We have the pleasure of interviewing a French artist who offers a musical genre halfway between Celtic Folk music and Prog Rock, Erewän.
> Hi how are you?
I’m really fine thank you, and so happy to be with you right now.
> You are a multi-instrumentalist and singer, dedicated to the search for traditional and folkloristic instruments, how did this passion come about?
At the basis, I’m a blues rock baby. After, I got into Iron Maiden in parallel of that. Then Toto, Supertramp and many more. I always listened to a crazy lot of music, since high school. It carried me at every period of my life, especially Led Zeppelin in the beginning. Jimmy Page basically gave me the will to try guitar and play. Electric and acoustic guitar, folk/rock. In my first band I was only the second voice (for backing vocals). But when the band splitted, I wanted to carry on, so I started a folk/singer (one man/one acoustic guitar) journey. Playing some covers in local pubs. Irish tin whistle hooked me for three or four years now. Hearing it in some movie or video games soundtracks. But also in metal bands like Nightwish or Eluveitie. And with some artists like Mark Knopfler (feat. Michael McGoldrick) or Mike Oldfield. I have naturally started to listen more traditional Irish bands or artists and decided to start learning how to whistle. Each time I like something, I want to try (laugh). So I’m not really a multi-instrumentalist because I’m not really good with a tin whistle, an harmonica or a bass… it only serves me to add some textures in my compositions when I’m in the studio.
> The genre you propose is very rich in influences, from Folk to Celtic with forays into Prog Rock, how did the idea of merging these different genres come about?
I always tried to understand music and not just hearing it. Music structure, harmonies, melodies always got me hooked. it’s like a sponge juice. For years, I received a lot of musical informations inside it, and when I squeezed the sponge, it gave me those musical ideas, filled up with celtic influences, folk, rock, prog, and orchestral music. I could name so many people who influenced me. Nightwish for exemple, is a band who opened my eyes about a perfect mix between rock/folk/metal/celtic/movie soundtrack.
> Your album “How Will All This End?” was released in December 2021 and has intense lyrics, what is the central theme of the album?
The Lyrics come to me… or not. When the idea is good, the lyrics come easily. But It can’t be forced. I have an idea about a theme who touches me, and I try to explain it. Lyrics for me have to tell a story, I can’t write abstract text. English is not my native language (as you can hear it on the album lol) but it came easier to me. I don’t know why. The themes of the album dealt with various dramatic or disturbing human situations like war, suicide, harassment, Inquisition, high school shootings. Childhoods talks about all those children who are born around the world and who will have different destinies according to their chances of leaving, their environment, their tenacity and their choices. Banshee’s Keening talks about an old Irish legend.
But above all, I just point the faults of the human being over the ages and I wonder how it could get better … or worse. “How will all this end?”
Two intrumentals tracks (intro and outro of the album) are supposed to evoke enchanting landscapes to remind that nature is still beautiful.
It contrasts with the lyrics which may sound dark… but are definitly not hopeless.> Music with a Folk Prog matrix also has different influences, how would you describe your excellent work?
Like I said, For years, I received a lot of musical informations, from many bands, many styles. My music is a mix between all those styles. I love artists like Springsteen or Neil Young who has the two aspects in their discography: acoustic and electric. Add to this, I also love prog bands like Marillion, Pink Floyd or Nine skies. Metal bands like Iron Maiden, Nightwish or Eluveitie. Orchestral compoers like Howard Shore or Hans Zimmer. Multi-instrumentalists like Steven Wilson or Mike Oldfield. Traditional musicians like Brian Finnegan or Michael McGoldrick… So I don’t really have to choose a musical genre for this or this text. It happens naturally. If it talks about some sad event, or epic or Historic: the style comes lin an evident way. “Witches of the Middle Ages” for exemple brings us in some medieval era and the Music for me had to sound like a medieval song, with folk and traditional instruments. But when I talk about a man who has to cool down, influences like cool jazz trumpet is better no? And an electric guitar sound is cool too…
> Do you have the ability to combine more classic sounds of Rock with others more traditional and close to Folk and Celtic, how does the creative and compositional process of your music take place?
I’m an self-taught musician, I learn everywhere, taking advices, and lessons where I can. Like I said, I always try to understand music and not just hearing it. So I don’t know if we can call it (like in your question) an “ability to combine”…, but I listen to many different styles, I love the diversity and I don’t want to choose between folk or rock, traditional or metal, orchestral or celtic… The creative process is quite simple: an artist has something to express, and all styles are potentially good for reach it. This is just Music you know. I don’t want to limit myself to a tag or a category. If The text or the ambiance needs a heavy electric guitar sound : let’s go! If I want an irish pub ambiance: folk and tin (The Banshee’s keening). If the scene talks about a terrible drama with cinematic sounds: Orchestra is better.
I just want to say that music style in each song, directly depends on the message in the song you know?!… The song chooses; not me (laugh).> In the album there are two great artists Alexander Lamia and Eric Bouillette, how did they contribute and what did they bring to the sound of the album?
Both From Nine Skies… Eric Bouillette is a great Musician and such a nice guy. I love him. He had the friendship to record some violin parts in Highlands that are as enchanting as fitting for this atmosphere. Alexandre Lamia is my brother in Music. He was the one who introduced me to Eric. He is an incredible musician, a real genius. I ain’t joking. Since my encounter with him in december 2015, just before my first demo, we developed a real friendship (we always play together in acoustic gigs and even outside music). We have the real impression of not working but just having pleasure. And that’s why I just want to work with him. He taught me how to record and arrange my songs by myself at home, so for this album, all the songs have been recorded at my home studio. And then, with this material, we arranged the album together at his studio. Alexandre mixed and mastered the album, and re-recorded sometimes certain parts which needed some clarity. He plays the lead guitar in Childhoods and Highlands because I asked him to do it. Even if he plays note by note the melody I composed, he plays it with his own fingers and his inimitable virtuosity.
> Many of our fans and readers will ask themselves if with the problems of the pandemic there will be the possibility to listen to your live music, do you have any plans for it?
For now, I just focused on the studio work. I just had some things to say, and I didn’t really think about going on stage. But the next level is to gather some friends of mine, to create a live band and play some little gigs, if the occasion appears. Even if I would love it, it’s a little bit difficult to set forth for a tour because of my first job: I’m a teacher, a schoolmaster you see, and playing music before this album was just a passion. So… let’s see how things unfold. Anyway, I intend to create two bands versions for this live project : an electric one (5 members), and an acoustic one (2/3 members). As I’m alone to do everything in the studio, the pandemic didn’t affect my workflow. But I just hope that it will stop soon enough and being pandemic-free, like everyone of course. I know some people struggled about it musically speaking, and I hope the best for them. For now, the coronavirus doesn’t stop Alexandre and me to see each other for work in studio or gigs.
> Today’s music market offers less refined and more commercial sounds, what difficulty (if any) does an artist like you encounter in proposing his own music?
As far as I’m concerned, I think our era is very paradoxical. In comparison with 30 or 40 years ago,
we live in a very consumerist society. People consume music and then move on. It’s more difficult I think to think about a career and retain your audience, especially since there are a lot of offers. But paradoxically, technological means that everyone can record at home. Moreover, even if it’s always difficult to find a label and produce a record, anyone can, thanks to the internet, share his music and present it to the whole world. So, The public can directly respond and subscribe…or not.
So I think it all depends on your goals: are you looking for fame, money, recognition for your work or just getting your music heard and shared?> What advice would you give to young artists who try to emerge by proposing a more refined musical genre like yours?
As I said in the previous question, for my part, I prefer to make the music that I like without the barrier of styles and without concessions and ensure that it is accessible and listenable by as many people as possible. The more listeners enjoy what I do, the better. If not: something for everyone and they’ll look elsewhere. It doesn’t matter, I prefer to privilege the authenticity, and at least I would have been true to myself. So my advice is: play the music you love and not the music people want to hear.
The last question, as always, I leave it free to be able to talk about any topic not covered in the previous questions, feel free to talk about what you want.
First of all, I am very happy to have been able to materialize my musical ideas and to have been able to release this record. It would probably never have been possible without my encounter with Alexandre Lamia who believed in me and gave me the courage to always go further. I know that my musical journey will probably never ends until I die.
I’m in the process of rearranging some tracks from the first demo in 2017, to give them a chance to appear in my next record, under a better musical context and sound. So the next album will be composed by some old tunes and some next stuff I’m currently working on. It will be for sure on the same style. Second, as my first job is related to children, I also composed french songs for a younger audience. I just need few more to complete a french album for kids.
I sincerely hope that the pandemic situation will soon find an improvement which will allow the resumption of the concert path (in the public and on stage).I thank Erewän for the interview and for the availability, wishing him the best for the continuation of his musical career. Thank you.