she owl press kit she owl press kit bio

SHE OWL PRESS KIT
BIO:
"Part female, part animal, She Owl's voice is in tune with the creatures of forest: light,
delicate as a hunter of fearful night shades yet intense and fierce as a bite into the ears. The
music is wild and evocative, cut to the bones, a blend of darkness, tenderness and despair
ignited by psychedelic and neoclassical flames. The band's performance is intended to be a
tribal experience to share together with the audience, a musical, theatrical and heartfelt offer
that is open to the extraordinary.
Latest project of multi-instrumentalist and storyteller Jolanda Moletta (italian-born but
officialy adopted by the independent music scene of the Bay Area), She Owl recorded their
critically acclaimed full-length debut in San Francisco with the participation of Dave Mihaly
(Jolie Holland), Roberta Cartisano, Mark Nelsen (Electric Shepherd), Atiba Starr (Blue Sky
Black Death) and other local musicians as well. The record has been released on October
7th, 2013 by Broken Toys, PPZK (Peter Piek) in Europe and DIT Records (Amanda
Rogers) in the US.
She Owl plays live as a duo (Demian
Demian Endian,
Endian, guitars, percussions, arrangements)
arrangements or as a
full band. Their astonishing live performances around the US and Europe have been
compared to the ones of My Brightest Diamond, Agnes Obel, Bat for Lashes, PJ
Harvey, Dead Can Dance, Nico.
In the last years Jolanda shared the stage with artists like Cocorosie, Joan as Policewoman,
Kaki King, The Last Internationale.
Internationale
Critics and public claim however the uniqueness and the originality of She Owl's
journey: the meticulous research of uncommon instruments (kalimba,
kalimba, indian
harmonium, autoharp, frame drums)
drums and arrangements, the use of Jolanda's unique
voice,
voice both evocative and narrative,
narrative the lyrics, symbolic and intense fables for the
collective soul.
soul
Fiercely independent, She Owl's music is nowadays part of the endangered species:
delicate as the wind in the trees, unfamiliar as an ancient fairytale, liberating like drums
around the fire and frightening as a bird of prey.
She Owl works and lives between Paris and San Francisco,
Francisco and sometimes hides in a
small village in the NW italian woods,
woods close to wolves, owls, wild nature and their
ancient, spellbinding stories."
Links:
www.she-owl.com
www.sheowl.bandcamp.com
Dance of the Mothers" live for Trashland Session, Erfurt, Germany October 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcXFbJcA5hk
Over the Bones "live for Hamburger Kueckensessions, Hamburg, Germany May 2014
http://youtu.be/sRQRkVrXkWY
Fisherman Queen "live for Hamburger Kueckensessions, Hamburg, Germany May 2014
http://youtu.be/gBaiYozPxpU
PHOTOS:
SHE OWL DEBUT ALBUM PRESS REVIEWS:
"An album with which you can easily become friends and have a long term relationship."
[Sound And Image, Germany]
***
"The tales of her gloomy lullabies seem to come directly from the fairytales of brother Grimm. When
Jolanda Moletta sings them with her dark voice, the listener feels suddenly lost in a foggy, thick forest,
sorrounded by invisible creatures and beings whose intentions - good or bad - you might not even want
to know.The italian born singer-songwriter who has a talent for mystic songs and moods, creates
prickling goosebumps with her voice and instruments like keyboards, autoharp, kalimba and cymbals.
With good reason the italian and her gothic-folk has been compared to Bat for Lashes."
[Ultimo, Germany]
***
"The sound of these atmospheric songs is dark, delicate and fragile, but now and then subliminally
threatening... This music seems to come from another time and another world, and despite the dark
nouances, these lullabies welcome the listener as a haven of peace, even if it sometimes seems elusive.
For friends of SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES, DEAD CAN DANCE, or PJ Harvey this album is
definitely worth an in-depth listening."
[Ralf Stierlen, Hooked on Music , Germany]
***
"..for depth, beauty and pure emotion, it's well worth taking the extra time to get to know this record,
and you might just find yourself getting lost in a different world."
[The Sound of Confusion, UK]
***
"This self-titled album is a sinuous entrancement."
[Rating: 4/5 - Bluesbunny, UK]
***
"Elle a la voix d'un ange, d'une sirène... ou d'une démone tentatrice. Désolé des clichés, mais c'est la
pensée qui m'est immédiatement venue en écoutant le premier album de She Owl pour la première fois,
et ce dès les premières secondes. Et ce fut pareil après la vingtième fois... L'italienne Jolanda Moletta
évoque tout à la fois Karen Vogt (Heligoland) pour sa pureté cristalline étrangement chaude, Liz Harris
(Grouper) pour son côté mystérieux et Josephine Foster pour sa capacité à partir d'un coup dans des
mondes fantasmagoriques. Elle varie sans cesse les effets et les émotions. Elle touche, inquiète,
séduit..."
[Rating: 9/10 - Lyle, Dans le mur...du son!, France]
***
"Dans la famille "Romantisme en dentelles, femme-piano" je voudrais la cousine italienne de My
Brightest Diamond ou Kate Bush. She Owl impose pour la douceur et la sobriété une jolie présence en
mode mineur."
[Rating: 4/5 - Denis Zorgniotti, Benzine Magazine, France]
***
"...a lovely set of tunes to get lost in, a magical place where a beautiful voice wraps you in a soft
embrace and tells you it's okay to be lost and not afraid."
[Jon Davis, Exposé Magazine, USA]
***
"Neu im Wald ist diese Eule: Multiinstrumentalistin und Sängerin Jolana Moletta alias She Owl, die ihr
Debütalbum in San Francisco aufnahm. Die Musik klingt märchenhaft verträumt und leicht
geheimnisvoll; die Eule mag die Öffentlichkeit nicht so sehr und treibt sich lieber im Zwielicht des
Waldes umher. Zurückhaltende Piano-Klänge, Kalimba- und Gitarrentupfer, sanfte Percussion und
Molettas Stimme reichen meist aus, um eine schaurig-schöne Stimmung zu schaffen. Auf
produktionstechnische Sperenzchen wird ebenso verzichtet wie auf übermäßig komplexe
Songstrukturen. She Owl flattert irgendwo zwischen einer gezähmten PJ Harvey und Natalie Merchant
in einem Gebiet mit vielen großartigen Konkurrentinnen..."
[Tom Asam, Titel Kulturmagazine, Germany]
***
"...In order to record fourty, plentiful minutes, perfectly played and produced, making a fresco that
possess evocative strenght and lead the listener to discover an outstanding musician...the song 'Over the
Bones' sounds like a Florence + The Machine outtake (perfectly done, indeed), slightly darker than
Miss Welch's standards... Nightingale is all-rhythm and, even if not electric, it's pure geometry, with the
piano, in more than one occasion supported by percussion, harp and guitar, drawing lines that fade in
the ethereal... "
[Rating: 8/10 -Il Mucchio Selvaggio, Novembre 2013,Italy]
***
"Del progetto She Owl si parla come di un mostro sacro, si legge di pezzi che suonano come il vento fra
i rami o come una fiaba antica, si vocifera di performance live da lasciare a bocca aperta. Ed in effetti
l'impressione, ascoltando per la prima volta l'album, è quella..."
[ Claudia Genocchio, Sodapop Webzine,Italy]
***
"...Ten songs, delicate and unique, precious as the voice of Jolanda, a musician able to play lots of
instruments: from piano to ukulele, kalimba, percussions, a typewriter… yes, she plays that too. It's an
album in which you hear the immediacy of the things to say and the naturalness in saying them. An
album you can listen to, as water running in the river.... "
[ Il Blog dell'Alligatore,Italy]
***
"The self-titled album, sets ten dark tracks that, between melancholy and introspection, embrace and
caress the listener.The album opens with the deep-rooted welcome (played almost solely on voice and
piano) of Homewoods and the hypnotic step of the equally enthralling She Owl.Over The Bones, more
pressing and lively, shows all its vital force, opening to the contrasts between tension/soothing of
Decembers and the deep emotiveness of Behind The Stars . The ethereal and dreamy atmosphere of
Nightingale gives way to the ukulele/vocals binomial of the neat Fisherman Queen (with a developing
coda) and the veiled rhythmicity of the smooth Hide And Seek.Paper Birds, finally, slow and
confidential, introduces the fascinating urge of the concluding Belong."
[Rating: 7/10 -IyeZine,Italy]
***
"The project She Owl debuts with its full-length album , first work of the Italian multi instrumentalist
singer and composer Jolanda Moletta , in collaboration with Dave Mihaly (drums) and various
musicians and local artists. Although the album was recorded under the hot San Francisco sun, the
authoress chose to get inspiration from the damp and foggy landscapes of the Italian North-West, from
where she comes. Winter landscapes , made of icy rivers and snow-capped mountains, are the images
that inspired the album and the album itself relays them by the filter of an evocative music for ‘night
animals’. She Owl’s music is not made to be played in the daytime. You can listen to it as if there were
nothing but the moon behind a cloud of mist and a cloud of cold from the mouth. Sounds that have a
mighty evocative power, and lead the listener through nocturnal atmospheres where, if you had no
music, your teeth would chatter. A perfect soundtrack for dark landscapes.Many of the album’s tracks
echo with Bat For Lashes’ clean voice and experimental sounds. The combination of voice and piano in
Over The Bones is very interesting; the atmospheres created by Decembers and Hide and Seek are
sensational. Fisherman Queen, however, is the song that stands out for the careful research both in
sound and imagery that characterizes the artist."
[Rating: 3,5/5 -Rock Shock,Italy]
***
"She Owl is an ancestral song devoted to the thousand faces of nature, a wonderful piece of work
between spirit and earth that confirms the visionary talent of an author we should pay more attention
to... On these bases Jolanda introduces the use of certain instruments, which come from different
latitudes of popular music, from ukulele to kalimba, to Gamelan elements arranged by Demian Endian,
guitarist and collaborator... The music of Jolanda Moletta is a pantheistic cult indeed, from the
processional gait of the title track, a tale of communion between nature’s consciousness and animal
creatures, to the ancestral rhythmics of Over the bones...a route which is difficult and not-so-welltrodden, encountering the face of a debated nature by means of a sound, literary, philosophical and
performatory tale between spirit and earth."
[Indie-Eye,Italy]
***
"…All in all a wonderful album, so familiar and pleasant, yet mysterious and dark."
[Shiver Webzine,Italy]
***
LIVE REPORTS:
"...She accompanied her rich voice on the Royal Room's grand piano accompanied by Demian Endian
on guitar and percussion. Her personal songs are filled with dreamlike imagery and deep emotional
resonance, calling to mind other piano-women like Kate Bush and Tori Amos while sounding very little
like anyone else. Demian's backing in particular sets the music outside the listener's expectations,
providing textures and moods more than chords or notes. His percussive accents utilizing the drum kit
on stage provided power and propulsion to the music, raising it above coffee-house confessionals.
There were even moments of theater in the performance, when Demian took a heart pendant from
Jolanda and held it to his own chest as he played. It was an emotionally satisfying end to a night of wide
variety.
[Exposé Magazine live review for Shw Owl show at SEAPROG FESTIVAL June 2013, Seattle,USA]
***
"S'ha comparat She Owl amb Bat For Lashes, Siouxsie Sioux, Kate Bush o PJ Harvey. Comparacions
encertades totes elles, però al discurs de l'italiana Jolanda Moletta també hi ressonen diamants del folk
britànic dels 70 com The Trees o el minimalisme gòtic d'uns Cranes. Ahir va debutar a Barcelona tot
presentant un debut homònim que havia vist la llum la tardor passada sota el paraigües de PPZK -el
mateix segell que dóna sortida a l'obra de Peter Piek-. Acompanyada del seu inseparable Demian
Endian i en el marc d'una elegant galeria d'art, va desplegar un repertori poblat per boscos encantats,
cases fetes d'arbres i bruixes que es reencarnen en mussols. Contes de fades de naturalesa tan salvatge
com onírica, recitats per una veu hipnòtica i penetrant. Tambors que semblaven anunciar rituals pagans,
teixint atmosferes de misteri amb la complicitat d'un piano boirós, una guitarra tan espessa com
l'autoharpa amb què s'alternava, i un eclèctic set de percussió elaborat a base d'imaginació -impagable
el collaret amb forma de cor-. Recursos bàsics però suficients per a un repertori que no requereix cap
mena d'artifici."
[Live Report from She Owl live in Barcelona, Spain, April 2013 - Oriol S., Dancing with the Clown
Blog,Spain]
***
"J'avais adoré (quoi ! Vous ne m'aviez pas lu !) le premier album du duo italien She-Owl. Mais je dois
bien avouer que j'étais assez curieux (voire même légèrement inquiet) avant le concert : comment allaitil réussir à retranscrire ses chansons, à la fois si simples d'apparence mais si sophistiquées, en live et à
deux ? Réponse : en les épurant encore et en laissant faire la magie d'une des plus belles voix apparues
ces dernières années. Quelques notes de piano, des boucles de guitare un peu dreamy, par fois un peu
de percussions, les chansons du premier album, flirtant entre folk crépusculaire et slowcore, prennent
une allure encore plus solennelle et puissante ici (soit dans une grande salle à manger, avec des gens
assis par terre, conquis par la beauté du moment...) et sont un écrin magnifique pour le chant de Jolanda
Moletta. Par moment encore plus chaud et organique que sur disque, il est capable de se faire, d'un coup
glaçant et saisissant. Rarement on aura été autant impressionné par l'étendu d'un registre vocal qui
semble être capable d'interpréter aussi bien du blues et de la soul que du dark-folk. Et les nouveaux
titres entendus ce soir, explorant de nouveaux territoires, plus exotiques et basés sur les percussions,
vont lui permettre de varier encore plus ses effets. Le dernier titre, agrémenté d'une petite mise en scène
entre les deux musiciens, s'arrête, et on se dit qu'on a décidément trouvé à nouveau groupe à chérir pour
de nombreuses années."
[Live Report for She Owl album Release show, PARIS, L'index, January 2013 - Lyle, Dans le Mur du
Son, France]
LIVE PHOTOS:
STAGE PLAN:
FUTURE SHOWS 2015:
12.03. Paris (FR)@Le Pop In
19.03. Paris (FR)@La Fabrique Balades Sonores - Showcase
09.04. Paris (FR)@Le Buzz
21.05. Bruxelles (BE)@La Porte Noire
24.05. Offenbach (DE)@ Hafen 2
25.05. Karlsruhe (DE)@ Konzerttagebuch
26.05. Chemnitz (DE)@ TBC
27.05. Halle (DE)@ Theater Mandroschke
28.05. Göttingen (DE)@ Vinyl-Reservat
29.05. Dortmund (DE)@ Nordakustik
30.05. Ahlen (DE)@Bürgerzentrum Bürgerzentrum Schuhfabrik with Christine Owman
31.05. Köln (DE)@ Kulturcafe Lichtung
02.06. Würzburg (DE)@ Wunschlos Glücklich
03.06. TBA
04.06. Thun (CH)@AKut
05.06. Geneva (IT) @TBA
06.06. Entracque (IT)@Centro Uomini e Lupi - TBC
PAST SHOWS 2013-2014 DEBUT ALBUM TOUR:
Dec 14th, 2014 Padova, Italy @Carichi Sospesi
Dec 13th, 2014 Milano, Italy@Spazio Senza Tempo
Dec 12th, 2014 Livorno, Italy@Ex Vinema Aurora
Nov 21st, 2014 Soingen, Germany@Waldmeister
Nov 20th, 2014 Bochum, Germany @ Bastion
Nov 19th, 2014 Kiel, Germany @ Prinz Willy
Nov 17th, 2014 Hamburg, Germany @ Pony Bar
Nov 16th, 2014 Bremen, Germany @ Kultur im Bunker
Nov 15th, 2014 Leipzig, Germany @ Lu99
Nov 14th, 2014 Magdeburg, Germany @ Moritzhof
Nov 13th, 2014 Halle, Germany @ Hühnermanhattan Klub
Nov 12th, 2014 Nuernberg, Germany @ MUZclub
Nov 11th, 2014 Munich, Germany @ Kulturjurte
Nov 9th, 2014 Freiburg, Germany @ White Rabbit
Nov 6th, 2014 Wabern, Swiss @ Heitere Fahne
Oct 26th, 2014 Matarò, Spain @ Café de Mar
Oct 25th, 2014 Matarò, Villafranca del Penedes @ Espay Munte San Jaume
Oct 24th, 2014 Granollers, Spain @ Anònims
Oct 23rd, 2014 Barcelona, Spain @ Memphis Underground
Oct 22nd, 2014 Girona, Spain @ Café El Cercle
Oct 18th, 2014 Montpellier, France @ Black Sheep
Oct 17th, 2014 Béziers, France@Capharnarhum
May 29th, 2014 La Chaouée - Metz, France
May 28th, 2014 Rover - Aachen, Germany
May 27th, 2014 Cube - Düsseldorf , Germany
May 26th, 2014 Bastion - Bochum, Germany
May 25th, 2014 Wohnzimmerkonzerte Magdeburg - Magdeburg, Germany
May 23rd, 2014 Noch Besser Leben - Leipzig, Germany
May 22nd, 2014 TAC (Theater am Campus) - Merseburg, Germany
May 22nd, 2014 Peißnitzbühne - Halle, Germany
May 21st, 2014 Kultur im Bunker - Bremen, Germany
May 20th, 2014 Hamburger Küchensessions + Backpacker St Pauli - Hamburg, Germany
May 19th, 2014 Goldene Rose - Halle, Germany
May 17th, 2014 Lu99 - Leipzig, Germany
May 16th, 2014 Antje Oeklesund - Berlin, Germany
May 14th, 2014 Badstrasse 8 - Nuernberg, Germany
May 13th, 2014 Private Show - Freiburg
Apr 13th, 2014 La Gramola - Manresa, Spain
Apr 12th, 2014 Context Llibreria Cafè - Girona, Spain
Apr 11th, 2014 Déposito Legal - Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain
Apr 10th, 2014 Café El Vajero, - Logrono, Spain
Apr 8th, 2014
Desafinado Café - Zaragoza, Spain
Apr 7th, 2014
Galeria Mitte - Barcelona, Spain
Apr 6th, 2014
Private Show - Matarò (Barcelona), Spain
Apr 5th, 2014
Secret Show - Figueres, Spain
Apr 4th, 2014
Ubu - Perpignan, France
Apr 3rd, 2014
The Black Sheep - Montpellier, France
Mar 22nd, 2014 The Complex - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Mar 21st, 2014 The Vortex Room - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Feb 19th, 2014 Hyperion Tavern - Los Angeles, CA
Jan 25th, 2014 L'Index - Paris, France
Dec 22nd, 2013 Bar Wolf - Bologna, Italy
Nov 3rd, 2013 Villa Kuntertbunt - Winterthur, Swiss
Oct 29th, 2013 Lehrerzimmer - Bern, Swiss
Oct 28th, 2013 White Rabbit - Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Oct 27th, 2013 Blue Shell for Lied United - Koeln, Germany
Oct 24th, 2013 Brause - Dusseldorf, Germany
Oct 23rd, 2013 Teilchen und Beschleuniger - Muenster, Germany
Oct 19th, 2013 TBA - Utrecht, Netherlands
Oct 15th, 2013 Prinz Willy - Kiel, Germany
Oct 13th, 2013 Goldene Rose+Kunsthofgohlis - Halle + Dresden, Germany
Oct 12th, 2013 Lu99 - Leipzig, Germany
Oct 11th, 2013 Marie Antoinette - Berlin, Germany
Oct 8th, 2013 Saline 34 - Erfurt, Germany
Oct 5th, 2013 Stellwerk - Waldshut, Germany
Oct 4th, 2013 Early Bird - Innsbruck, Austria
Aug 30th, 2013 The Vortex Room - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 19th, 2013 El Rio - San Francisco, (CA) U.S.A.
Aug 16th, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 15th, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 9th, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 8th, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 2nd, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Aug 1st, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Jul 27th, 2013 Exit Theater - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Jul 11th, 2013 TBA - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Jul 9th, 2013 Rocknasium Open Air - Davis, U.S.A.
Jul 7th, 2013 Vortex Room - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Jul 5th, 2013 The Uptown - Oakland, U.S.A.
Jun 28th, 2013 The Royal Room - Seattle, U.S.A.
Jun 27th, 2013 The Guest House - Olympia, Washington (U.S.A)
Jun 16th, 2013 House Concert - San Francisco, U.S.A.
Jun 15th, 2013 Actual Café - Oakland, U.S.A.
CONTACTS:
Worldwide Publicity: W//M
http://www.wavesforthemasses.com/
[email protected]
Booking Germany:
Joshua Riehl - GrossArtIg Booking
Booking rest of Europe and Management:
Broken Toys : [email protected]
(+39) 333 138 6419