Nightwish could move away from their heavily-orchestrated approach to music on their next album, says Troy Donockley.
The multi-instrumentalist says they’re looking looking at ways to explore a stripped-down sound without fully abandoning the complex arrangements they’ve become known for.
Asked about the possibility of an acoustic tour, Donockley tells CarlBegai.com: “I think if we went out with a skeleton crew of three woodwinds, a string quartet and the band, it would smooth over the edges of doing something that people might freak out over.
“It would still retain the orchestral elements, but strip it down to a chamber band. I think it’s something we should get onto.”
He adds: “We’re got plans for the next album – really loose plans – but some things are heading in the direction. Our fans are very forgiving.”
Donockley became a full-time member Nightwish in 2013, along with vocalist Floor Jansen, after having been involved since 2007. But they’ve made sure the music didn’t become swamped with his trademark pipe-playing.
“We consciously decided it would be a bad thing to Celtify every song,” he says. “The power of an instrument like the Uilleann pipes is used sparingly, because that’s where the effect is at its most powerful.”
But he admits he’d have become bored if he was only required for a handful of songs each night. “I’m doing all kinds of stuff – I have lots of different roles in this band. My input has gone beyond being the bloke who plays the pipes.”
