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Wyldwood Radio

The Home of Pagan Music

An Interview with: Taloch of The Dolmen

This interview was performed by Nemetona who was with Wyldwood from 2011 until 2016

This month, we have managed to catch a chat with the lead singer of the fantastic pirate band, The Dolmen! From questions about the new album and ranging down to questions about Cider, we’ve got some very interesting answers from the man himself; Taloch Jameson.
So sit back, grab a beverage of choice, and have a read!

Nemetona: What was the inspiration behind starting The Dolmen?

Taloch:I used to perform as solo guitarist, around small Witch camp fires
etc. This was in 1988-92, from there I met a couple of other dudes who asked to join in and from there I established the Dolmen as a band, mainly performing to the pagan community. So I guess my inspiration was a love of music but also the pagan fellowship that was beginning to grow at that time.

Nemetona: What made you take an interest in music?

Taloch: I was born to music, it’s something that happens naturally within and flows outwardly.

Cover art for the album "Wytchlord" by The Dolmen

Nemetona: The new album seems to be a different direction for the band with a mixture of genres on each track. Do you feel this is a new direction for the band altogether?

Taloch:Not really, music is music to The Dolmen, we capture the moment as it flows and how it is interpreted at the time becomes the sound of the day. When I listen to Songs From The Cauldron album or the ‘STORM’ album, I still hear the ingredients of the band as I do with WYTCHLORD; its loves and hates, its call to the spirits and its take on that which we perceive as a band and as individuals and interpret in our sound. The next album may be different or at least I hope it will BUT it will still be Dolmen.

Nemetona: Which came first; the Dolmen Grove or the Dolmen Band?

Taloch: Back in the late 80s I was part of a Wicca based circle of which I had opportunity to teach an alternative approach to Witchcraft.

From there I founded the Dolmen Grove and the Dolmen although with a constant line up change became the band that would entertain and lead the drum ceremonies. The Dolmen Grove became known as the Dolmen Grove in the new millennium. And is a branch from the Temple of Truth a temple dedicated to esoteric science. I was the founder of The Dolmen as a band and the Dolmen Grove as an organisation so to me they hold the same date of birth.

Nemetona:Aside from The Dolmen, you have your own solo albums which are vastly different to the music played by the Dolmen. Do you enjoy the diversity created working on these side projects and does it help with the Dolmen?

Taloch: My solo work is aimed at the philosopher or at esoteric science, created to add atmosphere to magical workings, meditations etc. I love the freedom of which I can compose within the magical realms and I love expressing the energies I feel through music regardless of how it is interpreted thereafter.
If I was confined to one type of musical style, It would be awful beyond words, I need variation to express what I hear as a painter needs a pallet of colours I guess.

cover art from the album "The Crabchurch Conspiracy" by The Dolmen

Nemetona: Your album The Crabchurch Conspiracy tells a story of civil war in the Dorset area and features the voice of Prof. Ronald Hutton. It seems to have been a really big project; what was it like to work on the album?

Taloch: Crabchurch was a hard album to write although I loved the subject and style created by Mark Vine who is a fantastic writer, but it was hard. I will tell you why, only a couple of months before starting the album properly my dear mother passed away. I had been recording and working from her home so I could take care of her, she was my mentor spiritually and musically although we had different paths in both things. Lost Years was the last song she would place her guiding hands on my shoulders to guide me in the way it should be sung.

Finishing the album was hard without her as I would cry every time I hit an emotional part or in the middle of recording I would quickly stop mid-flow because I thought I could hear her calling etc… But of course it was just the echoes of my mind. Although I am a great believer in life after death I still miss her presence in this physical world, she was my best friend. And that’s why the Crabchurch Conspiracy was so hard.

Nemetona: The Dolmen Grove runs Tribal Dreams festival which we’ve been to, and is, in our opinion, one of the best festivals in Britain. What was the idea behind starting the festival?

Taloch: Well starting the festivals was really about bringing the people of the Dolmen Grove together, we have grown so much it was possible to fill an event as such. We started with the Spirit of Rebirth held each May. We then added the Tribal Dreams Festival each August. All our events are put on for the Dolmen Grove Members to enjoy a good celebration with like minded people.

Nemetona: Tell us more about The Pirate’s Keep YouTube channel.

Taloch: I totally love the fantasy idea of Pirates and Blaggards, The Dolmen as a band always focused on this kind of style in my early days to provide sea chants and highway men songs etc. Music that had a bit of a jig and a reel to it. Meeting the likes of Cap’n Howl gave us the chance to take it further. We started a Pirates Keep night which means everyone is dressed in their kit tell old tales with music and loads of shouting etc which led onto us creating Howls Kitchen, a spoof program on Pirate Cooking featuring the Cap’n. BUT also we are making a film called the Pirates Keep which is very different, it is esoterically set between realms and it has more serious aspects about it.

Nemetona: How did Howl’s kitchen begin?

Taloch: A great idea by Josh our guitarist.

Nemetona: And finally, a silly question! Dorset Cider, or Somerset Cider?

Taloch: Neither I can’t stand the stuff.

To find out more about The Dolmen, please visit the links below:

Wyldwood Radio