“CIRCE” BY HERALD K

Norwegian singer-songwriter Herald K is based in Vienna, Austria, and performs folk noir music. Ten new songs titled “Mythologies” are currently being prepared by him. There have already been two singles released, “Arethusa” and “Wandering Aengus,” both of which have received a ton of praise and have appeared on radio and playlists around the world. Herald K began to gain some traction as a live act in 2019, playing in Austria, Germany, and Norway.

The majority of the pandemic was devoted to writing, recording, and producing; however, performances began in 2022, including a guest appearance at the Music Star club near Hamburg with Canadian songwriter Freeman Dre. While some of Herald K’s lyrics may make allusions to classical poets, they are frequently expressed through straightforward songs with only three chords. Hank Williams and Ovid should also be mentioned if Leonard Cohen is an inspiration. The way Herald K combines such sources of inspiration is what makes him special. 2019 saw the release of “Strange Delights,” his debut album. Stephan Steiner (Hotel Palindrone, Harlequin’s Glance, Cantlon) and other Vienna-based musicians all contributed.

Herald K‘s latest single “Circe”, which was released on December 2nd, 2022, features theatrical supporting vocals by the versatile Jessica Slavik, and a unique instrumental arrangement involving nyckelharpa, accordion, and double bass.

Another musical mythology, “Circe” is about the infamous witch of antiquity and the Odyssey, ‘Circe‘, who transforms men into pigs using magic potions. This song could be interpreted allegorically in addition to simply telling ‘Circe’s‘ story in an evocative and theatrical way. Is it in any way related to our contemporary society? In our current popular culture, the figure of Circe appears to be very popular.

Through a theatrical arrangement, Herald K is able to transform the song “Circe” into something much bigger, which just adds so much more to the overall scale and depth of the performance. It’s a bewitchingly original and incredibly well-put-together performance with a possible modern-day allegory that does justice to the tale in storytelling both lyrically and sonically. With its multiple layered voices and reverberations, the song required a lot of production work.