Albums

OAK

CD and vinyl, 2026
FAMA

OAK is Nynke Laverman's seventh album. A tranquil orchestral album about the deep interconnectedness of humanity with the rest of nature. Thematically, it's a continuation of her previous album, Plant (2021), but with a different approach both musically and figuratively: freer, more honest, and more spiritual.

The power of softness

Nynke created OAK together with musician/composer and life partner Sytze Pruiksma. The album is 99% acoustic and at times highly orchestral. Nynke and Sytze have attempted to evoke the largest possible world with minimal resources, in which the power of softness is a key principle. Sebastiaan Koolhoven made several arrangements for string quartet, recorded with Ragazze Quartet. All other instruments were played by Sytze Pruiksma.

Longsongs: navigating by intuition

The album is in English and Frisian, and at times these languages intertwine. Several tracks are improvisations (Nachtswel Sinnesliep and Home In The Moment) that were minimally arranged. Nynke calls them ‘longsongs’. Much longer than the average song and without a traditional structure. She and Sytze spent several mornings together, he at the piano and she at the microphone. They pressed record and started playing, without any preparation. Nynke: “A way of songwriting where the song writes you, instead of you writing the song. It's like going on a journey and navigating purely by intuition. A wonderful experience. I hope to create worlds where time is stretched and you, as a listener, can truly wander. Slowing down and stillness as a remedy against putting ourselves into the clock, against the insanely fast lifestyle we impose on ourselves.”

Slow album release

Nynke is releasing OAK (like Plant) as a slow album release; a new track every month, along with a deepening podcast, until the album is complete in March 2026. OAK will be released on CD and LP (Green Vinyl) on March 6th.

Extra track

A track not included on the album, but still part of the project and released digitally, is the musical fairytale The Story Of The Straight Line. This spoken-word piece about Western belief in progress tells the story of a small dot who wants to become a straight line—the longest straight line ever seen—but ultimately remembers he is a circle. The track is available on Spotify (and other streaming services) and accompanied by a mesmerizing music video on YouTube.

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