The
first time I heard this band was beginning of the year. Their single
'Brother' played on the radio and I was immediately taken by the song.
The freedom yet companionship it expresses makes one feel the urge to
pack a rucksack and just head out into adventure. Then last Juli, I
finally had the opportunity to see them live. They played on the
Feldbühne at Das Fest in Karlsruhe. It was Sunday and they were the last
act for that weekend. From the first chord of their first song, I was
enraptured. It was a small stage but yet so many people had gathered to
hear them play. Still this very intimate feeling remained. In my opinion
they should have belonged in the payed area on the big stage of that festival. But maybe
it would have ruined the feeling... who knows?
Mighty
Oaks is quite an international band. Made up of three young men, Ian
Hopper from the United States, Claudio Donzelli from Italy and Craig
Saunders from England, they all met gigging in Hamburg, Germany. All decided ultimately, to move to Berlin and finally in
2010 to form their band, Mighty Oaks. Playing smaller gigs around the city, then
expanding to cities all around Germany and Europe, they soon became a concert and
festival favourites.
How
to best describe the music the Mighty Oaks make....
Acoustic vibes, guitar strumming, the melody from the mandolin and the sound of Hopper's rugged voice infused with Donzelli's and Saunders' backing vocals. All matched up with meaningful lyrics. Folk and indie elements. The whole combination is simply indescribable. It all just fits.
Acoustic vibes, guitar strumming, the melody from the mandolin and the sound of Hopper's rugged voice infused with Donzelli's and Saunders' backing vocals. All matched up with meaningful lyrics. Folk and indie elements. The whole combination is simply indescribable. It all just fits.
After
seeing them live, I finally went ahead and bought their current album
"Howl" and having been playing it close to every day since. It's a
perfect summer album. Where ever I am and I hear the songs, I'm taken
back to warm summer days, driving the car to the lake with my friends
and the music washing over us while we chat and laugh.
Some
of my favourite tracks from "Howl" are: 'Brother', 'Back to You',
'Shells', 'When I dream , I see', 'Just one day', and 'Horse' - just to
name a few. Basically, the whole album invites you to dream and feel
free.
Their
sound is unique yet admirer of artists and bands such as Mumford and
Sons, Joshua James, Keaton Henson and Michael Schulte, will really enjoy Mighty Oaks' music.
Touring
constantly for close to a year now, the band is still on the road for
the rest of 2014, finishing up the festival season, then heading on
their solo tour in the fall. I have yet to get my ticket for their tour
but shall be doing this asap, and I recommend you do too. Enjoy!
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| Mighty Oaks at Das Fest |
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