PMMP was a Finnish band fronted by singers Paula Vesala and Mira Luoti and backed by musicians Mikko Virta, Juho Vehmanen and Heikki Kytölä. The name of the band is often said to be an abbreviation of the sentence "Paulan ja Miran Molemmat Puolet", which can be translated in English as "Both Sides of Paula and Mira". However, in an interview on the Finnish talk showKrisse Show, they stated that the name of the band comes, like ABBA, from the names of 4 of its members: so PMMP is Paula, Mira, Mira, Paula. PMMP's albums are produced by former Thergothon drummer Jori Sjöroos, who also wrote the music for all the songs. The lyrics are written by Paula and Mira. The band is an acclaimed live act. PMMP first became well known in Finland with the 2003 summer hitRusketusraidat. They then enjoyed great success with their second albumKovemmat kädet, which sold gold. An extended version of the album was released in August 2005. Oo siellä jossain mun, a single from the aforementioned album, is PMMP's biggest hit so far in Finland. In November 2006 PMMP released their third album Leskiäidin tyttäret, which sold platinum on the day it was released. They released an album labeled Puuhevonen with traditional children's songs in 2007, around the time their first children were born. In 2009 they released their fourth rock/pop album Veden varaan and their fifth album Rakkaudesta, released in 2012, is considered as their comeback album. PMMP played their final concert on October 27, 2013 in the sold-out Helsinki Ice Hall.
In an article titled "Matka jatkuu vaan" in the biggest Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, journalist Leena Virtanen attempts to explain how it is that PMMP appeal to both children and adults, concluding that while indeed an energetic pop band PMMP "live within the space between childhood and adulthood", referring to the lifeworlds of both children and adults, carried through with eternal optimism. Virtanen concludes with the words from one of PMMP's best known songs "Matkalaulu", which is in fact a song about the band being on the road: "Tämä voi olla koko elämämme ihanin päivä. Ajetaan hiljempaa. Toivon, että matka jatkuu, jatkuu vaan"
Activism
PMMP has supported Amnesty International's work against the violence towards women. The song Joku raja from the album Leskiäidin tyttäret is named after Amnesty's campaign by the same name. On 25 May 2013 PMMP was supposed to perform together with two members of the Russian punk bandPussy Riot at the Maailma kylässä festival in Helsinki. The members of Pussy Riot had disappeared and PMMP performed without them but supported their cause for human rights in Russia. Following that event, after 10 years of performing, the group disbanded.
