EMQ’s With Han Uil
EMQ’s With Han Uil
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs, this time with Dutch Composer, Singer and Guitarist, Han Uil. Hug thanks to him for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
I am Han Uil, a Dutch composer, singer, and guitarist. I tried playing keys at the age of 14, but a year later I switched to guitar. The instrument that truly connected with me. Being a massive Dire Straits fan at that time was probably the main reason for that shift.
Quite early on, I started writing songs and recording them on a 4-track, while also joining and co-founding several local bands—most notably the Progressive Rock/Metal group Antares. I was always focused on writing and recording my own material. After Antares disbanded, I released my first official solo album, Alone in 2006.
In 2013, I co-founded the studio project TumbleTown with guitarist Aldo Adema, whom I had previously worked with as the singer and lyricist for the Seven Day Hunt album File This Dream (2008). TumbleTown has since released three albums, the most recent one “On the Highwire” just last year. In between all this, I’ve been working on solo works.
How did you come up with your band name?
Blame my parents. I use my given name for my solo projects. Sadly, I wasn’t blessed with a catchy stage name like David Dylan or Bob Bowie. My surname tends to be unpronounceable outside of Dutch. However, if you pronounce my surname as ‘Owl’ you come close. Fittingly, it also means the same. Hmm, but I should have picked a different name…or different parents.
For the band name TumbleTown, I can blame myself. It came from a song that should have appeared on the debut album, but it ended up being a track made on the second album.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I’m from Groningen. That’s the most northern part in the Netherlands. Back in the day with Antares, we played some nice local venues, though never more than four or five shows a year across the whole country. Original Progressive Rock has always been a niche, and the low demand from venues, combined with modest audience turnout, made live opportunities rare.
Since Antares, I’ve focused mainly on studio projects and haven’t performed live for almost 20 years. For my solo work, I don’t have a backing band, and given the distances involved and the likelihood of only a handful of low-attendance shows, we also chose to keep TumbleTown as a dedicated studio project.
What is your latest release? (Album, EP, Single, Video)
My latest album, “I Am,” is my sixth solo effort and was released on September 25th 2025. And for the first time it will also be available on Vinyl. I’ve also released a couple of videos for you to check out.
Who have been your greatest influences?
Alongside growing up with Dire Straits, I’ve deep-dived into the world of Progressive Rock. I love the bands Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Marillion etc. One of the bands I admire most is Van der Graaf Generator. Even though guitars weren’t central to their music, their intense sound, with its distorted organ and sax layers and dramatic vocals, left a huge mark on me.
And on the non-Prog side, I love the works of Bob Dylan, Captain Beefheart, Nick Cave, Neil Young, and Alice Cooper. All of whom have shaped my songwriting in different ways.
What first got you into music?
I didn’t grow up in a particularly musical family, but when I was around 10, German TV was showing lots of Elvis movies. With only two Dutch channels available at the time, I ended up watching plenty of them. And the first CD I ever bought was an Elvis movie song collection. What truly ignited my love for music, though, was a few Beatles albums I borrowed from my uncle.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
That would definitely be Jethro Tull’s legendary flautist and songwriter Ian Anderson. Listen to his contribution on the latest Opeth record.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
If I, or TumbleTown, were ever to play live again, I’d love to return to ProgPower Europe. I have great memories of performing there with Antares back in 2002, and it would be special to experience that festival once more from the stage.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I wish I had some fun anecdotes about strange gifts from fans, but no such luck. That’s one of the things you miss out on when you don’t perform live… or maybe it just means my fans are either very down-to-earth—or nonexistent.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
Send me a weird gift!
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
That would be Don Van Vliet, AKA Captain Beefheart. One of the most original creative geniuses of all time. And one of the greatest singers, too. When he makes his comeback, he’s gotta finally put out that never-made flick, Captain Beefheart vs. The Grunt People. Oh, and we’ll need Zappa for it too. So yeah, bring him back while you’re at it.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
I’m happiest hiding out in my studio jamming, writing, recording, and mixing like the introverted nerd I am. As for the other stuff, everything that keeps me out of the creative process, like social media, doing interviews, or changing guitar strings. I’d gladly trade it all for one more take.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
The music market is oversaturated. It’s great that independent artists like me can now record and release their work affordably, but when we’re forced to compete with an endless flood of AI-generated shit, it feels like there’s no limit.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
Jethro Tull’s “Thick As A Brick.” One song to rule them all!
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CDs or Downloads?
I listen to all formats now and then and buy CDs to support the artists. But for ease, I mostly listen to Hi-res downloads.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
That would be an open-air concert at the Delfsail event some 20 years ago. The weather was great and the event’s fireworks during our show was something magical in the twilight.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
Then I would be listening to music and discovering new bands a lot more than I do now.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
My friends…that’s a good time guaranteed. But if I had to pick five fascinating people I haven’t met yet, here’s my lineup:
I would love to chat with Graham Hancock and wonder about the ancient lost civilizations. Having Neil deGrasse Tyson over would be fun too, to do some star talk. I’d also invite Eric Weinstein, just to listen to him talk and probably not understand any of it. Having Mary Spender, a singer/songwriter and YouTuber I’ve been following, over would be fun. Chatting with her about guitars and music. And to top it off, legendary Dutch comedian Herman Finkers, bringing his subtle linguistic jokes. Though I suspect I’d be the only one laughing at the dinner table!
What’s next for the band?
Just keep on keeping on.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
https://store.dutchmusicworks.com/product/han-uil-i-am-cd-ide
https://www.facebook.com/hanuilmusician
There’s a long-standing food-based debate here in the UK. And we’d like your help. So… A Jaffa cake – is it a cake or a biscuit? Discuss!
Let me settle this once and for all. It’s a….CAKE!
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Now that I’ve settled your Jaffa cake debate, let’s talk breakfasts. The Dutch and English have very different food cultures. Tell me, which is best: the Dutch classic slice of bread with hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) or the English baked beans on toast?
Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this interview, unless you have the strict permission of said party. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
