Jethro Tull will be landing in Brazil in April 2024 for three exclusive performances of their new RÖKFLÖTE TOUR , following the postponement from 2020 due to the pandemic . The band's founder, Ian Anderson, gave an interview to Wikimetal on March 14, 2024, and spoke about his inspirations for the new album RökFlöte , released on April 21, 2023, and also about what to expect from the shows in Brazil, among other very interesting tidbits. Check out the dates in Brazil:
April 10 – Porto Alegre
April 12 – Curitiba
April 13 – São Paulo
Check out the interview with Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull:
Wikimetal: Let's start by talking about your new album RÖKFLÖTE , what were your inspirations for the composition?
Ian Anderson: At my age, inspiration is equal to the desperation to realize it, because we realize we don't have all the time in the world to write the perfect album, and that's not a very good feeling; you put a lot of pressure on the process. But when you're sure of the goal you want to achieve, it becomes easier.
In my previous album, The Zelot Gene, I focused more on the biblical side of the lyrics, their motivations and stories. In this work, I wanted to explore the polytheistic side of the ancient world, that is, the various gods of paganism in Nordic countries. It's a very rich theme, as Norse mythology is linked to some fantasies and fascinations held by many heavy metal bands and, of course, the dark side of Norse philosophy.
This more complicated topic needed to be softened a bit, so I decided to try to take a more optimistic look at some of the Norse gods and their relationships with each other. Especially the fact that all of them, with the exception of one, are all superior human beings in form, and thus they assume the same human personalities, which we understand and identify with.
Each of the album's lyrics is inspired by the story of a particular mythological being, but brings some concepts into our reality, to the world in which we are living.
Songs inspired by Norse gods
Ian Anderson: We wanted to include in the album the pagan history of these gods as it has been written for thousands of years, but with some comparisons that can be made to personalities in the modern world.
The concept of the history of the various gods already appears in the first song, a poem written in Old Norse, the song "Völuspa," which translates to "The Seer's Prophecy" in English, a kind of introduction to the world of the Norse gods.
WM: Tell us a little about the spelling of the album title RökFlöte , what's the story behind Jethro Tull's choice?
Ian Anderson: The title was very well thought out, it's a great theme, the use of the umlaut (¨) on the two vowels "O" was intentionally used to represent the combination of RÖK, which is an Icelandic word meaning "destiny," and FLÖTE, which is the word for "flute" in German, which is obviously my trademark.
So the word was grammatically crafted to represent the strength of the Nordic language, a perfect device that many heavy metal bands use in their name spellings. It also represents the flute, so I was very proud of the name and also that it remained grammatically correct when developing the concept.
Interesting facts about Ian Anderson.
WM: We know it's difficult, but do you have a favorite song?
Ian Anderson: It's truly impossible, my songs are all unique, it would be like comparing my children to each other. Each song has its own characteristic that makes it special.
WM: Was the album originally intended to be entirely instrumental? Why did you later decide to add lyrics? Is that true?
Ian Anderson: Actually, it was always meant to be an album with songs and lyrics, but when you start composing, things naturally fall into place, not always in the correct order. But although I've done some instrumental albums in the past, this one wasn't destined to be one of them.
WM: Now tell us about your experience reaching the top 10 of the British charts after so long, with the album The Zelot Gene ?
Ian Anderson: It's always nice to have recognition for a musical work, but it's not the kind of thing I aspire to, awards and chart positions. For me, the most important thing is the music itself and the feeling it brings to people, the pleasure of composing and listening to a good rock and roll record. But for record labels, sales are very important and so they need to exist and end up being of great importance in the end.
Shows in Brazil in April 2024
WM: How did you feel about having to postpone several shows, including in Brazil, due to the Covid pandemic in 2020?
Ian Anderson: It was a difficult period, we had to postpone all the shows in 2020, then in 2021 we also had to postpone again, including in Finland, we had to postpone three times. We were all locked in our homes waiting for our leaders to manage the crisis. But now it seems that everything is alright, we have the tickets and everything is set to go to Brazil and we are happy to finally be able to do the show.
WM – Can you tell Brazilian fans what to expect from the shows here in the country in April?
Ian Anderson: Of course, you can expect a full show with a little bit of everything, some new songs, but also many of the classics that are part of people's lives, especially there in Brazil, where we haven't done many shows over the years, so we'll try our best to bring you an excellent show.
WM: Could you give your opinion regarding the use of artificial intelligence in music?
Ian Anderson: I don't think about that, because in my view, computer programs, which are used to create art and music, make everything fake. Human beings will always be responsible for the creativity and intelligence to create culture. In my case, given my age, I believe I won't see much of what this will become. My art still comes from my brain, and no machine will be able to replace that; that's my thinking.
WM: Thank you so much for the interview and for your time!
Ian Anderson: The pleasure was all mine.
More information and the full interview.
The band will perform with Ian Anderson on flute, David Goodyear on bass, John O'Hara on keyboards, Joe Parrish on guitar, and Scott Hammond on drums.
Check out the full conversation for more interesting facts about the band, such as the origin of their name and the launch of a new drink. It's a special limited edition rum themed around their album "The Songs Of The Woods," check it out on Jethru Tull's Instagram .
Check out the full interview video for Wikimetal here:
READ ALSO: Jethro Tull: Ian Anderson reveals he has an incurable lung disease
