HaWthorn—originally the over-wordy Howden/Wakeford—is the project of myself and Tony Wakeford from Sol Invictus. We've changed the name to HaWthorn because it sounds better, and sounds more like a band rather than a side project. We also got fed up with turning up at gigs to find that people had put Sol Invictus/Sieben or (quite frequently) just spelt the name wrong—we've had Howdon/Wakford, Wakeford/Howden, but no Howford/Wakedon as far as I can recall.

We've recorded three albums to date: Three Nine, the first, based on the third and ninth rune was quite a frightening record if I remember rightly. Lots of gushy noises and scary pitchshifted voices. I had fun messing with lots of musical motifs of three and cycles of nine. The second album, Wormwood, set the tone for the band—more song-orientated, mean and moody, and downright scary at times. We released Wormwood ourselves, choosing to sell it at at concerts and from our websites. The concerts have been really good so far, with the exception of the very first one in Vicenza in June 2003. A bit of a nightmare that one, with huge flood, sound and technical difficulties, and maybe too much good food before the concert… Since then the concerts have gone swimmingly, but without floods. And we've just finished our third album, 'The Murky Brine', a sea-fest of shanties and misery…

 

The Murky Brine

Tony and I wrote five songs each for this album. No instrumentals, and hardly any backing required when we play live. My songs are based around the sea, and (surprise surprise) violin loops. I had real fun building the loops over a backdrop of the ocean—sounds of gulls, waves, water, sea bells, horns and more waves. Overdone sometimes by bands, using the obligatory sea samples, but I don't care. The sound of the sea is immense and inspiring, and it inspired me whilst I was writing. Tony's songs seem to have more of a 'tree' theme going on—to carry on the Wormwood theme, and to tie in with our corporate namechanging. You'd better ask him about those anyway; they're his songs.

Here are a few notes on my songs:

The Law: I built this one up around the main piano line. It follows the plight of missionaries setting out for the New World, with staid and old ideas. Christo Rei stands on the edge of the Tejo at Almada, looking over towards Lisbon. St Mennas is the Patron Saint of traveling merchants. (By the way, St George is the patron saint of syphilitics.) The ocean is the law. The ocean is Lord.

Rose Coloured Sky: Old men of the sea, lifelong sailors, ('shell-backs' with skin hardened by salt water and sun) flounder on a still sea. Near the end of their lives, they will sink to the bottom of the ocean where their eyes will be 'serpent-licked'. There are so many axioms and proverbs based around the sea, so I plundered heavily from them…

Ship Money: Surprisingly jolly one for me, this. Quite a catchy little number too, it gets stuck in your head. A 'sea lawyer' is a shark—the final arbitrators of justice on the sea. More serpent-licking.

Oh Sea, You Have Taken Me!: Respect the ocean.

When My Ship Comes In: The sea as provider. The sea as sustenance. Our future and our hopes.

The Tide Will Carry Me Home: Turned into a bit of medieval romp this one, and didn't really seem to need any sort of vocals except a simple and repetitive chant. The tide will carry us home.

Also about to be released soon is the Post Romantic Empire (PRecordings 001) first release: a CD EP called 'Writ In Water' featuring a track by Sol Invictus, two by HaWthorn, and one from my Sieben project. The HaWthorn tracks are 'When the Lamp is Shattered' and' Degenerate Leander'—I bastardised a Byron poem to form part of the lyrics for this song. Writ In Water will be available soon. Find details at www.postromantic.com.

The Murky Brine is released by Trisol/Iceflower, September 2004, TRI 222 CD.

 

Hear 'The Murky Brine'

The Law (excerpt 0'57"; 908kb)

 

 

Wormwood

The second Howden/Wakeford album was started in 2001, and was originally going to be called 'Stella Maris'. We recorded around six songs, but then never got round to doing any more on it, as we were both busy with other things. After listening back to it, at the start of 2003, we decided to change the 'concept' of the album (for want of a better word) and pursue the themes that 'Wormwood' offered us. Three of the songs survived, as their theme fitted with the wormwood biblical and 'rotting' themes, although they were recorded again from scratch. The songs on 'Wormwood' were initiated equally, Tony started half of them off with a bass line or words, and I started half of them with violin or words. Here are a few notes on some of the songs on the album:

The Wormwood Season: one of Tony's, and it seemed like a good opener. That little bass may look like a rejected prop from Star Trek, but it has the heart and sound of a double bass. Listening back to the song I'm also pleased with the 'harpsichord from Hell' sound…

The Star is Wormwood: be afraid, be very afraid. At least until the Goth-funky bit…

Thy Mother: had real trouble here fitting the rough northern twang of my accent in with you-know-who's 'vvy movvver' This track set the tone for the sound of the vocals on the album; me upfront and scary; Tony's big boomy reverb monstrous voice.

The Wormwood Tree: I thought this needed to be as bare as possible for the full effect. I really like Tony's warped-folk verses here, and thought it should sound naked, though thankfully we kept our clothes on to achieve this effect.

Brief as a Flower: I have to take responsibility for this effort. I originally recorded this track as a Sieben song a few years ago, for a compilation album. This was then re-recorded by Tony and I for 'Stella Maris', which then turned in to 'Wormwood', and we recorded it again, this being the best version by far.

Cast upon the Earth and Heaven Burning: sister tracks, touching on the biblical aspects of the Wormwood star, and setting the mood for the songs that follow them.

Care Sunday: another track that survived the 'Stella Maris' cull. The backwards viola really starts the track off nicely. Can't do that live though.

The Lamb: with words that I 'borrowed' from 'The Seventh Seal' film, one of my real favourites. Tony didn't fancy competing with the vagaries of my northern drawl, so left me to sing this one alone. Might have been acting upon advice from his lawyers about copyright law though, I reckon.

Wormwood Doll: the return of 'the harpsichord from Hell', that great little bass's sound, and a string melody that I defy you to try and forget. Once it's in your head, it's there for life. Sorry about that.

 

Hear 'Wormwood'

Under the Moon (excerpt; 1.4 MB)

 

 

Three Nine

The first Howden/Wakeford album, 'Three Nine', was a joint collaboration between Tony and I, based around the third and ninth runes. Many of the parts in 'Three Nine' conform to a musical/mathematical three or nine structure; some parts are in 3/4 time, 9/8 time, fragments of music or melodies occur in patterns of three or nine. It was not merely a mathematical experiment however, we really wanted to capture the spirit and mysticism of the subject matter.

'Three Nine' is based around three pieces; 'Three', 'Nine' and the 'Ginnungagap'. Each of these pieces were developed into three separate and distinct pieces themselves. Then all nine pieces were joined together, and some last touches and the occasional sample was added. This might sound like a very strange way of going about things, almost Serialist, but I love the symmetry of working like this.