Nordic people leaders Wardruna’s newest album Birna is an exploration of the fashionable world by the eyes of a mythological she-bear. Mainman Einar Selvik explains the band’s persevering with themes, performing in neolithic places, increasing the style and what would possibly occur if he finds himself making the identical album twice.
When Einar Selvik based Wardruna in 2003, they successfully existed in a scene of 1. Whereas certainly not the primary band to discover Scandinavian custom, they helped popularise it to such an extent that subsequent Nordic people acts similar to Heilung, Nytt Land and Skáld can pop up anyplace from the Royal Albert Corridor to Brixton Academy, ArcTanGent to Glastonbury.
With an rising variety of acts sharing the highlight and pushing the boundaries of what this part-traditionalist, part-progressive music can do, there’s an comprehensible air of expectation round Wardruna’s newest launch, Birna.
Very similar to 2021’s Kvitravn – translated as ‘White Raven’ – Birna’s title references a totemic determine of the animal kingdom: the she-bear. The album isn’t a retelling of an current narrative; fairly an exploration of humanity’s relationship with nature as framed by the animal. Every observe builds a narrative of ecological destruction and the affect it has on the legendary beast: she’s compelled into everlasting hibernation by modern-day society, which ends up in the sluggish demise of the forest.
“Bears are such a central a part of wherever they’re,” Selvik explains. “The time was proper to present voice to that a part of the wild. They was thought-about the wardens of the woodlands. Now they’re the wardens of the vanishing woodlands.”
Such environmental and religious themes are commonplace in Wardruna’s music. Whereas they achieved a sure stage of recognition in mainstream tradition due to their affiliation with TV present Vikings and videogame Murderer’s Creed: Valhalla, Selvik blanches at the usage of the V-word in affiliation together with his challenge. Wardruna depart the tales about blokes with horned hats and lightning-hammering gods to Amon Amarth, thanks very a lot.
“Individuals assume we sing about Vikings and shit. We don’t – and we by no means did,” he says. “The core of our music may be very a lot involved with nature and our relationship with nature.” Work on Birna started earlier than Kvitravn had been accomplished. A press launch describes him “attempting to find songs amid timber, air, rocks and sea.” It’s a bit hippie- dippie, however not 1,000,000 miles from the reality.
It’s fairly a profound expertise, seeing any form of wild animal within the wild
On the 15-minute epic Dvaledraumar (‘dormant goals’), Selvik underpins the standard layered complexities of his band’s music with recordings of the ‘singing ice’ of Sweden. It’s an enormous observe, among the many most formidable in Wardruna’s canon, capturing a formidable stage of element.
“In direction of the tip of that track, we’re transferring into the spring,” he explains. “So I wished a willow tree flute, which you’ll solely make within the spring and solely lasts for 2 days earlier than it dries up. For me, that’s the sound of spring in Scandinavia.”
A lot as he has with earlier Wardruna data, Selvik discovered his inspiration by heading out into Norway’s resplendent woodlands, formulating concepts as he hiked. “I favor strolling on the animal trails fairly than the human ones,” he admits. “I like seeing as little human traces as attainable.”
Which raises the query: has he ever encountered a bear within the wild? “No – I don’t reside in bear territory!” he says. “I did encounter a moose as soon as; they’re arguably much more harmful! And a wolf, too. It’s fairly a profound expertise, seeing any form of wild animal within the wild. However the wolf simply casually walked previous.”
Selvik couldn’t let you know the primary time he heard people music. “It was at all times there in a manner,” he says. “I keep in mind that I loved the melancholic elements of it, the darker facet of the custom. I grew up with all types of steel music from my older siblings and my father was very a lot into classical music. Conventional music got here within the gaps between.”
There are parts of conventional music… However I do it on devices that predate what we all know as people
These gaps are wide-ranging for Selvik, and Wardruna specifically. With layered, advanced compositions, their work is extra aptly described as a symphonie au naturel. “I don’t label my music as people,” he agrees. “I take advantage of people – there are undoubtedly parts of conventional music in what I do. However since I do it on devices that predate what we all know as people, it kind of turns into a unique department.”
From their origins within the steel scene – he performed in black metallers Gorgoroth from 2000-2004 – to the band being adopted into the broader embrace of progdom, Wardruna defy style traces. “Our music has the power to talk to individuals throughout genders or age,” Selvik says. “That’s what we see mirrored in our viewers as effectively. It’s this lovely damaged household.
“Prog’s at all times one thing that’s been fascinating to me. I like music that challenges me. However conventional music could be very progressive too, with polyrhythms and crooked beats; issues that transfer in instructions you wouldn’t anticipate.”
True sufficient, for all the brand new age – or ought to that be very, very outdated age? –philosophies and holistic practices, Nordic people has nonetheless grow to be a cultural phenomenon lately. Selvik even arrange the platform By Norse to advertise and have a good time the tradition. In 2024, Heilung had been invited to carry out at Glastonbury, providing a brand new realm of publicity for the scene.
Selvik has no downside sharing the highlight. “We paved the way in which in lots of senses,” he says proudly. “After we began out, no person understood what the hell we had been doing. We at all times selected to not bounce on the hype prepare, solely saying sure to alternatives on our phrases. I wished there to be extra of an consciousness about these devices and themes after I began out, so it’s not a contest or an ego factor.”
Our first-ever live performance was in entrance of a 1300-year-old Viking ship – that set the bar fairly excessive
One other profit to the scene’s new recognition is that, within the early days, he composed and recorded virtually fully alone. Now he has a complete scene to work inside. By and enormous, he nonetheless composes solo; however he additionally works with co-vocalist Lindy-Fay Hella on concepts, whereas the reside band are sometimes drafted in to document within the studio, increasing the scope of their sound.
Birna additionally sees different musicians like “flute guru” Hans Fredrik Jacobsen, grasp jaw-harpist Kenneth Lien and Jonna Jinton supply contributions, the latter recording the aforementioned singing ice whereas additionally providing “keening vocal work” on Dvaledraumar.
Selvik’s prospects look vibrant. He admits to an curiosity in taking part in Glastonbury given the prospect – “It’s a particular competition with a particular historical past in a particular place. I believe, personally, it’d be a incredible match” – and continues to give attention to the horizon. He’d like to play among the Neolithic websites dotted across the British Isles, as an illustration.
“The primary-ever live performance we did was in entrance of a 1300-year-old Viking ship in 2009 – that set the bar fairly excessive,” he says. “For me, Wardruna is a journey; a relentless growth. Crucial factor is it has to return from someplace actual. It has to maneuver me.
“And I’m not moved by the identical issues now as I used to be 10 years in the past. I might by no means do the AC/DC factor the place you make the identical album time and again. I nonetheless have issues to say; and after I don’t, I’ll in all probability do one thing else.”
