Heather Findlay returns with Wildflower, her most personal and introspective album to date. Released through her own imprint, Black Sand Records, the record marks her first fully self-produced work—an acoustic journey shaped by deep reflection, spirituality, and resilience. In this interview with Femme Metal Webzine, Heather opens up about the challenges of producing and performing entirely on her own, the inspiration behind the songs she calls “love letters,” her collaborations past and present, and the exciting projects that lie ahead.
Welcome to Heather Findlay
So Heather, welcome back to Femme Metal Webzine. How are you, and how is this period treating you?
I’m good, I’m good, thank you. This period is treating me pretty well. It’s been very, very busy getting the album finished and out there. I’ve never recorded an album completely on my own before, so that was something entirely new for me and required me to just take it step by step.
I was lucky to have a lot of support from my fanbase, who got behind me with the crowdfunding idea I had for the special edition CD art-disc version of the album, which was great. Everyone was very patient and just let me go with the flow, really. Of course, there’s a lot happening in the outside world—planetary shifts, governmental shifts, and so on—but I just try to stay grounded and centered, not paying too much attention to all that. I try to hold my own vibration as calmly as possible. And, of course, whenever I say something like that, life tends to test me—so touch wood, touch wood.
The new album of Heather Findlay, Wildflower
So you just mentioned Wildflower, which is the upcoming album and follows 2019’s Wild White Horses. You also touched on an aspect I wanted to ask about—you said this is your first album where you’re also sitting in the producer’s chair. How was that? Wasn’t it challenging, even as a seasoned artist? After all, it’s a different kind of job, though still music-related.
Absolutely. Well, I had a little bit of experience with that when I co-produced the Odin Dragonfly album Sirens in 2021. Angela said to me, “Look, come on—you’ve been doing this long enough now. I think you should produce our next album.” So I said, “OK, fair enough,” and went ahead with it. That was a very similar process to what I underwent with Wildflower.
But this time there was nobody to bounce ideas back and forth with. Angela recorded some of her piano and keyboard parts at home, but otherwise this project revolved entirely around me producing myself. That could feel lonely at times, and I would get a bit stuck.
Being your own producer
Rather than seeking external validation or support, I had to take breaks, go for walks, and then either return to the work or make myself a bounce of the recording to listen to while walking, just to gain a new perspective. That became my way of calling and answering—essentially, learning how to validate myself.
It definitely took some getting used to. I can be quite a harsh self-critic, particularly when it comes to my guitar playing. I don’t know why—it’s probably because I’ve been blessed to play with so many incredible guitarists over the years, so I often thought, “OK, you handle the guitar work for me on this album.” Then when it came down to me playing guitar myself, I thought, “Really?”
Being your own producer, #2
The same applied with the wind instruments—the flute parts on the album are also played by me. But the way I see it is this: I’ve had some really great teachers, and whatever ended up recorded on the Wildflower album is simply honest—it reflects exactly where I am right now. And I’m happy with that. I’m really pleased with where I’ve arrived musically, even though it took a lot of self-critiquing and battling against those harsh inner voices. In the end, I’m proud of the results.
The realization behind Wildflower
I love the album. I’ve had the chance to listen here and there these past days. But it’s quite an acoustic one. It can be a bit surprising to hear you explore that side of things musically.
I was wondering—not when you had the idea, but rather when you realized: “Well, this album will be completely acoustic. I’ll do everything alone.” Because that’s a big step to take. When did that realization happen? Because I think it’s less an idea and more a realization at the end of the day—going solo both in production and musically.
Heather Findlay: …”it just felt more like an evolution to me”
I don’t know—it just felt more like an evolution to me. I thought, OK, what haven’t I done before? I’ve stood on stage with big bands, and I think there was a part of me that felt very comfortable hiding within a larger ensemble. So for me, stepping out completely solo, self-supporting, and self-sufficient was something I needed to do as a kind of life lesson.
I needed to learn that I had what it takes on my own, without constantly relying on other musicians or producers. It wasn’t so much a conscious decision as it was a feeling—something I simply had to go through in order to stand firmly on my own two feet.
Looking at the bigger picture
And you know, for me, astrology has been a big influence in recent years. I’ve been studying it—Western, Vedic, Galactic—since 2020, although it’s been in the background of my life for a long time. And it’s not about saying, “Oh, you must be a Pisces.” It’s more about looking at the bigger picture—how all nine planets, not just the Sun, as well as fixed stars and beyond, actually influence things: on the world stage, in politics, and on a personal level.
That’s become a lens I can’t remove, and within my own astrological makeup I could see clearly this need to stand on my own. I recognized that transition starting around 2020. And of course, at that time, none of us really had much choice—we were all at home. But those circumstances also raised deep questions for me. Even while working on the Odin Dragonfly album, I knew there was something else calling me—this solo mission I had to take on.
And so here I am. Who knows what’s next? But it was something I felt deeply driven toward, something I had to do.
A companion of love letters
And you can feel that in the album. I also liked how you described Wildflower as becoming a companion of love letters. But I wanted to ask—who are those love letters dedicated to?
Well, interestingly, I think I was given outer representations—through pets, for instance. In Ever True, that song was about our cat, who very uncharacteristically disappeared for a long period of time.
During that experience, I felt a very physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual process unfolding within me. It became a realization about open-handed loving—about the balance between loving deeply and also learning to let go.
Time to let go
You know that old cliché—Sting used it in a song, though I think it originally came from a poet or mystic—the quote, “If you love something, let it go.” For me, it was about realizing: OK, what’s happening in my own energy field? How can I anchor this experience as a lesson for myself, something I can carry forward with me?
The song Appleseed from Heather Findlay
And similarly with my boys—you know, I’m a single parent, and there’s always been this sense of being on my own, not always knowing: Am I being too protective? Am I being too lenient? Are they running wild? It’s always been about trying to find that balance.
So Appleseed is really about saying, “OK, it’s time for you guys to run free.” They’ve had lots of support—and they still do—but the song reflects me gently learning to let go. It traces their journey from being little, reaching up to me, to now both of them being much taller than I am. It’s about finding that balance, really, and trusting in nature, the collective, and the divine.
“This was just a realisation after the album was complete”
This, again, was really more of a realization that came after the album was complete. I started trying to pull everything together, zoom out, and look at what had taken shape before me. And then I realized that all these situations, people, and even props had been present in my life to represent different parts of myself. That’s really the only way I can see it.
Constallating
It feels like a very shamanic approach in a way. Someone recently told me about constellating, which I think also has a Jungian psychological angle. It’s a process where a person comes in with an issue in their life that needs resolution, and other people in the group act as a kind of constellation. They embody aspects of the problem in a physical, almost theatrical way. So, for example, one participant might end up representing the person’s mother, another their neighbor, another their grandmother. And suddenly, when you can actually see the situation represented in front of you—“problem” in quotation marks—you can start to unpack it and gain clarity.
Heather Findlay: “the songs were reflecting parts of me back to myself”
When I finished the album, that’s exactly how it felt. I could look at it as a constellation, with each song serving as a key, giving me insight into different aspects of myself. Even though, at first, what I was offered was an external person, a situation, an animal, or the divine, ultimately the songs were reflecting parts of me back to myself.
Getting another perspective
Yeah, I see it almost as a kind of self-analysis, you know? Going through little bits and pieces of stories and then suddenly gaining another perspective.
Yes, I think that’s exactly it. I’m quite committed to my own inner journey and to trying to understand myself. And in doing that, I find I’m able to better understand others. From a spiritual perspective, of course, there are no “others” in the strict sense—we’re all one, part of the same oneness. And once you begin to shine a light on certain parts of yourself and accept them—like realizing, “oh, maybe I was unknowingly clinging too tightly to my pet”—then there’s a shift.
Spoiler: yes, the cat survived.
And, you know, he’s a living being—an entity that deserves to be free just as much as anyone else. Unknowingly, my energy may have been a little overprotective with him, which made me panic when he disappeared for longer than expected.
But he came back safe, and everything was fine. It was all very mysterious, though. That journey—however long it was, maybe 48 hours, maybe less—gave me insights about myself and highlighted areas where I needed to learn to let go.
Because until you’re able to see those things within yourself, you can’t have full compassion for others. If you’re not compassionate toward yourself, it’s hard to truly extend that to anyone else.
Behind the release of Wildflower
And, you know, Wildflower is being released through your own imprint, Black Sand Records. This time, you also thought of a really nice project that I really like—you’ve printed all your vinyls and CDs on Echo Vinyl and Echo Paper. How challenging was it to organize all of this, on top of producing your own album? I mean, it’s a fantastic idea, but I imagine it must have taken a lot of work.
It does take a lot, yes. But somehow I’ve always known this was the right way to do it. I’ve tried various distribution avenues in the past—working with wonderful people, like Merch Desk—and explored different options. But bringing everything back in-house has become, for me, the most efficient way to run my business right now.
And yes, it’s a lot of work. But I’ve managed so far, thanks to the patience and support of my loving fanbase, which I’m very grateful for. With Wildflower, it was especially important to me to minimize environmental impact.
Heather Findlay almost gave up releasing her vinyls
I’d learned tough lessons while producing vinyl for Wild White Horses and Sirens—damaged stock, shipping problems, even a hilarious incident where Wild White Horses vinyl was delivered to a student house down the street. I thought they’d gone away for the whole summer and I wouldn’t see the records until October! Luckily, I tracked them down via the courier and eventually retrieved them after leaving a note.
But it all made me reflect. Traditional vinyl manufacturing involves a lot of heat and waste. During Sirens, I almost vowed never to make vinyl again. But fans kept asking: “When will it be on vinyl? I only listen to vinyl.” I wondered what to do.
Fortunately, I found DMS Vinyl, who use biofuel green power, recycled vinyl, and biodegradable wrap. I was thrilled to discover a more ecological option. That made it possible to release vinyl for Wildflower while staying true to my values.
The new project The Bee Tellers
You’re always busy with different projects, Heather. I also discovered you now have a duo with Simon Snaize called The Bee Tellers, and you’ve already released two singles—Pollen Path and River Poem. How did you two come together to create this music, and should we expect more?
Simon and I have known each other for a very long time—great friends for many years. I think it must have been in our soul contracts to work together on a couple of songs. We both learned a lot from each other during that period. We’re both quite intense in our own musical ways—Simon is a shamanic practitioner, and I’ve done lots of yoga and spiritual practices. We’re each deeply rooted in spirituality, though in different areas. That combination created a very intense musical partnership.
The final push for Wildflower
For me, I’d say Simon and I needed to come together, create these two songs, and then go our separate ways again. He realized he had solo work to do, and so did I. In fact, that experience gave me the final push toward creating Wildflower on my own. Without those moments, I might not have been given that shove to cross the threshold.
I love the music Simon and I created together—especially River Poem. It feels like a song that truly wanted to come through the two of us. We still have to release Pollen Path properly—it’s a very spring/summer song, so for now it’s only available on Bandcamp and through Black Sand directly. But we plan to release it on all streaming platforms at some point this summer. It was a very enjoyable collaboration, full of pearls of wisdom within the connection.
The future for The Bee Tellers
And after those two songs, do you see more coming, or was it just for the time being?
For now, just the time being. I think we were both firmly placed back on our solo paths through that collaboration. But who knows? As Angie and I always say, “Never say never.”
The upcoming Ayreon shows
This September, you’ll return to the Netherlands for the Ayreon shows with Arjen Lucassen and the whole crazy band. Can you say something about it, or is it still a secret?
Well, it’s not my project, so I can’t share anything beyond what has already been announced. But Arjen was in touch with me yesterday and sent over the songs I’ll be singing—and I got goosebumps! Some of the moments on that setlist made me go, “Oh wow, OK!”
I’m really excited. It was so unexpected, completely out of the blue—one of those opportunities where I just thought, there’s no way I can say no. I’m very grateful and excited to have received that first email from Arjen. It’s going to be an absolute blast.
Heather Findlay and her partecipation on The Human Equation
I remember you also featured on The Human Equation. What do you recall about that experience?
It was amazing. I loved working with Arjen. He’s so creative, organized, funny, and warm. The whole experience was wonderful—I felt really well looked after, and I learned a lot.
He’s very certain of what he wants, and he knows how to bring out the best in the people he works with. He definitely got things out of my voice that I wasn’t sure I was capable of myself.
Heather Findlay and her partecipation on The Human Equation #2
And you’re right—when people are asked about working with him, they often say the same thing: “He got the best out of me.” That’s him. That’s Arjen.
I’ve even had brief conversations with him where I’d see something through a spiritual lens, and he’d say, “Oh no, it’s not spiritual at all.” But I feel he’s very intuitive, with a great capacity to sense what people are capable of and who will fit which roles. He has a gift for channeling the right singers for the right projects.
I think he knew before I did that I should be given the character of Love. That role has since become such a huge part of my life—something I didn’t realize was already written into my blueprint, so to speak.
The second album from Odin Dragonfly
A couple of years ago, you also released a second album with Angela as Odin Dragonfly, long after your 2007 debut. What did you learn from that experience?
Angie and I—I don’t think this is our first incarnation together. We’ve experienced so much side by side: ups and downs, life lessons, initiations. I think we even went on an airplane for the first time together. I remember sitting next to her singing In the Clouds by All About Eve. We’ve shared so many “firsts.”
We’re like yin and yang. We’re opposites in many ways, not always going in the same direction. But we constantly present life lessons to each other and often become part of the solution for one another too.
The Sirens release
With Sirens, we both coached each other through the things we were going through. Every time we work together, these big initiatory processes arise. They can be chaotic, or we can hold each other steady through them. For me, Sirens felt like a process of that kind. I think Angela went through a lot during Offerings, and with Sirens, it was my turn to go through a big process. Maybe we both did, but in different ways.
To me, it feels like soul-contract work. Sometimes it’s more obvious, sometimes less—but when we create together, there’s always that vibration of deeper purpose.
The upcoming plans for Heather Findlay
I also know you’ll tour as a special guest for the John Hackett Band around August and September, in between the Ayreon shows. Since you’ll already be in the Netherlands, would you consider performing a solo show there too?
Logistically, no—it’s not possible this time. The Ayreon team organizes everything, including flights, so there’s no flexibility. But I’d love to come back to the Netherlands. Once I’m there and those connections are reopened, it would be amazing to return for solo shows. Who knows—maybe that will happen in the future.
Closing Words
Heather, thank you so much for your time. I hope you enjoyed this interview.
I did, thank you. I really enjoyed it. These are exciting times, and it was lovely to share them with you.