ARI KOIVUNEN To Release New Single In May

The winner of the Finnish national TV talent competition "Idols", 23-year-old heavy metal singer Ari Koivunen, will deliver a new single, "Give Me A Reason", in early May to radio stations in Finland and various digital music retailers. The song was written by Nino Laurenne of THUNDERSTONE and Pasi Heikkilä, who are also in charge of producing Ari's sophomore album.

The follow-up to last year's "Fuel for the Fire", the as-yet-untitled new CD is being recorded and mixed at Sonic Pump Studios and is scheduled for release in Finland on June 11 via Sony BMG (June 11 via digital music outlets).

"Fuel for the Fire" was certified double-platinum in Finland, where it has sold more than 75,000 copies to date.

A special edition of "Fuel for the Fire" was issued in Finland on November 21, featuring a live DVD and acoustic versions of two album songs ("Hear My Call" and "Angels Are Calling") as a bonus. The live DVD contains material from Ari's concerts in Helsinki last summer and as well as interview footage.

Koivunen performed a "medley" of his songs "Fuel For The Fire" and "Hear My Call" at the Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent) on March 8 at Kulttuuritalo in Helsinki.

(Thanks: Siria / www.konzi-tip.de)