Wardruna releases new version of ‘Helvegen’

A new recording and music film for one of the band’s most defining songs Wardruna release a new recorded version of their landmark song “Helvegen”, accompanied by a new music film directed by longtime collaborator Tuukka Koski. The song is released today via By Norse Music and on 12” colored vinyl.   

Released alongside this new recording is a new music film directed by longtime Wardruna collaborator Tuukka Koski. Finnish dancer Sofia Ruija brings the role of the deceased to life through her powerful movement and expression, accompanied by Krummi the raven, silently witnessing the crossing. Together, the recording and film reflect what Helvegen has gradually become through more than a decade of performances and the countless lives in which it has found a place. 

First released in 2012, “Helvegen” has evolved through more than a decade of performances, new orchestrations, collaborations and guest appearances, progressively taking on a life of its own. Wardruna’s composer Einar Selvik elaborates:

“For some years now, we have been quietly working on a new recorded version of Helvegen. Not to replace the original, but to reflect what the song has gradually become. 

Over the years, it has found its way into the lives of people around the world in ways we could never have anticipated. We have received countless stories of Helvegen finding its way into funerals and memorials, weddings and births, and moments of both profound grief and great joy. It has become part of communal singing traditions in places far beyond Scandinavia and has found new voices in many different languages. 

At some point, we realized that the song no longer existed only as the version we recorded in 2012. It had become something larger, shaped by the people who embraced it and by the countless moments in which it had been given a place and a purpose. This recording is our way of acknowledging that journey. 

If this new recording offers anything beyond itself, it is to encourage a renewed relationship with song, not only as something we perform or listen to, but as something that can accompany us through life. A tradition does not truly survive when it is merely remembered, but when it is lived.” 

A limited edition of “Helvegen II” on 12” colored vinyl is available through the By Norse Store, Bandcamp and the official Wardruna online stores, order here.