Weljar is a project inspired by old slavic times and shamanism, and was created out of longing for the closeness of nature and its primal strength. We create melancholic music on the border of folk and ambient.
We are happy that you found the time for this written interview, and we are all looking forward to hear more about you and your music..
Thanks for the invitation 🙂
Tell us a about “Weljar” and what kind of music you play?
Weljar is a project inspired by Slavic times and shamanism, which arose from the longing for the closeness of nature and primal force inherent in it. We create melancholic music rooted in folk and ambient. What’s very important for us is also to decorate our music with a visual layer through video clips and the atmosphere during our rituals.
How many are you in Weljar normally?
There are five active musicians, but we perform with a crew. You won’t see them on stage, but the crew
is crucial for the quality of the show: our sound technician, photographer, sometimes also a dancer,
and an extra person who helps us with the scenography, merch or backstage. We can’t forget to mention them and value their work.
Where do you all come from?
Weljar is based in south Poland. The musicians are from Silesia and Krakow. Even when we have the rehearsals, we alternate between these two spots.
“Weljar” what does that mean? And does it have a special meaning for you?
The meaning of our name is a – let’s say – poetical blend of two words: Weles and jar. The first is a name of Slavic god of death, afterworld, witchcraft, harvest, and abundance. Jar is a Slavic word for a gorge, deep in the woods where you can have this specific feeling of being in a magical place somewhere in between. I like the fact that the name is not obvious and straight: due to this everybody can have their own definition based on how they feel about our music.
Where did you all meet and how long time have you played together as a band?
Weljar is five years old now. It’s a pandemic baby: we played the first concert in the summer of 2021. The band was created by Morra and Siewca. They are the only ones who left from the original squad. We didn’t
know each other before. I joined in 2022, and then Wes and Żywia.
What music inspired you?
We all like folk and metal music. Some of us are also inspired by postrock, film music, even indie pop, trip hop and soft electronics. Generally we listen to various kinds of music. It’s good to take inspiration from many types of music, I think.
Have any of you played anything else than folk music?
Yes, some of us, especially the guys, have a musical past with other genres of music: metal, rock, metalcore, post rock, stoner rock and even a punk episode.
Have any of you played in other bands?
Currently only Żywia and I sing in a cappella traditional folk groups. To be honest, Weljar requires so much time, energy and creativity that there is not much free time left.
What instruments do you have in the band?
There is a drum section with big drums complemented by shamanic drums, shakers and various rattles. Strings are represented by a guitar and nyckelharpa. We also use a flute and koshi bells, as well as some other unusual objects to play on like antlers and a wooden trunk.
Have you as a band done any collabs with other musicians/bands? Would you do any collabs.?
Yes, we are very open to doing collabs. You can find some guests on our first longplay “Tur”. For example, we have invited female vocalists we like and value to co-create a shieldmaidens’ choir in “Żmije”. Also you can
hear male scream performed by our friends from Stfur and Cronica bands there. Weljar also had a collab with White Crow – our witchy vocals are on his longplay “Euforia” (“Pełnia” song).
Where do you typically get your inspiration to compose/ produce music?
Usually someone brings a piece of sound or patterns and tries it on or we do an improvising jam during a rehearsal. In the lyrics layer we are inspired by Slavic tradition, myths and legends but also by stories of our ancestors’ lives described in folk songs or history. We love to take it, create emotional interpretations and adjust it to the modern times. This is what our motto is: old songs are gone, we create new ones.
Are you a believer of the Nordic/old ways or finding old history interesting?
Faith is always an individual, private matter, so I can’t speak for the band. We sympathize with Old Faith followers – many of them are our fans, as well as people from groups reconstructing the early medieval times in Europe. We are also interested in this subject, read professional religious studies, visit thematic exhibitions and follow archeological discoveries around Nordic and Slavic culture
Any new releases of tracks or albums soon?
We have just released a new track in November – it’s our first cover song (“Fear of the Dark” by Iron Maiden) and we are very curious and excited about how our fans will react. Apart from that, we are working on our 2´nd longplay now and plan to release the next track with the video in March ’25.
In your free time do you hang out there a lot or do you have other interests as sport or crafting maybe?
We all have our hobbies. Some of them are actually our daily work, because we are painters, designers and IT freaks. Meanwhile we do bushcraft, run marathons, dance tribal, keep female circles and take care of our pets because we all share the endless love for cats and each of us has at least one.
Anything you want to share with us, news, dates for festivals or tour plans for 2025?
Currently we are working on our 2025 spring tour “Breath of the forest” in Poland. But before it happens, we will play two concerts in Czech Republic in December 2024: in Prague and Brno.
Hope to meet you at some of these events.
We would like to thank you for answering our questions about your music,and glad we could do this written interview.
Links:
weljar.com
Instagram
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