Mighty Oaks (band)
Mighty Oaks | |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Berlin, Germany |
| Genres | Indie folk,[1] folk rock |
| Years active | 2010-present |
| Labels | Astralwerks, Vertigo, Capitol, UMG, BMG, Sony Music |
| Website | www |
| Members |
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Mighty Oaks are an indie/folk rock trio made up of Ian Hooper (US), Claudio Donzelli (Italy) and Craig Saunders (UK). They formed in 2010 and are based in Berlin.[2] According to Allmusic, the group releases "tight, three-part harmonies and effusive, largely acoustic-driven folk anthems."[3] In early 2014 they released their first LP, Howl, on Universal Records.[3] The album peaked at No. 10 on the Official German charts with several singles charting as well. They have since released a second LP, Dreamers (2017), and an EP, Storm (2017). On the 7th of February 2020, they released their third full-length album, All Things Go.
History[]
2010-12: Founding, first EPs[]
Mighty Oaks was formed in early 2010[4] by instrumentalists and vocalists Ian Hooper (United States), Claudio Donzelli (Italy), and Craig Saunders (United Kingdom).[3] Hooper had moved to Hamburg after college some time before, and had befriended bassist Saunders when both were working on solo material as singer-songwriters. Several months later they met Donzelli at a small acoustic festival, and kept in touch afterwards.[5] All three members had an interest in indie rock and folk rock,[4] and together began focusing on guitar and instruments such as mandolin. The group self-released an EP on March 21, 2011, recording it themselves[3] in Donzelli's apartment.[2] Though never officially released on a label, the EP garnered several hundred thousand hits on SoundCloud.[2]
2012-14: Studio releases[]
The group began focusing fully on their music in the middle of 2012, beginning to record in a studio.[2] In the summer of 2012 they self-released their first studio EP, Just One Day,[3] distributed through Rough Trade Records. In support of the EP they toured with Shout Out Louds in Europe, opened the Waldbühne in Berlin for Kings of Leon, and joined bands such as Chvrches on the 'Introducing!' tour of Germany put on by Intro Magazine.[2] The band later played a sold-out tour of Switzerland, Austria, and Germany in the fall of 2013.[2]
2014-2019: Howl and Dreamers[]
| External video | |
|---|---|
 Mighty Oaks "7 Days" /// Berlin Sessions #64 (Aug 2013) | |
| Mighty Oaks "Brother" Official Music Video (Jan 2014) | |
| Mighty Oaks "Be With You Always" Official Music Video (Jan 2017) |
In early 2014 they released their first LP, Howl, on Universal Records in Europe.[3] The album peaked at No. 10 on the German chart, with several singles charting as well. It reached the top 10 on the charts in Switzerland, also charting in several other European countries.[5] In early 2014 the band released the single "Brother," releasing a music video which was filmed in Washington state. The band stated that "‘Brother’ is based on Ian’s relationship with his best friend in the States, and their adventures and maturation in the...Pacific Northwest of America."[6] They released the EP Brother in the United States in October 2014.[7] About the EP, the band explained that "each song represents a different excerpt from a point in Ian’s life and, in such, we treated each track as a different scene in a movie, or chapter in a novel, hoping that each one would carry its own meaning and be surrounded by its own world and emotion."[6]
Major festival performances from 2014 included events such as the Melt! Festival and Dockville in Germany, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, Latitude Festival in the UK, Slotsfjell in Norway, Way Out West in Sweden, Exit Festival in Serbia, and Valkhof (NL). As of December 2014 the group was touring Europe on The Golden Road Tour.[8] Their debut album was released in the United States in the spring of 2015 and the band played festivals like SXSW in Austin, Texas in support of the release and went on a US tour to perform together with Milky Chance.
2016 was a year of turning points and upheavals, also for the band whose members took a break after two years of uninterrupted touring and left Berlin to temporarily return to their home countries. They all reunited in Washington State, not far from Ian's hometown, where the band retreated to the studio of producer Ryan Hadlock (The Lumineers, Vance Joy, etc.). It was there that they recorded Dreamers, their second album, which was released on March 24, 2017 on Universal Music. The band went on a sold-out Europe tour in spring, a North American tour in September and a follow up European tour in November and December 2017. Just before the band started off for their winter tour, they self-released a 4-track EP called Storm.
In the summer of 2018 they played several European festivals, among them Hurricane Festival and Southside Festival, Traumzeit Festival, Zermatt Unplugged and a Milky Chance & Friends Open Air in Berlin.
According to their Instagram page the band has retreated to the studio in autumn 2018 to work on new music.
2020-present: All Things Go[]
The band's third studio album, All Things Go, was released on February 7, 2020, via BMG. Their fourth studio album, Mexico, was released on May 7, 2021, via Sony Music.
Style and influences[]
According to Allmusic, the group releases "tight, three-part harmonies and effusive, largely acoustic-driven folk anthems."[3] The band's lyrics are mostly autobiographical,[5] often focusing on themes such as nature,[4] family, friendship, love, loss, and beauty.[6] Songs periodically reference the Pacific Northwest of North America, where Hooper is from.[2] All members contribute to the songwriting process.[6]
Members[]
- Ian Hooper (2010–present) - vocals, acoustic/electric guitar, mandolin, ukulele
- Claudio Donzelli (2010–present) - vocals, electric/acoustic guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo
- Craig Saunders (2010–present) - vocals, bass, mandolin
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Artist/work | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1Live Krone Awards | Mighty Oaks | Best Band | Nominated | |
| European Festival Awards | Newcomer of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2021 | Pop Awards | Band/Group of the Year | Nominated | [9][10] |
Discography[]
Albums[]
| Year | Album title | Release details | Chart peaks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GER [11] |
AUT [12] |
SWI [13] | |||
| 2014 | Howl | 10 | 39 | 10 | |
| 2017 | Dreamers |
|
17 | 28 | 38 |
| 2020 | All Things Go |
|
29 | — | 26 |
| 2021 | Mexico |
|
10 | 19 | 11 |
EPs[]
| Year | Album title | Release details |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Driftwood Seat |
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| 2012 | Just One Day |
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| 2014 | Brother |
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| 2017 | Storm |
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| 2019 | Driftwood Seat (Reissue) |
|
Singles[]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| GER [11] | |||
| 2014 | "Just One Day" | 87 | Howl |
| "Brother" | 66 | ||
| "Back To You" | — | ||
| 2016 | "Horsehead Bay" | — | Non-album single |
| 2017 | "Be with You Always" | — | Dreamers |
| "Dreamers" | — | ||
| "Raise a Glass" | — | ||
| 2018 | "Like an Eagle" | — | Driftwood Seat (Reissue) |
| 2019 | "Driftwood Seat" | — | |
| "All Things Go" | — | All Things Go | |
| "Forget Tomorrow" | — | ||
| "Lost Again" | — | ||
| 2020 | "Tell Me What You're Thinking" | — | |
| 2021 | "Mexico" | — | Mexico |
| "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" | — | ||
| "Ghost" | — | ||
| "Forever" | — | ||
| "Land of Broken Dreams" | — |
Further reading[]
- Interview and articles
- "Mighty Oaks veröffentlicht Storm EP" soundjungle.de. Nov 11, 2017.
- "Mighty Oaks - das Interview zum Album "Dreamers"". PULS Musik. March 27, 2017.
- "Wired in #14: Mighty Oaks". Europe and Me. May 27, 2011.
- "Mighty Oaks Interview". The Seventh Hex. Sep 17, 2014.
- "Mighty Oaks Would Like You to Meet Their "Brother"". CMT Edge. Nov 17, 2014.
- "Live Review: Mighty Oaks travel 'The Golden Road' to London". iammusic.tv. Dec 1, 2014.
- Discographies
- Mighty Oaks at Allmusic
- Mighty Oaks at Discogs
References[]
- ^ Monger, James Christopher. "Mighty Oaks – Biography & History". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g The Windish Agency: Mighty Oaks The Windish Agency
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Mighty Oaks | Biography | AllMusic Allmusic.com
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Maier, Rike (May 27, 2011). "Wired in #14: Mighty Oaks". Europe and Me. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Nilsen, Alyssa (May 8, 2014). "Interview: Mighty Oaks". musikknyheter.no. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Mighty Oaks Interview". The Seventh Hex. September 17, 2014. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Shelburne, Craig (November 17, 2014). "Mighty Oaks Would Like You to Meet Their "Brother"". . Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Jones, Erin (December 1, 2014). "Live Review: Mighty Oaks travel 'The Golden Road' to London". iammusic.tv. Retrieved 2014-12-20.
- ^ Mackle, Jenna (January 17, 2021). "Welcome to the POP AWARDS 2021, the fourth annual Pop Awards". Pop Magazine. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ "Pop Awards 2021, the 4th annual Pop Awards". Pop Awards. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Discography Mighty Oaks". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Discography Mighty Oaks". Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
- ^ "Discography Mighty Oaks". Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mighty Oaks. |
- Musical groups established in 2010
- German musical groups
- 2010 establishments in Germany