Winther

Drown yourself in the music of Winther. Hailing from Belgium, this is a pop band who strives to form “seduction, extremes and the eternal quest for balance” through their music. With Wolfram Ghesquière as vocalist, Tom Tiest on guitar, Bram Weijters playing the piano and Frederik Meulyzer pounding on the drums, Winther shows that they are skilled in creating ineffable music with variety and a sense of adventure.

The band released its first full-length album with Petrol Music in mid-October 2012. Produced by Wouter Van Belle, the self-titled album pleased Belgian press immensely; some even called the album the “debut of the year.” The full-length album includes a plethora of symbolism and meaning as well as undeniably addictive sounds. It has been said that expecting the unexpected is the way to listen to the debut album of Winther.

Upon pressing play on the track “A Shelter,” Winther sounds like an acoustic wonderland. With a soft voice and calming guitar patterns, Winther creates a soothing atmosphere for all listeners. Ghesquière sings with great passion on this easygoing song. “Annie,” one of the most popular tracks on the album, proves to be filled with spontaneity and an upbeat vibe. The song itself feels bittersweet with Tiest playing sinful-sounding stringed melodies, while Ghesquière’s heartfelt voice colors the spacious arrangement. Another well-loved track “Leave Me At Dawn” contrasts the previous song. It is a tormented, beautiful, and romantic ballad that would fill your heart and warm your soul on a rainy day.

Not only do Winther create mesmerizing music, but they also create art-inspired music videos. “Annie,” the track previously mentioned, has a short film to accompany the song. With voyeuristic and explicit content, mixed into an artistic directorial approach, the video expresses the intense dynamism of the creative ambience in which the band works. Winther will also be releasing a new video clip this Thursday to promote the debut album.

The self-titled album is surely an exhilarating experience for listeners of all kinds. Everything about Winther oozes originality and fearlessness. Each member of the band proves to be a stickler for creativity when it comes to their art, whether it is in their music or their videos. Listening to Winther can only be beneficial, as the experience opens the eyes and ears of the listener into Winther’s personal wonderland of emotion and adventure.

Music doesn’t come more touching and emotional than this. With their self-titled album, Winther prove they can shift between enchanted and sorrowful in a breath, as singer Ghesquière pours out unconditional yet unrequited passion over a backdrop of melodic mood pieces. For twelve tracks the band delivers newfound sounds and images as opposed to the usual tired and overused folk-pop-rock cliches and sentiments. Overall the album offers a beautifully tender balance of art, technique, and emotion, which comes as close to perfection as anything that came before it. - Jamsphere

In Antwerpen en omstreken hoorden we het afgelopen jaar over een beloftevolle groep, Winther is de naam. Na hun live-reputatie in de thuisstreek brengt de band ‘Winther’ als debuut uit. Wie naar de namen van de groepsleden kijkt, ziet dat het op papier alvast gaat over een boeiende mix van muzikanten. Zanger Wolfram Ghesquière omringt zich onder meer met Frederik Meulyzer (Intangible States/Tom Tiest/Jan Fabre) en Bram Weijters (Dez Mona). Bovendien werden de jongens in de opnamestudio vergezeld door ander mooi volk zoals Buni Lenski.
.... - indiestyle

20/10/2012 | vpb
Wolfram Ghesquière (24) komt met zijn debuutalbum, onder de naam Winther, door de grote poort binnen. De twaalf songs klitten samen als een boek en de sfeer is nadrukkelijk romantisch, waardoor de teksten en de muziek een dwingend geheel vormen. Vanuit een piano­basis worden de songs aangekleed met de viool en cello van de broers Lenski, plus een ritmesectie. Wouter Van Belle nam alles snel en analoog op, om geen krassen te maken op deze ziel die melancholisch mijmert over Annie of Rosy, het wachten op liefde en het verstrijken van de tijd. Winther zuigt je nadrukkelijk op in zijn gekwetste universum. Het debuut van het jaar. En meer.

Wolfram Ghesquière (tweede van rechts): melancholische mijmeraar....
- DE STANDAARD - Belgium