Keath Ósk, the solo Filipino-Icelandic singer-songwriter, has spent the past year sharing narrative folk music under the name Yaelokre. After performing several local shows, they spread their horizons to the UK & Ireland with their Foreword Tour and, less than a week after general sale, the artist has sold out tickets.
The tour will hit some exciting venues, beginning in September at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds as well as three dates at London’s The Tabernacle. The tour will then continue throughout Europe and the US.
In February this year, Yaelokre performed for their biggest crowd, opening for folk-pop singer Aurora. Initially performing underground gigs for about 20 people, the singer spoke to Rappler about their sudden rise in popularity and the overwhelming feeling that came with it. They said, “How can you prepare to face a whole world where kindness is scarce and hate is normalized, when all you’ve ever really wanted to [was] to tell your stories to little children and make them happy?”
Following these difficulties, the artist says that come November of that year, “something magical happened”, in regards to support from friends which led them to continue with their musical pursuits.
In January 2024, Yaelokre made their debut with ‘Harpy Hare’, which took the internet by storm. The sombre, yet addictive, folk single spread through TikTok like wildfire with just under 500k videos using the song according to TikTok statistics. The track tells the story of a mother’s protectiveness and a child’s desire for freedom with the eerie hook “Harpy Hare, where have you buried all your children?”
Listeners were eager to discover the lore behind the track as Yaelokre performs the song in animalistic, earthy costumes. The singer gave little away about the backstory, letting the song speak for itself, though fans were intrigued by the character-based lyricism and created a trend in which two people, donning Yaelokre’s distinctive costuming, perform a childish handshake.
@half_baked_mushrooms @Thenice_demon ♬ Harpy Hare – Yaelokre
Originally planning to become a kindergarten teacher, the artist took ‘Harpy Hare’s popularity and released their debut EP ‘Hayfields’, telling the stories of four characters Cole, Clémente, Peregrine and Kingsley, who play music together in a group called ‘The Lark’.
Fans were as dedicated as ever to understand the full story of the whimsical record, and took to social media with numerous ‘lore explanation’ videos.
@a1234music For any new Yaelokre fans out who want to know somw of the lore, here’s a brief rundown for you! #yaelokre #harpyhare #yaelokre_yarrow #yaelokre_cole ##meadowlark #hayfields @ ♬ Harpy Hare – Yaelokre
The singer has shared the general concept behind the record, explaining with Rappler, “the four characters are based off of my childhood. [Creating Yaelokre] was like a [form] of therapy for me.”
In the run-up to the tour, Yaelokre has released a new single ‘Cole’s Response’, a melancholic, ethereal acoustic folk track which the singer describes as “a bashful rabbit’s retort”. The new song and Yaelokre’s full folk discography is greatly anticipated for the upcoming tour. Check for more exciting updates and where Yaelokre will be performing next on their Instagram.
