White Willow
Biography White Willow
White Willow
are the leading Norwegian band of the 1990's Prog revival and were begun in 1992 by guitarist Jacob Holm-Lupo. The band was based around a nucleus of Holm-Lupo (guitars), Jan Tariq Rahman (keyboards, bass, guitars, wind instruments) , Audun Kjus (wind instruments, vocals), Sara Trondal (vocals), Eldrid Johansen (vocals), Alexander Engebretsen (5 string bass), Tirill MOHN (violin, Classical guitar) and an unnamed drummer as well as a collection of guest musicians. Over a period of 2 years from December '92 to September '94 the band recorded a number of songs that would form their fist album, Ignis Fatuus, released in '95 by The Lasers Edge, the start of a long partnership with the American label, and signalling them as one of the leading groups in the revival of Progressive Rock along with bands like ANGLAGARD and ANEKDOTEN. The sound of this first album is largely characterised by mid paced, acoustic guitar and mellotron led Folk Prog, bringing to mind GRYPHON but with a touch of the more acoustic nature of early GENESIS and KING CRIMSON's first line-up. However, the two "epic" songs that close out the album showed a full electric band with a much more staunchly Symphonic approach. If there is two words than can be used to describe the bands music though, its melancholic and beautiful, two characteristics that would remain with the band and become the signature of their sound.
Because of the extended nature of the recording time for the album Ignis Fatuus and with the band members having very informal roles, it has a feeling of a solo project at times but also of a young band trying to find their sound. In the following three years the band was reformed around the core of Jacob Holm-Lupo and Jan Tariq Rahman, with Frode Lia joining on bass and Mattias Olsson (ANGLAGARD) on drums. Sylvia Erichsen would join as vocalist and for many fans would become the voice of WHITE WILLOW for years to come. The second album Ex Tenebris would be released in '98 and featured a changed sound from the début. The mid paced, melancholic atmosphere would remain, but it featured a much more sparse, striped-down sound with a slightly more Symphonic Rock touch added to the folk. Following this release the band would also see more success on tour, attracting wide acclaim for their performances at a wide variety of Prog festivals across Europe. Following the touring, many members once again left the band with only Holm-Lupo and Erichsen remaining. The new line-up consisted of Brynjar Dambo (keyboards, glockenspiel), Aage Moltke Schou (drums), Johannes Sæbøe (bass) and Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (wind instruments)( JAGGA JAZZIST, MOTORPSYCHO) and it would be this band that recorded the third album, Sacrament, in 2000. The sound of the band continued to evolve here with them now being a fully Symphonic Prog band with only a few Folk influences left and a much heavier reliance on the electric guitar than previously, but still with large helpings of acoustic playing. This line-up would also gain a deal of success on the live circuit, particularly at NEARFest in 2001 when they had to play a set with borrowed equipment following an airline mishap.
