Heathen Harvest: Can you begin by explaining how Novalis originally formed into a band?

Stev Schumann: The name Novalis came together with the debut CD First Cadence in the year 2001. What happened before was quite simple. Me and Marcel have known each other for a long time and noticed - it must have been around 1995 - that we are interested in the same kind of music. This was the reason why we decided to learn instruments and did our first experiments with music - until 2001, which was the year Black Rain published our first CD First Cadence and with it we found the name Novalis to be perfect for our band and music.

 
HH: Can you please introduce each member of the band?

SS: For about 3 years we've been three members in the band. Mario, our drummer, who completed Novalis. Marcel, the man behind the keyboards and creator of sounds. Stev, responsible for vocals, guitar, and writing lyrics. Not to forget our "assistant" Denise, who knows exactly when it's time for the violin.

 
HH: What was the initial vision which the band was striving for?

SS: Vision? Not a particular one to be honest. Sounds boring, I know, but we want to make music, be totally free with lyrics, sounds, and instruments. We love what we do and don't want to be put into a certain category-box. Maybe that's what you could call our vision.

 
HH: How did the members of Novalis first become interested / involved in the neofolk / post industrial music?

SS: The interest was always there. It is a way to describe feelings that somehow suits every single one of us. Although Mario comes from a totally different background - the classical rock. He didn't really know this style of music but it didn't take him very long to be totally into it.

 
HH: The first Novalis album "First Cadence" was impossible after the Sol Lucet Omnibus compilation. How many original pressings were there and how quick did they sell out?

SS: Actually I'm not quite sure about the exact number of pressings but maybe there was problems because a not so good working distribution company. And I'm not sure as well about how many of them have been sold but one thing I can definitely say, in the meantime we made ourselves a name in the scene.

 
HH: The second release by Novalis is titled "Last Years Calling." "Last Years Calling" served as the first full album for many listeners. How was this second album received in the neo-folk community?

SS: All I can say is we have not been asked yet to leave the country ;o) And we are very happy to give this interview today. We don't call our music pure Neofolk, therefore we know we won't reach the Neofolk Olympics but it's very important for us to also reach listeners from this musical background and we are happy about the good response.

 
HH: Novalis's second full length album " Paradise ..." was recently released through Black Rain Records. Novalis has grown to include a third member who is now the bands official drummer. Can discuss how the new member came to join Novalis and how he has aided in the evolution of Novalis's music?

SS: There had to be a drummer someday. This was a necessary step to play live and not to be in the need of other ways and equipment. This is why Mario became the third band member in 2002. With him we finally were able to start to develop a stage program. Mario is important to make songs sound good live and to make them special and punchier. Other than that he is always able to keep the band in a great mood at any time with the simplest things.

 
HH: Novalis also utilized a collection of guest musicians on the most recent release " Paradise ...?” What inspired the band to enrich the sound of Novalis?

SS: The inspiration was simple. We wanted to give our music more individuality, make it sound full and complete it. We wanted the listeners to hear that Novalis have grown and want to go further. The guest musicians are all good friends who all have supported us with our aim. Some of them will be seen live as well. At this point we would like to thank all the people who were there for us without any question.

 
HH: When listening to Novalis one of the most prominent traits of the band is the masculine vocal delivery. At the height of the music, Novalis invokes such bands as Sol Invictus or Blood Axis. The lyrics are communicated with a sense of emotion and conviction that is uncommon in popular music. Did the band ever hesitate when considering this unconventional vocal approach to your music?

SS: No, we think lyrics need a certain expression to be able to tell the stories and let them become alive. This is the reason why we decided to go this way and so far we like what we do.

 
HH: Novalis combines minimalist electronics with thundering drums and other acoustic instruments. One could attempt to describe the music a neo-folk with dark wave leanings. What thoughts or musical influences led to Novalis's compositional style?

SS: A band consists of several members and everybody has his own likings and wishes how a song should sound. In our free time we all have different inspirations. Mario loves rock music, Marcel is into all sorts of electronic styles and I think I'm responsible for the melancholic side of our sound. It is a lot of fun to work like this because the way from an idea to the actual piece is not foreseen and we love to surprise ourselves.

 
HH: Many of Novalis's songs reflect personal struggles and personal spiritual challenges. Does Novalis draw upon personal experience when writing your songs?

SS: Of course it's not possible to talk better about something than with yourself and the nice thing about it is you almost never question your own opinion. Of course some personal things influenced our songs but also a lot of fantasy and other situations.

 
HH: The majority of Novalis's songs are written and sung in English. What is the nationality of Novalis's members and what has inclined the band to choose a bilingual approach to song writing?

SS: We all come from Germany . We chose English because this allows a wider field to "play" in and the interpretation of the lyrics gets more meaning.

 
HH: Many bands that perform neo-folk music that is supported by strong percussion are often labeled as Nazi sympathizers and attacked by the ultra-leftists in Europe . Has Novalis encountered threats of censorship based on other people's assumptions concerning music and militancy or political associations?

SS: Clear NO. We don't think this could happen to us that easy because we are not aiming to get in touch with this picture. But we also know this could happen faster than expected. There are always people who have to be the center of attention because nobody likes them and the worst thing about them is they create things they don't even know the meaning of.

 
HH: To a Heathen like me the music of Novalis sounds particularly Heathen or Pagan inclined. I need to emphasize Pagan and not Wicca here. The music has sense of being connected to the past and fading traditions. Does Novalis approach the music with any particular spiritual intentions?

SS: I wouldn't call it spiritual but the life of the past is very interesting for us. You can see the roots and traces of the past times everywhere. You hear the stories from your grandparents and other people and sometimes you oversee the past which makes us curious.

 
HH: The music and lyricism of Novalis has a particularly melancholy edge. Yet the vocals seem to rise above this melancholy offering as sense of hope and victory. This sense of melancholy is often mixed with strong feelings of willfulness to overcome such struggles. Can you comment on these complimentary yet opposing elements within the music of Novalis?

SS: I think this is just our way to express ourselves and maybe without even knowing it to deal with certain issues and themes which we think of everyday. Feelings, hope, and the will to go on are a basic part of our life. Without them we would fade, we only have to remember them every now and then.

 
HH: Novalis is now a three man band working with numerous guest musicians. Can you discuss how the band goes about song composition? Are compositional duties shared amongst the band or is a single person responsible for writing the song?

SS: We come up with songs while practicing or sometimes one of us just creates it in his head. Most of the times me and Marcel come up with an idea and we work on it until we think this could become a song. After that we present it to Mario and he completes it with his own little ideas. This is about the same way it goes during recording an album, this way we always have a third, "uninfluenced" opinion.

 
HH: Do you write the lyrics first or the music?

SS: Most of the times we compose with the lyrics first and according to them we try to find the right music. But a basic melody is always in our head while writing the stories to get a feeling for the rhythm that follows later.

 
HH: Has the band faced any difficulties managing so many guest musicians? Is it challenging to pull so many artists together in service of a singular musical vision?

SS: No, our guest musicians are all good friends and it was a lot of fun working with them. On top of that we already had the concepts for all the songs, every guest musician "just" completed them with their instrument. The final decisions were made by all of us again during the recording. As we all have worked on the same idea and everybody knows their instrument very well and loves playing it, so this experiment was a very nice experience for us.

HH: Can you discuss the personal meaning behind the song "Human Front"?

SS: Many of our songs don't have a personal background. They are more the possibility of things that could happen and are happening to all of us everyday. Be it through news, through the media, stories of friends and people we know,... for me the writing of songs are kind of a valve for my soul, it helps me to handle all the beautiful, sad, horrible or admirable in this world.

HH: The song "Wild Horses" on your latest album " Paradise ...?" has lyrics that discuss an open land without barriers where wild horses can roam free without the threat of human encroachment. Can you discuss the inspiration and personal meaning of this song?

SS: Well, this is quite simple. About one year ago I moved out to the country side. The place where I live now allows me to discover something new every day. It's a little Paradise . Every morning, when I look out of the window I see the horses described in the song, how they live their lives free and full of energy. I wanted to get across this view, when the mist is still on the fields and these beautiful creatures shine in the morning light. Everybody who listens to this song should be able to dream this dream.

HH: In the song "Bloody" from "Last Years Calling" the lyrics speak about being lied to and what sounds like retribution against god and the priesthood. Do these themes reflect personal feelings of dissatisfaction with modern organized religion?

SS: "Bloody" was a way for me and Marcel to end a period of time that we had and wanted to quit with. With this song we finally were able to gain the needed space and new breath to tread a new path.

 
HH: " Paradise ...?" includes a MPEG Video that is playable on a personal computer. The video features a Novalis live performance. Do you have any plans to release further videos of possibly a concert DVD in the future?

SS: Black Rain will release a label DVD very soon with a retrospect at the last year's tour. On it you can find, next to all the other bands of the family, another Novalis video. Until we will be able to have our own concert DVD it needs saving a lot of money, but we would love to someday.

 
HH: Can you discuss the title of the album " Paradise ...?" It seems to be alluding to a disillusionment of Paradise or the human need for a perfect paradigm. Can you discuss the albums title and its personal translation?

SS: We don't mean to doubt the existence of a paradise. This would mean a very sad life. What should we seek for, what should we look for if not for a paradise? I just don't see this perfect place as the Garden of Eden which is described in the Bible. For me it's not a place which can only be reached by fixed rules and guidelines and by being all good all the time. It's more a place or condition, a feeling which is individual for every single one of us. This paradise exists in our heart, no caring about status, money, or society.

 
HH: Many bands within the neofolk genre often use pre Christian symbols and Heathen mythology as a basis for inspiration and art. Novalis has chosen not to go this route. What is your opinion of neofolk who use Heathen mythology and runes?

SS: We think every band has to find their own way to find self satisfaction. I don't have the right to judge the inspiration of other people. Even if it's not our way, it's still a way.

 
HH: What inspired Novalis to steer clear of this trend?

SS: Novalis has not been found to follow a trend. We have always made what we've liked and what we were capable of. Our music didn't come up from the attempt to belong to a certain style, it's more a reflection of our thinking and sensation. What the result of this will be or where it will lead us is not affected by any rational thoughts.

 
HH: If you were to put the essence of your music into words how would you introduce the music of Novalis? What are you hoping to communicate to your audience through your songs?

SS: The themes are as variegated as our moods during the creation of the different albums. We tried to give every song its own character and meaning. There are songs dealing with teariness and songs speaking about the happiness in life, we talk about longings, hopes, or love. There are songs that remind and those which draw pictures. Eventually everybody should have enough room to find his own story in it, feel his own feelings, and go a step further through it.

 
HH: Lastly, is there anything Novalis would like to say or share with the readers of Heathen Harvest?

SS: There is not much better than making music, to be able to put feelings, fantasy, and passion in it. We thank all who like Novalis and who animate us to new doings.