Interview: Kärv
Get to know the man behind the music of the black metal act
Hot off the presses today is Kärv’s latest release, What the Dunes Have Hidden (full album review here). I wanted to give listeners the opportunity to acquaint themselves a bit with the creative mind behind the one-man band, known to his audience as Grìshâ. He was gracious enough to oblige with thoughtful answers to my questions.
TPD: Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and how you came to love music and to be a musician.
I think my love of music really sorta kicked off when I got the Nordman record Ingenmansland when I was about 8 years old or so. That album just started something in me that just never stopped. I listen to that album still to this day and get that same feeling.
I picked up the guitar for the first time at around age 13 and started writing music then, as well; and then it's just continued from there, and so now I've honed my songcraft for over 20 years, and am enjoying it still. Apart from the musical side of things, I grew up in a small town in the old mining belt of Sweden, Bergslagen, have a degree in English literature, and married my dear wife 14 years ago this year.
TPD: Tell us about some of your most important musical influences.
Nordman was the first one, and maybe in the end the most important one because it ignited a love for folk music I've had ever since. I also grew up on blues via my dad, who had a great habit of buying live shows by different really good bands—B. B. King, Clapton, Springsteen, et al.—on DVD that he would play, and we gathered around that as a family, watching it. It was great, and it made me want to continue exploring different forms of musical expression. Then there's David Eugene Edwards of 16 HP and Wovenhand; the impact he's had on me as a person and as a musician is immense. I remember the first song I heard, Blue Pail Fever, from the first Wovenhand album. It was one of the most powerful musical experiences I've had, and I was hooked from then on, and have followed him ever since. (Although he's kinda wild these days with his ideas and beliefs.)
Black metal and its subgenres entered my life some 4 years ago or so, beginning with Alcest and then it just evolved from there. Some notable bands which have been a huge inspiration in that sphere for me are Mgła, Skald In Veum, Gaerea, and Batushka.
TPD: How did you arrive at black metal as your genre of choice for Kärv?
I came to a point where I wanted to try something new and different from the acoustic folk stuff I was writing, and ended up with this idea and vision to produce a body of harsh and unrelenting music written from my personal perspective, with my lyrical style, and just see what it would end up becoming. It sounded awful at first, but over the years I've honed my skills a bit, and learned how to record it decently at least, and so now it's starting to sound alright [laughs].
TPD: Tell us about how you became a Christian.
I grew up in a loving, warm, Christian household, and through the example of my parents and what they taught me, I always believed in God. But I had a lot of personal problems and struggles, and came to battling anxiety and depression for many years. There was a growing darkness within me, a lot of anger and fear, and it was there for a long time, and it became almost like a veil covering my whole life. I don't know how, but instead of breaking down completely and giving up, I decided to go back to the scriptures and reexamine everything again. And they spoke to me, God spoke to me through them, and through my family, and my loyal wife who stood by me through all of that mess.
And, so, I called out to God, I confessed Jesus as Lord of my life, repented of my sins, and trusted firmly in that Yahweh the Father raised Him from the dead. And when I did, and truly started to trust, He saved me, and took away so much of that pain and darkness from me. I was truly changed, and it all went so fast. I still can't wrap my head around it. I just thank God every day that he did what he did for me. And looking back now, all I can say is He is just so loyal, and was blessing me, helping me even in those really dark times. I see it now in hindsight that he was there all along just waiting for me, and when I called out He answered.
TPD: I have asked this next question in previous interviews. The common conception among non-believers (and many believers) is that there can be art, and there can be Christianity and its message to the world, but the two cannot be intermingled because that ends up diluting both. I have been one of those skeptics from the believing side of the coin and still am to some extent. But, in my opinion, you have successfully overcome this conundrum in a way that few other bands have. Other than God-given talent, what would you say are some of the keys to this success?
First of all, thank you very much for saying that! I guess for me, honestly, it's never been about combining the two; I just write what I know and make it into music I would like to listen to myself (I discard multiple times more than I've ever released). I know a lot about scripture, theology, and history, so naturally that permeates my work, but I also know a lot about pain and darkness, and that is also reflected in the lyrics. Some songs don't deal at all with spiritual aspects of life, and some are pure theology, but they all have a place in my body of work. At the end of the day, I'm very very happy and honored that my music resonates with people on any level, no matter what part of it they are drawn to, or what worldview they hold to.
Generally I have difficulties with the whole "unblack," or "Christian black metal" thing. It seems constructed to me, and about as ridiculous as the black metal acts who claim all extreme music that sounds like this has to be dedicated to the devil. It all makes me cringe, to be honest. Just call it what it is [laughs].
TPD: So, in your own words, what is art?
A creation of some sort channeled through some medium (visual, auditive, etc.), which holds a certain level of quality. Not all that is called art is art; there has always been a sort of standard for quality based on societal and expert consensus. For example, hundreds of thousands of books have been written throughout history, but only a fairly small portion can stand the test of time and get adopted into a literary canon. The same goes for visual media, and of course music. Quality is something real and tangible.
TPD: Tell us about your new release (out today on SneeuwStorm Produkties), What the Dunes Have Hidden, and the process of bringing that album to life.
It took a long time, since I have a lot of other stuff going on in my life, as well. But some two years after Abominations, I felt I had an album that sounded good enough, and cohesive enough to release. To sum it up, it was a lot of work, a lot of writing and rewriting, and I had to get better at my craft in all areas since metal still is fairly new to me.
TPD: Talk about some of the major themes running through the album. It certainly seems to me like one cohesive storytelling epic.
I'm very happy that that's the impression that you're left with; it gives me some confidence in that I managed to accomplish what I set out to do. Ever since I started writing the album it has felt like a sort of "unearthing." I'm trying to unearth and use ancient Near Eastern imagery to convey a treatise on some aspects of the human condition (which to me as a Christian, of course, in many ways is defined by our fallen state and the implications of it), and its relation to the more definitive stages of life: life, death, what happens after it, and how we relate to different aspects of that.
TPD: What is the purpose or goal that you're trying to achieve with Kärv? How does that motivate you to continue putting out new music?
I don't know if I really have a goal with Kärv other than to keep writing this kind of music for as long as it feels meaningful and fun, and as long as I have something to say. Of course, the positive reactions I've been getting motivates me to keep doing that, and I see no end for Kärv in sight.
TPD: What do you like to do with your free time apart from your music?
I'm a major football (soccer) fan and support Liverpool FC, something which I share with my brother and dad, so that's a major interest of mine and something we gather around as a family. Apart from that, I hang out with my wife, read a lot (mostly theology), and try to get some quality gaming time in there, as well. We're both nerds so that's not hard.
TPD: What's next for Kärv?
I'm currently working on an additional Kärv EP which I plan to release later this year, and I'm also collaborating with my friend Vindur on the next Mörkvind full-length, where my role will be lyricist and vocalist. So, that's something to look forward to as well.
TPD: All very exciting! Thanks so much for honoring This Present Darkness with this interview. Is there anything else you'd like to share with the reading audience?
Thank you! All I can say is: seek the Kingdom of God (the teaching at the very center of Jesus' ministry) and his righteousness above all else. It will change everything for the better and transform your life.
What the Dunes Have Hidden was released today, Friday, June 21, 2024 on the Dutch SneeuwStorm Produkties label.
Get the digital version directly from Kärv’s Bandcamp. Physical copies can be ordered on the SneeuwStorm Produkties Bandcamp.
Be sure to follow Kärv on Instagram and Facebook.
Be sure to follow SneeuwStorm Produkties on Instagram and Facebook.
Official Store (SneeuwStorm Produkties)
Karv is great. Loved chatting with him. a genuine dude!!