Norse folk music has always been a more than handy bedfellow with metal music. Despite the obvious sonic contrasts between the two, they seem to combine well with each other, providing an unsettling ambience that could potentially veer into darker territory at any given moment.
While Kalandra - spearheaded by four Norwegian and Swedish musicians - make use of these Nordic elements, they also create a sonic tapestry laced with progressive rock and pop sensibilities that is both intimate and consuming. Led by Katrine Stenbekk’s sublime vocals, the band have spent over a decade refining their sound and building a world which has led to them sharing stages with acts like Wardruna, Leprous and Eivor while earning acclaim at festivals such as France's Hellfest and Norway’s Midgardsblot.
And now, it's Australia's turn as Kalandra prepare for their first ever trip to our shores, bringing their haunting, beautiful and immersive live experience to a new world filled with new opportunities for the band. HEAVY sat down with vocalist Katrine Stenbekk, guitarists Jogeir Daae Mæland and Florian Bernhard Döderlein Winter plus drummer Oskar Johnsen Rydh to find out more, starting with the final piece of the touring puzzle just falling into place.
"I just actually got my final email from the Australian government saying that I'm allowed to bring this little funny instrument in," Jogeir laughed, holding up a goat horn. "It's something about the nature instruments and the endangered species in Australia."
We ask the band about touring countries for the first time and if they do their homework, pointing out that the Australian sense of humour is a bit different to the rest of the world, offering the example that our way of showing friendship and respect is to pay out on each other.
"This is very good to know," Florian smiled. "This is like in Toulouse in France. We were very confused because when they boo, the whole crowd goes boo. Apparently, that means that they love it, which is very confusing for us. So yeah, learning these sorts of things like that is very useful to us."
In the full interview, we discuss in greater detail what we can expect from Kalandra's live show, why it has taken so long to get over here and what, if any, research they plan to do. We asked them to elaborate on the atmospherics with their music and how they translate to the live arena, as well as the blending of instruments in their music and how that translates live.
We spoke about Kalandra's upcoming EP Morketid and what it represents, as well as the musical growth in the band over their journey. I asked about getting the balance right in the creative process and how they know if they have gone too far or not far enough in any musical direction, future plans and more.
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