Interview with Cernunnos Rising
Artwork by: Angela Jayne Barnett ~2010
Cernunnos Rising – Music Review
It is a rarity to find an album that every song touches the heart, but Wild Soul by Cernunnos Rising has accomplished something others have only dreamed about.
Interview with Cernunnos Rising (George Nicholas)
Pagan Pages: Since our last interview I see you have graced us with a new album Wild Soul, what was your inspiration here?
George Nicholas: Well, I had originally done my first album with Medwyn Goodall the famous New Age Music composer and producer; that project involved my guitar playing and singing only and didn`t feature any of my friends or group who actually play with me when I perform live at venues etc. I also provided all the original songs to Medwyn and let him arrange a custom sound to it just to see how it materialized, and as it stands it seems to please people a lot and these versions are available on iTunes and on M.G. music’s site amongst other distributors around the world. The answer to your question, ‘what was my inspiration to produce The Wild Soul album’ is simple, many of the pagan/ Druidic fraternity I know had asked me to produce a version closer to what they had heard us play, and with the merry men I gig with, so I couldn`t resist, and I did have the need and compulsion to do this anyway ‘closer to heart’ you might say! And as for the title ‘Wild Soul’, well that about sums me up perfectly. I really feel a lot of folks today have forgotten their inner “wild soul”, and don’t know how to connect anymore… Laughing, dancing, singing, losing inhibitions, enjoying the realms of the creative imagination, not losing your inner child! Let’s face it, nowadays we are all hung up too much about how we look and what others think of us and are we “conforming” and “fitting in”! We really just have to be comfortable in our own skin (warts and all!) and enjoy this little journey!
PP: Are you planning a new album?
GN: Yes I am planning a new album, I want the title to be Urban Druid!-It`s alright me singing and warbling on about the verdant splendor of our wild spaces and places but let`s face it, most of the population live in heavy urbanized or city areas and rely on our meetings and festivals etc to keep us sane. I am very fortunate in as much as I have managed to situate myself in a green and rural environment to live, and I did exactly the same when I lived in Atlanta , Georgia U.S.A… I just had to be with the trees and greenies! That being said, I am originally an inner city Lad from a rough part of Liverpool and even then from an early age I found the need to be amongst the green spaces, and I made sure, I got to these nemeton, serene, bubbles of bliss, where I could ‘Green-Dream’, and meditate , one was in an old overgrown scrap yard , ironic, to watch Mother nature slowly dismantle the many vehicles of some of our recently departed ancestors’ prized and cherished possessions that they probably spent many a year polishing and maintaining… all part of the ‘Coming and Going’ I suppose. The other Green retreats was the local park and a wonderful (time-warp) Cemetery, and my bedroom that had wall to wall plants and trees and flowers and cactus, and wood and rocks, and my crazy collection of books and Man Myth and magic magazines etc . But it was inside myself, my heart and mind, I found the great escape!
PP: Will you ever be coming to the United States?
GN: It is a serious wish for me to come back to the United States and share my music with whoever may take the time to listen, I have had 5 emails this week alone asking me this question, many who have had the pleasure of listening to and attending my kind and generous friend Damh the Bard while he was performing over in the States have asked if I will be doing the same, all I can say is, it would be my pleasure!!
PP: So since your new album how have you and the rest of the group been getting on? What have Simon, Nick, and Phil been up to?
GN: Since the new album, Simon has been organizing his own solo gigs as an independent performer (and very cool he is too!). Nick has disappeared again into the mountains and valleys of north Wales; Phil Orme is helping others with their songs and album projects with his plethora of musical skills while feeding them with his superb cooking recipes and showing them some amazing magic tricks (this guy really does not realize how talented he is)! We are also blessed to have with us two new additions to Cernunnos Rising music. We have a truly exceptionally talented flute player Mr. Martin Clarke, who also plays a mean Harp and keyboard, and Mr. Matt McGrory, a brilliant guitarist who has played with many a known artist and has had venues throughout the U.K. including TV exposure… Oh, I almost forgot we are starting to feature some female vocals into the mix by way of my young daughter Katie and a local lass and good friend Carla Lewis; she is also the singing and gigging partner of Phil Orme!
PP: The artwork on this album is exceptional, who was the artist?
GN: A mix between myself, my young Daughter Katie ,and my fabulous and wonderfully talented friend Angela Jayne Barnett from www.celtic-photography.co.uk A true green soul with an unbridled imagination… go see!!
PP: In our last interview you told us a little about you murals, do you have any new ones?
GN: Yes, I am in the middle of a huge multi-cultural mural project for children at an inner city Liverpool school right now, and another mural project highlighting our ancient and ancestral past featuring some of Britain’s most spectacular and sacred sites.
PP: Bountiful Blessings go out to Cernunnos Rising. Thank you so very much for grating the readers and I such a magnificent opportunity to be the first to interview another such wonderful album. It has truly been awe an inspiring experience. Again thank you.
To the Readers:
To listen to Cernunnos Risings music click here and prepare to be intoxicated…
Cernunnos Rising Links
http://www.myspace.com/cernunnosmusic
Also on Facebook/Youtube/Red Bubble etc – you can find links on the above sites!
www.celtic-photography.co.uk (Angela Barnett)