Habitants releases One Self

Habitants are the living proof that atmosphere, talent and honest music can still prevail in an ailing music industry. With a solid rock history, Hans and René Rutten, members of the Dutch band 'The Gathering’ decided to start a new band in 2015. Soon they found an extra guitar player and songwriter in Gema Pérez.

When the three started rehearsing in their hometown Nijmegen, they found the proper dark atmosphere and identity in a very natural way. It soon became clear to them that they needed clear vocals to contrast with the (dark) music. Hans and René knew Anne van den Hoogen(Rosemary & Garlic) when they worked with her recording The Gathering’s ‘The West Pole’ album back in 2009. After recruiting Mirte Heutmekerson bass guitar, the band was complete and ready to go. In 2017 Hans left the band and they found a new drummer in Jerôme Miedendorp de Bie(Drive by Wire).

With a mix of melancholic atmospheric melodies, Habitants’ is mesmerizing the shoegazeof the ’80.’ Merakiis the first song the band released in early 2016. Along with the song the band started a successful campaign for the funding of a debut album. Within just a few days of time the band collected hundreds of funders from over 40 different countries. It was then time to record a full album to collectively ‘escape from the world’. Gema: “Habitants were also originally the first French inhabitants of Quebec. Our music is about exploring new worlds, wandering around in strange scenery's. We strongly feel that in our world today, people feel the urge to escape in other worlds and stories. At the same time, to feel safe and at home is an important universal feeling, a big theme on our album.”

The result isOne Self, an record that breaths love, trauma and nostalgia. It’s about the lonely mind, the small self in a fragmented world. It explores the difference between delusion and dreaming, the power of the imaginary; it embraces the injured mind of the lost soldier, the drugs addict or the lost child. Anne: “With every song I had a boy in my mind, each time he is standing in a new era and landscape, dealing with a different story but feeling the same: lonely and disillusioned, looking for safety and comfort. That hope, love and comfort, like from a mother, is reflected in the lighter parts of the album. It keeps him going. The boy is running, dreaming, exploring, falling, he feels all kinds of emotions, he is growing up.”

One Selfembraces life as it comes, but also as it goes. During the recording of the album Gema and René lost their about to be born child. One Selfbecame a dedication to him, to Vince.