Interview: Getting to Know Glorious Wolf

Glorious Wolf is an avant-garde progressive rock studio project helmed by Rudd Dielen and in this interview we get to know him, and the project, a little better.

1. Hello! Thank you for taking the time to chat to us. First things first, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started.

I am Ruud Dielen and I am the initiator of the studio project Glorious Wolf, which I officially started in 2015 after having been walking around for quite some time with the idea of doing something with the songs I already had finished at the time. That is how the first digital GW album ‘Aquarius’ came into being, which can be found on our Bandcamp page.

2. Someone comes to you and asks you to sum up what kind of music you play – what do you tell them?

If you can pigeonhole music at all, the genre is progressive rock with a touch of psychedelia, eclectic and perhaps sometimes a bit avant-garde/jazz rock, but always melodic and narrative. If I have to give examples in this regard, I usually mention Pink Floyd, early Genesis, Camel, Yes, and King Crimson, because these still ring a bell for most people.

3. What’s currently keeping you busy? A new album/EP/single release? A new video?

Playing live, or planning ahead? Now that the new GW album ELEMENTS OF HOPE has just been released (June 7), I have mostly been busy promoting the album together with our label OOB Records. Additionally, I am currently recording the guitar parts for the upcoming album by Argus (also signed to OOB Records), and I regularly play live with a regional band. Furthermore, I am usually in my own studio working on ideas, sounds, and creative projects.

4. What is about this current period that is particularly exciting for you?

It is exciting to see how the album will be received; the official release was just two days ago, so the reviews have yet to pick up (although two very positive 4-star and 4.5-star reviews have already appeared on Progarchives), and radio airplay is already in full swing on internet stations geared towards prog rock. The initial reactions are very positive.

5. Tell me about the work that has gone into making it a reality and what it means to you.

About 2.5 years have passed since the previous GW album ‘Mysterious Traveler’. Ideas for the new album ‘Elements Of Hope’ got going quite quickly, and recording also started fairly soon after the release of ‘MT’. However, a move to a different town intervened, though I did have the opportunity to build a beautiful recording studio at our new house. Naturally, it took a lot of time before it was ready for use again, but the result was very satisfying, with fantastic acoustics and ingenious features that benefited the recordings and creativity. The result is the brand-new GW album ‘Elements Of Hope’.

It means a great deal to me; you give everything you have in such a creative process, it is like having a newborn baby.

6. Making music and being creative can be a very positive experience and can be very good for the mind. In what way has making music had a positive impact on your mental health?

Creativity, and especially making and creating music, is food for the soul. When the soul is filled with positivity, it has a positive effect on every cell in your body, and certainly on the mind as well; body and mind will be more in balance, and you will be more in your flow.

7. It can also be incredibly challenging, more so in the modern times. What have been some challenging aspects of making music and how have you overcome them?

I don’t consciously focus on that, because I try to let as many new creative ideas flow as possible and then get to work on them. A good idea grows into a completely new song that might end up on a future album. I do realize that a lot of good music is coming out these days in all kinds of genres, and that it is important to distinguish yourself from the crowd with your own sound and/or style in the hope of getting noticed.

8. How do you handle the online aspects of being in a band? Having to put out content constantly, promoting across several different social media platforms, and having your success measured in likes and follows?

Yes, that is the modern world we live in. Browsing in record stores and discovering new music has transformed into streaming platforms, which in my opinion has made everything a bit more superficial because so much content is thrown at the listener that the depth has been somewhat lost. Social media is a great medium to bring your music to the attention of others, but your visibility depends on SEOs and metadata.

9. How do you make this part of things enjoyable, and fulfilling, for yourself?

It is a necessary evil that you cannot avoid these days. It costs you a lot of time that you could also spend on your music and creativity. You make the choice yourself how much time you want to spend on it, but you also get sucked into it if you are not careful.

10. Speaking directly to listeners – what would you ask they do to help support you?

It is greatly appreciated if one purchases the physical album via OOB Records or in the USA via The Band Wagon. They will then receive a carefully produced digipack with a 12-page booklet featuring beautiful artwork by Henk ‘Philhelmon’ Bol, and hopefully the music invites them to zoom in deeper, as there is so much to discover that does not register with a superficial listen.

The album can also be downloaded from one of the many streaming platforms, including Bandcamp and Spotify. It is also greatly appreciated if one shares their positive listening experiences on social media, and nice reviews are always welcome.

11. Outside of music, what do you like to do to relax?

Spending time with my family, Reading, Yoga, Gardening, Walking in the woods and across the heath.

12. Where can people find you? See links below.

OOB Records | The Band Wagon | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube | Facebook (Rudd Dielen) | Facebook | Instagram