Chigrel Glanzmann – Eluveitie Interview

Here is an interview I did with Chigrel Glanzmann from Eluveitie back in February 2012! 

Of all the bands that I have seen over the years, Eluveitie is definitely one of the most intense live performances I have had the pleasure of seeing.  They describe themselves as “The new wave of folk metal”….and with good reason.  Their mixture of Celtic music and instruments create an aural assault that is unique, as well as brutal and serene.  I had the pleasure of speaking with Chigrel Glanzmann, singer and front man of Eluveitie, about the band and their upcoming release “Helvetios.”

Doc:  Last time I had the chance to see Eluveitie here in Chicago, you stopped the show and gave us, the audience, a choice.  You had us decide on more of a “metal” set, or if we wanted to hear a more acoustic set.  The audience chose the acoustic set, and the band looked a bit puzzled at that.  What was your reaction from our choice?

Chigrel:  (laughs) It was definitely different.  Look around you, almost everyone here looks to want the more “metal” package.  It was great to see that people wanted to hear our other music and branch out.

Doc:  With all of the bands that you have toured with over the years, are there any bands you have grown to be close friends with?

Chigrel:  We have toured with a lot of bands and get along well with almost all of them, But the two bands that I would like to mention that we have grown to be close with are the bands Finntroll and Coroner from Switzerland.  Those two bands are the most fun to play with.

Doc:  Helvetios is slated to be released on February 10, 2012 here in the United States, What can you tell me about the new album?

Chigrel:  Well, It is our first concept album and that would make it a little special compared to our other releases.  Lyrically, It is telling a story about the Gaulish wars, wars that happened like 2000 years ago, between the Celts and ancient Romans.  We wanted to tell the story in and out….and not just lyrically, we wanted to express it with our music.  The album is laid out kind of like a movie soundtrack.

Doc:  I recently saw your newest video, “A Rose for Epona,” Where did you film the video and can you tell us what the song is about?

Chigrel:  It was shot in Poland, outside of Wroclaw, and it was the first time we worked with the Polish company Grupa13.  They were a really cool company to work with.  The song is about a young girl questioning her God during the Gaulish wars.

Doc:  What are Eluveitie’s plans for the near future?

Chigrel:  We are going to be touring the United States and Canada until the end of March, then start touring again in Europe.  A world tour is in the works, and we plan on touring until March of 2013.  

Doc:  One last question, what is your opinion on music piracy?

Chigrel:  Well, we make most of our money by touring.  Sure it is stealing and we don’t like that, but also its free promotion.  So i guess the strengths and weaknesses are 50 – 50.

Eluveitie’s “Helvetios” is being released on February 10th, 2012 in the US on Nuclear Blast Records.