To create music in an uninhibited way
Interview with WAAN
After a great gig at inJazz 2024 in Rotterdam (full concert here) and a subsequent performance on the inJazz Radio stage at festival Pop & Jazz Hilversum last October, the quartet led by saxophonist Bart Wirtz and keyboardist Emiel van Rijthoven will appear on stage in Groningen during ESNS on 16 January. We caught up with Bart to see where WAAN is at in 2025.
Both you and Emiel have had respectable careers before you started working as WAAN. What did WAAN give you that the other projects and bands did not have?
‘We both felt the urge to play in a band again — not a one-off project, but a group where we could develop a sustainable and original sound. The beauty of WAAN is that it allows us to explore our wildest ideas and craziest experiments without holding back. Thanks to the endless time and effort we dedicate to the band, it gives us the depth and playful energy needed to create music in an uninhibited way.’
About WAAN at ESNS
At ESNS in Groningen, inJazz presents Ping-En Hung and WAAN in club OOST in Oosterstraat on 16 January. Ping-En Hung plays at 21:00, WAAN at 22:00. The gigs are open to anyone with a Eurosonic festival ticket or an ESNS Conference ticket. Come say hi!
Warming up for ESNS, WAAN is playing Muziekpodium DJS in Dordrecht on 11 January.
In July the band will travel to Romania for a gig at Garana Jazz Festival.
WAAN
Bart Wirtz – saxophones and electronics
Emiel van Rijthoven – keyboards
Matteo Mazzù – bass guitar
Mark Schilders – drums and electronics
The WAAN live soundhas jazz and fusion elements but is full of pop and club music references too. Do you ever wonder about what genres you play, and about the borders between them?
‘We get aware of this fact when we perform: sometimes we are too “jazz” for a pop venue and too “pop” for a jazz festival. On the other hand we notice that the audience just wants to experience good music. They like our energy and melancholy. When we play our music we feel the same: we want to push boundaries and still feel our stomachs tingle.’
What can you tell us about Casser le Dos, WAAN’s new single release? Is it a prelude to your new record?
‘The track is not included on our album Echo Echo. After having played Casser le Dos as part of our live set, we decided to release it as a standalone single. It feels like a conclusion to this particular sound, as we are now working on a new album. The music we’ve created for the new album so far is quite different – but for that you’ll have to wait and see…’
About WAAN
Website: waanmusic.com
Instagram: @waan_music
YouTube: @WAAN_music
Spotify: WAAN
Interview by Mark van Schaick