An Interview with Sowulo
We managed to catch a few moments of Sowulo’s time before they release their album, Alvenrad. Read on to find out more about one of the up and coming big names in the Pagan music scene.

Wyldwood: What got you interested in playing music?
Sowulo: For all of us this started when we were little children. At our homes there was always music around, so the fascination for music started there. Klaartje started classical violin lessons when she was seven. Faber started his classical piano lessons when he was ten. Koen started on sax when he was 10 years old, and then decided to switch to flute on his 20th because he was inspired by folk musicians. Tom plays the drum since he was 13 years old, previously in metal bands and has now switched to war-drum for the musical journey we call Sowulo.
Wyldwood: With your band name as Sowulo, what made you choose the runes as inspiration?
Sowulo: The name of the band arose while creating the concept of our first album entitled Alvenrad. This term from the Germanic-/Scandinavian mythology is the word for Sun.
The themes of our first concept album are the pagan year feasts. These feasts are determined by the seasons, which are put in motion by the Sun.
The Sowulo rune also means Sun, so that name is a perfect fit for our project. But the full meaning of this rune is more comprehensive, and fits our music and goal very well. We want to give people a fervent and positive boost, equal to the runes’ energy.
Wyldwood: Do you have any musical inspirations?
Sowulo: When I heard Wardruna for the first time in 2008, I immediately fell in love with their sound. It let my pagan heart pound like a fierce viking!
At that time I realized that it was inevitable that I had to compose comparable music one day. Also bands like Faun, Garmarna, and Irfan have influenced our music.
Wyldwood: You released your Yule music video this year. Was it fun to put together?
Sowulo: Did it look like we were having fun? Have you seen the look on Klaartjes face at 3:30min?? It was a very dark and powerful ritual we performed before the camera…
No, seriously, we had a great time. It was exciting to play at a professional film studio with a crew of 20. And the results were to our liking.
Wyldwood: You seem to be active in keeping the Pagan legacy alive with your shows being called rituals and the Pagan meanings behind your music and band. What are your hopes for the band?
Sowulo: The aim of our music is to become aware of our rich spiritual heritage and to enlarge this among the neo-pagan scene. We think this is very important. In modern society its all about individualism, not about inter human connection and certainly not about our connection with nature. Our pagan ancestors lived with each other in clans, and in harmony with their surroundings. Through our ‘rituals’ we hope to gather the neo-pagans and make them feel connected to this earth and each other.
Wyldwood: You’ve recently finished recording your album, Alvenrad; how did you find the experience?
Sowulo: In 2012 we started recording our debut album at Orchus studio. This great musical journey was led by Fieke van den Hurk. Our artwork producer was found in Erik Wijnands, he filled the booklet with the dark and mystical atmosphere we wanted to create on this album. Jasper van Gheluwe made the band pictures for the artwork. His experience with photographing bands outdoor and in pagan style was what we were looking for. This combination of artists helped us create Alvenrad exactly the way we wanted. All in all it has been a great experience for all of us.
Wyldwood: And a silly question: What is your favourite movie (everyone’s choices!)
- Faber: 13th warrior
- Klaartje: Secret of Kells
- Koen: The Dark Crystal
- Tom: Lord of the Rings Trilogy
For more information on Sowulo, find them on:
- Their website: https://www.sowulo.nl/home
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sowulo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sowulo.music