As the 30th anniversary of its formation approaches, Nightwish unveils its tenth album, Yesterwynde. Behind this strange title lies a rich and astonishing record, showing a group eager to evolve, without ever forgetting its know-how, mixing metal and various influences, ranging from orchestral music to Maori inspirations. Tuomas Holopainen, keyboardist, composer, lyricist and producer, invites you to dive into the creative process.
Find this interview with Tuomas Holopainen from Nightwish in our weekly n°168, available via our online store.
Yesterwynde employs unusual imagery for Nightwish. How does this relate to the songs?
It's a concept album about time, memories and mortality. We wanted every element to echo this idea, including the imagery, whether it was the booklet design, photos, etc. Troy (Donocley, bagpipe player and multi-instrumentalist) had the idea of ​​replicating the photographic style of the 1890s, in the style of British photographer Francis Meadow Sutcliffe. Showing the band members wearing current clothing and including them in these old photographs creates an incredible atmosphere.
Let’s talk about the title, “Yesterwynde”.
It's a neologism that I found with Troy, because I didn't find a word that encompasses the emotion that I wanted to express on this record. It formulates a connection to the past, to the stories it tells us, and human mortality. Yesterwynde sums it up.
Yesterwynde revolves around an unusual structure, with an epic piece at the beginning and an ensemble that seems to calm down as the album progresses.
This is an album that is meant to be listened to from start to finish. The order of the pieces reflects the mood I want to convey. Thus, we find ourselves with the most powerful titles at the beginning, lulls with “Sway”, then a sequence of softer titles before “The Weave” which has the effect of a punch in the face, before songs calmer at the end. Then the video projector stops and the film is over.
Nightwish has always known how to be different within the metal scene. Yesterwynde seems to be the most progressive record of your career. Is this deliberate?
It is, because it is important to challenge yourself. However, I never plan the direction I'm going to take before making an album. The starting point is always the story we want to tell and the emotions we want to communicate to listeners. Then we select the melodies, chord progressions and musical structures that best serve this story. And the music writes itself. Not thinking about it too much helps keep it pure. I certainly don't think about possible radio broadcasts or other superfluous considerations. And I am very happy with the result, some songs even took a satisfying turn, like “Children of Ata”.
A fairly original title in Nightwish's work.
It’s a piece whose story takes place in the South Pacific. In fact, I wanted to include elements of Maori music. We hired five singers whose mother tongue is Tongan. At the beginning, we hear an ancient Tongan prayer. Their participation is fantastic and enhances the song.
