Willow Child Premiere Video for “Starry Road”; Paradise & Nadir out May 11
What do we learn in the new Willow Child video? Well, first off, we see that quite literally it’s vocalist/guitarist Eva Kohl driving the band, and while one could make the argument that the totality of the German five-piece’s debut album, Paradise & Nadir — out May 11 on StoneFree Records — works much the same way, it’s not entirely that simple. Kohl is most certainly a forward presence in the band and in the mix of Paradise & Nadir, which was recorded by vintage specialist Richard Behrens (Heat, ex-Samsara Blues Experiment) and features cover art by Harley and J, but the organ work of Jonas Hartmann plays a significant role in “Starry Road” as well as other album cuts like “Eirene” and “Red Wood,” while Eva‘s brother, David Kohl drives languid bluesy grooves there and on the subsequent, progressively-minded “Mayflies,” which not only highlights Eva‘s vocals in its verses, but leaves room for the lead guitar of Flo Ryan Kiss to shine soulfully as it moves through its midpoint while bassist Javier Zulauf adds depth and tonal warmth alike to a spacious soundscape.
So while it may be Eva Kohl in the driver’s seat of that classic Chevy truck, don’t take that to mean the band has nothing else going for them. Paradise & Nadir is a quick-turnaround first album — the band’s lineup only solidified last year — but the songs feel older. Not only older-school, but to listen to the jammy break in the seven-minute “Beyond the Blue Fields,” there’s an established feeling between the players that, no matter how tight they are when they go into the recording studio, simply can’t be faked. Maybe that’s a result of the Kohls and Hartmann playing together longer, but whatever the case, Willow Child‘s dynamic isn’t just making an introduction for itself here: it’s showing that the band entered into the process of making their debut with a firm grip on who they are and what they want to accomplish as a band. Opening both sides of the eight-track offering with the longest piece — that’s “Little Owl” on side A and “Beyond the Blue Fields” on side B — they quickly mark out an expansive feel and balance that with structural traditionalism that only enhances the classic heavy rock aspects in their work.
I don’t have any kind of inside track or anything, but I’d hardly be surprised to find Willow Child‘s logo starting to pop up on festival posters come this Fall or even summer, since I think once people get ahold of Paradise & Nadir the band aren’t going to have any trouble ingratiating themselves to the converted among Europe’s continually staggering heavy rock underground. If you’re up for the ride — and some lasers! — you can check out the “Starry Road” video premiere below, followed by more background from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Willow Child, “Starry Road” official video premiere
Directed/Edited by: Nicolas Jansky
Lights: Timon Seidl
Jonas Hartmann (organ) and siblings Eva (vocals, guitar) and David Kohl (drums) had been making music together since 2014, when in 2016 bass player Javier Zulauf completed their ranks. A small setback in 2017: Jonas, who up until then had been playing the guitar in addition to the organ, had to focus solely on the organ after injuring his hand and not making a full recovery, which is when Flo Ryan Kiss joined as lead guitarist.
The whole band takes part in the process of songwriting. “One member will come up with a basic idea, whether it’s a chord sequence, a riff, a feeling, a theme or a verse. Then we usually spin the idea around a little, jam to it and just try out whatever comes to mind, and then the pieces of the puzzle usually start coming together. Of course there are exceptions in songs that are written entirely by one band member, but we always manage to blend individual styles into a bigger picture”, says bassist Javier. Flo Ryan adds: “What we love most is locking ourselves away for a weekend and just jamming out in a practice space in our remote hometown. That really puts our ‘real lives’ on hold and we play 10 to 14 hours a day.”
The goals for 2018 have been set: “We’re working really hard on our music and putting a lot of time, energy and money into it“, Flo Ryan Kiss says. “Even if we can’t make a living off music yet, we really value professional structures. They help us grow as a band and leave more room for creativity. We really feel like our debut album is a great foundation for growing our fan base by touring Europe and playing festivals. In the long run, we want to reach people across all borders with our music.”
Line-up:
Eva Kohl (Vocals, Guitar)
Flo Ryan Kiss (Guitar)
Javier Zulauf (Bass)
Jonas Hartmann (Organ)
David Kohl (Drums)
Willow Child on Thee Facebooks
StoneFree Records on Thee Facebooks
Tags: Bavaria, Erlangen, Germany, Paradise and Nadir, StoneFree Records, Willow Child, Willow Child Paradise and Nadir
