Rowen Poole

Rowen Poole is co-founder of the band Persephone's Dream and a graduate student in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota . So, how did such an unclassifiable yet strangely accessible sound evolve? Let’s look at the history of Persephone’s Dream:The band was formed in 1993 when Rowen Poole (guitar/lyrics) and Chris Siegle (bass) met and began playing and writing music together. Rowen based the band’s name on the Greek myth of Persephone, which explains the seasons and whose themes revolve around the struggle of light and life against darkness and death. Rowen and Chris recorded their first CD, Evening Mirage, in house (literally) at Starglider Studios, which consisted of recording equipment in Rowen’s dining room and basement. Vocals were performed by an Internet acquaintance, Judilynn Neidercorn, who was with PD for this project only. The 1997 release received some airplay and a certain amount of critical acclaim, with one cut even being used repeatedly on the U.S. soap opera The Guiding Light. In 1998-1999, Ed Wiancko (drummer) and Karin Nicely (vocals/lyrics) made PD a foursome and added their talents and influences to the second release, MoonSpell, which drew countless favorable reviews from around the world. Its songs moved from haunting, moody pieces like “Evident Dreams” to the in-your-face rock of “Altar of Desire” and the fast-paced, punk-edged “Alternate Reality.” One cut, “Learning Curve,” received extensive college-radio airplay because of both its hard-edged folksy appeal and its subject matter—it examines the pain and confusion of date rape. Another cut, industrial-edged “Electronic Exotic,” continues to be a favorite among PD fans in both its recorded and live versions. Until this point, PD had only been a studio band as it was difficult to achieve the layered sound live that the band could do in the studio with only four people. Then, with the addition of John Tallent (percussion) and Kim Finney (keyboards), they decided to give live performance a try—in the large indoor riding arena on Karin’s farm to an audience of friends and family. Their first public performance was actually at the 2000 PowerMad Festival in Baltimore, Maryland, where they were invited to play both the preshow and to open the first official day. The festival performances brought much attention to the Pittsburgh-based act as audiences from around the world learned that Persephone’s Dream was even more powerful live than on their recording with a full, tight sound and stunning vocals. Rather than concentrate on touring at this point, however, the group decided to focus again on recording their next release, Opposition. Released in October 2001, Opposition has begun to surpass MoonSpell with excellent fan and media response. It is described as being heavier and more intense in some songs (“Agent of Chaos,” “TV Talkshow,” “Puppetmaster,” and more), while expanding on the band’s ethereal, other-worldly feel in other cuts (“Endymion,” “Far Side of Eden”). To promote this latest work, Persephone’s Dream has performed to eager audiences at the 2001 PowerMad Festival and at larger venues throughout the Pittsburgh area and has opened for artists like D.C. Cooper (formerly of Royal Hunt) and Sweden’s The Flower Kings. Their theatrically flavored stage show, complete with props and extensive lighting effects, in addition to their compelling sound and powerful musical presence, has continued to set them apart from other bands. Highlights mentioned repeatedly include: Karin’s unique stage presence and sense of artistic movement in addition to her strong, passionate voice; the formidable rhythm section, which features intense bass lines and the polyrhythms of two superb percussionists; guitar and keyboard work that can move easily from hard-driving and intense to eerie to almost celestial. Appealing to people of all ages, this band has become accustomed to fans traveling great distances to see them perform and hearing over and over again, “I love your CDs, but you’re even better live!” Persephone’s Dream plans to continue promoting Opposition by touring throughout the U.S. East Coast this year and has performance dates set through December at the time of this writing.