The Music and Planet Project

Nick Lawrence’s Of Ash and Oak EP is a refreshing journey into another place and time, where harvests, tales of evil spirits, and stories of viking invasions prevailed over what we might today call the news cycle. Far from the world of Spotify streams and iPhones, the songs take us out of the present and into an imagined scene of a medieval tavern where people might go to seek camaraderie in song.

Each of the EP’s tracks have their own interesting stories and quirks. Lawrence kicks things off with Return of the Oak King, telling the story of the mythical oak and holly kings, who trade places ruling the land in the summer and winter months. The song is a sort of celebration of the return of warm weather after a long winter, which is when the fabled oak king takes over, and it is filled with a sense of joy and delight. The second track, At Lughnasa We’ll Dance, is similarly jubilant and celebrates one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. The track contrasts the previous in that it introduces percussion, which adds an interesting tonal element to the lows and mids. Track 3, 1381, takes a different turn and, rather than speaking from the vantage point of that year, discusses the events of the song in retrospect. It has a more modern feel to it and could fit right into a Tallest Man on Earth album without really being noticed as an outlier. Track 4, The Day The Heathens Came, is distinctly darker in theme than the others. Sung in a minor key, the song tells the story of a vicious viking raid involving sacking, pillaging, and slaying of village residents. Lawrence wraps up the EP with Kentish Wassail, describing the tradition of villagers gathering to drink mulled cider, ward off evil spirits, and make an offering to the oldest tree of the orchard. This song contains a gentle tapping noise throughout, evoking possible images of the tavern-goers rapping on their tables as they listen along. The sense of communal imagery is also conjured in the choruses, when background singers engage in a call and response with the lead vocalist. 

All in all, the EP is a refreshing ride into a different place and time where music was more communal and driven by story-telling than that of the modern day. Lawrence executes the vibe very well, capturing the vocal tone and sense of rhythm we tend to associate with the music of the medieval era. Historical music may or may not be your genre, but if you do choose to dabble, Nick Lawrence should be at the top of your list. 

Stream the EP here and check out the rest of Nick’s catalog now.