Bands like Wardruna and Heilung are great for writing

As someone who writes for a living, I spend a ridiculous amount of time looking for music I can work to that isn’t too distracting – and Nordic dark folk bands like Wardruna and Heilung (pictured above) are new additions to my writing list.

Procrastination and searching Spotify are parts of my creative routine. This, combined with late-night YouTube, means I come across some pretty unique music.

Recently I went down a strange YouTube and Spotify rabbit-hole and ended up getting into weird genres that I didn’t even know existed. In particular, dark Scandinavian music that is very cool, vaguely disturbing and really mesmerising. Kind of like goth Vikings.

It began, funnily enough, when I was googling the show Vikings and its music. Vikings is a great series if you happened to have missed it – both the show and the soundtrack. Before I even got to the Viking theme song, however, I got distracted by a weird-looking thumbnail of a lady with massive antlers. (I know that sounds weirdly rude.)

It was for a band called Heilung that was recommended by the all-knowing algorithms of YouTube. I pressed play and the video was awesome, possibly enhanced by noise-cancelling headphones and the fact it was 2 am. It was Nordic dark folk. I don’t think that is the official label for the music but one that I think sums it up nicely.

Below is the video in question. It has a three minute or so intro that is ominous. Then the sexy antler lady starts being melodious, then around half-way things turn a bit evil and then all is combined. Check it out:

I happily noted down the names that were consequently linked to by the YouTube gods. The next day, I sat at my desk ready to toil. First stop – Spotify.

The Viking soundtrack was by a band called Wardruna. Apart from having half a cool name, they seem pretty talented too. Like Heilung above, they have a huge following. It is also a vaguely Gothic-but-spiritual vibe that makes you want to hang around fjords dressed in black, talking about Valhalla.

The Metal Hammer website wrote a huge article on how awesome Wardruna is. You can read it here.

This is Wardruna:

I’ll admit to being a bit of a goth in the 80s when bands like Fields of the Nephilim and Sisters of Mercy were all the rage. This feels similar but with ancient gods and Nordic folk-rock.

There are quite a few in this genre. I can’t seem to find a handy label for it beyond the vague ‘dark folk’ but check out the above two bands, then another called Aurora and you will be well on your way. I don’t think they are all Nordic but seem to be generally Scandinavian. I think the PC term is ‘post-Viking’ countries. (Joking.)

I have been listening to quite a lot of Wardruna in the last few days and I really like it. Good writing music and it is really cool.