The Rasmus is a rock band formed in 1994 in Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland. Consisting of Lauri Ylönen (lead singer/songwriter), Eero Heinonen (bass), Aki Hakala (drums) and Emppu Suhonen (guitar). Former guitarist Pauli Rantasalmi left the band in January 2022 to focus on his own path. The band was formed at the end of the band members' schooling and were initially known as Rasmus. They recorded their first single, 1st, released independently through Teja Kotilainen Records in late 1995. They signed with Warner Music Finland in 1996 and released their first album, Peep, that same year. The album went gold in Finland.