Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical Direction?
A: I got into music at an early age and was interested in almost everything I heard. My
Maternal grandfather was a big band drummer, so when I was at his house, there was music playing quite often. That, and with having friends who played musical instruments really made it seem like the natural path to go down. It really seemed more of a normal choice than a random one. –dLeiting
I didn’t come from a family of musicians, but music was always played in my home. I was taught early on not to exclude any genre because everything has an element to learn from. I was shown the passion to listen and how to “feel” music. It’s not about technicality, but what can be provoked by the notes that are woven together. –dVk
Q: Can you describe the musical style of Leiting & Van Kammen in three words?
A: Mythic. Timeless. Intimate. –dLeiting
Dark folk. Ancestral. –dVk
Q: How do you stay connected with your fans, and what role do they play in shaping your musical journey?
A: Personally I stay connected by keeping an eye on what songs are popular in what
Countries and cities on a weekly basis. Since this is a passion project, we move at a much slower pace than someone who is starving to “make it”. We are working on
Some things like merch and new songs, but its more behind the scenes. Once we have more to share, we will definitely post about it. –dLeiting
This is a new adventure and we’re finding our fan base through the release. It started with us writing music that we wanted to hear. So in a sense, we were really our only fans through the process of creating this EP. –dVk
Q: You have just released your new EP, ‘Death’s Dowry’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Yes, it’s kind of long. Prior to this project, I was in another band with Van Kammen. That band stopped playing sometime in 2012 or so, but we stayed in touch. After Covid, I recorded ‘Auld Lang Syne’ with guitar and vocals and sent it to him. I was previously not a singer and was looking for feedback. He liked it and asked that if I make more music, that he would be involved. That’s how it started. After the start, he began writing intricate guitar arrangements and I added vocals, mandolins and some cello from time to time. After the first two songs were penned, we noticed a theme and decided to make it a concept album circling death, the character, and his travels through different points in history. There are a few songs that loosely cover Saint Olga of Kiev, Simo Häyhä (the WWII sniper nicknamed the White Death and the Finnish folktale surrounding Lalli and the Bishop. It starts with Death arriving and ends with him retiring to his home, only to wearily return to his work. –dLeiting
Q: What is your favorite track from the EP and why?
A: Oh, the White Death. I prefer that song because we layered it so many times and there are so many subtle elements to it. Before release, that is the track we most talked about with each other and it was the first track we had mixed and mastered. –dLeiting
Oh, the White Death. It started out as a bare bones guitar and vocal song and kept growing into something greater than what I envisioned it could ever be. It’s layered with lots of different melodies and builds to a dramatic conclusion. It has my favorite chord progression and I remember when we listened back to the cello for the first time – it gave me chills! I was beside myself that I played part in creating it. –dVk
Q: Can you walk us through the creative process of producing the EP, “Death’s Dowry”?
A: First, Van Kammen would have some very melodic finger picking arrangements and then I would hum notes and would do that over and over. Then I would try and figure out what words would align with the notes. Like where a vowel should be where a Sound like s should be etc. It’s a technique that many vocalists use to build vocal Melodies. Then we would add layered guitars. Some nylon stringed, some steel and some Nashville style with just the high strings from a 12 string guitar. After that, I would add any additional vocal layering and then mandolin and cello. –dLeiting
We wrote songs in winter months when we each had more time, so I think that ‘feeling’ was reflected in our approach. Besides that, I never played nylon stringed guitar so writing these songs was like me “re-learning” how to play guitar and play music again after being mostly dormant. It was a whole new approach than how we wrote songs in our previous band. –dVk
Q: What has been the most memorable concert or performance for you so far?
A: We play to many parts to play this live. We would need like 7 more musicians. So, None so far. –dLeiting
As it’s been a “hobbyist endeavor” thus far, we wanted to record and put music out to see if there was interest in us playing live. We previously played in a heavier rock band where our performances were always high energy. This is uncharted territory for us as even the style has been a learning curve.
We did play Obsidian and a couple covers together outside at a cabin in Door County, WI to crickets and the emptiness of the woods behind us. It was just us two, but it was still a surreal moment.
Q: Reflecting on your body of work, each song holding its unique significance, could You share a particular track that stands out to you personally? What makes that Specific tune special, and why does it hold a place of pride in your musical journey?
A: Obsidian was the first original song. I had it mostly written when I showed it to to Leiting. I had an idea in my head, having composed it prior to ‘us’. I sent him the guitar part and lyric ideas I had just to “see what happens”. He sent it back with a lyrical melody and approach that exceeded what I could’ve imagined. It was really us finding our footing for what was to come. It was illuminating and inspired me to put effort into writing music again after about 10 years. –dVk
Q: Exploring the diverse creative processes within the music industry is always Fascinating. Could you provide insight into your unique approach to crafting music? From the initial spark of an idea to the finished song, how do you navigate the creative journey and bring its musical concepts to life?
A: I don’t feel like I have a choice in how or what I create. It may sound absurd, but it’s an extention of myself and my emotion. I play by feeling and find the notes that I feel should follow to strike something in me. I want to write songs for myself before I write them for others. I crave the honesty in music. I suppose that’s why it’s stripped down and back to basics folk style. It’s a timeless genre that resonates with all cultures. We’re just trying to tap into our ancestry. Even it’s something simple that everyone can appreciate despite preference. Like a Christmas song. –dVk
Q: As we wrap up our conversation, looking ahead, what aspirations or dreams do you have, and what message would you like to share with your fans as they continue to accompany you on this musical journey?
A: We’re already working on the next chapter of our story. I dream simple I just want to write music and share it with anyone who will listen and enjoy it as much as we do. I hope writing something that is similar, yet different finds it’s way to ears looking for the same thing we are and that they stick along for the journey. –dVk
