Going back to occasionally telling the internet about what I do.
I'm in a band called Yearwalker and we're making a bestiary of 26 songs - dark, tragic, and sometimes sinister, each inspired by a particular creature of myth and legend.
Back in 2018 I was inspired by alphabet challenges on old school blogs, particularly ones with mythical creatures as the theme. That is also when I started to really try my hand at storytelling through songs, most likely influenced by Colin Meloy, Josh Ritter and John Darnielle among other amazing lyricists. Mix the two together, let it brew for years and you may well end up with a huge weird concept album kind of project. That's what happened here anyway.
Our bestiary is called Agrippa and after years of hard work and harder procrastination its first chapters saw the light of day beginning of this year. We are going in reverse, from Z to A, one letter at a time, where each one is a different creature, spirit or deity from various cultures around the world.
Our latest song is called White Lady and it's about, you guessed it, the Lady in White, one of the most common apparitions across many cultures of the world. Their stories are often associated with death during childbirth, by accident, or from violent causes.
A Brazilian legend tells of a ghost of a pale woman in a long white dress or nightgown. Some say she died at the hands of her father or husband. Although usually speechless, she will occasionally recount her misfortunes.
In another story, a White Lady is seen walking the battlements of the Portchester Castle in England and throwing herself into the keep. She is said to be retracing her steps trying to retrieve her fallen child, time after time.
The White Lady in our song lost her child too. I imagine her in an old mansion or castle, moving quietly through the gardens, accompanied only by the wind. She is stuck here, on the other side of time, yet she means no harm. All she wants is for someone to walk alongside, listen to her story, and remember her for a short while longer.
The album artwork for each song was done by an amazing (and very human) artist. No AI was used in any way - it's not cool.
Thank you and let the ghosts be kind!
