I am delighted to share this collection with you. These 14 tracks stand alone as a collection but also form the second part to my "Cauldron of Inspiration" duology, the first of which is "Hearth Song" (April 2023) and the fourth part of my “Bardic Tetralogy” (“Bard”; “Old Wives’ Tales”; “Hearth Song”; “Awen”).
"Awen" offer fables that use mythology to express personal observations, experiences, ideas, worldview, and, at times, enchanting escape. It works as a series of chapters to one, longer tale as well as a string of short stories. Celtic and Norse lore about Great Characters and concepts, literal and figurative quests, and Love in many forms here present a guide by which I may interpret something about the human condition while employing a consistent sonic palette of guitar, voice, mandolin, harp, hand drum, keyboards, and production, a sort of "space folk" or "mystic blues" as ancient, medieval, troubadourial, and otherworldly as it is "prog" rock, folk, and contemporary.
"Awen" is Welsh for "inspiration," specifically of the bardic and poetic variety, and the two albums explore that concept -- like that of the Mother Goddess Cerridwen's generative, womb-like, and yonic cauldron and mortar and pestle, doing so through my musical and lyrical lens. These songs work together, conversing and referring to one another in addition to alluding to the four albums and EPs before, a sort of daisy chain yet also spiderweb of reasoning and emotion.
As mentioned, this can work as one, continual song. You can listen in a sitting, and I hope you do. The songs are connected while also functioning on their own; similarly, while they have something to "say" -- a "program" -- they are pieces of "absolute""art" that can be enjoyed as such, as the sounds and textures therein exist with passion, feeling, and intention.
Though it belongs to the traditional folk song canon, "Wayfaring Stranger" here has some new lyrics, and sections of five songs use traditional folk, Welsh epic, Child and Roud Ballad, Irish, Scottish, English, or literary lyrics along with my melodies. I enjoyed including the work of two guest musicians, and I crafted everything in this record, myself, with love and care.
Thank you, as ever, to the close people in my life for their unconditional support and warmth, for which I am grateful every day and without which I could not at all do this.
I hope you enjoy entering these worlds of inspiration and that they, perhaps, inspire you too.
~ Deborah Stokol | Kairos Records | June 2023
This download includes fourteen files, an album cover, a track list, and liner notes.
I am delighted to share this collection with you. These 14 tracks stand alone as a collection but also form the second part to my "Cauldron of Inspiration" duology, the first of which is "Hearth Song" (April 2023) and the fourth part of my “Bardic Tetralogy” (“Bard”; “Old Wives’ Tales”; “Hearth Song”; “Awen”).
"Awen" offer fables that use mythology to express personal observations, experiences, ideas, worldview, and, at times, enchanting escape. It works as a series of chapters to one, longer tale as well as a string of short stories. Celtic and Norse lore about Great Characters and concepts, literal and figurative quests, and Love in many forms here present a guide by which I may interpret something about the human condition while employing a consistent sonic palette of guitar, voice, mandolin, harp, hand drum, keyboards, and production, a sort of "space folk" or "mystic blues" as ancient, medieval, troubadourial, and otherworldly as it is "prog" rock, folk, and contemporary.
"Awen" is Welsh for "inspiration," specifically of the bardic and poetic variety, and the two albums explore that concept -- like that of the Mother Goddess Cerridwen's generative, womb-like, and yonic cauldron and mortar and pestle, doing so through my musical and lyrical lens. These songs work together, conversing and referring to one another in addition to alluding to the four albums and EPs before, a sort of daisy chain yet also spiderweb of reasoning and emotion.
As mentioned, this can work as one, continual song. You can listen in a sitting, and I hope you do. The songs are connected while also functioning on their own; similarly, while they have something to "say" -- a "program" -- they are pieces of "absolute""art" that can be enjoyed as such, as the sounds and textures therein exist with passion, feeling, and intention.
Though it belongs to the traditional folk song canon, "Wayfaring Stranger" here has some new lyrics, and sections of five songs use traditional folk, Welsh epic, Child and Roud Ballad, Irish, Scottish, English, or literary lyrics along with my melodies. I enjoyed including the work of two guest musicians, and I crafted everything in this record, myself, with love and care.
Thank you, as ever, to the close people in my life for their unconditional support and warmth, for which I am grateful every day and without which I could not at all do this.
I hope you enjoy entering these worlds of inspiration and that they, perhaps, inspire you too.
~ Deborah Stokol | Kairos Records | June 2023
This download includes fourteen files, an album cover, a track list, and liner notes.
