Wolcensmen

"I suppose the values that I most often write lyrics about and try to convey the emotion of in my music are those of conviction, courage, and sacrifice. Many of my songs are about a quest of one sort or another, where one discovers something profound about the world or about themselves. To psychoanalyze myself for a moment, this could be because I find the lack of valour in modernity galling." From a brand new interview with Scandinavian Aggression.

14) Live distractions, lyrical meaning and guest announcement I had to take a little break from the album project to prepare for a small tour of Finland, which took place from 3-5 July. On one hand, live performances serve as distractions, but they also remind you that the music you compose means a lot to people, and that it has the ability to bring magic into people's lives, as well as my own. In that sense, these 'distractions' become an essential motivator for the creative process. I did perform one of the new songs at the shows in Finland, and I believe it went down very well. The lyrics are particularly intimate, in that they deal with my own inner struggle between 'becoming' and 'being'; the urge to strive for more (success, accolade, experience) versus enjoying what I've achieved and the wonderful things I have in my life (not least the love and pride of my wife and children). But now is not the time to halt the process of 'becoming'. That may be an indulgence for later on. For the next few months I have lots to achieve: A few weeks left to finish demo'ing the songs, then a few weeks of recording, then the mixing and finalising process. And whilst all of that is happening, I must gather the artwork and 'band' (me) photos. Finally, I am now able to reveal the first guest involvement: Thomas Helm of Empyrium, Noekk, Ortnit, Athelas. Those of you familiar with Empyrium or Noekk's music will know that Thomas has one of the finest voices, especially in the realm of dark, romantic, neo-classical music. Having been a big Empyrium fan for over 25 years, and discovering that Thomas is a Wolcensmen fan, it is my honour to have his assistance on the upcoming album. Photo by Scarlet Memory Photography

Finland, you were wonderful! Yesterday I returned from a long weekend in Suomi, performing for public audiences in Tampere and Turku, and for a private audience elsewhere. I was accompanied by Iterum Nata's accomplished set, which I enjoyed each night. Audience numbers were larger than expected (especially considering the short build-up time), and the support and atmosphere roaring. It seems that Finland has embraced Wolcensmen strongly, and for that I am grateful. It really means the world to an artist like me, to have my efforts so well-rewarded. It's always a privilege to meet new (and familiar) people at the shows, and to make those human connections. A huge thank you to Marja, Mat, Jesse, Jussi, Aro, Anna, Vitas, new friends, everyone who bought merch and shared those experiences with me. The entire Turku show is on YouTube. Photos by Anna Brödel / Scarlet Memory Photography.

Sadly, but unsurprisingly, I've just found out that Wolcensmen songs have been used to train generative-AI. Most songs on streaming sites will be in one dataset or another, so it's not a boast. Just theft.

The Wolcensmen / Iterum Nata short tour of Finland takes place in less than 2 weeks. I will be performing songs from each album, and may even throw a brand new one in; all in an intimate fashion. I'm very excited to return to Suomi - a beautiful land where I have friends and have found the people to be generous and appreciative. Tampere Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/2211260499641922/ Ticket: https://www.bloodfiremerch.com/ticket Turku Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1515840186860550 Ticket: https://biletti.fi/e/wolcensmen-uk-iterum-nata-soolo-turku I will not be able to bring lots of merch to the show, as I am flying from Manchester (England) to Helsinki. So if you would like to buy Wolcensmen merch, please order it in advance at https://www.bloodfiremerch.com/wolcensmen. No vinyl - sorry! I can't carry it safely on the plane. When buying merch, select the 'Pickup' shipping option to pay no shipping cost, and I will bring your items to the show. Merch must be ordered before 12:00 midday on 29th June. A highly exclusive t-shirt design commemorating the tour is among the items available to order.

New Torulf music! Rite of the Mind is released and can be found on most, if not all, digital platforms - including Bandcamp, where you can pick up a digital copy of the EP. torulf.bandcamp.com/album/rite-of-the-mind

13) Compositions complete, studio time booked It’s been over 2 months since the last update, but a lot has been happening behind the scenes. It’s looking like the album will consist of 7-8 songs with an average length of about 6 minutes. I personally prefer albums with a playing time of 40-45 minutes. Previous Wolcensmen albums were longer than that because they were designed to be a seamless journey, with interludes and atmospheric sounds carrying the listener along. Album 3 is going to be different; and will probably only include 1 short instrumental track, if any. The songs are more vocal based than ever before, and each song stands alone in both style and meaning rather than adhering to an overall theme. About half of the songs have been demo’d. The other half are composed in my mind and will be demo’d over the next month. Studio time has been booked in mid-September for the mixing session, and all recordings will take place during the month of August. I’m hoping for a Spring 2027 release. I should have some interesting journal entries coming up where I can talk in more detail about lyrical themes, musical style, and can start documenting the recording process. I’m particularly excited to show off the microphones I’ll be using – it’s been a quest finding the right ones for my voice and instruments. On that note, I prefer tracking (that means recording/engineering) my own performances, without the pressure of studio time, and without a producer being the sensible voice preventing me from finding that take I envision. But when it comes to mixing, I need an expert to take over.

Exclusive Finland show, July 4th, with the excellent Iterum Nata. I'm very excited to bring my songs to the land of a thousands lakes. Details... (English below) WOLCENSMEN (UK) ENSI KERTAA SUOMESSA! Wolcensmen on englantilaisen Dan Cappin (Solstice, Gràb) sooloprojekti, jonka juuret ovat 90-luvun metalliskenen folk-puolella Ulverin, Opethin ja Empyriumin tunnelmallisissa maailmoissa. Myyttiseksi dark folkiksi kuvailtu musiikki ammentaa inspiraationsa Englannin muinaisesta historiasta, kielestä sekä pakanallisesta kansanperinteestä. Musiikki rakentuu akustisten kitaroiden, sellon, huilun, kanteleen ja syntetisaattoreiden luomien äänimaisemien varaan. Varjobaarin keikka on Wolcensmenin historian ensimmäinen Suomessa – ja samalla ainoa tilaisuus nähdä tämä harvinainen projekti livenä. Illan avaa Iterum Nata. Jesse Heikkisen sooloprojekti tarjoaa lohtua pimeydessä kulkeville. Sen elokuvallisessa tunnelmassa yhdistyvät kauniit harmoniat, 60- ja 70-lukujen psykedelia sekä nykypäivän dark folk ja metalli. Liput: 15 € ennakkoon / 18 € ovelta. Ennakkomyynti: bloodfiremerch.com/ticket (Hankithan lippusi ajoissa — tilaa on rajallisesti!) Aikataulu: 22:00 Iterum Nata, 23:00 Wolcensmen Paikka: Varjobaari, Insinöörinkatu 38, Tampere wolcensmen.com · wolcensmen.bandcamp.com - WOLCENSMEN (UK) + ITERUM NATA. An evening of Mythological dark folk. Wolcensmen is the mythical dark folk solo project of English musician Dan Capp (Solstice, Gràb). Rooted in the atmospheric '90s metal scene (Ulver, Opeth, Empyrium), the music blends acoustic guitars, cello, flute, kantele, and synths. Lyrically, it explores England's ancient history, old language, and pagan mythology. This exclusive show at Varjobaari is Wolcensmen’s first-ever appearance in Finland, and your only chance to catch this rare project live. Support for the evening comes Iterum Nata, Jesse Heikkinen’s solo project, which delivers cinematic dark folk full of beautiful harmonies, bridging '60s/'70s psychedelia with modern dark folk and metal. Tickets: €15 in advance / €18 at the door Presale: bloodfiremerch.com/ticket (Get your tickets early as capacity is limited!) Schedule: 22:00 Iterum Nata, 23:00 Wolcensmen Venue: Varjobaari, Insinöörinkatu 38, Tampere wolcensmen.com · wolcensmen.bandcamp.com

ATTENTION SUOMI: I'm looking for a place to perform, somewhere in your country, on the 2nd or 5th of July. I'm open to all ideas - you can message this page directly if you have any. ~Dan

Saddened to hear of the passing of Máire Philomena Ní Bhraonáin of Clannad. She had one of the most magical voices, embodying that timeless 'celtic' atmosphere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tAp9YyFkHI

12) March update Those of you following this journal might sense that progress is slow. It is. Some bands/musicians can write an album in a couple of weeks, but that’s not how I roll. It doesn’t suit my family and work life, and I need to let ideas and songs ‘hang’ for some time to make sure I’m getting the very best out of them. That said, this is definitely the slowest Wolcensmen project so far. There are probably reasons for that, which I’ll feel like discussing at a later stage. Suffice to say, for now, that I’m putting pressure on myself. The music scene is flooded with mediocrity and plagued by short attentions spans. I see no point in releasing an album which I don’t believe stands out from the crowd and holds listeners’ attention beyond a single song in a curated Spotify playlist. I’m really pleased with the two new songs I’ve demo’d so far. As previously mentioned, I have musical ideas enough for the rest of the album, so now it’s just a case of structuring them and… composing lyrics. That’s always the hardest part for me. I’ve mentioned that before, right? I have extremely high standards for my lyrical poetry. That’s not to say that I’m an outstanding lyricist or poet, but it’s vital to me that the words convey what I want them to convey; not too blatant and not too abstract; timeless in terms of motif but relevant to modern minds. And the words and syllables need to flow right too. Will the words use Anglish vocabulary again? TBC.

Does anyone know a hurdy-gurdy player who'd like to guest on the next Wolcensmen album? Reply to this, message the channel, or use the contact form at wolcensmen.com