The music and expression is the culmination of our life paths, our experience and our deep desire to gain more wisdom. We always try to listen to what the nature tells our gods within to do. And one never finds out if one never seeks to help one self.
Would you like to tell us about Byrdi and what kind of music you play?
Byrdi is a strange entity where people come and go as they please. The main members today are Nash and Giulia. Andreas is in the background doing important work but has no time for creating music due to other obligations.Our music might best be described as dark Nordic folk where the main purpose is to emphasize and enlighten our perception of the myths, sagas and history we grew up with. The old ways have a lot in common with us today!
How many are you in Byrdi normal?
Normally we have been two or three people that form the foundation. But when we record and produce new songs and albums we tend to bloat up a bit since we invite creative people in to give us their interpretation of our music. This makes, in our minds, our music more dynamic and diverse…
Where do you all come from?
Originally Nash hails from the USA – his father is American and mother Norwegian. But the small family moved back to his mother’s country when he was two years old. He identifies(!) as a Norwegian today after 40+ years here.
Andreas originates from Bærum but has a long line of descendants hailing from the majestic Hallingdal.
Giulia is a full-blooded Italian who moved to Norway 12-13 years ago, learned Norwegian, joined the band and then moved to Stockholm in Sweden last year.
“Byrdi” what does that mean? And does it have a special meaning for you?
Byrdi means burden. It doesn’t have that usual negative meaning associated with that word. For us it is the burden of enlightenment, meaning we feel the call to interpret and rewrite the ways of the old so people today may get an understanding that the old is as vital and important today as it was when our ancestors roamed the earth…
Nash: Byrdi has a deep and profound place in me. It is where I can be myself without and limitations laid upon me either by my vision of myself, or the requirements and judgements in today’s society.
Where did you all meet and how long have you played together as a band?
Nash: Funny story! When we graduate high school here in Norway at the age of 18/19 we have a national tradition evolving around getting dressed in blue, red or black – depending on what field you have studied. It is a huge party that lasts from around March until the exams around our national day that is 17th of May. So, at this one huge event – I think it was around 3000 young partying – I was sick of the never-ending trance/dance music, so I sat in the bus my group had and drank beer in the dark. When all of a sudden the door flew open and a dude shouted, “Is there any metal here?!”. That was Andreas who was also fed up with the music and was searching for someone who was into metal. You might wonder why he chose our vehicle amongst a heap of other cars and buses? Our bus had TROLL HI-FI written in huge letters on the side of it. And being a metal head he figured TROLL had to do something with metal. And we have stuck together ever since that day!
Jørn, who started Byrdi with me in the first place, I met via the internet. It was around the same time as I graduated. I was looking to form a band and this 15 years old guitar guru named Jørn showed up. The rest is history. I met Giulia through Jørn around 10 years ago too.
How did it start with “Byrdi“?
The start of Byrdi was my desire to create music that resonated with the rural area I live in. Something that captures the spur of the moment – where nature’s repetitiveness also is the anchor for a “spur-of-the-moment-take” on the musical expression.
Nash: I felt the need to change. An inner need to give away the old Nash for a new and better version of me. Something shifted in me the year I was 33. I couldn’t quite reach what and why this sudden urge, but it was a deep and profound process that resulted in our third album “Byrjing”. I look back now and see with other eyes an estranged Nash. A volatile person where he was always seeking something but never quite found what he seeked nor himself. I was disconnected from myself and the universe. It made me dark, egocentric and cold. I needed to put that Nash to rest so I could start a new path in search for balance. My guides told me music and creativity was the path to do so, and therefore I asked Jørn Øyhus if he wanted to start Byrdi with me.
What music inspired you?
Nash: Old folk metal acts like the eternally relevant Vintersorg. Storm was a big thing for me 20 years ago. Otyg had a huge impact on my preferred musical direction. Thyrfings “Vansinnevisor” still lingers in me. What music directly inspired Byrids musical path is somewhat diffuse to me. I guess there is no band that I can attribute, it is more styles – like old Norwegian the jaw-harp, the Harding-fiddle with its possibility to create a trance inducing sound or the unique patterns in the scales. There is one movie that has had deep impact on how we create our vocal lines – Ronja Røverdatter from 1984. The music and vocals on that film has inspired us!
Have any of you played anything other than folk music or in other bands?
Jørn and Nash had a brief metal project named “Echoes of Sanity”. It was Nash’s first try doing music. Let us say that is why he turned into a metal journalist for 10-11 years. He could write about music, but he had let the musicians do the actual music ha ha! It wasn’t until 14-15 years ago Andreas, due to education, he moved nearby where Nash lived that Nash did his second try as a musician. Andreas (guitars, vocals), Jørn (drums) and Nash (vocals) formed a folk metal act named Blaaner. There is a full album done and ready for release, but that is in the hands of time when a release will come. Nash left Blaaner due to musical differences after the main songs for the debut album were written.
Andreas now plays bass in the Norwegian black metal act named Endezzma.
Jørn went on the form Nordjevel after the creator, Anders (Doedsadmiral) called me and asked if knew any good guitar players. After he quit Nordjevel he now focus’ on his own Nordic folk music project Nordein.
What instruments do you play in the band?
Nash is the sole musical creator in Byrdi due to the other members having other obligations in life at this moment. He is now responsible for instruments such as guitar, mandolin, flutes, percussion, jaw-harps and vocals.
Giulia’s tasks are harp and vocals. She also composes music for Byrdi.
Andreas did more or less what I do today – we shared amongst ourselves what needed to be done.
Then we have a huge variety of instruments that have been used and will probably be used somewhere down the future path. Bone flute, mandolin, violin, world stick, branches, lure, guitars, jaw harp, stones and water are some of the instruments we have used and still continue to use. Hopefully we can still add good instruments in the years to come
Have you as a band done any collabs with others?
Our third full album “Byrjing” featured Kjell Braaten on drums and percussion. He was at one point the live drummer for Wardruna. Now he travels around Norway and is educated in old instruments.We have worked with Ingvild Anette Strønen Johannesen aka Sareeta on multiple songs. Her violin is pure magic. She is known to have worked with bands such as Asmegin, Funeral, Ram-Zet, Theater of Tragedy, and Borknagar just to mention some of them.
We have not had any direct collabs with other artists in such a way that we have created a song or piece of music together. We released two split singles, “Gjendau/Han” and “Spire/Mot dag” with Jørns Nordein earlier this year.
Would you do any collabs.?
If a chance reveals itself it is possible we will do that…
Where do you typically get your inspiration to compose/ produce music?
I need to be in the right state of mind, and that varies where I can find it. But being surrounded by the vast forests of eastern Norway is a definite source of inspiration. The cleaness of the air, the silence and stunning views makes a perfect backdrop for Byrdi. As with all my music it usually starts off with a small melody or a rhythm pattern, and then I work it out from there. Like branches on a tree. Sometimes I need to let the ideas linger inside of me for a while before I start working on it. It feels like a trust process where the idea must show me it’s worth the while it takes to compose it.
Is there only one that writes your lyrics in Byrdi?
The structure of Byrdi is open. Meaning that whomever has a good idea for a melody, lyrics or otherwise is welcome to contribute. Even our many guest musicians have contributed to our songs, but the main lyricist has been Nash. Andreas too has written and composed many songs for Byrdi, let us not forget that…
Are you a believer of the Nordic/old ways or finding the history interesting?
Nash: Yes, I hold the old Nordic ways as a pathfinder in life. Their values and norms hold a high valued standard even today if one transfers those into today’s societ.
Any new releases of tracks or albums soon?
Byrdi is currently in composition modus. Nash is currently working with a handful of songs. Andreas has taken it upon him to create and develop the artwork for these releases which takes Byrdi onto a more dynamic path where melody and
Nash: I am trying to take a step back but also merge that with where I am today. I’ve felt for some time that Byrdis musical direction has be moving away from the intentions I’ve had in my mind since start. Where the repetitiveness induces both the rhythm, and a dynamic narrative mixed with where we have taken Byrdi vocally over the years.
In your free time do you hang out there a lot or do you have other interests such as sport or crafting maybe?
As adults with everyday commitments such as work, family and paying our bills and taxes, we rarely have time hanging out and being creative in such settings nowadays. The bonds between us as friends are old, strong and deep, time passes but it stays vital and firm. But! We do wish today’s society where the workers spend their best years “giving” away their time for free, was different. Where there was more time for things that really matters – family, love and balance. We have enough for that to go around for everybody! We meet on a few selected rituals every year where we focus on strengthening our bonds and doing some serious guy talk around the campfire, cross-country skiing or in the sauna! Around solstices we try to meet and step into each other’s spheres and create some mental magic that helps us get through long days at work and dark days.
Nash: I have been a sport jock since childhood – except for a few years in my mid-twenties where I was dormant haha. Before that break I was a goalkeeper for a team in one of the upper division systems here in Norway. After the break I felt a fascination for cycling and cross-country skiing. I try to get between 2000 km and 3000 km on a bike every season. And cross-country I get around 1000 km every season too.
We would like to thank you for answering our questions about your music, and glad we could do this written interview, and I am sure many are interested in getting to know you better….
We would like to thank you for this interview.
Hope the answers give a bit of insight into what Byrdi is and who we are!
You are most welcome and our pleasure
Links:
Youtube
Spotify
Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram
