Indie Pop Ambient band HAEVN explain that their name is a combination of the word Heaven and Haven. “When we first started making music people said it sounded like heaven and like coming home. So we combined the word heaven and haven where you feel like you come home after a long boat ride.” The Amsterdam based band was founded in 2015 by singer-songwriter Marijn Van der Meer and film soundtrack composer Jorrit Kleijnen.
Marijn’s music journey started at the age of eighteen with a guitar. Even a three year illness that kept him bedridden did not stop his passion for music and playing his guitar. What he did develop during those challenging years was an appreciation and understanding of the healing power of music. Jorrit’s grandfather gave him a piano and this gift had a huge impact on his life. He had a passion for capturing emotions on the screen and translating what he saw and translating it into music.
The two met when Jorrit was creating a piano piece for a movie. Marijn was asked to sing over the piece of music. The alliance resulted in the songs “Where The Heart Is” and “Finding Out More” which went on to be used in a BMW commercial. The soothing tones of Marijn’s voice combined magnificently with the instrumental soundscape created by Jorrit and so they began their collaboration, HAEVN. The band also includes guitarist Bram Doreleijers (Ape Not Mice, Celine Cairo), bass player Mart Jeninga (Celine Cairo) and drummer David Broeders.
Some sources of inspiration for the band are other music and film scores as well as singers and songwriters like Hans Zimmer, Sting and Leonard Cohen. “Life inspires us” the band admits.
HAEVN is also very inspired by moving images which they enjoy working with when composing new music. They explore themes such as found and lost love and hope.
When creating new music the band says “we start with sound and the words and the melodies come from our subconscious.”
Involved in every aspect of the band they work with a talented group of people to create the artwork and the aesthetic for the band. All of their efforts have resulted in the creation of their own musical world with specific melodies and lyrics and evocative soundscapes.
Enjoying live performances very much the band see them as “an adventure with a great group of people and we get to meet our fans after every concert which is also very nice.“
Having recently toured Germany and Switzerland they are looking forward to having a European Tour. Initially they plan to play in twenty five theaters in the Nederlands before working on European dates.
For new listeners to their music Haevn says “our music combines songs with filmic scores. We heard it can give peace of mind, hope and uncover emotions. This is for us a great compliment.”
As someone who has been lucky enough to attend a virtual concert held by HAEVN during lockdown, in the midst of the pandemic, I can personally attest to the evocative, transcendent beauty of their music and being allowed into that oasis of a soundscape carefully cultivated by the band.
Links :
Webpage : https://www.haevnmusic.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/haevnmusic
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