DOUGLAS FIRS

2020 was een emotionele rollercoaster voor Gertjan Van Hellemont aka Douglas Firs. Het begon allemaal in één absurde week, waarin een dokter hem het heuglijke nieuws meedeelde dat hij vader zou worden, maar een andere dokter het vreselijke nieuws dat zijn moeder ongeneeslijk ziek was en nog hooguit een paar weken te leven had. Ongeveer een maand na zijn moeder stierf ook Gertjans grootmoeder, aan de gevolgen van Covid-19.

Heen en weer geslingerd tussen verdriet over zijn moeder en grootmoeder aan de ene kant en blijdschap en opwinding over zijn nakende vaderschap aan de andere, trok Gertjan naar zijn zolderstudio en begon te schrijven aan wat “Heart of a Mother” zou worden, het nieuwe Douglas Firs album.

Gertjan Van Hellemont (gitaar, zang), Sem Van Hellemont (toetsen), Laurens Billiet (drums), Simon Casier (bas), Bart Vervaeck (pedal steel), Manon Gögös (saxofoon, zang, toetsen)

Gertjan Van Hellemont aka Douglas Firs, went through what you would call ‘an emotional rollercoaster’ this year. It all started during one absurd week, in which one doctor told him the good news that he was going to be a father, and another told him his mother was terminally ill and only had a couple of weeks left to live. About a month after his mother, his grandmother also passed away after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

Not really knowing how to handle these conflicting feelings of deep grief at his mother's and grandmother’s deaths on the one hand, and the pure excitement about his soon to be born first child on the other, Gertjan climbed the stairs to his home studio in his attic, to start writing and recording “Heart of a mother”, the upcoming Douglas Firs album.

Gertjan Van Hellemont (vocals, guitar), Sem Van Hellemont (keys), Laurens Billiet (drums), Simon Casier (bass), Bart Vervaeck (pedal steel), Manon Gögös (saxophone, backings, keys)

Gertjan Van Hellemont aka Douglas Firs, went through what you would call ‘an emotional rollercoaster’ this year. It all started during one absurd week, in which one doctor told him the good news that he was going to be a father, and another told him his mother was terminally ill and only had a couple of weeks left to live. About a month after his mother, his grandmother also passed away after being diagnosed with Covid-19.

Not really knowing how to handle these conflicting feelings of deep grief at his mother's and grandmother’s deaths on the one hand, and the pure excitement about his soon to be born first child on the other, Gertjan climbed the stairs to his home studio in his attic, to start writing and recording “Heart of a mother”, the upcoming Douglas Firs album.

Gertjan Van Hellemont (vocals, guitar), Sem Van Hellemont (keys), Laurens Billiet (drums), Simon Casier (bass), Bart Vervaeck (pedal steel), Manon Gögös (saxophone, backings, keys)