Renowned prog musician Roine Stolt (Transatlantic, The Sea Within, The Tangent, Agents of Mercy) discusses the return of Swedish Prog-Psyche royalty 'The Flower Kings' with their new album 'Waiting for Miracles', released via InsideOut on 8 Nov 2019. Roine reflects on last year's successful tour alongside label-mates Spock's Beard, the creative process that went into this latest suite of songs and the band’s enticing end of year tour.

Originally intended as special guests, the acclaimed Dutch old prog masters ‘Kayak’, has been forced to withdraw from the tour due to the ill-health of paddler-in-chief Ton Scherpenzeel. Chamber-prog favourites Iamthemorning and acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Rikard Sjöblom, best known for his work in Beardfish, Gungfly & Big Big Train, have now been confirmed to join The Flower Kings on all dates. This will deliver an enticing, expanded line-up that is sure to delight prog fans as we send good wishes to Ton for a speedy recuperation.

Following swiftly on the heels of last year's 'Manifesto of an Architect', the new album sees Stolt on a continued rich vein of form with a smörgåsbord of fifteen new songs recorded in classic symphonic prog style at RMV; a vintage studio space in Stockholm owned by Benny Andersson of ABBA.

“We have gone back to the joyful and playful style that made the band famous in the late ‘90s. At the same time, the lyrics have a bit of a serious concern about the state of our world, but overall the theme is full of joy and colour. It's pure prog rock - with boatloads of vintage keyboards - odd time drumming and long guitar solos, elements of pop, prog, rock, symphonic and cinematic music!”

Indeed, the album plays-out like an epic movie. It starts with the anthemic 'Black Flag' that combines the fairground bombast of Queen and the lush instrumentation of Yes, followed-by the Kansas-meets-ELP magic of 'Miracles of America'. This segues into the expansive instrumental 'Ascending To The Stars', with Roine's lithe guitar weaving exotic and evocative melodies. The second half of the album reveals broader soundscapes with the creative use of sound samples on 'Spirals' and eclectic drum patterns on 'We Were Always There' providing a refreshing coda and stunning counterpoint to the gorgeously Floydian and symphonic 'Sleep With The Enemy', which is one of the many highlights of this sprawling yet deeply satisfying release.

VIDEO: 'Miracles for America': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTcAXEb6amE

VIDEO: 'Waiting for Miracles’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNpIIAFUWk0

Alongside Roine's loyal floral lieutenants, bassist Jonas Reingold and vocalist Hasse Fröberg, the album features keyboard player Zach Kamins and drummer Mirko DeMaio, all of whom convene in December for a month-long European tour, accompanied by Russian chamber prog band Iamthemorning who recently released their new studio album, ‘The Bell’, as well as Rikard Sjöblom – known for his work in Beardfish, Gungfly & Big Big Train.

1st December – Bahnhof St. Pauli, Hamburg, Germany

2nd December – Musikzentrum, Hannover, Germany

3rd December – OK Andaluzia, Piekary Slaskie, Poland

4th December – Klub U Bazyla, Poznan, Poland

6th December – Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, Netherlands

7th December – De Borderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands

8th December – Scala, London, UK

9th December – Piano, Dortmund, Germany

10th December – Columbia Theater, Berlin, Germany

11th December – Amager Bio, Copenhagen, Denmark

12th December – Brewhouse, Gothenburg, Sweden

14th December – Kraken, Stockholm, Sweden

www.roinestolt.com

@TheFlowerKings

www.insideoutmusic.com

www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV

@InsideOutMusic

@insideouteu

#TheFlowerKings

#RoineStolt

#WaitingforMiracles

ALBUM AVAILABILITY:

“Waiting For Miracles” is available as 2CD, Gatefold 2LP + 2CD featuring beautiful artwork by American artist Kevin Sloan from 8th November 2019: https://theflowerkings.lnk.to/WaitingForMiracles

Disc 1:

1. House Of Cards

2. Black Flag

3. Miracles For America

4. Vertigo

5. The Bridge

6. Ascending To The Stars

7. Wicked Old Symphony

8. The Rebel Circus

9. Sleep With The Enemy

10. The Crowning Of Greed

Disc 2:

1. House Of Cards Reprise

2. Spirals

3. Steampunk

4. We Were Always Here

5. Busking At Brobank

Roine Stolt - The Flower Kings 'Waiting for Miracles'