In all things of nature, there is something of the marvellous...
~Aristotle
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Band merchandise available now- see the merchandise page for details!
BIOGRAPHY
Current Line-up:
Christopher Mole- guitars
Elliot Sinclair- keyboards, piano
Catie Williams- flutes, recorders (and band chauffeur)
Martin Collins- vocals
Richard Allan- bass guitars
Paul "Wib" Whibberley- drums and percussion
Band Biography
Northern Oak was conceived late in 2006 by Chris Mole, keyboardist Elliot Sinclair, vocalist James Harris and founding drummer Daniel Loughran. Over several months, the band became a reality and began regular practices, working on songs that fused together black and folk metal with the medieval sounds beloved of Sinclair.
On the 1st of May, 2007, the band performed their first gig at the Under the Boardwalk venue in Sheffield. The show went very well, with Northern Oak making a great impact on a crowd of 30/40 enthusiastic metalheads. Shortly afterwards, the band was joined by another new member - superlative flautist Catie Williams, who added an extra dose of folk to the band`s sound.
Soon afterwards, recording began on what would become the band`s debut album, Tales From Rivelin, lasting from May 2007 until January 2008 During this period the band also found time to play another gig at Under the Boardwalk, this time bidding farewell to Loughran, as he was about to move to Bristol and thus leave the band. As the band worked on getting the album finished and printed, some other line-up shifts occurred - a new drummer (Jesse Harrison) and bassist (Kimberley Sears) joined the band, as did a new vocalist (Carl Aspinall). Aspinall`s tenure was short-lived due to his other commitments, however, and he was soon replaced by Martin Collins.
The debut album, `Tales From Rivelin`, was finally released and garnered a great degree of positive press, including two rather glowing reviews from Terrorizer magazine and Zero Tolerance magazine. Having played a number of shows to promote the album and spread their name and reputation, Northern Oak began working on new material for the next recorded work and to increase their repertoire of songs. They began to perform live much more frequently, and the band`s sound developed into a more powerful, epic and progressive take on the idea of `folk metal`.
By March of 2009, a couple of new songs had been worked on, only for another line-up change to damage the band; drummer Jesse Harrison and bassist Kimberley Sears left the band within a week of each other, leaving Northern Oak without two members shortly before a gig. A stand-in bassist in the form of Paul Sparshott and a stand-in drummer in the form of Russell Dobson were swiftly recruited and the band managed to do the gig, pulling off one of their best shows.
It was not long before the band found a replacement bassist in the form of a long-term friend of theirs, Richard Allan, who immediately began getting to grips with the band`s material. After auditioning a few drummers, the band settled on a friend of Catie’s known as Paul “Wib” Whibberley, also the conga player in the salsa band Cuatro de Diciembre.
Work began on more new songs straight away, and in a short time the band’s setlist had expanded considerably, with new songs such as “Gawain”, “Nivis Canto”, “Silvan Lullaby” and “In These Hills” showing a much more epic and powerful core to the band’s sound. Having completed a good number of new songs, the band took advantage of the facilities at the Attic Practice Studios to record a live CD of their new material and a couple of older songs. Soon after, discussions with Aled of the Welsh band Annwn led to Northern Oak being invited to join the roster of the independent label Mynydd Du records.
Having firmly established themselves as Sheffield`s premier purveyors of the finest progressive folk metal, and having left an indelible imprint on the UK folk metal scene in general, Northern Oak hopes to keep spreading their influence even further afield and is in the process of recording a follow-up to "Tales From Rivelin".
Late Autumn 2006 (founder member).
Date of birth:
November 1987
Favourite Drinks:
Kopparberg Cider
Timmermann`s Fruity Beers
Milk
Favourite Music:
Death metal both melodic and brutal (Amon Amarth to Carcass to Bloodbath), black metal either melodic, symphonic or grim (Dark Fortress to Emperor to Anaal Nathrakh), nice and atmospheric folk metal such as Summoning, Agalloch or Falkenbach, some thrash metal and some more mainstream metal such as Lamb of God. I also love my classic rock and prog- Hendrix and Pink Floyd have been particularly big influences. And finally, I`m a big fan of classical music (especially Vivaldi, Mussorgsky, Grieg, Beethoven, Mozart) and a huge fan of video game soundtracks by composers such as Nobuo Uematsu, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Koji Kondo, and the guys who composed the Mass Effect soundtrack- Jack Wall and Sam Hulick.
Influential guitarists:
Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Michael Amott, Alexi Laiho, Skwisgaar Skwigelf.
Other influences:
Nature in all it`s forms- sunlight, snow, autumn leaves, spring rains. The Peak District, especially the views from Snake Pass. Music itself- melodies and harmonies.
When I helped form Northern Oak back at the very beginning of 2006, I had no idea we`d get quite as far as we have done today- I knew I wanted to take it further than I`ve taken any of my previous projects, but I had no idea that I`d be writing a biography right now to go on our shiny-looking official website, in support of our first album, an album which I helped write, played on, recorded, produced, mixed and mastered. It`s a pretty humbling thought, really.
As time has gone by and we`ve gotten more involved with Northern Oak, I`ve found my thought patterns developing with regards to the music; I`ve begun to take real inspiration from the beauty of nature, and sometimes merely driving over Snake Pass on a sunny day can have me gaping at the scenery and send floods of ideas into my mind. Not all of those make it through, but those that do I hope will evoke the same kind of images in the heads of those who hear them.
Ultimately, I`ll be happy if people continue to enjoy the music I make. After all, isn`t that the final goal of any musician?
Favourite Northern Oak song:
Arbor Low/Gawain
Equipment/Setup:
Guitars: Schecter Hellraiser C-1 (w/Original Floyd Rose, EMG 81 pickups) in cherry red finish, Gibson Explorer `76 Reissue in natural finish, soon to be upgraded with Seymour Duncan Blackouts.
Late Autumn 2006 (founder member)
Date of Birth:
March 1988
Favourite Drinks:
Nesquik milkshakes
Passion fruit juice
Favourite Music:
Metal: Rivendell, Summoning, Falkenbach, Cruachan, Todesbonden, Adhur, Orphaned Land, Asmegin, Pagan Reign, Arkona, Otyg, Rhapsody of Fire, Haggard, Bishop of Hexen, Diabolical Masquerade, Windir, Mystic Forest, Cradle of Filth, Therion, Tvangeste, Lacrimosa;
Neoclassical/folk/ambient: Secret Garden, Pantagruel, Angels of Venice, Celtic Woman, Celtic Legend, Loreena McKennitt, Blackmore`s Night, The Moon and the Nightspirit, Yasmin Levy, Ophelia`s Dream, Empyrium, Stille Volk, Wolfenmond, Mediaeval Baebes, Estampie, Omnia, Trobar de Morte, Narsilion, Artesia, Faun, Carved in Stone, Elend, The Soil Bleeds Black, Hexentanz, Aghast, Wongraven, Funeral Dusk, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas;
Medieval, renaissance baroque: Bach, Purcell, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Lully;
Classical: Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Elgar, Britten, Walton
Influential pianists/harpsichordists/organists/keyboardists:
Bach, Chopin, Alessandro Staropoli
Other Influences:
The four seasons, night and day, walking through forests, lying in moors, Gothic/Romantic poetry.
’Twas on that stormy midwinter’s eve in late November that I did perchance, stumble upon that serenade most diabolical when passing the Ranmoor practice room: ferocious, frostbitten blastbeats, accompanied by the most brutalising riffs did shake the feeble earth. Little did I know, I had stumbled on what was to become… Northern Oak!
Anyway, enough of that! I started having piano lessons from about the age of 8 until I was 14 but was never really passionate about music until I got into metal a few years later, listening to mainly symphonic black metal (if we skip the very very brief Slipknot stage!). At the same time, I was very much into medieval history and one summer, out of pure serendipity, came across Rye Medieval Festival, where I finally got a dose of some medieval music, which is really the primary influence for the music I play in Northern Oak. I was also greatly influenced by Baroque composers, particularly Bach, whose genius inspires a lot of my organ compositions.
For me, the purpose of the music we play is to rekindle a lost time of myth and legend, where nature ruled the earth and spirituality prevailed…
May 2007
Date of Birth:
December 1983
Favourite Drinks:
Tea
Real ales and ciders
Ginger beer
Favourite Music:
Folk (Flook, Shooglenifty, Peatbog Faeries, Kila, Bellowhead, Afro Celts, Jethro Tull etc.)
Salsa (Yerba Buena, Salsa Celtica, Orquesta Gitano, Johnny Pacheco, Buena Vista Social Club etc.)
Folk and symphonic metal (Therion, Wintersun, Korpiklaani, Falkenbach, Eluveitie, Moonsorrow etc.)
Medieval, renaissance and baroque (Bach, Telemann, Albinoni, Handel, Tallis, Dowland etc.)
…and so much other stuff that I can’t really pigeonhole into any particular category (Dead can Dance, Arcana, Dark Sanctuary, Tool, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Sigur Ros etc.)
Influential flautists:
Ian Anderson, Michael McGoldrick, Brian Finnegan, James Galway, Ian Judson
Other influences:
The sea, valleys and mountains, forests and moors, history and mythology of the British Isles, solitude and being left alone with my own random thoughts.
Although I have what you might call a “classical” musical background, I`ve always had a strong love of improvisation and composition. Playing in an 11 piece salsa band has also been an amazing experience, I`ve enjoyed learning so much about a completely different style of music and its history that I probably subconsciously bring what I`ve learnt to all my playing (salsa metal anyone?!). Having dabbled with a variety of instruments in the past, including stints as a guitarist and bassist in various bands, I`ve always felt most at home with the flute. It`s an instrument of contrasts – the low tones are so rich and breathy and the higher register so bright and clear that I sometimes think it sounds like two totally different instruments. I very much enjoy the freedom that I have playing with Northern Oak, and I love how our songs seem to be constantly evolving and becoming stronger. My only fear is getting stuck in a musical rut where I`m constantly just playing one style of music but I certainly don`t see that happening anytime soon.
March 2009
Date of Birth:
February 1988
Favourite Drinks:
Stones Bitter
Marston`s Pedigree
Jaipur IPA
Tea (milk and two, nice and strong, ta love)
Favourite Music:
My two favourite bands of all time are Million Dead and Mclusky, although I reckon I have a fairly eclectic taste in music (leaning towards folk metal of late, however) so it`d be better for me to list a few instead: 3 Colours Red, Art Brut, At The Drive-In, Attila The Stockbroker, Biffy Clyro (pre-Puzzle), Billy Bragg, Elton John, Ensiferum, Frank Turner, iForward, Russia!, Future Of The Left, Gogol Bordello, Jarcrew, Jurassic 5, Lighthouse Family, The Mars Volta, Plan B, Powerquest, Sabaton, Saul Williams, Sham 69, Simon & Garfunkel, That Fucking Tank, Turisas, The Young Knives, Yourcodenameis:milo.
Influential bassists:
Steve Harris, Bruce Foxton, Julia Ruzicka, Andy Rourke, Juan Alderete, James Johnston
Other influences:
Bass guitar, Stones bitter, Million Dead and Burton Albion FC.
Initially, excited as I was to join this here band, I was also anxious about whether or not my arrival would have a detrimental effect; frankly, folk and metal aren`t normally the first things that spring to mind when you consider a (relatively) young football mad northern lad. However, we seemed to complement each other straight from the off, with me bringing cheerfulness and simple but effective basslines to the table whilst simultaneously being forced to up my game by virtue of being in a band with some of the most talented (and downright sexy) musicians I have ever had the fortune to play with.
The other main aspect was that it had encouraged me to think more about and appreciate nature, nature which I had been surrounded by from cradle to adulthood on our dairy farm but failed to fully appreciate at the time. I still work there time and again, and as hard as the work is the beauty of the English countryside never fails to surprise and delight me.
Current Line-up:
Christopher Mole- guitars
Elliot Sinclair- keyboards, piano
Catie Williams- flutes, recorders (and band chauffeur)
Martin Collins- vocals
Richard Allan- bass guitars
Paul "Wib" Whibberley- drums and percussion
Band Biography
Northern Oak was conceived late in 2006 by Chris Mole, keyboardist Elliot Sinclair, vocalist James Harris and founding drummer Daniel Loughran. Over several months, the band became a reality and began regular practices, working on songs that fused together black and folk metal with the medieval sounds beloved of Sinclair.
On the 1st of May, 2007, the band performed their first gig at the Under the Boardwalk venue in Sheffield. The show went very well, with Northern Oak making a great impact on a crowd of 30/40 enthusiastic metalheads. Shortly afterwards, the band was joined by another new member - superlative flautist Catie Williams, who added an extra dose of folk to the band`s sound.
Soon afterwards, recording began on what would become the band`s debut album, Tales From Rivelin, lasting from May 2007 until January 2008 During this period the band also found time to play another gig at Under the Boardwalk, this time bidding farewell to Loughran, as he was about to move to Bristol and thus leave the band. As the band worked on getting the album finished and printed, some other line-up shifts occurred - a new drummer (Jesse Harrison) and bassist (Kimberley Sears) joined the band, as did a new vocalist (Carl Aspinall). Aspinall`s tenure was short-lived due to his other commitments, however, and he was soon replaced by Martin Collins.
The debut album, `Tales From Rivelin`, was finally released and garnered a great degree of positive press, including two rather glowing reviews from Terrorizer magazine and Zero Tolerance magazine. Having played a number of shows to promote the album and spread their name and reputation, Northern Oak began working on new material for the next recorded work and to increase their repertoire of songs. They began to perform live much more frequently, and the band`s sound developed into a more powerful, epic and progressive take on the idea of `folk metal`.
By March of 2009, a couple of new songs had been worked on, only for another line-up change to damage the band; drummer Jesse Harrison and bassist Kimberley Sears left the band within a week of each other, leaving Northern Oak without two members shortly before a gig. A stand-in bassist in the form of Paul Sparshott and a stand-in drummer in the form of Russell Dobson were swiftly recruited and the band managed to do the gig, pulling off one of their best shows.
It was not long before the band found a replacement bassist in the form of a long-term friend of theirs, Richard Allan, who immediately began getting to grips with the band`s material. After auditioning a few drummers, the band settled on a friend of Catie’s known as Paul “Wib” Whibberley, also the conga player in the salsa band Cuatro de Diciembre.
Work began on more new songs straight away, and in a short time the band’s setlist had expanded considerably, with new songs such as “Gawain”, “Nivis Canto”, “Silvan Lullaby” and “In These Hills” showing a much more epic and powerful core to the band’s sound. Having completed a good number of new songs, the band took advantage of the facilities at the Attic Practice Studios to record a live CD of their new material and a couple of older songs. Soon after, discussions with Aled of the Welsh band Annwn led to Northern Oak being invited to join the roster of the independent label Mynydd Du records.
Having firmly established themselves as Sheffield`s premier purveyors of the finest progressive folk metal, and having left an indelible imprint on the UK folk metal scene in general, Northern Oak hopes to keep spreading their influence even further afield and is in the process of recording a follow-up to "Tales From Rivelin".
Chris Mole
Joined Northern Oak:Late Autumn 2006 (founder member).
Date of birth:
November 1987
Favourite Drinks:
Kopparberg Cider
Timmermann`s Fruity Beers
Milk
Favourite Music:
Death metal both melodic and brutal (Amon Amarth to Carcass to Bloodbath), black metal either melodic, symphonic or grim (Dark Fortress to Emperor to Anaal Nathrakh), nice and atmospheric folk metal such as Summoning, Agalloch or Falkenbach, some thrash metal and some more mainstream metal such as Lamb of God. I also love my classic rock and prog- Hendrix and Pink Floyd have been particularly big influences. And finally, I`m a big fan of classical music (especially Vivaldi, Mussorgsky, Grieg, Beethoven, Mozart) and a huge fan of video game soundtracks by composers such as Nobuo Uematsu, Hitoshi Sakimoto, Koji Kondo, and the guys who composed the Mass Effect soundtrack- Jack Wall and Sam Hulick.
Influential guitarists:
Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Michael Amott, Alexi Laiho, Skwisgaar Skwigelf.
Other influences:
Nature in all it`s forms- sunlight, snow, autumn leaves, spring rains. The Peak District, especially the views from Snake Pass. Music itself- melodies and harmonies.
When I helped form Northern Oak back at the very beginning of 2006, I had no idea we`d get quite as far as we have done today- I knew I wanted to take it further than I`ve taken any of my previous projects, but I had no idea that I`d be writing a biography right now to go on our shiny-looking official website, in support of our first album, an album which I helped write, played on, recorded, produced, mixed and mastered. It`s a pretty humbling thought, really.
As time has gone by and we`ve gotten more involved with Northern Oak, I`ve found my thought patterns developing with regards to the music; I`ve begun to take real inspiration from the beauty of nature, and sometimes merely driving over Snake Pass on a sunny day can have me gaping at the scenery and send floods of ideas into my mind. Not all of those make it through, but those that do I hope will evoke the same kind of images in the heads of those who hear them.
Ultimately, I`ll be happy if people continue to enjoy the music I make. After all, isn`t that the final goal of any musician?
Favourite Northern Oak song:
Arbor Low/Gawain
Equipment/Setup:
Guitars: Schecter Hellraiser C-1 (w/Original Floyd Rose, EMG 81 pickups) in cherry red finish, Gibson Explorer `76 Reissue in natural finish, soon to be upgraded with Seymour Duncan Blackouts.
Elliot Sinclair
Joined Northern Oak:Late Autumn 2006 (founder member)
Date of Birth:
March 1988
Favourite Drinks:
Nesquik milkshakes
Passion fruit juice
Favourite Music:
Metal: Rivendell, Summoning, Falkenbach, Cruachan, Todesbonden, Adhur, Orphaned Land, Asmegin, Pagan Reign, Arkona, Otyg, Rhapsody of Fire, Haggard, Bishop of Hexen, Diabolical Masquerade, Windir, Mystic Forest, Cradle of Filth, Therion, Tvangeste, Lacrimosa;
Neoclassical/folk/ambient: Secret Garden, Pantagruel, Angels of Venice, Celtic Woman, Celtic Legend, Loreena McKennitt, Blackmore`s Night, The Moon and the Nightspirit, Yasmin Levy, Ophelia`s Dream, Empyrium, Stille Volk, Wolfenmond, Mediaeval Baebes, Estampie, Omnia, Trobar de Morte, Narsilion, Artesia, Faun, Carved in Stone, Elend, The Soil Bleeds Black, Hexentanz, Aghast, Wongraven, Funeral Dusk, Die Verbannten Kinder Evas;
Medieval, renaissance baroque: Bach, Purcell, Vivaldi, Albinoni, Lully;
Classical: Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Elgar, Britten, Walton
Influential pianists/harpsichordists/organists/keyboardists:
Bach, Chopin, Alessandro Staropoli
Other Influences:
The four seasons, night and day, walking through forests, lying in moors, Gothic/Romantic poetry.
’Twas on that stormy midwinter’s eve in late November that I did perchance, stumble upon that serenade most diabolical when passing the Ranmoor practice room: ferocious, frostbitten blastbeats, accompanied by the most brutalising riffs did shake the feeble earth. Little did I know, I had stumbled on what was to become… Northern Oak!
Anyway, enough of that! I started having piano lessons from about the age of 8 until I was 14 but was never really passionate about music until I got into metal a few years later, listening to mainly symphonic black metal (if we skip the very very brief Slipknot stage!). At the same time, I was very much into medieval history and one summer, out of pure serendipity, came across Rye Medieval Festival, where I finally got a dose of some medieval music, which is really the primary influence for the music I play in Northern Oak. I was also greatly influenced by Baroque composers, particularly Bach, whose genius inspires a lot of my organ compositions.
For me, the purpose of the music we play is to rekindle a lost time of myth and legend, where nature ruled the earth and spirituality prevailed…
Catie Williams
Joined Northern Oak:May 2007
Date of Birth:
December 1983
Favourite Drinks:
Tea
Real ales and ciders
Ginger beer
Favourite Music:
Folk (Flook, Shooglenifty, Peatbog Faeries, Kila, Bellowhead, Afro Celts, Jethro Tull etc.)
Salsa (Yerba Buena, Salsa Celtica, Orquesta Gitano, Johnny Pacheco, Buena Vista Social Club etc.)
Folk and symphonic metal (Therion, Wintersun, Korpiklaani, Falkenbach, Eluveitie, Moonsorrow etc.)
Medieval, renaissance and baroque (Bach, Telemann, Albinoni, Handel, Tallis, Dowland etc.)
…and so much other stuff that I can’t really pigeonhole into any particular category (Dead can Dance, Arcana, Dark Sanctuary, Tool, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Sigur Ros etc.)
Influential flautists:
Ian Anderson, Michael McGoldrick, Brian Finnegan, James Galway, Ian Judson
Other influences:
The sea, valleys and mountains, forests and moors, history and mythology of the British Isles, solitude and being left alone with my own random thoughts.
Although I have what you might call a “classical” musical background, I`ve always had a strong love of improvisation and composition. Playing in an 11 piece salsa band has also been an amazing experience, I`ve enjoyed learning so much about a completely different style of music and its history that I probably subconsciously bring what I`ve learnt to all my playing (salsa metal anyone?!). Having dabbled with a variety of instruments in the past, including stints as a guitarist and bassist in various bands, I`ve always felt most at home with the flute. It`s an instrument of contrasts – the low tones are so rich and breathy and the higher register so bright and clear that I sometimes think it sounds like two totally different instruments. I very much enjoy the freedom that I have playing with Northern Oak, and I love how our songs seem to be constantly evolving and becoming stronger. My only fear is getting stuck in a musical rut where I`m constantly just playing one style of music but I certainly don`t see that happening anytime soon.
Richard Allan
Joined Northern Oak:March 2009
Date of Birth:
February 1988
Favourite Drinks:
Stones Bitter
Marston`s Pedigree
Jaipur IPA
Tea (milk and two, nice and strong, ta love)
Favourite Music:
My two favourite bands of all time are Million Dead and Mclusky, although I reckon I have a fairly eclectic taste in music (leaning towards folk metal of late, however) so it`d be better for me to list a few instead: 3 Colours Red, Art Brut, At The Drive-In, Attila The Stockbroker, Biffy Clyro (pre-Puzzle), Billy Bragg, Elton John, Ensiferum, Frank Turner, iForward, Russia!, Future Of The Left, Gogol Bordello, Jarcrew, Jurassic 5, Lighthouse Family, The Mars Volta, Plan B, Powerquest, Sabaton, Saul Williams, Sham 69, Simon & Garfunkel, That Fucking Tank, Turisas, The Young Knives, Yourcodenameis:milo.
Influential bassists:
Steve Harris, Bruce Foxton, Julia Ruzicka, Andy Rourke, Juan Alderete, James Johnston
Other influences:
Bass guitar, Stones bitter, Million Dead and Burton Albion FC.
Initially, excited as I was to join this here band, I was also anxious about whether or not my arrival would have a detrimental effect; frankly, folk and metal aren`t normally the first things that spring to mind when you consider a (relatively) young football mad northern lad. However, we seemed to complement each other straight from the off, with me bringing cheerfulness and simple but effective basslines to the table whilst simultaneously being forced to up my game by virtue of being in a band with some of the most talented (and downright sexy) musicians I have ever had the fortune to play with.
The other main aspect was that it had encouraged me to think more about and appreciate nature, nature which I had been surrounded by from cradle to adulthood on our dairy farm but failed to fully appreciate at the time. I still work there time and again, and as hard as the work is the beauty of the English countryside never fails to surprise and delight me.