We’re closing in on Call of the Wild and we’re going to be back for a second year! So we’re getting to know as many of the bands set to play the Trailblazer Stage in 2025 that we can pin down. Eld Varg play the Sunday.
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
We all live in Glasgow, although none of us are originally from here. Ollie (singer/guitarist) is from the north of Scotland, halfway between Inverness and Aberdeen, Andy (drummer) is from Edinburgh, and Micah (bassist) is from North America. Glasgow seems to be where we all gravitated towards, which is great for musicians and the underground music scene.
How long have you been playing together as a band?
We must have been together around 2 years or so now. The band originally started as Ollie’s solo project, but post lock down it naturally evolved into a full band. We’re actually coming up on the second anniversary our our debut gig!
Where does the name of the band come from?
The name “Eld Varg” is Swedish for Fire Wolf, and was inspired by, and in honour of, the bands that inspired the music and song writing of the band. From the very beginning bands such as Grand Magus, Amon Amarth, Ghost, Sabaton, Wolf, the list goes on, shaped the sound of what eventually became Eld Varg, it only felt natural to tip the cap.
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Describe your music. What makes you unique?
Downtuned, heavy, guitar driven heavy metal, but with very melodic lines and vocals. A mix between the metal gods that came before us, and a sharper, more modern edge. It was important during song writing that songs were distinctly metal, but with melodic singing. We’ve been described as “The only band in Scotland doing what they’re doing” and that has been something we’ve proudly embraced.
What’s your live show like? Why are people going to watch you instead of another band?
We’re a power trio, but the noise and power that we create blows people away. Our songs are catchy and immediately draw people in. We also always managed to build a great connection with crowds and have a lot of communal moments, chanting, singing or backwards and forwards which bring the crowd into our Wolfpack.
Have you been to Call of the Wild before? What did you think?
We haven’t been before, but we’re glad that we’re finally able to attend as fans and to perform!
Can you put into 10 words or fewer how it felt when you realised you were heading to Call of the Wild?
Eld Varg and Call of the Wild Wolfpacks united at last!
What sort of setlist can we expect? We’ll be bringing the full force of our usual show, thunderous drums, heavy bass, killer guitar riffs and catchy vocal lines. We always end with Wolfpack, a joint cry to Valhalla to close out the show!
Stage times haven’t been announced yet, so which other band do you most hope you’re not clashing with so you can see them play?
It’ll be good to catch Tailgunner again after touring with them last year, Asomvel were awesome supporting Airbourne on tour earlier in the year and it’ll be good to finally catch Royal Republic. It’ll be great to see Silk Spinster and some of the other bands from the Trailblazer Final in March again. We’re also looking forward to discovering new bands, Call of the Wild has quite a diverse lineup, always something new to see.
What are you working on at the moment?
The work never stops behind the scenes, but we’ve been working hard on new music for the first part of the year. We’ll have more information to share really soon, but stay tuned for new Eld Varg before the year is out!
What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen or done at a live show?
Maybe not the craziest thing on the planet, but seeing Kiss live for the first time at 16 was wild. Until that point it was just 4 dudes in jeans and a t-shirt on stage. Kiss is a step or 2 above that!
What drink do you throw back to get yourself fired up before going on stage?
We generally behave before we head on stage, maybe a cheeky pint to sharpen the blades, but once we’re finished we’re not against raising a tankard in Odin’s name!
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Eld Varg: official | facebook | instagram | soundcloud | youtube | bandcamp
