In all things of nature, there is something of the marvellous...
~Aristotle
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BIOGRAPHY
Current Line-up:
Christopher Mole- guitars
Digby Brown- keyboards, piano
Catie Williams- flutes, recorders
Martin Collins- vocals
Richard Allan- bass guitars
Paul "Wib" Whibberley- drums and percussion
Band Biography
The detailed history of Northern Oak is being rejigged at the moment- watch this space!
Northern Oak is a progressive folk metal group from Sheffield, England.
Founded in early 2006 during a wintry excursion to the Peak District, Northern Oak have been spreading their unique brand of flute-heavy progressive folk metal across Sheffield and the rest of the UK ever since. With a slew of gigs under their belt (including festival shows in Edinburgh, London and Nottingham) and their debut album `Tales From Rivelin` released to positive reviews in 2008, the band have gone from strength to strength with their current lineup, and stand poised to unleash their second full-length `Monuments`, a darker and more complex offering than its predecessor, upon an unsuspecting public.
With a rich, organic sound that evokes the lush, tranquil landscape of Derwent Valley then cascades onwards into harsh, jagged chaos reminiscent of the landscapes of the Dark Peak, the music builds from rock-solid, groove-laden foundations and thunderous double-kick work into detailed harmonic overtures as guitar, flute and keyboards complement and harmonise with each other. Overlaying this are vocals which vary from whispered to spoken and screamed to roared, as the music requires.
Lyrically, `Monuments` deals with a number of philosophical topics through a loose, over-arching concept; each song is part of the final writings of a Victorian scholar on his death-bed, with each song discussing either an event in his own life or a historical, mythological or naturalistic story that fascinated him. The black despair he felt over his wife\\\'s death (`In These Hills`) and a retelling of the myth of Gawain and the Green Knight (`Gawain`) are two examples. In keeping with the band`s roots, the lyrics often display a strong connection to and appreciation of the endless majesty of nature.
Praised for the energetic, powerful and theatrical nature of their live performances, Northern Oak look forward to extensive gigging and touring in support of `Monuments` throughout 2011.
Late Autumn 2006 (founder member).
Date of birth:
November 1987
Favourite Drinks:
Kopparberg Cider
Timmermann`s Fruity Beers
Tea (with milk in it. Strong, though. Want to see the spoon stand up!)
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 is my biggest guitar hero, but also David Gilmour, Michael Amott and Alexi Laiho.
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 (although the new one Only Our Names Will Remain is becoming a close second!)
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.
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.
May 2008
Date of Birth:
February
Favourite Drinks:
Tea (When I say `Assam` you say `Lovely!`)
Real Ale
Gin
Mountain Dew
Favourite Music:
My all time favourite band would have to be the legendary scumdogs of the universe - GWAR! If you want an idea of what I`ve been listening to you can find me on last.fm as KnightErrant, for now though here are some genres and bands that I enjoy.
Grindcore - Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, The Berzerker
Metal - Converge, Today is the day, My Dying Bride
Industrial/EBM - Ministry, KMFDM, VNV Nation
Visual Kei/J-Rock - Malice Mizer, Dir en grey, Versailles
Other - Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer, Emilie Autumn, Silent Hill soundtracks
Influential vocalists:
JR Hayes, Steve Austin, Jacob Bannon
Other influences:
`Words!` in all their forms, films, tentacles, the burning inside, alcohol, the obscure, waist coats and other fine attire.
First off I would like to make it clear that I hate writing bios. For all my introspection and over-analysis, they show up just how much I don`t get about people or my own peculiar brand of madness.
I wasn`t the most obvious choice to be the vocalist for Northern Oak, as a grind aficionado who did not listen to any folk metal before joining. However they were afflicted by the `Curse of the Northern Oak Vocalist` where they had a ridiculous turnover and being convinced by the quality of the Oak`s music, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. Nearly two years down the line [yes, it took the others that long to convince me into writing this] I have no regrets. Having had the joy of bringing some damn good metal to audiences around the UK and gaining some of the finest companions I could hope for.
A big thing for me is Purpose and so when it comes to my lyrics I need them to pose a question, raise some idea or concept. Be more than the sum of its parts. For me to be truly satisfied with my words, they need to be like a Philip K. Dick novel; a perfectly formed world designed to convey a point or philosophy in the most effective and aesthetically pleasing manner. So as you can guess I`m rarely happy with what I`ve written and can get very pretentious and annoying!
Finally I have a confession to make, the fine attire business is my fault. 2008 was the year of the Dark Knight and Sweeney Todd, at which point I had an epiphany that waistcoats are awesome and began to have a corrupting influence on the rest of the band...
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
Digby Brown- keyboards, piano
Catie Williams- flutes, recorders
Martin Collins- vocals
Richard Allan- bass guitars
Paul "Wib" Whibberley- drums and percussion
Band Biography
The detailed history of Northern Oak is being rejigged at the moment- watch this space!
Northern Oak is a progressive folk metal group from Sheffield, England.
Founded in early 2006 during a wintry excursion to the Peak District, Northern Oak have been spreading their unique brand of flute-heavy progressive folk metal across Sheffield and the rest of the UK ever since. With a slew of gigs under their belt (including festival shows in Edinburgh, London and Nottingham) and their debut album `Tales From Rivelin` released to positive reviews in 2008, the band have gone from strength to strength with their current lineup, and stand poised to unleash their second full-length `Monuments`, a darker and more complex offering than its predecessor, upon an unsuspecting public.
With a rich, organic sound that evokes the lush, tranquil landscape of Derwent Valley then cascades onwards into harsh, jagged chaos reminiscent of the landscapes of the Dark Peak, the music builds from rock-solid, groove-laden foundations and thunderous double-kick work into detailed harmonic overtures as guitar, flute and keyboards complement and harmonise with each other. Overlaying this are vocals which vary from whispered to spoken and screamed to roared, as the music requires.
Lyrically, `Monuments` deals with a number of philosophical topics through a loose, over-arching concept; each song is part of the final writings of a Victorian scholar on his death-bed, with each song discussing either an event in his own life or a historical, mythological or naturalistic story that fascinated him. The black despair he felt over his wife\\\'s death (`In These Hills`) and a retelling of the myth of Gawain and the Green Knight (`Gawain`) are two examples. In keeping with the band`s roots, the lyrics often display a strong connection to and appreciation of the endless majesty of nature.
Praised for the energetic, powerful and theatrical nature of their live performances, Northern Oak look forward to extensive gigging and touring in support of `Monuments` throughout 2011.
Chris Mole
Joined Northern Oak:Late Autumn 2006 (founder member).
Date of birth:
November 1987
Favourite Drinks:
Kopparberg Cider
Timmermann`s Fruity Beers
Tea (with milk in it. Strong, though. Want to see the spoon stand up!)
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 is my biggest guitar hero, but also David Gilmour, Michael Amott and Alexi Laiho.
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 (although the new one Only Our Names Will Remain is becoming a close second!)
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.
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.
Martin Collins
Joined Northern Oak:May 2008
Date of Birth:
February
Favourite Drinks:
Tea (When I say `Assam` you say `Lovely!`)
Real Ale
Gin
Mountain Dew
Favourite Music:
My all time favourite band would have to be the legendary scumdogs of the universe - GWAR! If you want an idea of what I`ve been listening to you can find me on last.fm as KnightErrant, for now though here are some genres and bands that I enjoy.
Grindcore - Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, The Berzerker
Metal - Converge, Today is the day, My Dying Bride
Industrial/EBM - Ministry, KMFDM, VNV Nation
Visual Kei/J-Rock - Malice Mizer, Dir en grey, Versailles
Other - Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer, Emilie Autumn, Silent Hill soundtracks
Influential vocalists:
JR Hayes, Steve Austin, Jacob Bannon
Other influences:
`Words!` in all their forms, films, tentacles, the burning inside, alcohol, the obscure, waist coats and other fine attire.
First off I would like to make it clear that I hate writing bios. For all my introspection and over-analysis, they show up just how much I don`t get about people or my own peculiar brand of madness.
I wasn`t the most obvious choice to be the vocalist for Northern Oak, as a grind aficionado who did not listen to any folk metal before joining. However they were afflicted by the `Curse of the Northern Oak Vocalist` where they had a ridiculous turnover and being convinced by the quality of the Oak`s music, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. Nearly two years down the line [yes, it took the others that long to convince me into writing this] I have no regrets. Having had the joy of bringing some damn good metal to audiences around the UK and gaining some of the finest companions I could hope for.
A big thing for me is Purpose and so when it comes to my lyrics I need them to pose a question, raise some idea or concept. Be more than the sum of its parts. For me to be truly satisfied with my words, they need to be like a Philip K. Dick novel; a perfectly formed world designed to convey a point or philosophy in the most effective and aesthetically pleasing manner. So as you can guess I`m rarely happy with what I`ve written and can get very pretentious and annoying!
Finally I have a confession to make, the fine attire business is my fault. 2008 was the year of the Dark Knight and Sweeney Todd, at which point I had an epiphany that waistcoats are awesome and began to have a corrupting influence on the rest of the band...
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.