An Interview With The South African But London-Based Alt-Folk Trio THE WINTYR!

Cape Town/London-based, alt-folktronic trio, THE WINTYR recently released the title track from their upcoming album, Fury, due out March 10th.

THE WINTYR  craft “synth-infused electro folk sounds [that] carry Hart’s soaring vocals through the moving tracks. Carmichael’s synth contributions give the album a cinematic feel and with Rossouw’s Japanese-inspired percussion the overall effect is captivating to say the least.”  (TEXX & THE CITY)

Learn more about The Wintyr in the following All Access interview:

What are some words you would use to describe 2016? What were some of the highlights for the band? What are you all most excited about for 2017?

2016 was a huge year for us, being the first year that we played all of our material live. Our first gig was in front of a crowd of 6000 people and it was an incredible experience! From there, we played in various venues around South Africa and also embarked on a short tour of the UK. In 2017, we are excited to build on that and also start working on new singles.

How did The Wintyr first form? How did you come up with your band name? What other names were you considering?

The WINTYR formed in studio after coming together to work on tracks for Evelyn’s solo album. The sound that came out of those sessions suited something cinematic and sci-fi / fantasy, so we had a list of names that covered everything from star constellations to famous authors. We chose The WINTYR because it is all our favourite season, and so much magic happens in the hibernation of the winter months.

This March, you will be releasing you album, “Fury.” Can you talk about putting this collection together? What was the inspiration for these songs?

Evelyn’s songwriting is inspired by life’s deeper questions – challenging beliefs, commenting on human conflicts, love, death, trust – yet told in the form of stories. As a band we are drawn to cinema and music for film, and our goal is to take people to other worlds and bring them to feel deeply.

I’d love to know more about the Japanese-inspired percussion that is found on “Fury”?

As a band we are simply attracted to oriental sounds, particularly the power of big war drums. It tells a story and lends a great emotional quality.

Do you plan on touring a lot this year to promote “Fury”?

We were initially planning on touring to the US and the UK this year, but plans are still in the making. At the moment, we are planning on releasing some beautiful music videos to accompany the singles, and to just keep creating greta art.

Who are you all listening to these days? What artists have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

The influences on us are wide and varied. We love listening to guys like Sohn, Phoria, Florence & the Machine, Bjork, Susanne Sundfor and M83. To be playing in their league one day would be a dream come true.

At the end of the day, what do you hope your fans take away from your music? What do you hope is the message of your songs?

We hope to make people feel something inside them that will make them believe in life. Bring them to joy or reflection, or even challenge them to care about lives outside their own.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves and your music?

We just thank you so much for listening and for your support. Music is a journey and something we love about it is getting the opportunity to travel, learn about new cultures and connect with new people around the world. We hope that our music reflects the multiple cultural influences we have encountered, and that we can perhaps even inspire bands that come after us.