But it's the first time also in my life that I don't know what I'll be doing next year. And I actually like the feeling a lot because it feels scary, maybe like scary 15%, but 85% it feels free. So I know I will not be bundeskanzler. I will not be UFC fighter, at least on the top level. And I will not be a formula one driver, but if I change my mind, I will definitely let people know about it. Uh, Samuel in an interview, um, some time ago, you once referred to the German word Leben Künstler. You describe the Lebens Künstler as somebody who makes his own wine and sits at home wearing the same underwear for weeks. Um, back then, I think you didn't relate to that a lot. But when looking at your wine project, I think it's it's quite interesting. I mean, Helsinki is your home. Um, Germany, for sure has been very important for your career. Um, and also Spain had a big impact on your early life especially. So, is your wine project somehow an expression of exactly this, like having, you know, now two Spanish wines and. Our German Riesling kind of reflects that, right? Well, I would be lying if I would say that the the first two wines, uh, uh, being from Spain, have nothing to do with my roots in, especially in the southern part of the country and the culture. And actually, like you said earlier, I loved the idea when I lived in Spain, you have lunch and you can see two police officers coming with motorbikes, eating their tapas and their lunch, drinking two glasses of wine and going back to work. Right. I'm not suggesting that people should drink two glasses of wine every day, but I loved the I don't know, it's just like they're living. Yeah, maybe living la vida loca a little bit, but they're also like, living their lives. And alcohol is not as, uh, much of a taboo or something like, as it is a bit in the Nordic countries, and for very good reasons, of course. But, um, especially wine, right, is like the it's like art and it's like, uh, it's not like something you make like hundreds of liters to make people drunk. There's a story and there's nature and there's like the fruits, everything, the plants and everything. So, yeah, the Spain project, like the Jesus, it's already like one and a half years ago. It's a long time ago. Right? Uh, we just found, uh, together with my tiny wine team. We found a great, uh, company and a great family, actually, in Spain. And the story made sense. And the, let's say, the tiny business logic around it also made sense. Something like, if you approach Bordeaux or something like, like, uh, vineyards, their their restrictions are much different. They don't allow you to put like crazy things on the labels or stuff like that. And some things in the, in Piemonte are also very much more restricted. So for that time, the Spanish gang just felt like, yeah, we do what you want and we're going to have a lot of fun. The whole family is working like there are a lot of people there, uh, who helped out, like even their uncles and children and stuff. And they were actually happy to do, like, a strange project project with the guy from Finland. And they were because it was the pandemic times. So it's just like everything just made sense. And first of all, like the most important reason is that I was really, really in love with the product itself. I still have the Forever Yours red wines hidden because I want to have them, as long as they're good for hopefully for a couple more years. Right. And can you like explain from a wine drinker perspective why you picked those three kind of wines? We're talking about, uh, Spanish rosé and red wine and, and now about, um, the German Riesling. Why those three wines? Well, it all started with, uh, so I released my life biography, a book. Uh, it's soon, two years ago, like it was, I should remember maybe October, probably 2000, 20. And I thought when I was about finishing the story for the book, like maybe nine months earlier, that it would be really cool to have, like, a candle, a bottle of wine, a piece of bread and a flashlight or something, something with the book, because it's like, you know, in rock and roll, uh, you go to a concert, you get a t shirt, and the experience goes wider somehow. I love it myself. I was just in a concert last week, and I really, really wanted to have a t shirt and a cap. Actually, this is not the one. But. So anyway, so what would feel good? Uh, with a book? And I thought red wine is like the perfect thing. And then I started exploring the thing a little bit. I have to admit that I always dreamt about having my own red wine. It was like, uh, okay, like a like a crazy idea. Like, I want to have a black belt in taekwondo as well, and I probably someday will, but, uh, the red wine thing. And then it made sense. Okay. Having a book release. So a red wine, it's a perfect match. At least the idea of somebody sitting by candlelight. Like having a bit of wine in the glass, reading the story of my life. Right. The red wine thing went really well. Uh, even though I was not able to do everything with the vineyard and the Spaniards, uh, as I hoped for because of the restrictions back then. Uh, it was a really fun project, and I remember having my own bottle in my own hands for the first time. It felt like. Not like my first album ever, but maybe like, it felt really strong and it felt nice. And I knew the story. I knew the people behind it, and I knew how it comes to the country and and all the, you know, the little steps of, of the whole process that went well. And then, um, I thought about the upcoming summer of 2021 and of course, like rosé wine, I've been actually having it a lot, like it's such a especially for the summer season, but for, for a lot of foods as well because, um, well, rosé is like the playful thing red wines is it's like, I'm not saying it's a conservative world and white wines either, but. Rosé. So you can play a little bit. And I'm, I'm gonna tell the secret now, but I'm actually 46 year old years old, but I still love flamingos and unicorns and pink and all that, like, crazy stuff. And, uh, it's part of me. And I just started thinking about maybe I, like, draw these little, like, umbrellas and flamingos and all that stuff myself to the label. And I approached the same, uh, same agent in Spain. And I asked, like, if they could, like, fix, uh, like a good operation for me to have a rosé wine. And for good reasons, actually, that went well as well. Yeah. So what is the logical step after that? Then I had to start thinking about the white wine, because I also had a lot of feedback, especially from a lot of food people and from a lot of, uh, ladies, that why don't you have a white wine? Yeah. It's like, hmm. So I've been a Riesling drinker always. Like when it comes to. Especially when, like when you're just enjoying wine. But, um, I love Riesling. And I was thinking about either some parts of Germany or then Alsace in France. Those were the two two areas. But then probably also because of my connection to Germany, I oh, Germany, my life. And it's like everything I saw there, the people I met there. And I love the country and the people and also the wine culture. And, uh, yeah, it was an easy pick. And then I found my way to Pfalz and I found a really, really, really good partner there. And, uh, actually, just like a couple of days ago, held the first bottle with the right labels and everything in my hands. And it looks beautiful. Haven't tasted it yet. Yeah. So this is like I went one step away from the Forever Yours mega labels and stuff. There's like a tiny, just a tiny label. Uh, it says, uh, part of the Forever Yours wine family. Um, but I wanted to have, um, brand names, like, uh, like first names, like, uh, your your Tobias. Right? Yes, yes, my name is Samuel, and I'm from the Harbor family, but there are other Harbor family members, so, uh, for various wine family will from now on have, like. Yeah, individuals a bit more. So this is Lumi. Uh, in Finnish, lumi means snow, and snow is white and Italian Lumi means light. So it's, uh. A perfect, perfect match. Yeah, I love it. And there's, like, we drew a bit of, like, lemons and stuff, and it's like, I think, like, Riesling should look like this. Yeah, because the wine shows more through the glass and bottle because it's a see through bottle. And, uh, Lumi is the first child of the new forever yours. Okay. Uh, family. Yeah. Wow. That's a perfect match, because, I mean, Riesling is very bright, very fresh. And, uh, I really, uh, like tasting it because it's, uh, it's a very good combination of this freshness, but but also, you know, very, very nice fruit, a little bit of residual sugar, but not that it makes it sweet in any way, but to just balance out the acidity, I think it's a yeah, a very, very good, very good choice. Is there also a wine finder logo on the bottle? This one is with the uh, yes, there is. There is, is that. Well, the label is really small, right? I mean, you can barely, like, see everything, but it's on the. Well, it's the biggest, biggest, uh, biggest on the top. I don't know if you see it, but. Yeah. Okay. There is. Perfect. Yeah. So, um, you already told me, actually. But, um, your relationship to to Riesling is, uh, mainly because of this typical stylistic of of the wine, I guess the the the freshness. And is it for you, like, the quintessential white wine in a way? Well, I think it is because I grew up with red wine and especially, uh, in Spain. It's like, I love the like everything basically that came from Ribera del Duero. And that's like the like the my favorite area in Spain. And then, uh, actually, like, I was probably around my 20s when I fell in love with, uh, northern Italian, like, uh, you know, the Piemonte area. Like, I remember that I used to be able to smell if somebody opens a Barbera de Asti like the, like the deepest, cheapest, uh, area of Piemonte, probably. I went I went there years ago, and I thought that Asti is like the most beautiful old city and stuff. And then I went to Asti. It's just like a few big barrels and like a well, let's not say this loud, but it was actually not as beautiful. I mean, Alba is beautiful and Barolo is beautiful and all that. Yeah, But, Barbaresco yeah. It's, uh, amazing, but but yeah, then when I, I don't know, like, I love dining in restaurants like all kinds. And I traveled a lot, so I eat out a lot and I never really like. I can't say that I. Ever fell in love with Chardonnays or Chablis or anything like that. But Riesling for some reason, especially the Germans, some Austrians and then the Alsace. There was a time when I always selected a Riesling from Alsace because I knew what I get right. If you if you only buy your wines in the alcohol store in Finland, you know what you get because it's easy. You have your favorites. And then there's like you can ask the salesperson, like, is there something like this? But if you go to France, for example, where you don't really speak the language or you go to anywhere in like, uh, Portugal, and it's hard to understand the wine list or something. It's good to have something, you know, that it's Alsace, it's Riesling. It should be all right. So that's how it started, right? But like you said, you can eat a lot of stuff with this one. But it also works when you. I don't know, it's a summer day like today, and you want to hang out with your friends and you want to have a glass and just chill and, you know, have a good time with the Chardonnay. It's not probably my thing for that. So Riesling is safe. Yeah. So Chardonnay is a little bit more serious, I would say. It's so playful. No, than Riesling is. But for some foods, it's definitely better Chardonnay or or like whatever the further you go. But I'm not that like, my music is very. Yeah. Nothing fancy. I am nothing fancy. And like Riesling is a good, great like pop product, like, you know, so. And, uh, and it can be very good too. So now we have the red wine, we have the rosé, we have the German Riesling. Um, and, you know, of course, the question came to my mind, what's next? And actually, I have an idea for you. Tell me. So you might have to pay me some some royalties if it becomes true. I love, I love. I love paying royalties because that means that somebody's actually making some money somewhere. Yeah, exactly. So because the idea would be to make, um, a spirit and, um, gin, of course, um, is is still a big trend. And I would love to see, uh, Summer Harbor forever yours. Gin with Botanicals from Finland. It's not a bad idea, actually. As especially the gin tonic is probably the only spirit drink that I drink anymore because I don't really like strong alcohol that much. But, uh, you know, like 40% or something like that. I think they actually make pretty good Nordic gins here. Yeah, they do. But, um. Yeah. Why not? It's something, You know, Something that I don't really drink myself. And it would be probably not as inviting as a white wine for myself as a project, but as a business project, it could be cool, and it would be also actually good for because, well, the water is one of the clearest here in the world and what we have growing on the ground in Finland. It's actually even Finns don't realize it. We have like superfood, like the forests are full of superfood, like different berries, roots and stuff. So it's not not a bad idea. There have been actually a couple of ideas where they wanted to take the project, like far away to South America, and there was like some sort of aloe vera things and stuff, but I never got really excited about it. But maybe like, uh, maybe the gin there forever yours or something like that. Yeah. Because now you have Spain, you have Germany. Now you have to think about your home. You know. That's true. But it's so dangerous to make, uh, strong spirits for the Finnish markets because these people are crazy. Um, I just saw your your Forever Yours, um, tattoo, and I'm sure you have talked about it a lot, but, you know, I see the tattoo, and I think your book also had this title. Now the wines, uh, also and I think it's, it's not just a simple, you know, samu haba slogan. I think it means more to you. What what is the meaning? What is the relationship to that? Forever yours? Well. To be very honest, uh, the beginning of the story is, uh, is quite embarrassing because I don't know if you remember the band The Rasmus from Finland. They were, like, really big. Yeah. 15. Yeah. They were even representing Finland in the Eurovision now and then. Uh, there was a band called him and this rock band in the past, and I always admired Kosta, the vocalist always had a tattoo here. And I always thought that I have to have something there because it looks so cool with the microphone. And then I would look like rock and roll. So then for the first album, I wrote the song Forever Yours. It was a yeah, kind of a heartbroken song for my for my ex. But anyways. And then that song became huge. It became like, really? It seems to be one of the fan favorites still on the shows we play Sunrise Avenue. It's one of the two songs that survived the whole lifespan of the band. I don't know, it's somehow it's such a beautiful thing to say that you are forever somebody today or whatever. Uh, and for some reason it became like a massive, uh, massive thing. I cannot tell you everything because there's still something happening in the music side with Forever yours in the very, very near near future. But it's, uh, it's a very it's been a very important, um, some sort of, uh, like a natural part of me that has been growing through the years because I never really thought about it that much. It was just a huge, important song that I loved from the very, very first moment I wrote it. And it has been one of the highlights of the concerts always. And, um, it was the only title that I could, uh, imagine to my life biography, because it kind of right represents the. Yeah, some of the public guy. I'll be forever yours. And here's my whole story and all my, uh, feelings for good and for bad inside the book. And that's the reason the wine became forever yours. Because it's, uh, kind of a little sister of the book in the beginning. Um. But. Uh, yeah, I'm very, very happy that it's there. Yeah, I like the statement a lot because it, you know, I think it's not so simple, you know, it's, uh, it's it's it's pretty deep because there's also some sort of a melancholic mood to it, you know, to, to kind of like, give that statement if you're a public person, um, to just, you know, I'm forever yours. I think it goes pretty deep. You're right. Actually, it's, uh, it's also melancholic when somebody, like, swears love forever or being. Yeah, it's, uh, letting go of your freedom or something like that. But it's been super cool to go to the to the melancholic and emotional side a little bit. I have a lot of pictures people sent me from their weddings, and sometimes they have the, um, behind the car they, they drive away from. Or something, and it usually says just married or I don't know what they say in Germany and, and sometimes, uh, I mean, some people have had the Forever Yours texted like this in the back of their car. And this is like, it's actually so powerful. And there's also been like, um, a few very beautiful portraits of funerals where people have that in the you have the flower bucket. And then there's the thing the. Spanned. Mhm. Yeah. And it has had the same uh logo like the same um font with the flowers and also that's very beautiful. And this is really touching. Like touch me a lot like wow I never thought about it this way. And then somebody, um, you know, um, takes it to their own lives and I think it's very beautiful. Wow. And I think it's very important, uh, to. I don't know, to express your feelings. And if you love someone or if you're excited about something or whatever, to live any, any emotion, like 110% and go with it. And there's a priest and there's a, for example, a woman and a man or a woman and a woman or whatever. And then the priest asks like, Will you take this and this? And until death do it, but it's forever yours, and you have to be brave enough to say yes. If that's what you feel like on that moment, then things can change someday in the future. But, uh. But that's another story, right? Yeah. You already told me that, you know, drinking wine is is for you, a pleasure thing, you know, being around people and having food together. But do you also enjoy wine sometimes in a more serious context. So like a real, you know, serious wine tasting with, with other people that that are really, you know, passionate about wine. Well, I do. Uh, I but usually it's then connected to food as well. So I have some very good friends who are like, let's say that wine is my hobby. And for these people, wine is their profession. Why? They drive a German car. It's like like, you know. They. They reached, uh, a good place in their life because their taste is so good. Uh, or a sense of taste. Right. But, uh, yeah, especially like a couple of usually they are chefs or somehow work, uh. Mhm. In the world of tastes. Right. But, uh, if I go having a dinner somewhere, I always take the sommelier version of the paired wines with anything. And that happens like, I don't know, 40 times a year or like even even more. And I was just in France for, uh, for a week for the grand, uh, Grand Prix, the Formula one. And every evening we ate in the small villages of Riviera somewhere like you always wanted to have, like the full story from the local guy who knows the local wines and stuff. And it's so cool how crazy they go about it, but, um, it's nothing that I want to, you know, like, uh, show off too much because it's more like with wines. It's more about the story behind the why they decided to, uh, you know, make these decisions with the wine and like to have them in the Barrels or whatever they did with them. And, uh, I don't know, you somehow go to a little trip, have a, having a little trip with the, with the product when you hear the story. Mhm. My mouth is not the best in the world. Uh, I have a lot of like. Yeah, friends who like, taste better than I do, but I think it's more the acidity or not or these sugars and stuff that uh. Right. Mean a lot to me, but I'm not a big wine tasting person. But if I go to, like, a vineyard or something, then of course it's more about right. Enjoying? Yeah, yeah, but you're not a big, like, blind tasting guy because friends. Friends of mine. Because they know I'm very involved in wine. They always try to challenge me with, you know, presenting wines, uh, like under a cover and try to watch me making a fool out of myself. Um, so. But that's not your thing. That's not my thing. But I do this one thing, actually, I just remembered. So every time there's a dessert wine. Like a sweet wine like a greenhouse laser ice wine or sauterne or something like that, right? I always, when I have the first taste, I always tell the sommelier or the waiter, I say like. 128g of sugar per liter. And it's like I try to get it right. Sometimes I do, and when I do well, it's like 128. It's 126. How did you know that? Like it's just a taste. So I'm becoming good with that okay. Okay. So let's um, go into a special round of our interview. I have some, um, yeah, just words or names that are going to present to you and, uh, um, try to get, uh, quick reaction from your side. Doesn't have to be a short answer, just what comes to your mind in a spontaneous way. So let's start. Sunrise Avenue. Sunrise Avenue is my life's work and the dream that finally came true. That we probably be nothing as enormous and as huge and beautiful as that still is. And I'm actually very happy that the. Am I allowed to say, am I allowed to say that? I'm thankful that the pandemic postponed the tour, that we still have 12 shows left in Germany. I'm not happy for the pandemic, but I'm thankful that it's not over yet. Yeah. Family. Family is very important. Um, but it's also very important to realize who you are in the family. So sometimes, um, we get, like, I don't know, it's very important to be aware of who you are and have time for yourself as well. Not to run around in a group of people who who, uh, is hard to explain, but for me, it's very important to be myself responsible for my own things. Then take care of people who mean a lot to you. But, uh, and family can be people who are not, like, related to you as well. There can be other people there to. It was a strange answer, but, uh, I. I get it. I relieve responsibility for the people and trust that they do their own thinking. Understand? Yeah. And just to to interrupt this, this question around for for a few seconds. Um, before you mentioned you went to, to a concert like some some weeks ago, who was the artist? It's a very small Finnish band called Cyan Kicks. So actually they are supporting us in Germany and I wanted to see how they're doing. And it's so cool because, well, there was probably like 200 fans of theirs. And of course they all know that they're supporting us. And then I came to the room and, uh, I mean, I'm pretty tall. I'm like 192 tall and, well, music people know who I am. And I tried to, like, be like the secret agent and just, like, go there like the nobody notices me. And then there was like, a huge fan of the Cyan Kicks band. And then I walked the room and she's like, oh fuck, he's here. Like, you know, he's he's going to watch how I play. So cool. Yeah. Very nice. But it's cool. It's so cool that you actually can go to concerts now. It's like the best thing ever. Oh yeah. For sure. Helsinki. Home. Home home home. I was just like I said, I was in France for a week. And it's. Riviera is so beautiful. Like the. The wine bottles grow on trees and there's, like, ice cream on every corner. And the Mediterranean is warm and, uh, it's all beautiful and and, you know, Berlin is so cool. And there's like, it's so cool in Munich. And I love London and Stockholm and New York and Sydney and everything. And I'm very lucky that I got to travel. And I will get to travel a lot. But everything that really, really matters to me is here. The people and my home and my ice hockey team, my football team, my combat sport team and everything. Um, it's actually so good to be more at home and to be with the people to with the people. I was just like this day. I went to the motorcycle, um, workshop because my friend's motorcycle was there being prepared. And then I was taking him with my motorcycle. We were like driving with him and, uh, you know, and then we drive the it was like 80km an hour. And then he's like, you drive like a fucking idiot. I love these friends who, like, treat me like, you know, friends do. And there's no, like, special treatment whatever. Because if we go somewhere, there's, like, press and stuff and, like, it's everything, all right? I was like, yeah, fuck off. You're too. You're too slow or whatever. It's like, I love my a lot. Helsingfors IFK. Oh. Now we're getting to the real reasons why I want to be more in Finland, but I love being a fan. So that's my ice hockey team since I was six years old. You never changed the team. And, um, so my big dream when I was a kid was to play ice hockey in the NHL. Like, um, like Mr. Draisaitl is playing in the NHL like the German big hero. And, um, yeah, it's a mixture of being a fan and also, like, partly like seeing my friends who I, who I don't see somewhere else, like got a certain kind of group of people. We go there and you don't have to send text messages to everybody that who's going to the game. You know, that some of these guys will be there at the games and, uh, it's some sort of therapy as well. You go there, you win or you lose, and you have to accept the results or whatever. I know many of the players in the team. Just yesterday they announced a new player and I never met the guy, but I sent him a message on Instagram like, welcome. And he's like, cool to be in your team. It's not my team at all. And um, but yeah, but I also love being a fan. It's like supporting something. And, um, I really love the victory moments. Of course, who doesn't when we win the Cup or we play the Euro tournaments or something? It's amazing. And it's actually have been a very nice year to be a Finnish ice hockey fan, because we won the Olympics and the World Cup, so it's not a bad result at all. But uh, but also the moments of you go to another town and then they drop out of the playoffs and the season is over and it's all gone, and then you drive with the bus and it's all quiet and nobody talks to each other. It's like, I think this is one part of life's lessons that I would never skip. It's, uh, because you're so disappointed and you're so angry. And then after the loss, you probably see some of the players in a bar in Helsinki or in the summer. I went, uh, out with my boat with some of them, and then we laughed about the whole season. And I afk means a lot to me. It's my team and I'm a fan of them till I die. Never gonna leave them. Taekwondo. Well, taekwondo. Um, I don't know if it saved my life, but, uh, I started it. Is it already, like four and a half years ago? I started martial arts four and a half years ago, um, by. Through a coincidence that I wanted to find something new for for my sports activities. But, uh, yeah, it's a daily routine. Anything that has to do with sports is supporting that somehow. I'm currently working on a brown belt. Uh, it's one belt away from the darkest one. The first Dan. Yeah. But I'm very happy. It's like it's opened a totally new world for me. And there's a lot of other things than roundhouse kicks or, like, dodging, uh, I don't know, knives or something like that. Uh, it's also the mental side and the culture and the history, and I love it. I really, really love it. I do it six days a week, either the combat thing itself or the what do you call it, like the, the sport training itself, or then something that supports it, like yoga or like, like speed or something that like helps me get better in that and I start I started teaching it also. So now that I'm on the higher belts, uh, I started teaching beginners, of course, but, uh, it's it's a lot of fun. And, I don't know, it's it changed a lot of things in my life because, well, I don't drink heavy spirits because when you go on on the tatami with somebody and you had a couple gin tonics the night before. Yeah, it's kind of. You get your ass kicked. Yeah. And it's an advance for the other guy, so. Or a girl. And it's actually it's. I have a cool story. There's an open sparring, uh, thing, uh, starting again in September, I think, where anybody, basically anybody with taekwondo or karate background can join. And then I went to the to the sparring tournament and, uh, I didn't know many people from there, just a couple of familiar faces. And, and then we start with the sparring warm up. And there was probably 40 people, men and women. Um, and then, um, I didn't have a pair, like a sparring partner for myself with me. I went there alone. And then there was only like one lady who was like free, a bit shorter than me. And maybe around her, I would say 30s below, 30s well shaped. And uh, I said, like, uh, would you spar with me? Like we take, take the first round? And it was like, sorry, I don't I don't speak Spanish. Like, oh, okay. Like, uh, where are you from? Like, um, yeah, I'm from Germany. Hi. Okay. I'm Samuel from. I'm Sam, I'm from Finland. Yeah, I. No. I watched the voice. Okay. And then she put her mouth in, and then she's. Like, don't worry. And I watch her. She had a black belt and it said, like Deutscher Olympischer or something. So cool. I was like, fuck, I'm gonna be so badly asking tonight. I think. I think I got. You, but. You survived? Yeah. Motorcycles. That's the new hobby. Motorbiking is the new. So I'm too young to have, like, my mother has a driver's license for motorbikes. And when I had my driver's license for cars, you didn't get automatically the motorbike driver's license. I never had the time to to really drive it to do it. But last spring, me and a couple of my friends, we decided, okay, now we drive the motorcycle license, we get motorbikes. It's going to be cool. I was just wondering, like, let's see if it's interesting at all. And I have to say, I'm super hooked. Like, I don't drive my car in the summer at all in the rain, but that's it. It's so cool. And my neighbor, who was in my garage next to me, he said that you cannot buy any more motorbikes or like get, uh, get more motorbikes because I'm so in love. I was just in the shop today thinking like, if I should change something to a new thing. And it's actually very cool. You have to be very careful. But, uh, it's also the feeling of freedom when you. I don't know, you smell the air and it's fresh and you're on your own. So you already did like a Harley Davidson tour in, in the in the States? I haven't done that. I haven't been to the States and I don't know, actually, I'm not a not the biggest fan of the of driving in the States. Uh, there are so many cool spots in Finland you can do like the lake area, slow roads and stuff. Um, uh, I will have a Harley Davidson and a BMW bike actually in the truck, uh, for the tour. Oh, wow. So I'm going to go especially in the, in the South, if there's time, uh, I will go, like, to Schwarzwald and everywhere, like, just, I don't know, enjoy the. And also the beautiful cities in Germany, like Berlin. Like, it means so much to me. And I want to, like, drive there alone with my thoughts in my helmet and the feelings in my heart. And it's actually quite cool driving into the arenas, like where the trucks go in, you just like drive in. And now we had the concerts in Helsinki Olympic Stadium. I went there back and forth both days with my motorbike and it was so cool driving there. Uh, the main street of Helsinki. People were like walking there with Sunrise Avenue flags and Finnish flags and stuff, and I'm like honking to everybody, like, see you in a minute with my helmet on. It's so cool. Yeah. España. España. I think that's where I grew up. And I went there in my 20s. Uh, it was the time before Facebook and Instagram and anything. I didn't even have an email address, uh, as I flew there. So, yeah, I got I got into a lot of very, very important troubles to learn my lessons in life in Spain. I love the fact that I speak the language and I know the country a lot. I'm still thinking that someday I might, I don't know, partly return there somehow, because it is, uh, like we spoke about it already. There's good things in their lifestyle and also the well, the weather isn't bad, but, uh. Yeah. Finland is not exactly Palma de Mallorca, but, uh, even though it's actually again today, it's massively beautiful. But, uh, yeah, I think Spain is where I grew up. Germany. Germany is still like. It's like probably like second home, especially Berlin, but whole Germany. And I have to say, my mind with the country went 180 degrees around how cool the people actually are, uh, how beautiful the country is, how safe it is, and how amazing. Like, everything is from Frankfurt to Bad Oeynhausen. Like Germans have very, very funny. They're like, they don't actually know how funny they are. And, uh, so. They're funny by coincidence? No, they're like funny as they are, but, uh, it's a very. Just hold on. But. Um, yeah, but it's like, I think it goes to the whole band and the, the whole project that we can never it's going to take a while till we realize what we got from the country. It all started there, to be honest. And, uh, add so many friends and so many memories. But I'm very happy, actually, that the last shift of the tour is going to happen there. Voice of Germany. Well, that's part of the Germany experience. But, um, it was also like the trip to Spain when I was younger. Uh, it was a very like an. Big education about myself first. Like how I can survive in situations that yeah were probably I don't didn't think uh, originally that I could survive, but it was actually a lot of fun. And that exploded the band to a new level. We never played anything but full arenas after that. And it also, of course like exploded my personal thing in Germany, but was fun to do. Five seasons, two victories. So wasn't that bad. Yeah. Made a lot of friends there. And uh, still I'm still in contact with most of them. So so cool. But this is also like a episode that is finished for you or. Well, you never know. But, um, I haven't had intentions going back, but but you never know. Like I said, it's like when the tour is over in September, probably. Then, um, it'll be easier to think about future and to see, you know, how you feel about certain things. But, um, I would never say never, but I have no plans of getting back out. Uh, it's actually surprising that that people in, in Central Europe still remember that because it's just one word, but, uh, it was just, uh. Yeah, like two days ago in the nice airport, uh, some German young lady, uh, came to say hello to me, and it's like, really? I think it turned out a good thing in the end. But in the in the moment of saying it, it was a bit a bit embarrassing, probably, but, uh, yeah. That's it's it's really, it's interesting because we try to, uh, understand why you probably said it because when it comes to, to English, it's also goosebumps. It's, it's hot. But then in in Spanish, actually my colleague explained to me in Spanish it is actually the hot. Okay. It's two are in Finnish. Two. Yeah. You see, so it's just uh, yeah. Direct uh, translation thing, you know, which happens a lot. Yeah. That's there was a other things like that as well. That's probably the most famous one from my sayings in that show. But uh, so yeah, I had two weeks to study German when I, when I came to the program and, um, uh, I could say like, angry bear, um, feeling dark and all that. And then I had to start, uh, I don't know, like, expressing myself very, very fast for a very TV show which had like, 10 million viewers every week. So. But it was a weird, weird moment. Uh, I think it was marks here in the other side of the row of coaches saying, like, are you trying to say against the house? Like, what is that? Of course I knew that it's goosebumps in English, but, you know, good things. It was a cool thing. There was a I don't remember which magazine it was the next week, or it was an online thing. My manager showed it to me. Like it said, there is there. Cool, fine with me and the chicken wings in the back. And it's cool. There's actually now in Helsinki, uh, there was a the a lot of fan groups in the show, but there's one group who are called Beaune Cristal, and there's a lot of like middle aged ladies and one guy who was the main. Oh, wow. The rooster. Oh, Jesus. So is it true that that you were really kind of insecure about your your German when starting at Voice of Germany? What I mean, was I insecure? Yeah. Insecure about your German not being so, so perfect. But my German wasn't perfect and it wasn't existing. I really didn't speak German. Barely at all in the beginning. Right. So the reason they took me to the show is that I have a family name that sounds German. Then, uh, in the first years of Sunrise Avenue, every time we went to play in Germany, I always said in the interviews to to make it sound nice for the Germans, that basically I'm half German. That's what I always said. I never spoke German at home. I never spoke actually, in high school they kicked me out from the German classes because I sucked. And then I knew probably like 50 words and it's impossible to do a show with that. And still when we when we filmed the show, when we recorded the first season, I was sure that it's going to be a disaster because it sometimes took like 15 minutes for me to say anything. It was really, really, really. It was not television entertainment at all. But what they did in the edit is that they took these 15 minutes where I say the say different words like ich bin. Somehow it was like from and it was. And after that it seemed like I spoke German. It's like, and that's the reason why now, when I do interviews with German journalists or with you guys or whatever, everybody is like, but why doesn't he do it in German? I still don't, I still don't speak German. I can say funny things or fast things, and I usually find my way of, um, getting away for them from the moment. But to express my. Feelings or to explain my wine thing. It would never, ever work. I couldn't do it in Spanish either, but I actually really speak Spanish. But it's, uh, it's not my language at all. I would love to speak German, but I would have to start studying it or to move to Germany. And the problem is that when I'm in Munich or in Berlin or in wherever we speak English with everybody, it's like the music industry doesn't work in German outside the musikantenstadl. So it's, uh. But it's funny that way because it really became your, your, your trademark. Well, especially because your German wasn't that good. You know, everybody found it really entertaining. I think they started respecting me for trying to help, but, um. Yeah, but what don't they say? That if something is your weakness, make it your big thing? That's the, you know. Yeah. Exactly. But I have to say, like, if this is the lane that was safe and here is disaster, we were, like leading to disaster many times during the first season. Then of course, I knew afterwards, on the second time, I knew what's waiting for me and I could do my homework a bit better. But yeah, that was interesting. But what doesn't kill you? Yeah, exactly. Makes you stronger to end this, uh, really nice talk with you. Um, I would ask you to try to teach me your favorite. Finished drinking toast. Uh, favorite. Finnish drinking toast, If there is any. Maybe like the the famous after-party like thing that, uh, you repeat, like, again and again and again. You could say ühet vielä. Ühet Vielä Vielä That means "Let's take one more round". Okay. Oh that's good. Yeah. So I should I should really remember it when coming to Finland. Actually you say Otetaan ühet vielä. Otetaan ühet vielä Otetaan Otetaan ühet vielä Yes. Kind of, right? Can I film this? Sure. So you have to practice a little more than you vielä Otetaan ühet vielä Otetaan. When this is out, I'm going to put this on my story. Oh, that would be perfect. Yes. Nice.Yeah. Samu, thanks a lot. Yeah. It was really a pleasure to talk to you. Thanks that you took the time for that. And. Yeah, I hope a lot of people will enjoy the Forever Yours Riesling. I'm actually quite sure about it, because it's really a good wine. And I think you, you delivered a lot of arguments for the for the people to try it. Let's hope so. Yeah. Samu, thanks a lot. Enjoy the last concerts. Um, enjoy that time. I can imagine. I can't imagine how it feels, but, um, it must be awesome. Yeah, Yeah. Und ansonsten freuen wir uns darauf bis es wieder heißt: Bei Anruf Wein.