“Soon” is an intimate and honest folk piece by Norwegian/Welsh duo Stian Vedøy and Abi Eleri ( aka Firewoodisland). The minute we heard this wonderful masterpiece we couldn’t get it out of our heads, we were stuck on repeat and we still! The singing voice is a piece of art and the vocal harmonies are incredibly catchy and create a warm atmosphere for this song. There is a great level of songwriting that shines up through this song and the guitar strings add the most perfect touch we could ever ask for. The lyrics and melodies of this record mesh together perfectly, and the production of this song is clever and polished. This beautiful masterpiece left us very excited to listen to the next projects from Firewoodisland.
WHAT THE DUO SAYS ABOUT THIS SONG:
“Written and produced at the Firewoodisland HQ during lockdown, Soon is an intimate and honest song giving insight into life spent away from family, and longing to be closer to them as winter months draw in. Because of complications around Covid-19 we haven’t been able to see Stian’s family in Norway for over a year, and the only way to process that longing feeling, is to write a song about it. The track start off subtly with guitar and vocal, and slowly introduce intricate instrumentation including lap steel, viola, vocal harmonies and percussion played on a 2x2m water tank.”
ABOUT THE DUO:
Firewoodisland is Norwegian/Welsh duo Stian Vedøy and Abi Eleri. Known for their emotive and dynamic vocal harmonies, they blend organic and digital instruments, creating an atmospheric and cinematic soundscape that is moving yet striking.
The duo have announced their upcoming single ‘Soon’ set for release on 20th November. It is an intimate song giving insight into life spent away from family, and longing to be closer to them as winter months draw in.
They go deeper about the inspiration for the song “When writing songs we tend to lean more towards poetic lyrics, where the meaning behind the words are hidden in deep metaphors. We prefer to hide our feelings behind a bit of mystery. “Soon”, on the other hand, is the total opposite. The words came all at once one night. Stian woke up at 2am with these simple and honest lines spinning through his head. He wrote the whole song in 20 minutes. “Soon” ended up becoming a mini letter to each of his family members, telling them how much he cares, and that we will be with them very soon.
Words are so powerful. It’s important to let your friends and family know that they are loved, and it’s so easy to forget in the business of life. If it’s one thing this virus has taught us is that when you strip away everything, all you sit left with is your family and the bonds you’ve formed with people you’ve met along the way.”
2019/20 has seen some great highlights. Firewoodisland was invited to play Klubbdagen at Norway’s Øya Festival. As well as heading out on two South UK tours, they have played over a dozen Sofar Sounds Sessions. They have performed at festivals like Between The Trees, Farmfest, Oxjam Cardiff Takeover, Vikedal Roots Music Festival and at BBC’s Introducing stage at Latitude Festival and headlined Richer Unsigned’s lunchtime showcase in London. Their music featured on TV shows like Netflix’s ‘Shadow Hunters’, Global TV’s NURSES, Showtime’s Vice and several MTV shows, adding to their already impressive list of TV features. Their most recent release – a heartfelt, intimate rendition of Forever Young by Alphaville was released with backing of Warner Music UK.
What started as a solo project is now the joint creative project of artists, multi-instrumentalists and songwriters Stian Vedøy and Abi Eleri. Hailing from a windswept west coast island of Norway, Stian met Abi after moving to Cardiff to study for a master in music production. Abi was at the time studying illustration, and the two paired up to form the band, releasing their debut EP in 2014, second EP Dome in 2016 and their debut album Chaos Is The State Of The Heart in 2018. Their latest sophomore album (2020) was a turning point for Firewoodisland, as the duo finally felt at home creatively. With all audio and visual being created in their own home, you encounter a little piece of their soul when you experience Firewoodisland’s work.
Inspired by the likes of Bon Iver, Sigur Rós and Of Monsters and Men, Firewoodisland’s distinctive sound, christened ‘Mountain Pop’, is a perfect blend of organic and digital elements. 2019 saw the addition of cellist Walker Combe to their live setup.
With previous support from Clash Mag, Wonderland, Atwood Mag, BBC 6 Music, Radio 2, Norway’s NRK P3, as well as seeing music in TV series like Netflix Shadowhunter, Global TV’s NURSES and several MTV shows, the duo is quickly building a name to watch. 2020 saw Firewoodisland releasing a delicate rendition of Alphaville’s Forever Young under Warner Music UK.
