ALÓWAŊ - “Feathers”
„I have music playing in my head all of the time. It has to get out one way or another! It was a long time
coming album, but it’s here now and there is more coming as well.” - Jean Yves Tola
We’re more than happy to release the debut album by ALÓWAŊ on Glitterhouse Records in April
2024. „Feathers“ is the first official album from Jean Yves Tola since 16 Horsepower separated in 2005.

ALÓWAŊ is the side of 16 Horsepower that has not been heard before. As a founding member of the
alternative country band from Denver, Colorado, Tolas arrangements, music and influence in the band
was always clearly present through their career. This is a more personal and intimate vision. In
collaborations with a few friends and musicians “Feathers” is a body of work to be reckoned with. Tola
presents 10 beautiful and dark folk songs. Chantal Acda, the main vocalist, will carry you to the clouds
with her light but deep tones and poetic lyrics. ALÓWAŊ takes her to new territories and her talent
shows. The Texan Calvin Dover (Dover Brothers) accompanies her on a couple of tracks making the duet
irresistible. A few others join Tola in this project, such as Steve Taylor (former 16 Horsepower guitar
player) and Theo Hakola of the famed Orchestre Rouge and Passion Fodder.

With „Feathers“, Tola shows his versatility as a composer, a producer but also as a musician. “I was
always very much involved in the creative process of all the bands I have been in. Even more so with 16
Horsepower, in the writing- and arrangements process with David Eugene Edwards but also in the
production and recording of the albums. I was working closely from the first take to the mastering
sessions with the producers and the engineers” he says,“I ended up learning a lot and it has helped me
tremendously for the realization of this project”.

Jean Yves Tola started playing music when he was six years old, learning solfege and classical music at
the conservatory. Surrounded by four older siblings who all played music from piano, to guitar, to violin,
and bathed in a multitude of music styles from Mozart to Dylan, Miles Davis to 70’s Rock, Jean Yves, at
the age of 15, started drum lessons. He also then switched his attention to the punk rock and cold wave
scene, becoming a member of several Parisian punk and rock bands until he joined Passion Fodder
(former Orchestre Rouge) in the late 80s and moved to Los Angeles, following a worldwide record deal
with Beggars Banquet and RCA. After three albums and a few tours, Tola moved on and joined Edward’s
band, The Denver Gentleman, then also based in LA. Tola and Edwards (along with Pascal Humbert)
founded 16 Horsepower shortly after and after only one show, they decided to move to Denver,
Colorado, where the band would really start its serious career, signing with A&M records in 1994.
“16 Horsepower was my life” says Tola. “I played in it, created and arranged the music with David, took
care of the business side of things and finally also managed the band on and off the road after we left
A&M and joined with Glitterhouse Records. It was a 24/7 deal and I loved it. Signing with Glitterhouse
was a great move. The whole team were amazing to work with, very efficient, and gave us the real
freedom to soar in Europe… and we did!”
Regretfully, 16 Horsepower dissolved in 2005 but gained a cult-like reputation for this genre of music in
Europe and the US. To this day, their body of work is still alive, being thought out and revered by the
press and the public at large. David Eugene Edwards has kept his light on with his impressive collection
of Wovenhand recordings. And now Jean Yves Tola is back, too.

After a move to Kentucky and a lapse in the public eye, he did not stay idle. “It took a while for me to
recover from the breakup. It was very hard. But music never stopped in my mind. I started to write some
of the ‚Feathers‘ songs fairly early after I moved to Kentucky. Our horse farm was in full swing so my time
was limited but the music kept coming. Eventually, I started to write it down and do little demos over a
couple of years on very simple equipment. When that body of work became significant enough and
showed some potential, I started building my home studio, piece by piece, and started to record properly
in 2019 - and then it really flowed out of me. Lots of time had passed, thoughts, emotions and feelings
were plentiful”. For the past two years, Tola has been very busy writing, recording and producing. The
result is this debut album ‚Feathers‘. Each song has its own character and style but the link between
them is obvious. “Chantal and I clicked right away” he says. ”I liked her vocals and was not sure if she
would be willing or interested to collaborate with me but she dove in right away. As we worked and
talked, we soon realized how much we had in common besides the music. Horses, wolves, cold weather,
nature, space”.

The first single "Let It Flow" is about letting things take their natural course and accepting them as they
are. Tola says of the songs lyrics: "Chantals lyrics add a little mystery with the souls and the continuity of
life and death. A bit cryptic for sure but I think the result works well."

The story of the second single "Horsewind" is set in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
It is about the sailors' fear of too little wind around 30 degrees north or south of the equator.
Because they had too little water on board for their horses, they were forced to throw them overboard. Different times, different existential problems.
Side note: Jim Morisson wrote a poem on this subject back in 1967, from which The Doors‘ song "Horse
Latitudes" emerged.

He wrote the music for the third single "Guitar Man" some time ago, but was never really satisfied
with the end result, so one day he picked up his acoustic guitar, started all over again and composed a
completely new song. The lyrics are a tribute to a very close friend and musician of Chantal Acda, who
sadly passed away a few years ago.

ALÓWAŊ’s ‚Feathers‘ can be very sparse and very intricate at times... from one instrument to quite a
few, creating a very full sound. Tola’s influences are clearly diverse, which could lead to a lack of
cohesion - but not here. It is concise and homogenous. “I would like to think that I am a musician before
being a drummer or even to be more accurate a percussionist. I will usually have the music before the
drums or percussions. The melody and the vocals will dictate what the drums will do. They need to be
simple, not getting in the way of anything. Without having a singer to work with right away, as I did in
previous bands, and as a composer, you can mess around with the music, push everything in all
directions. It’s very cool but can also get pretty messy. Then the singer has to fit in this mess you created!
That’s where Chantal was really amazing. She would just fit it. Almost helped me understand what I was
trying to achieve at times. I would send a track to her and was dreading a bit what she would be able to
do with it. But almost every time, she would send it back and I would be floored. Just so good. I would
rework a few things obviously but the main vocals would be there. I spend a lot of time outside, mostly
alone with horses. They teach you to listen and focus on your surroundings. When finally you do and
hear…man…nature can actually be very loud! And also very musical…and the silence is deadly…amazing
and huge when it comes. I really thought about that when I worked on these songs”, Tola finishes.

Chantal Acda ads: “It has been wonderful working on this beautiful music. In a way exciting because this
music was inviting me to do different things and adapt to Jean Yves world. Both connected through
horses surrounding us, we also found ourselves in the same place while making this album. Such a joy!”
„ALÓWAŊ is Lakota Sioux and is a ceremoy involving singing over individual/s and ascribing status to
him/her/them. Some people are sung over, honored, for deeds they accomplished“ says Jean Yves about
the name.

After we had the honour to release 16 Horsepower, Wovenhand, as well as David Eugene Edwards‘ side
project RISHA we’re more than happy to welcome Jean Yves Tola and ALÓWAŊ to the Glitterhouse
Records Family of Music.

ALÓWAŊ “Feathers” will be released on LP, CD and digital on April 19th, 2024 via Giltterhouse Records.