It was around fifth grade when I started to listen to punk rock. Bands such as The Queers and Screeching Weasel really got a hold of me. In high school I was introduced to The Ramones and it was about the same time when I started to have thoughts of my own band. Well, a natural decision for me was to ask my best friend Mikkis to play the guitar. That basically was the start of They Left Us. Of course, the name was invented years later. I remember we used to call our band Shitty Vegetables.

I played the drums, Mikkis started to play the guitar. We had loads of ideas. After a while it started to get more and more serious. Our problem was to get someone to play the bass. We recorded our first studio demo in the spring of 2003. I played the drums and Mikkis played everything else. Hell, he even sang all the tunes! Later on we decided that he would continue singing as the lead singer.

We got our friend Tommi to play the bass. He has been our friend for years, but we had never thought of the possibility of him playing with us.
This was basically the birth of They Left Us.
Now, we were a full band. Rehearsing occasionally, I try to make new style punk rock and emo with Mikkis and Tommi that sounds just like They Left Us.

Take it easy,
Sameli