Herald K's latest release (and follow-up to his previous tracks 'Arethusa' and 'Wandering Aengus') is another musical mythology, this time about Circe, the infamous witch of antiquity, and of the Odyssey, who by magic potions turns men into swine...It features theatrical supporting vocals by the versatile Jessica Slavik, and a unique instrumental arrangement involving nyckelharpa, accordion, and double bass. Whilst simply rendering Circe's story in an evocative and theatrical fashion, this song could also be interpreted allegorically. Is it also somehow about our modern-day society? The figure of Circe certainly seems to be in vogue within our current popular culture...
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil: Hey Herald K. Super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
Glad to be talking to you!
My first ventures into music... That came from the neccessity of turning my poems into song, in order to reach an audience... So I decided to learn some guitar chords... and then try on some singing...
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music?
I'm quite into reading, and mostly writers who lived a long time ago. Ancient writers intrigue me. And I'm quite into old films. Been quite an active member of cinematheques in some of the cities I've lived in.
Your latest song is 'Circe'. Can you tell us more about the making of it and if there were any unusual things happening during the process?
The lyrics came quick. I tried to stay close to the language of the Odyssey: Quite straight and descriptive, lots of alliteration, repeating some stuff, using certain motifs like weaving, feast, wine etc...
But the recording and production was complex: I recorded my guitar and vocals first, then got three amazing musicians to contribute their parts. I challenged Jessica Slavik to record a variety of innovative vocal parts. She really had to go into theatrical mode, and delivered something very special! Navid Djawadi, who played bass, had to make it sound like jungle drums, and did just that. And Stephan Steiner, who plays nyckelharpa and accordion just helps the story along brilliantly with his instruments.
At the mixing stage we experimented with lots of different reverbs, to give an impression of various layers of depth. I was helped by producer Robin Gillard for that.
So it was probably quite an unusual project for all of us! We all did things we don't normally do.
Can you reveal the recipe for a musical hit?
Not really, as I've never had one. All I can say is that I'm pretty sure 'Circe' doesn't contain the right blend of ingredients for that. It was never the aim. We've created a song that is ugly, weird and unsettling... More resonant in milieus some way away from the 'mainstream' I'd expect....
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
I guess working on my craft (songwriting and performing) will always be the most important. Listening to others and learn is also key for me. And then I also have to do a bunch of other time-consuming stuff like mixing, promo, social media, applying for funding, booking etc... In other words: enough to keep me busy...
What inspires you as an artist? Could it be the sea, the weather or something else?
I often don't realize what inspires me until long after it's created, so I guess a lot of it is unconscious. To give an example: I realized, after completing all the songs on the album, that water was an important recurring motif. It has just become an important image in many of my lyrics for this project. Coincidence? I don't think so...
On a more conscious level, I can say that the writers Ovid and Homer were important sources of inspiration for this album project.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
2023 will be exciting! I'll be releasing more singles, and the full album 'Mythologies' in May. There will also be more chances of catching us live, as we plan to play more concerts than before, both in Austria and internationally!
Do you have a mentor or coach?
I've worked a bit with a vocal coach, but apart from that I mainly try to learn from musicians I have the privilege to meet and work and play with. I also have some artists I look up to a lot, and whose songs I sometimes like to sing. Some of them I almost feel that I know personally (even though I don't), as I listen to them a lot, so they are also kinda mentors in a way...
Do you think it's easy to become established in the music world, or is it difficult?
Difficult! There's so much competition, and before you're 'established' most gatekeepers don't wanna talk to you. I find it interesting that almost all biographies of artists describe this phase of their early career when people tended to ignore them, mostly because they weren't 'known' yet.
And then I also think the quality of one's art should be much more important than public recognition. One of my all-time personal favourites is the relatively unknown Dave Van Ronk. He never gained much grand-scale recognition in his lifetime, yet he was perhaps Bob Dylan's most important mentor back in the early sixties...
What accomplishments do you see yourself achieving in the next five to 10 years?
Writing a few decent songs that resonate well with people.Getting considerably better at all aspects of my music making. Making music an important source of income. Gaining lots of stage experience...