XL5 formed in 2003 around childhood friends Ville Virtanen and Kimmo Blom. They came up through the Finnish rock scene in the early 2000s, playing local shows and building a following. Their debut single "Älä Jätä Minua" came out in 2004 and connected with listeners, becoming a radio staple in Finland.
The band released five studio albums between 2004 and 2013, including "XL5," "Vuonna Nolla," and "Pimeä." Their lineup stayed mostly consistent with Virtanen on vocals and guitar, Blom on bass, Joonas Kaikko on drums, and Heikki Kiviaho on keyboards. Songs like "Deja Vu" and "Ei Erota Koskaan" kept them on Finnish airwaves through the 2000s.
They had a brief hiatus in 2007 after some label disputes, but returned to recording and touring. Their music mixed straightforward rock with some pop and electronic touches, never straying too far from the accessible sound that first got them attention.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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