Following the release of Falconer’s excellent new album Black Moon Rising (see our review of it here), we caught up with Stefan for a chat.
Thanks for the interview – could you introduce yourself and tell me a bit about the band?
Hello. I am Stefan Weinerhall, guitarist, song writer and dictator of the folk power metal band Falconer.
You recently released your new album Black Moon Rising – could you tell me a little about the writing and recording process?
Yet again we have recorded it at Sonic Train Studios. The writing this time has been 100% done by me since it was sort of a therapy job this time. I went through some tough time with sickness striking down in my family. That left me uninterested in music and didn’t devote a minute for atleast a year to music or guitar playing, I just didn’t feel like it since I had so many other things in my mind at that time.
So as the hunger returned I felt I could use music as an outlet for all frustration. The songs themselves are pretty much produced and done when we enter the studio so what we leave up to Andy La Roque is to get the right sound for us, but of course it happens that he comes with ideas for changes in song structures and the finishing touches. We both feel very comfortable with eachother after all these years. We know what we all are about and since we as a band like what he does we have no need to change.
Wasteland is a particular favourite of mine – could you tell me a little more about that one?
That’s one of the songs that contain some more brutal stuff like black metal and thrash metal riffing and some blast beats. Especially that song I think brings my old band Mithotyn to mind to a certain extent. That one and Locust Swarm was my 2 projects that I let have a different approach. I think they are perfect examples of my returned hunger for riffing. 2 of my fave songs actually.
I thought the artwork for Black Moon Rising was particularly stunning. Where did the idea come from? Did you approach the artist with a set idea, or did they have more of a free reign?
The idea for the cover comes directly from the title track. I send Jan Meininghaus my general idea and tell what the title is all about and then he thinks it over and send me a sketch that we work from. I love is work and honestly I think that the new cover is the best we’ve had ever. Great colour and a distinctive character in the cover. Almost that I would have it on the wall over the sofa.
Do you have any touring plans?
We have actually never been a real live act, but more as a studio band that happened to get some shows in 2002 and the continuing take a show every other year or so. The main reason was that Mathias has a schedule as a musical artist that doesn’t allow him to take time off a ongoing show to do a gigs or tours for free with a a hobby thing. Musicals and theatre is his living. Later on when the rest of us got families, and mortgages and other grown-up things we’re quite satisfied with having a laid back attitude to the band.
We won’t set everything at stake to maybe “make it” with our 8:th album as 38-42 year old geezers. For this summer we had plans to contact some festivals but in the end we did it too late so many of them were already fully booked. Thus we postponed the ideas for 2015. We haven’t played live since 2009 so I think it’s about time we show ourselves. A return to London four a 4th time would be great. The Underworld is actually the place we have played the most, and 3 times in Falconer terms is a lot.
Is there anywhere in particular that you’d like to play that you haven’t visited yet?
The west indies would be great!!
What would you say the best show you’ve ever played has been?
Our 2nd show ever. Wacken 2002 is the biggest memory this far. It certainly wasn’t our best but the most memorable since we barely had played live before that and all of a sudden we’re thrown up on stage infront of thousands. You can easily say that we all felt quite out of place. We’re used to be in the rehearsals or the studio, a quite asocial and withdrawn band. Wacken became a slap in the face!!
If you could choose an animal to represent the band, what would it be?
Easily the falcon. A beautiful creature going it’s own way, no need of anyone. Lonely soaring the sky in solitude watching everyone running around chasing this and that trying to be this and that.
And if Falconer could put their name to a product, what would you choose?
A mead would be great!! A beverage to go with out medieval style and passion.
