Welcome to When Mary

«… Just like Peter Gabriel when he left Genesis, she delivers something unexpected under the name When Mary…»

In 2013, Trude Eidtang, former vocalist of the renowned Norwegian art rock band White Willow, released the first album from her project WHEN MARY. «7summers7winters» received great reviews both within Norway, across Europe and in the US. The release was followed by 2 years of extensive touring, and various collaborations with diverse visual and conceptual artists. In 2017 When Mary will be releasing their second album, TAINTED.

Musically WHEN MARY mixes art pop and trip hop with elements of symphonic rock, and find inspiration in conceptual musicians like Kate Bush, Björk, Peter Gabriel and Laurie Anderson.

Thematically the band cultivates a fascination for the disturbing, the unseen and the morbid, commenting on issues like prejudice, injustice and deception. 

Trude Eidtang writes lyrics and music, arranging and producing with Christian Paulsen (Essence of Mind, Hell:Sector), her main collaborator since the early beginnings. The last years keyboardist Vidar Uthaug has also been a permanent member of the band.

When Mary band:
Trude Eidtang: vocals/synth/percussion/glockenspiel
Christian Paulsen: guitars/programming/synth/engineering
Vidar Uthaug: keyboards 
& Guests

TAINTED (2017)
The upcoming album TAINTED is an inner conversation inspired by the classical tale of Faust as portrayed by Goethe in the 1800s. The album explores how archetypical characters of Faust can mirror modern day dilemmas of personal choice and structural violence.

Musically the album is shaped like a German song cycle (Liederzyklus) and draws inspiration from the Franz Schuberts lied «Gretchen am Spinnerade», in which he portrays the mental and emotional turmoil of one of the characters.

OUT OF SPACES (Single, 2014)
A dark, electronic track, part of the song cycle and second album TAINTED.

7SUMMERS7WINTERS (2013)
The debut album 7summers7winters is an eclectic album coming together over a period of 4 years and through multi collaborations, among others Wendy Mcneill , Rhys Marsh and the Norwegian folk musician Silje Hegg.
“7summers7winters” received great reviews both within Norway, across Europe and in the US. The title track is a hymn honouring the 91 women and men convicted of sorcery and burned at the stake in northern Norway during the 17th century. 

WHEN MARY SPEAKS (2013 – )
An on-going project of When Mary is When Mary Speaks; various women sung about in popular culture are «brought to life», sharing their own stories and perspectives.
So far this idea has inspired the When Mary cover of John Denver’s «Annie’s song», 7summers7winters, the title track of the first album and a not yet published version of Bruce Springsteen`s  «The River», titled Mary`s river, due to partly re-written lyrics. 

GRETCHEN – YET ANOTHER MARY
In this context Gretchen (Margaret) in Gothes version of Faust, is yet another Mary. In the original story she is serving as Faust`s passive and obedient love interest, destroyed by her devotion to him. 
In the When Mary version of the story, Gretchen is released from the structural boundaries and stigma she is suffering, and made the quality of Belief to be found in the human mind, together with Doubt (Mephisto) and Disillusion (Faust).

Soundscapes:
VANNdring – NRK fundraising 2014
LEVE – Kunstrommet 2013: Chimes & When We Dance
BLOKKA VÅR – Kunstrommet 2012

Sound Installations:
VENTEROM – Kunstrommet (2012):
Mellom øyeblikkene, Sitt ned og vent! & Waiting on the world
GALLERI E (2010): Soulless Soulmates & Everlasting Colours

Sound Production:
Koreografi nr 1, Lyrics and reading by Johanna Zwaig

Music:
Gjemsel – Escondite – Hide&Seek,  NOUR Street art

Performance:
VANNdring: NRK fundraising (2014)
AD VENT, deilig er jorden qué sufrimiento (2013)
OLD NEWS (2013) NIP TUCK (2013)
7SUMMERS7WINTERS (2013)
ON THE WIRE (2012)
I was there WHEN MARY came alive (2011)

Thank you
Astrid Solgaard, Johanna Zwaig, Anne-Lise Zwaig, Mona Myran, Line Nordvik, Erik Borchsenius, Ragnhild Simensen, Annette Christiane Lind, Espen Geitsund, Linda Østhagen, Fredrik Kristoffer Richter, Kaya Eidtang, Mathias Andreasen, Lasse Wahl, Kjartan Hoffmann, Sigstein Folgerød, Ryhs Marsh, Silje Hegg, Wendy McNeill,  Ludvig Furu, Sætre vokalforum, Tine Blix, Mari Jupskås, Kjetil Solgaard, Åshild Solgaard, NOUR, Justalittlelovin`, FIAN, Steilneset Minnested, Tandberg Eiendom.