Interview with Olga Kann of the epic black metal band Withered Land
In a land where life seems stagnant, and the shadows of the few leaves wither in the hidden silence of the day, a young artist, Olga Kann, gave life to what we know today as Withered Land, an epic black metal music project, masking its roots in the cold winter winds of esoteric symbolism. Listening to what she created in long nights of impatience, I was transported into a wild universe, beyond what nature gave birth to before our eyes. Therefore, I have brought to you the artist itself...
Ipsissima verba - Shadows : Greetings. Thank you for accepting this interview. Before we start, I'd like to know more about you. About whom you are beyond your artistic career. Where and how did your story begin?
Olga Kann : I have a pretty musical family (male part of it). Music surrounded me everywhere. Cassettes, vinyl, cds, the whole house was littered with this stuff. Hard rock from my father and metal from my brothers. I've been playing for a long time. I started with the different projects, but there was always a goal to create my own. As a result, I have several projects hehe. When I was not accepted to a music school as a child, it was a good reason to show that you guys made a big mistake. Throughout my life, many did not support my venture; it was the path of a loner. I did vocals for a while. But I really do not like my timbre of voice, I even hate it. So I quit this matter without regrets. About 13 years ago I was lucky to meet an excellent bass player, teacher. He gave me the necessary basics and knowledge. I started to delve into musical theory, learn new instruments. And in principle, further development of skills was only a matter of time further.
If we talk about my activities besides music, then... A little later, painting came to my life. I never liked working for someone / for the state. I always wanted to develop my business. And especially something what would it be interesting for my creative nature. I started with photography, did a lot of charity shootings, took photos of concerts a lot. A little later, the video and design came. For about 6 years now I have been developing in these areas, making illustrations, designing albums for bands, shooting videos etc. And I really like it.
Shadows : Your project is called Withered Land. What can you tell me about how you chose the name? Does it have any symbolic implications?
Olga : The name was not born at once, it was a rather active reflection, I had many ideas. It's always quite difficult for me to come up with a name for a project, because this is a very responsible task, huh. But then, after some time, the answer came as if immediately. From the lines of the beloved Tolkien:
At the same time, the lyrics are not closely tied to Tolkien's topic, but a little contain some references/inspiration from heroes and places from his books. In my lyrics, I try to convey the dualistic nature of a character or location. I try to show both the beautiful side and the unpleasant side. In general, I read a lot of different historical literature, war novels and the collective images of warriors come from there. The withered land is all that wars leave behind, at first it is watered with blood, then it dries up. And it will take many years for everything to return to normal (maybe). Even the most fertile field will wither up someday. Nothing can lasts forever.
Shadows : You recently released the album The Endless Journey under the wings of the well-known label Naturmacht Productions, a collaboration with vocalist Alexander Rabets, produced by Koliopanos Filippos (Ocean of Grief, On Thorns I Lay), who also recorded guitar parts. I've been listening to it and what I can say is that it is in the top of the best releases of the year. The perfect combination of epic and atmospheric metal, fantasy, and black metal. What inspired this album and how did the recordings take place?
Olga : Many thanks! Some of the songs are quite many years old, about 7-8 years old, although I wrote the main part of the album later, when the time came for that. Earlier it seemed to me that this time had not come yet. I was gaining experience in arrangements and it seemed to me that it was time to give life to the first album of the project. The inspiration for the main character was not taken from a specific character. This is a very collective image. I read quite a lot of historical literature, and in many ways I find commonality among each of the fallen warriors. It's always tragic. But on the other hand, the ending is always the same for any person. So, someone finds solace in the battle, someone reigns on the throne, and someone will live their lives in solitude. Some warriors believed that when they found their death on the battlefield, they would go to Valhalla. Many beliefs, in principle, are based on the fact that life will not be easy, but on the other side eternal bliss awaits of the worthy. Our hero also believes in his own destiny and goes to shed someone else's and his own blood. A little later, some reassessment of values awaits him. And a rather brutal ending, which is worse than death. Musically, I was inspired by many things, I'm quite a multi-genre person. I have several projects in different genres, I just can't afford to choose one. The album uses many instruments, be it the English horn, oboe, flute, trombone, trumpets, strings, a lot of various percussion. I love make the arrangements of the brass section, this is my passion. Big respect to Filippos Koliopanos, who has put together all the elements. And of course, Alexander Rabets made a tremendous amount of work on the vocals here. The process of vocals recording was also accompanied by the help of a good sound technician Evgeniy Volokitin. I am generally happy with the resulting mix.
Shadows : Some say you have influences like Summoning, Caladan Brood ... what do you think?
Olga : Of course that makes sense. I am also a big fan of arrangements with a wind section and keyboards, a variety of percussion in addition to the basic set of drums. This is what many love the style for. Although I am personally a music lover and can get inspiration from completely different styles.
Shadows : I spent three quarters of my life traveling, and if I could pick a favourite song, it would be Death was always near. Is there a much deeper connection between you and this piece? Describe to me the process by which you wrote the lyrics for this album.
Olga : It's a pretty symbolic song indeed. I don't know about everyone, but most people still need some kind of meaning for their existence. As a famous person said, "Life goes breathless without an aim". Further spoilers are possible, hehe. My hero says some pretty important lines. He survived, thanks to the fact that he was expected (as it seemed to him). But of course he will not like the ending, I am ashamed of what he had to endure. I am already preparing a sequel for him, in which he will fulfil his revenge and find the coveted peace. Nevertheless, this composition also has a mystical side in some way. It continues the esoteric experience of the previous track. The lost wanderer is led by a guiding star, his deceased wife helps him from the other side to return to his native shores. I cannot say that such an ending is very close to me. But any loss either destroys a person or makes him stronger.
Lyrics in music for me is a very important aspect, as well as visuals. Texts are like small books to me. For this album, I deliberately chose the format of a narrative conceptual story. Attention was paid to both the hero himself and his environment. His feelings, emotions, thoughts. Not without philosophy, of course. Rather, I would even say that all the previous songs are similar on me, but not the last one. We have quite a lot in common with the hero. Both good and bad things. Recklessness, self-confidence, courage, perseverance. He fights between the thirst for life with a nihilistic instinct, and at any moment he wants to give up, but from somewhere a new meaning appears. And like him, I come to understand that karma works. If you sow evil, you reap evil. As says, return good for good; return evil with justice.
The lyrics for the third song appeared first. It was a little inspired by the scene of the death of the famous character Boromir. A real character like that, you know, has always impressed me. Very lively, with his own shortcomings. On the other hand, this song is not only about death in the physical sense. This is primarily a story about being lost. About what a person leaves behind. Everything will become ashes, life is fleeting. But it is much worse to lose your way while alive, to succumb to the call of the void.
Shadows : We are approaching the end, but I'd like to know more about an important aspect. Considering the titanic work done in writing and producing this album, I am interested in what set-up you used and what are your preferences in terms of recordings, post-production ...?
Olga : Here I would like to note once again the masterful work of Filippos, we have collaborated with him not for the first time. He listened rather patiently to my wishes on how each instrument should sound and why one kind of flute is not enough, haha. Here it seems to me that it is not the settings themselves that are important, but experience and understanding. Personal taste. Some people like to have vocals in the background and guitars to be the leading link. Some people like vice versa. It was not so easy to strike a balance between quality and genre commitment. But it seems to have turned out as planned.
Shadows : From what I noticed; the new album aroused a wave of pleasure among the fans of epic / black metal. What plans do you have for the new launch?
Olga : I will definitely say for sure that I would not like, like many bands, to do the same albums. I already have a lot of material in development, some will be in a similar epic black vein, in some the emphasis will be on more evil and fast tracks, somewhere on the contrary, it will go into melancholic acoustic folk. It is necessary to experiment, not to stand still.
Shadows : Like any artist who puts his soul under the levers of society, I assume that you have certain expectations, desires, related to the new project. What would those be?
Olga : In fact, the main goal has already been made. I had the energy to pull this material out of a distant shelf and present it to the world. I don't know if it will become popular, during my life or after, but for certain people, it will become a meaning that will help them on their path in life. And if he helps at least one, then that all was not in vain.
Shadows : Well, we've come to the end of this interview. Would you like to add a few words as a conclusion? Any message to your friends, fans?
Olga : Many thanks to webzine, to everyone for their interest, who support the project and are interested in its fate. There will be many new songs ahead, new invited members, and some relic instruments. In the meantime, I invite you to join the endless journey that has already begun.
Olga Kann : I have a pretty musical family (male part of it). Music surrounded me everywhere. Cassettes, vinyl, cds, the whole house was littered with this stuff. Hard rock from my father and metal from my brothers. I've been playing for a long time. I started with the different projects, but there was always a goal to create my own. As a result, I have several projects hehe. When I was not accepted to a music school as a child, it was a good reason to show that you guys made a big mistake. Throughout my life, many did not support my venture; it was the path of a loner. I did vocals for a while. But I really do not like my timbre of voice, I even hate it. So I quit this matter without regrets. About 13 years ago I was lucky to meet an excellent bass player, teacher. He gave me the necessary basics and knowledge. I started to delve into musical theory, learn new instruments. And in principle, further development of skills was only a matter of time further.
Shadows : Your project is called Withered Land. What can you tell me about how you chose the name? Does it have any symbolic implications?
Olga : The name was not born at once, it was a rather active reflection, I had many ideas. It's always quite difficult for me to come up with a name for a project, because this is a very responsible task, huh. But then, after some time, the answer came as if immediately. From the lines of the beloved Tolkien:
"...In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land...".
It seemed to me that the devastated land is what just surrounds me. A metaphorically scorched earth, ready at the same time to be reborn in order to then wither again.At the same time, the lyrics are not closely tied to Tolkien's topic, but a little contain some references/inspiration from heroes and places from his books. In my lyrics, I try to convey the dualistic nature of a character or location. I try to show both the beautiful side and the unpleasant side. In general, I read a lot of different historical literature, war novels and the collective images of warriors come from there. The withered land is all that wars leave behind, at first it is watered with blood, then it dries up. And it will take many years for everything to return to normal (maybe). Even the most fertile field will wither up someday. Nothing can lasts forever.
Shadows : You recently released the album The Endless Journey under the wings of the well-known label Naturmacht Productions, a collaboration with vocalist Alexander Rabets, produced by Koliopanos Filippos (Ocean of Grief, On Thorns I Lay), who also recorded guitar parts. I've been listening to it and what I can say is that it is in the top of the best releases of the year. The perfect combination of epic and atmospheric metal, fantasy, and black metal. What inspired this album and how did the recordings take place?
Olga : Many thanks! Some of the songs are quite many years old, about 7-8 years old, although I wrote the main part of the album later, when the time came for that. Earlier it seemed to me that this time had not come yet. I was gaining experience in arrangements and it seemed to me that it was time to give life to the first album of the project. The inspiration for the main character was not taken from a specific character. This is a very collective image. I read quite a lot of historical literature, and in many ways I find commonality among each of the fallen warriors. It's always tragic. But on the other hand, the ending is always the same for any person. So, someone finds solace in the battle, someone reigns on the throne, and someone will live their lives in solitude. Some warriors believed that when they found their death on the battlefield, they would go to Valhalla. Many beliefs, in principle, are based on the fact that life will not be easy, but on the other side eternal bliss awaits of the worthy. Our hero also believes in his own destiny and goes to shed someone else's and his own blood. A little later, some reassessment of values awaits him. And a rather brutal ending, which is worse than death. Musically, I was inspired by many things, I'm quite a multi-genre person. I have several projects in different genres, I just can't afford to choose one. The album uses many instruments, be it the English horn, oboe, flute, trombone, trumpets, strings, a lot of various percussion. I love make the arrangements of the brass section, this is my passion. Big respect to Filippos Koliopanos, who has put together all the elements. And of course, Alexander Rabets made a tremendous amount of work on the vocals here. The process of vocals recording was also accompanied by the help of a good sound technician Evgeniy Volokitin. I am generally happy with the resulting mix.
Olga : Of course that makes sense. I am also a big fan of arrangements with a wind section and keyboards, a variety of percussion in addition to the basic set of drums. This is what many love the style for. Although I am personally a music lover and can get inspiration from completely different styles.
Shadows : I spent three quarters of my life traveling, and if I could pick a favourite song, it would be Death was always near. Is there a much deeper connection between you and this piece? Describe to me the process by which you wrote the lyrics for this album.
Olga : It's a pretty symbolic song indeed. I don't know about everyone, but most people still need some kind of meaning for their existence. As a famous person said, "Life goes breathless without an aim". Further spoilers are possible, hehe. My hero says some pretty important lines. He survived, thanks to the fact that he was expected (as it seemed to him). But of course he will not like the ending, I am ashamed of what he had to endure. I am already preparing a sequel for him, in which he will fulfil his revenge and find the coveted peace. Nevertheless, this composition also has a mystical side in some way. It continues the esoteric experience of the previous track. The lost wanderer is led by a guiding star, his deceased wife helps him from the other side to return to his native shores. I cannot say that such an ending is very close to me. But any loss either destroys a person or makes him stronger.
Lyrics in music for me is a very important aspect, as well as visuals. Texts are like small books to me. For this album, I deliberately chose the format of a narrative conceptual story. Attention was paid to both the hero himself and his environment. His feelings, emotions, thoughts. Not without philosophy, of course. Rather, I would even say that all the previous songs are similar on me, but not the last one. We have quite a lot in common with the hero. Both good and bad things. Recklessness, self-confidence, courage, perseverance. He fights between the thirst for life with a nihilistic instinct, and at any moment he wants to give up, but from somewhere a new meaning appears. And like him, I come to understand that karma works. If you sow evil, you reap evil. As says, return good for good; return evil with justice.
The lyrics for the third song appeared first. It was a little inspired by the scene of the death of the famous character Boromir. A real character like that, you know, has always impressed me. Very lively, with his own shortcomings. On the other hand, this song is not only about death in the physical sense. This is primarily a story about being lost. About what a person leaves behind. Everything will become ashes, life is fleeting. But it is much worse to lose your way while alive, to succumb to the call of the void.
Olga : Here I would like to note once again the masterful work of Filippos, we have collaborated with him not for the first time. He listened rather patiently to my wishes on how each instrument should sound and why one kind of flute is not enough, haha. Here it seems to me that it is not the settings themselves that are important, but experience and understanding. Personal taste. Some people like to have vocals in the background and guitars to be the leading link. Some people like vice versa. It was not so easy to strike a balance between quality and genre commitment. But it seems to have turned out as planned.
Shadows : From what I noticed; the new album aroused a wave of pleasure among the fans of epic / black metal. What plans do you have for the new launch?
Olga : I will definitely say for sure that I would not like, like many bands, to do the same albums. I already have a lot of material in development, some will be in a similar epic black vein, in some the emphasis will be on more evil and fast tracks, somewhere on the contrary, it will go into melancholic acoustic folk. It is necessary to experiment, not to stand still.
Shadows : Like any artist who puts his soul under the levers of society, I assume that you have certain expectations, desires, related to the new project. What would those be?
Olga : In fact, the main goal has already been made. I had the energy to pull this material out of a distant shelf and present it to the world. I don't know if it will become popular, during my life or after, but for certain people, it will become a meaning that will help them on their path in life. And if he helps at least one, then that all was not in vain.
Shadows : Well, we've come to the end of this interview. Would you like to add a few words as a conclusion? Any message to your friends, fans?
Olga : Many thanks to webzine, to everyone for their interest, who support the project and are interested in its fate. There will be many new songs ahead, new invited members, and some relic instruments. In the meantime, I invite you to join the endless journey that has already begun.
This concludes my interview with Olga Kann.
Pre-order her new album here: The Endless Journey
Looking for some cool merch? Here: Withered Land/ Merch
You can follow, stream and support their music via the following links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withered_land/
Doom regards,
Ipsissima verba - Shadows
Comments
Post a Comment