Hex is the latest album from the German band Faun, who blend folk instruments with modern sounds. We caught up with Stephan Groth (vocals, hurdy-gurdy, flutes, cittern), who fills us in on the album, touring and other topics.
Chad Bowar: Was there anything unique in the songwriting process for Hex compared to previous albums?
Stephan Groth: The songwriting process took more than two years this time because we were constantly interrupted by concerts and international tours. The first single, “Ylfe Spere,” was already released about two years ago and laid the foundation for the theme of witches and witchcraft. Since then, we have released new singles at regular intervals. We also wanted this album to be very consistent, both thematically and musically. We reworked songs several times and even had to leave some out to make the album feel complete to us. We were very perfectionist this time around,
and you can hear that in the result.
What will be your strongest memory of the recording of the album?
For me, it’s mainly the absurd moments and places where the ideas for this album came from. I remember jam sessions in small backstage rooms in America, or mobile, makeshift studios where we recorded our musical guests on tour. The research for themes and lyrics was also very intensive. Whether it was pronunciation tips from a professor for Crimean Tatar or contacts at English universities to help us understand old Celtic texts.
What was the biggest challenge in its creation?
As always, the biggest challenge was putting together all of our ideas. The most of us are songwriters and very creative in our own way. The trick is to evolve with each album and still sound like Faun despite the many different influences.
How did Chelsea Wolfe’s guest appearance come about?
We love Chelsea’s sound and her dark style of songwriting, and we wanted to capture that atmosphere on Hex. So we simply asked her, and she added the finishing touch to our song “Nimue” with her ethereal vocals.
What led you to cover Nick Drake’s “Black Eyed Dog,” and how did you approach the arrangement?
Most of us have long revered Nick Drake as one of the best songwriters of all time. Also Oli often warmes up before concerts by singing “Black Eyed Dog” on his bouzouki. At some point, we noticed how drone-like and medieval this song actually sounds and that it definitely needed a version with old instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy and moraharpa. It wasn’t easy to obtain the rights to this song, but when we first showed our version to Nick Drake’s heirs, they were thrilled and said it was very much in the spirit of Nick Drake. That was like a knighthood, because
you can go a lot wrong when covering such masterpieces. But we are really proud of the originality of our version.
How has your sound evolved from Pagan?
With Hex, we wanted to create a sound that was a little darker and more mystical, but at the same time more modern. We gave ourselves a lot of musical freedom. The single „Belladonna”, for example, is based on an Irish traditional tune, which we combined with a Latin American “cumbia” rhythm and ended with an electric guitar wall of sound. So it’s real pagan world fusion!
What lyrical topics do you cover on this one?
Everything revolves around the theme of witchcraft, wise women, and magic. We wanted to delve deeper and more seriously into the subject and correct the established stereotype image of witches. We thought to ourselves: “How can it be that small children are still afraid of the supposedly evil witch instead of the evil men who persecuted and burned witches?” We go into detail about the background of the subject matter and lyrics in the book that accompanies the album. So if you want to delve deeper into this, we highly recommend getting the “Earbook” for Hex.
You filmed a few videos for the album. Which was your favorite shoot?
To be honest all of them! Every single shoot was so special this time. But the last three videos we shot for Hex really stand out. We were in the Bavarian Alps for “Lament” and in a beautiful stalactite cave for “Nimue.” For the video for “Belladonna,” we built an enchanted forest in a film studio and were allowed to shoot with real snakes. These three videos were produced by the fabulous team at Witzki Visions and we are more than thrilled with the mystical yet modern touch we were able to create together.
The album is also available on vinyl. Are you a collector?
I grew up with my parents’ record collection, which had a big influence on my musical taste. I also love turning listening to music into a little ritual, and I’m one of those old-fashioned nerds who listens to albums from start to finish and loves concept albums. I have a whole wall unit full of CDs, but somehow I haven’t managed to get myself a record player yet. That’s going to change with the new album, though. I’ve decided to buy a record player just so I can listen to Hex on vinyl. I could well imagine that this could be the start of a new collecting passion for me.
What were some of the highlights of your recent North/South American tour?
For me, it was definitely a highlight to play in many of these legendary concert halls where so many of my musical heroes have played. For example, the Fonda Theatre right on Hollywood Boulevard at the beginning of the Walk of Fame. But Mexico City and Sao Paolo were also great because we received an overwhelming wave of emotion and appreciation from the audience. That helps you get through all the sleepless nights caused by the bad roads in the USA. (laughs)
What are your upcoming tour plans?
We still have a lot planned for this year. Starting on September 19, we will be going on a big Hex EU and UK tour. We will be playing in wonderful concert halls, with a brand new stage design, lighting concept, great musical guests, and of course lots of new songs from Hex. So please check out our tour dates to see if we are coming to a city near you. It will be worth it!
Where haven’t you played live that you’d still like to get to?
For example, we’ve never made it to Africa or Asia. So that’s definitely still on our bucket list. There are also quite a few places in the U.S. where we’d love to play, such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
What are some of your non-musical interests and hobbies?
As a musician, it’s not that easy to maintain other hobbies. I would need 10 lives just to learn and practice all the instruments that interest me. The ever-increasing amount of time you have to sacrifice for social media doesn’t make it any easier either. But it’s very important to me, for example, to have a sporting balance between all the touring, and I really enjoy bouldering.
Otherwise, we are all very interested in cultural history, ancient languages, stories, and myths, and read a lot in this area.
What’s currently in your musical heavy rotation?
At the moment, it’s ’70s folk rock and singer/songwriter music that appeals to me most — Nick Drake, John Martyn, and Martin Simpson, to name but a few. Musically, it was simply a better time! But depending on my mood, I also enjoy progressive metal such as Opeth, Tool, and Haken.
Anything else you’d like to mention or promote?
At this point, I would like to encourage readers to venture into our musical world and embark on a journey with Faun. Listen to Hex, come see us on tour, and support bands that put their heart and soul into their music by buying albums and going to concerts. No artist can make a living from Spotify, and AI music will never have the soul of real music.
(interview published September 8, 2025)
