PREVIEW NEW MUSIC FROM WARDRUNA’S FORTHCOMING ALBUM, KVITRAVN THE STRIKING VIDEO FOR THE LEAD SINGLE GRÁ DEBUTSJO QUAIL ADDED AS SUPPORT FOR UK AND IRISH LIVE DATES
WATCH “GRÁ” WARDRUNA’S ODE TO THE WOLF
The first glimpse of Kvitravn, the forthcoming album from Wardruna, is revealed today by way of a starkly beautiful video for “Grá“, honouring the ancient bond and relationship between man and wolf.
“Grá (Grey) is our song to the wolf. It seeks to address and acknowledge the cost and responsibility of being part of, and not above nature.” – Einar Selvik
Einar continues, “Once again, we were given the opportunity to go to Finland and work with a beautiful and brave rescued wolf called Tihu and her caretakers. The video was directed by our friend Tuukka Koski and his fantastic team at Koski Syväri.”
The masterful Norwegian storytellers shall release their brand new album Kvitravn on 5th June via Music For Nations.
Kvitravn musically continues where the Runaljod trilogy left off, yet it marks a distinct evolution in Wardruna’s unique sound. In a rich musical tapestry, Wardruna use a broad selection of both traditional and historical instruments such as Kravik-lyre, Trossingen-lyre, Taglharpa, Sootharp, Langeleik, Crwth, Goat- horn, Lur, Bronze-lur, flute, Moraharpa, and the record also features guest appearances by a small group of prominent traditional singers, spearheaded by Kirsten Bråten Berg, one of the most important custodians of Norwegian traditional song. Throughout eleven songs, Kvitravn discusses Northern sorcery, spirit-animals, shadows, nature and animism, the wisdom and meanings of certain myths, various Norse spiritual concepts, and the relation between sage and songs.
WARDRUNA 2020 EUROPEAN TOUR DATES:
28 Mar – Oslo (NO) – Sentrum Scene
02 Apr – Kristiansand (NO) – Kilden Teater
03 Apr – Stavanger (NO) – Konserthus04 Apr- Bergen (NO) – Grieghallen
30 Apr – Moscow (RU) – Crocus City Hall
01 May – St. Petersburg (RU) – Yubileyny Sports Palace
03 May – Poznan (PL) – Hala Ziemi
04 May – Krakow (PL) – ICE Congress Center
05 May – Bratislava (SK) – Refinery gallery
07 May – Belgrade (RS) – Sava Centar
08 May – Bucharest (RO) – Arena Romanele
04 Jun – Manchester (UK) – Albert Hall **
05 Jun – Dublin (IE) – Vicar St **
06 June – Birmingham (UK) – Symphony Hall **
07 June – Glasgow (UK) – Royal Concert Hall **
09 June – London (UK) – Royal Festival Hall **
10 June – Cambridge (UK) – Cambridge Corn Exchange **
11 June – Gelsenkirchen (DE) – Amphitheater
20 June – Clisson (FR) – Hellfest
15-18 July – Ostrava (CZ) – Colors of Ostrava Festival
01 Aug – Savonlinna (FI) – Savonlinna Opera Festival
12-16 Aug – Dinkelsbühl (DE) Summer Breeze Festival
12-16 Aug – Midgardsblot (NO) Midgardsblot Festival
05 Sept – Selb (DE) Festival Mediaval
21 Sep – Reykjavik (IS) – Harpa
**with Jo Quail in support
US AND CANADA TOUR:
24 Sept – Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium
25 Sept – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
26 Sept – New York, NY, Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
28 Sept – Boston, MA – The Orpeheum Theatre
29 Sept – Montreal, QC – M Telus
30 Sept – Toronto, ON – Meridian Hall 2 Oct – Chicago, IL – Auditorium Theatre
3 Oct – Minneapolis, MN – The State Theatre
6 Oct – Calgary, AB – Jack Singer Concert Hall
8 Oct – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
9 Oct – Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
10 Oct – Salem, OR – Elsinore Theatre
12 Oct – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
14 Oct – Oakland, CA – Paramount Theatre
16 Oct – El Cajon, CA – Magnolia
17 Oct – Los Angeles, CA – Orpheum Theatre
18 Oct – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theatre
20 Oct – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theatre
PRE ORDER BUNDLES FOR THE RECORD AND LIVE DATES ON SALE
ABOUT WARDRUNA…
The Norwegian music constellation Wardruna are renowned for their innovative and genre-creating renditions of older Nordic traditions. Composer Einar Selvik initiated the group in the early 2000s. Since the debut album in 2009, Wardruna have had vast worldwide success, transcending music genres, cultures and languages. The group has previously charted in both Germany and the UK and topped the North American Billboard World-music chart for several consecutive weeks. The group’s massive musical contributions to History Channel’s TV series VIKINGS has exposed their music to a broad audience worldwide. Wardruna merges the academic with the pop cultural and their thorough and serious approach has made them one of today’s foremost communicators of Norse culture.
• Top international scholars on Old Norse studies today use Einar’s work to exemplify how music might have been executed in earlier times in Scandinavia.
• Einar Selvik has lectured about his work with historical music in Universities such as Oxford, Denver, Reykjavik, and Bergen.
• Wardruna has over 60 placements of music in the History Channel’s hit TV series VIKINGS, in addition to substantial work on the actual music score of the show. Einar Selvik has starred and performed on the show on two occasions (in season 3 & 4).
• Together with Enslaved, Wardruna was in 2014 commissioned by the Norwegian government to write and perform a music-piece for the 200-year anniversary of the Norwegian constitution.
• First concert was held in front of the near 1500 year old «Gokstad» Viking ship in Oslo and Wardruna is the only band ever to be allowed to hold an amplified concert at the Viking ship museum.
• Performed sold out shows worldwide, including major festival headline appearances (Red Rock Amphitheatre, Castle Fest, Hellfest, Summer Breeze, Roadburn, Echoes & Merveilles, Rock oz Arenes, Rock the Coast and many more)
• Independently self-released 3 albums
• Billboard World Music No 1. in the US and Canada
Wardruna discography:
Runaljod – gap var Ginnunga (2009)
Runaljod – Yggdrasil (2013)
Runaljod – Ragnarok (2016)
Skald (2018)
