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***Together, the Swedish duo of charismatic singer Mariam Wallentin and drummer Andreas Werliin have forged an extraordinary hybrid of spiritual pop, primal blues, and ecstatic soul music. Seesawing between pagan rhythms and sparse, bewitching ballads, Wildbirds & Peacedrums self-produced debut is a declaration of intent: immediate, exhilarating, and just plain new. "I really felt that there was more to come out of the drum set, other sounds and feelings," says Werliin, explaining the depth of emotion and dynamic rhythmic palette that colors the duo's expressive music. Having met at the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg in 2004, where Wallentin enrolled in vocal improv and Werliin in percussion, both were frustrated by the institution's rigid format. "I was so fed up at the way music was played at the University--music judged only upon level and virtuosity," says Werliin. "It just felt wrong." After hand-sewing fabric covers for two limited-edition CDRs, the duo recorded their debut album Heartcore in Gothenberg in the summer of 2006. They used a mobile studio, allowing for a variety of intimate spaces with different acoustic elements. Having never used any of the equipment before, Wallentin and Werliin were forced to keep the recording as spare and live as possible, using just vocals and drums with only a handful of additional instruments like glockenspiel and zither. Wallentin's uninhibited, skin-prickling vocals invoke vintage blues performers like Bessie Smith as well as the spookily evocative folk singing of Mary Margaret O'Hara. With a fiery passion that encompasses moods from the heavy spiritual lament of "I Can't Tell in his Eyes" to the raw gospel exclamation of "Bird," she is a mercurial talent with a breathtaking emotional depth. Heartcore was originally released in Sweden in 2007 on Found You Recordings, and is now licensed for worldwide release by The Leaf Label. After a year of shows in Scandinavia, Wildbirds & Peacedrums will bring their powerful live show to the rest of Europe this spring, and to North America and Asia later in 2008. With a brand new album of songs already waiting in the wings, this very special duo has even more spectacular musical revelations to come. 30-second MP3 excerpts: Pony
The Way Things Go
Bird
I Can't Tell In His Eyes
Doubt/Hope
A Story From A Chair
The Battle In Water
The Ones That Should Save Me Get Me Down
Lost Love
The Window
Nakina
We Hold Each Other Song |
