So here's a slightly different twist on our selection of folk influenced EP's and tracks that we're featuring today. 'Ole Halvard Sveen' is more well known for his contribution to metal bands such as 'Extol', 'Mantric' and 'Lengsel', but he's always been a multi-talented fellow, playing guitar and drums, as well as writing songs and singing vocal. Now he's stripped back his songwriting completely, and writing under the name 'Bolivar' he's producing a very different type of song.
'Time for Life (Note to self)' is Bolivar's first official single release (although there are a couple of other tracks floating around on the interweb) and as soon as I heard this I was immediately struck by the weaving melody and banjo, with a tune that disappears in a slightly different direction to that which I which was expecting, and I love the lyrics too, an ode to living life to the full and enjoying every minute - in fact it's instinctively inspired me to say 'yes' to organising a music thing I was in 2 minds about. This is definitely a positive, uplifting and life affirming track which doesn't even cause a flicker on our 'Mirel Wagner Scale of Bleakness' - our measuring gauge of misery and despair in songwriting.
This is 'Time for Life (Note to self)'
'Ole Halvard Sveen' has played pretty much every instrument on the track (there's still time in life to learn the violin Ole, although we pity your neighbours in the early stages...), and I'm really fascinated by what he might come up with next. We'll try to make sure we keep in touch with what he's up to.