Wardruna, the legendary Nordic Folk Music act led by Einar Selvik, has announced they will share a new song next week, ‘Lyfjaberg’, on June 5th. The band released a statement about it to social media. “When circumstances forced us to postpone the release of our upcoming album “Kvitravn”, it was clear to us that we still wanted to release new music. Music and art can potentially carry great meaning in times of uncertainty. We decided that now was not the time to stay silent and headed straight back into creative mode and the studio to write and record the song Lyfjaberg.”
The Old Norse word Lyfjaberg means Healing-hill or Healing-mountain and is known from Norse mythology and the Eddic poem Fjölsvinnsmál as a place of comfort and cure for the «sick and sore» who manage to climb the mountain and bear offerings at the shrines there – a gift demands a gift in return.
Einar Selvik comments:
“The song expresses that climbing a tough mountain, both in reality and metaphorically, is a mental as well as a physical effort. I have tried to write this journey up the mountain as one for the mind and spirit as much as the feet and body. Anything of true value, comes at a true cost.”
Lyfjaberg will be available on all digital platforms on June 5th.
Cover photo by Ane Os
The band had been forced to postpone the release of their new album due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic forcing the closure of warehouses and production facilities. Kvitravn which translates to ‘White Raven’–from its originally scheduled release date of June 5, 2020 until January 22, 2021 via By Norse Music In the U.S. and Sony Music / Columbia Records (worldwide excl. U.S.). As of now the band will proceed to keep plans for their anticipated return to North America this Fall on a solo run from September 24 to October 20, dates of which are listed below. The band will continue to reveal new music throughout the year.
“It is with heavy hearts and great disappointment that we announce that our upcoming album ‘Kvitravn’ will be moved to January 22, 2021,” says founder/composer Einar Selvik. “Closed-down production factories and heavily reduced logistic services due to the COVID-19 situation makes it impossible to go forth with the release as planned. Nobody knows how long this situation will last and therefore we feel it is best to set a realistic date with a higher certainty of us being able to execute the release in the manner needed. On a more positive note, we plan to release a good handful of songs in the time to come before the full album comes out, so stay tuned!”
Pre-order options for Kvitravn are available via digital download at https://wardruna.lnk.to/Kvitravn_Album. The album is also available on CD and 180-gram 2LP gatefold vinyl (black or ltd. Edition white) at https://wardruna.aisamerch.com/.
