Kingfisher Sky dives deep into contrasts with their fifth album, Feeding the Wolves. Inspired by a Cherokee legend, the record explores light versus darkness through lush orchestration, Celtic influences, and poignant storytelling.
1.
Congratulations on the upcoming release of Feeding the Wolves! Can you tell us
a bit about how the Cherokee legend inspired the album and its themes?
Thank you!
Well the story goes that an old chief told his grandson about two wolves who
are always fighting. One is hope and light and the other darkness and dispair.
The young boy asked „who will win?”, to which the old chief replied „the one
you feed”. We thought this story holds a powerful lesson and it is a recurring
theme throughout the album. Some songs have very heavy themes while others are
very light and sweet.
2. This
album seems to blend darkness and light, both sonically and thematically. How
did you approach balancing these contrasting moods in the songwriting and
production process?
It is
something we always like to do. We like strong contrasts in our music so it
comes naturally to us. We are very concerned about the state of the world and
the people in it. The way we treat animals, the way we treat each other. Humans
seemed to be hell bent on fighting and killing each other over different
beliefs or land.
These are
very heavy subjects that affect the mood of the music as well, but we can also
take it back to the small and personal things that make us so happy. We feel
that there has to be a lightness against those dark subject matters.
3. Your
music is known for its eclectic style, combining elements like Celtic music,
progressive rock, and lush orchestration. How did you incorporate these
influences into Feeding the Wolves, and did you explore any new styles?
Celtic
music has been a great source of inspiration from the start. It is more present
on this album than the previous one and we did explore the orchestration part
even more thanks to the string arranging talents of our keyboard player Erik
van Ittersum. Our love for the strong eighties pop songs from bands like
Ultravox might be a new influence on this record!
4. Troy
Donockley and Edward Reekers contribute their talents on this album. How did
these collaborations come about, and how did their input shape the final sound
of the record?
Judith sang
live with Edward as a special guest on his ProgProm tour. And for the song
Feeding the Wolves we wanted a male voice to represent the „alpha wolf”of the
pack. So we asked him if he wanted to sing the first verse and chorusses and we
were blown away when we heard the tracks!
I met Troy
on a trip to England and we are both huge fans of the classic British prog and
folk bands of the seventies. His flute and uilleann pipes made the songs have
that traditional Celtic feel that we adore and it made those songs „earthy”.
5. Since
Feeding the Wolves is your fifth album, how do you feel Kingfisher Sky’s sound
has evolved since Hallway of Dreams, and what do you feel makes this album
stand out in your discography?
This album
we feel is more cohesive despite the many influences. We are more at ease with
who we are and who we want to be as a band. During Hallway of Dreams me and
Judith wrote all the songs and now it is much more a band record! As mentioned
before the string arrangements have a much more prominent place in the
compositions.
6. The
album seems to take listeners on a journey, from forest scenes to apocalyptic
landscapes. Was there a particular story or imagery that inspired this
narrative flow?
It did grow
naturally I think. The music usually comes first and then we write the lyrics
based on what kind of feeling or emotion the song gives us. We do like the
contrasts in our lyrics as well. One song may be about a world on fire and the
next song celebrating the joy we get out of our dog! You could say that all the
songs also represent the two wolves from the Cherokee story.
7.
You’ve explored more personal themes on past albums, especially with
Technicoloured Eyes. What kind of emotions or messages were you hoping to
convey with this album, and what do you hope listeners take away from it?
A message
of hope despite all the darkness and misery in the world. That there is beauty
in the small things around you. We hope listeners will enjoy the journey and
appreciate the many layers of this album!
8.
Kingfisher Sky has such a diverse range of musical influences, from folk to
classical. Are there any particular artists or sounds that influenced Feeding
the Wolves that might surprise your fans?
Yes I
mentioned Ultravox earlier. Some of us are real eighties freaks and on this
album it may be more present than on other albums. Peter Gabriel and his album
„So” in particular was a big influence on this record although that should not
be a surprise for our fans ;-)
9. Your
band has gone through a unique journey, including crowdfunded projects and
recording during lockdown. What was the recording process like for this album,
and did any challenges come up along the way?
It went
really smooth this time I have to say! What was different from previous
recordings is that we recorded drums, bassguitar and rythm guitar together in
the Trypoul Studio. I wanted to try a more classic approach to recording and to
avoid tweaking and perfecting everything. That can really take the rock and
roll feel out of a record. We wanted to keep it as real as possible. Real
strings, real flute real emotions!
10. With
the addition of new songs on the Rise EP, which spoke about hope and love, do
you see Feeding the Wolves as a continuation of these themes? How do the two
releases connect or differ?
I think
Feeding the Wolves connects to both the Rise EP and the Walk the Plank EP. Rise
was written when we just came out of the COVID period and was predominantly
electrical. Walk the Plank was the acoustic opposite of Rise with hardly an
electrical guitar in sight. Feeding the Wolves has both elements so I guess you
could see it as a continuation and an expansion in a musical and lyrical sense.
11. With
a live tour starting soon, how does it feel to be returning to the stage with
this new material? Are there any special elements you’re planning for your live
shows to bring Feeding the Wolves to life?
It feels
great playing those songs live! We have the image of two enormous wolf heads on
the side of the stage but for the most part we let the music do the talking :-)
12.
Finally, the album’s title, Feeding the Wolves, implies a choice between
nurturing light or darkness. In a world that often feels polarized, what
message do you hope your music conveys about this choice?
Well of
course we hope that the majority of people will choose light and be kind to
each other! We are all human after all and time is too short and life is too
precious to waste it by hating and killing each other.
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