“It was now or never”: Finnish supergroup Rodeo releases their first – and only – album

Country music has climbed back in the saddle of cultural zeitgeist over the past few years – a momentum that can’t be discussed without acknowledging Beyoncé’s internet-breaking 2024 album, Cowboy Carter. Finland’s answer to the Western craze? Rodeo, ‘the Finnish supergroup’, as they’ve been dubbed, comprising three renowned female artists – Anna Puu, Erin Anttila and Ida Paul – introduced to the public with much buzz last October and now releasing their first – and only – album, Rodeo, in mere hours.

“It was so funny – we had already started making this album with five songs completed, and then all of a sudden, Beyoncé dropped a country album. We were like, ‘We’re so on-trend right now,’” Puu laughs.

Much like an actual rodeo, the band was set from the get-go to be a limited-time spectacle – a love letter to country music laced with pop influences, the genre for which all three artists are most known. “This was the year that all of us had the chance to do this,” Paul says. “We agreed to make just one album – and pour all our energy and focus into it.” Anttila chimes in: “It was kind of now or never – otherwise, this might never happen.”

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It all started in 2021 when Puu and Anttila realised they had both had been sharing their dreams of making a country album with Puu’s husband, producer Jukka Immonen – Puu at home, and Anttila at the studio (Immonen has produced four of Anttila’s solo albums). “In 2021, we exchanged our first messages about how fun it would be to work on a project together,” Anttila says. Puu adds: “And then I was like, ‘I don’t know exactly what yet, but this is going to be f***ing epic no matter what.’”

The two had been vibing with country music for a long time – Puu through her love of folk music, which evolved into an affinity for the closely connected country genre. Meanwhile, Anttila, whose mum hails from Ireland, had been immersed in the sound through her heritage. Even before Rodeo, both had clocked gigs at various country venues, performing covers of some of the biggest hits within the genre.

Paul, who’s half-American and grew up blasting country icons from her dad’s record shelf – like Johnny Cash, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, and The Chicks – swiftly came to Puu and Anttila’s minds as the perfect final piece of their trio. While the three weren’t close-knit friends at the time (they are now), their paths had crossed in music circles. It wasn’t long before Paul got the call to join the band.

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“One of the dreams in this whole project was getting to sing in three-part harmony. That’s the deepest essence of the kind of musical style we want to perform,” Anttila says while Puu and Paul nod in agreement. It seems to have been a match made in heaven – the trio’s dynamic clicked instantly, and the first time they performed together, on set last autumn for Vain Elämää (The Finnish equivalent of Så Mycket Bättre), “went super well.”

Ahead of Rodeo, the band has released three singles and treated fans to tasters of other songs from the album on social media. Oscillating between country and pop and fusing all three artists’ vocals in beautiful sync (“A friend of mine said that it’s like witchcraft when we sing together,’” Puu says), Rodeo boasts songs for every mood – from gossamer, soulful ballads to high-tempo, upbeat banjo-heavy tunes. “We’ve written the whole album together, the three of us, and most of these songs were created on Anna’s couch – just us playing acoustic guitar and singing,” says Paul.

The songs came to life quickly, born out of heartfelt conversations and diving into a kaleidoscope of emotions – from love and lust to joy and sorrow, all through a woman's lens. “Creating a female empowerment album wasn’t what we set out to do per se, but we naturally ended up centring around a woman’s perspective,” Paul notes.

Paul describes writing an album as “an exploration”, and when the artists had around 10 tracks dreamt up, they noticed a red thread woven throughout the lyrics. “We realised that there’s clearly this character, who’s been through all sorts of things,” Paul says. Puu adds: “Her story unfolds through these songs.” Balancing lightness and darkness, Rodeo touches on some of the core traits in humanity and, as Paul puts it, “We all carry the same layers you hear on this album.”

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However, the band encourages listeners to read between the lines – and ideally, experiencing the album as a whole. “It’s not always just about the literal words being sung – in many of those songs, there’s a bigger picture to be found, if you’re willing to look for it,” Puu says.

The months following Rodeo’s release offer a once-in-a-lifetime chance to catch the supergroup live – first at their nearly sold-out album release shows in Helsinki next week, and later at some of the biggest summer festivals on the Finnish calendar. “I hope people will come and experience it live after hearing the album – part of the reason we made these songs was to be able to perform them on stage,” Anttila says, as the artists hint that gig-goers can expect a full-on spectacle, complete with Finland’s top musicians joining the band on stage. “Country music is best performed live,” Puu remarks.

But one thing’s certain: Rodeo has been one hell of a ride for the trio. “This has honestly been absolutely wonderful for us – it definitely wasn’t a waste,” Puu says, while Anttila and Paul echo the sentiment. “And I’ve gained two friends through all of this – from the same field, too – and that’s more valuable than gold.”