Rock vocalist, leader of the Finnish alternative rock band Poets of the Fall, which he formed together with his friend, guitarist Olli Tukiainen. Marko writes all the texts of Poets of the Fall. He has toured in over 15 countries with the band. Marko is classically trained singer and has a bass-baritone vocals range.
Background
Marko was born in Helsinki. He’s always been interested in music and wrote several songs as a teenager. Since his childhood Marko has been listening to songs in English. His mother also spoke English at home, so that it became a second mother tongue for Marko. Now it helps him to write songs in English.
Education
Marko took private lessons of classical vocals at Sibelius Academy.
Career
Marko has dreamt to become a rock star since he was 15. He worked as a sports masseur, studied acupuncture, and for eight years was a graphic and advertising designer. Then he even hired two people and set up his own design firm, which helped him to make money until the moment when Poets of the Fall became popular.
In 2001 Marko formed a band called Playground, and wrote several songs with them. The songs found no label willing to distribute it. In early 2002 Sam Lake, the writer of the Max Payne series of videogames, asked Marko to write the lead single for the second installment in the series, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne. Saaresto agreed. He modified the poem Lake had written, and along with former Playground bandmate Tukiainen, wrote the single Late Goodbye. To assist them with production, Lake offered them the services of industrial musician Markus "Captain" Kaarlonen. Together they recorded the song which garnered cult status. They then decided to formally create the band and named it Poets of the Fall.
Since then the band has built its own studio, released 7 studio albums, won Finnish and European awards and toured in more than 15 countries. They have won the hearts of fans all around the world.