Warhaus

Warhaus is the solo moniker and alter ego of Maarten Devoldere, frontman of the Belgian rock band Balthazar. Unveiling the project in 2016, Devoldere explained that it came about when members of Balthazar decided to take some time to focus on their own work. Off the back of Balthazar’s third album, Thin Walls, Devoldere retreated into his own creative space and tried to figure out the sound for his own solo effort. After some time experimenting and spending five months on a tug boat borrowed from a friend that allowed him “time to think,” he eventually came up with what would be Warhaus’ overall sonic palette after having finished writing the first single, “The Good Lie,” with his girlfriend and vocalist of Soldier’s Heart, Sylvie Kreusch. Finishing nine more songs, he had enough material for a full-length album and decided to name the record We Fucked a Flame Into Being, inspired by a quote in the novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence. Describing it as a piece of work that ended a period in his life as he approached his thirties, the effort was released in early September of 2016. It received widespread acclaim, garnering comparisons to the moody, atmospheric work of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, and the brooding romanticism of Serge Gainsbourg. Warhaus followed with a European tour to promote the record that lasted into early 2017. ~ Rob Wacey