ROKKERSPRESS INTERVIEWS | February 2023


|| ARCTIC DREAMS ||

1) What made you want to become a musician?
Alex_Y : “Because I am an artist by nature. Heavy music is a great and convenient way to draw my inner universe and show it to the world”
Sydius : “ It’s since childhood, an activity or entertainment that captures you completely. For somebody it’s sports, hanging out, chilling with friends, computer games. When you lose sence of time. And what feels natural. You just accidently try this activity – and it gets you.”
Glam Dickens : “The show by KISS and especially persona of Gene Simmons ‘Demon’. But at first wanted to be a wrestler.”

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Alex_Y : “We call it arctic-dreams-metal. It’s very difficult to describe our music in two words – it’s too”
Sydius : “Other. Different. Every time I try to create a typical metalcore or typical blues – it turns out something different. So if not restrained in some limits as a specific role in a specific band I would go really crazy”

3) Did your style evolved since the beginning of your carrer? Or did you always followed that stream?
Alex_Y : “Of course, the style was changing)) But something of what we played, of course, remains in our music. Our style evolves every day, we have been searching our own sound and our own uniqueness for a long time and once we found it, we decided to follow it in our music always”
Sydius : “If eclecticism and post-modern compilability is that style than I have always followed it. And that’s the reason I feel comfortably in any turns of Arctic dreams style.”
Glam Dickens : “ If we take me as a single musician, of course I’ve developed much in technique and the approach to creating music.”

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
Alex_Y : “As I answered in the first question, music is a way to paint our universe. We just don’t know how we can make music “for the fans’ tastes.” )) We just take it and paint our world in tracks.”
Sydius: “As we’re not even famous – why then? The biggest lie is to recommend somebody: “Be yourself, don’t refer to expectations”, – that’s not a path to success. But the opposite is a dead end. All famous examples were lucky to create music for themselves that also matched public taste enough to gain success. It’s a coinsidence.”
Glam Dickens: “I think to be honest with listeners is to be honest with yourself. That’s why I need to like the creation myself first.”

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
Alex_Y : “Normally I’m so busy with band stuff that I usually don’t have time to look good, except when I’m going to a concert. But everything changes when it comes to the band’s image)) I’m very pedantic about it.”
Sydius: “It goes beyond just music. But it definitely represents various cultural trends, past or present: fashion, art, pop culture etc”
Glam Dickens : “No, it doesn’t at all. I’m not trying to look like a rock star in usual life, but when I’m on stage… oh!”

6) What is the biggest problem you have encontoured in the journey of music?
Alex_Y: “ Well, I will omit the point of creating your own concept and uniqueness of the musical project, as this is the natural way of development. I think the biggest challenge is to get your music to the listener. In today’s world of digitalization the ability to create music has become much easier, as has its distribution. Because of this there is so much content in the information field, it’s very hard to break through it and convince the listener to listen to your work. I would say that distribution takes at least as much effort, time and money as making music itself.”
Sydius: “My personal problem – to overcome my music education… in many ways”
Glam Dickens : “Difficult question. May be to find your originality, uniqueness”

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
Alex_Y: “We prefer to work with people for whom heavy music is the meaning of life. For example, if we need to order any advertising services, we will turn to a person who understands metal rather than someone who is into rap and pop.”
Sydius: “So many cool and talented people even among the unknown session guys who can bring unexpected but deep artistic ideas to enrich yours. Collabs with famous artists are different so that you expect to get a portion of their specific personality. They are art brands of themselves.”
Glam Dickens: “Another difficult question! I cannot say for sure, there are much of them and they are not only musicians. The main thing is to have the fascinating process of collaboration.”

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
Glam Dickens : “I would not like to be used! But if to sell myself I would do it at the highest price. In this case – one of the most selling albums of all time… or ‘Tommy’ by The WHO, huh.”
Alex_Y : On this point I agree completely with Dickens. The only one, in my case, would be Metallica’s “Black album”
Sydius : “ Maybe a compilation like those you make for aliens to get familiar with Earth culture”

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
Alex_Y : “Black Sabbath”
Sydius : “I’ve been enjoying Strawberry Girl’s new albulm last fer days. Check John Zorn’s Moonchild project if haven’t. I adore Six Litanies For Heliogabalus. I like Skyhaven. They are underestimated for being too similar with Polyphia. They are actually very individual and cool. You don’t say Saxon is a copy of Accept for just playing hi-gain riffs and solos with high vocals over metal drums? ”
Glam Dickens : “KISS”


|| FREEDIVERS ||

1) What made you want to become a musician?
Erik: For me it was the desire to express myself. The love for the music was always there, I just started to write quite a lot when I felt the world around me broke apart. I found out that the words were easier to pronounce when I sang them. Everything turned out to be this magical experience and I guess ever since that realization I have the need to sort of become an embodiment of all of the impressions and feelings that impact me on a day to day basis.

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Erik: Well, for us, Freedivers, I think I would give the word organic. We are interested in finding the most authentic and pure sound we are able to, and we are a quite concert focused band. For us is when we are able to reach out to the people in a direct way and see how our music makes them feel when we feel amazed and grateful. I also think our music is energizing and powerful, with all of those grunge and alt-rock influences.

3) Did your style evolved since the beginning of your carrer? Or did you always followed that stream?
Rafa: I think our first album had a softer and a little bit more pop-ish sound. Now we’ve unconsciously wired ourselves to a more grunge and alt-rock sound, which absolutely was already always there. I think we generally follow what we want to in terms of our sound and it’s really important for us to enjoy what we do.

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
Erik: To be honest, I think it would be hard to come up with a sound that’s been exclusively defined and created for fans or for others! The way I see it, it is more truthful and rewarding to make music based on your tastes and preferences and hope people are going to resonate with it, firstly with its melodies and then delve into the message or the lyrics or whatever. From my point of view it is about being honest to yourself, and once you’ve found your voice, then you can scream it to others. I’m a big proponent of choosing to be true to your desires even if that costs you fans or streams.

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
Erik: I love clothes! In my case, one of the many things I love to wear are bell bottom jeans and waistcoats. I have a passion for the vintage style and my taste in music reflects that as well. To be honest, the majority of the bands I enjoy are from the past century and there’s something from the past aesthetic that just feels so appealing and romantic. In my opinion it is great to find different ways to express yourself, and clothes are perfect for that.

6) What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Erik: I’m a young person and I feel that sometimes my capacities have been questioned for that reason. But, at the same time I feel we’ve been quite lucky in the journey so far. Of course music can be a long and difficult career to pursue, but being able to experience it is already awesome.

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
Erik: I don’t know, to be honest! I’ve never thought about creating music with my favorite artists because for me the process of creating music is so personal and individualized that I literally never pictured myself writing a song with my idol. It would be a little bit overwhelming, even in the best of ways, LOL.

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
Erik: Is hard to only choose one album! But if I had to choose one at this moment of my life it
would be ‘Dreams’ by Grace Slick. I’m obsessed with all of the opera rock vibes, violins, and trumpets and it has quite a dramatic, raw feeling that I relate so much with. The dark, esoteric, almost fantastic aesthetic is basically a lot of what I consider beauty is. Something that is somewhat hidden, invisible to the eyes of most people.

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
Erik: Of course it depends on what the person in question enjoys listening to, but I’d say Radiohead and Paramore are examples of bands that have a lot of great songs. Other music that I would recommend would be The Beatles, Jeff Buckley or The Stooges.


|| INHERENTLY LOST||

1) What made you want to become a musician?
Honestly I just always loved music. All kinds too! I listened to Opera with my Grandmother when we’d visit, classical music with my Grandpa in the car, and pop music with my sisters. Yes I had an MC Hammer Ken doll haha!!! My parents were also in a band that would practice at our house when I was very young. I guess it was just something that was always around. I saw how much joy it brought to everyone, and I wanted to be able to do that for someone someday.

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Hmmm….honest. I am a very blunt person. I tend to write lyrics the same way. Sometimes it’s more poetic, but at times it’s just in your face. That mixed with these amazing four guys has given us an melodic black death metal sound.

3) Did your style evolved since the beginning of your carrer? Or did you always followed that stream?
Well I think we are still evolving. We have two new members and that changed our sound a bit, but I really like what we have been coming up with. I think our different influences make appearances here and there which keeps things different. You don’t want to always sound the same. That would be boring for everyone.

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
Exactly! Do it for yourselves. Would it be amazing to hear yourself on the radio or to be on a list sure, but is that what it should be about no. Music is about expression. It’s about connection. If your not being yourself then what are you doing? For us we could care less about that. We make music we ourselves would listen to. We want to be proud of what we create. If people like it that’s just an awesome bonus!

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
Haha no! I mean I guess the majority of us have a lot of black in our closets, so we just decide on that for shows and pics. For me personally I wear a whole bunch of colors. Most people who know me have no idea I’m into the music I am until I tell them haha!!!

6) What is the biggest problem you have encontoured in the journey of music?
Finding serious musicians. People say they are interested and then don’t show up to try out. A lot of them wouldn’t even listen to the music. Mark would send people all kinds of recordings to practice to, and it was mind boggling how many would show up that didn’t listen to it. Had a few that I think were surprised to see a girl too haha!

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
Oh man there is so many haha! I would be intimidated as heck, but I would love to enter the minds of Mark Jansen, Tuomas Holopainen, and Chrigel Glanzmann. What they come up with is just astounding. Vocally of course I have to go with my favorites. Simone Simon’s, Floor Jansen, and Amy Lee. I probably wouldn’t even be able to speak though haha!

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
Ohhhh this is a tough one. Oh man I don’t know. I’m sure there are better ones to choose from, but I am going to say The Open Door by Evanescence. At the time this came out it hit on so many personal levels. I related to that album so much. Amy’s just perfect haha!!!

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
Honestly this is going to be completely different. If they are unsure I would recommend Florence + The Machine. She is sooooo amazing. You will get a little bit of everything by listening to a CD of hers. Absolutely brilliant and so talented. Her voice is very beautiful

-Noreen Javersak Vocalist/Inherently Lost


|| HEATHEN HEARTS ||

Answers by Jere – Guitars & backing vocals

1) What made you want to become a musician?
First time I really got into music, and playing guitar was hearing Iron Maiden for the first time. If I remember correctly the song was “The Trooper”. That was it. Later I got into more extreme metal, punk and hardcore in which I found the style of music I wanna play and compose.

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Authentic, agressive yet melodic metal / hardcore.

3) Did your style evolved since the beginning of your carrer? Or did you always followed that stream?
Since we were only formed in the fall 2021 and only one EP released so far, I cant really define if we have been evolving or not. Of course the core of our sound is very much rooted in hardcore, but with the next release all the borders compared to the first EP have been expanded so maybe that is somekind of evolving. Also Lauri wrote music for the next release and not just me so I guess there is some different vibe to it also from a song writing aspect.

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
No. We do what pleases ourselves and that’s about it.

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
No.

6) What is the biggest problem you have encontoured in the journey of music?
Hmmm. Maybe a stress reaction after a very creative season when I just can’t write anything anymore. Makes me think will I ever write again. But thank god these things comes and goes.

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
Scott Vogel from Terror would be awesome.

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
Though one. First Iron Maiden. Combination of Punk and Metal.

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
Madonna. The best.


|| SANO HILL ||

1) What made you want to become a musician?
I’ve always had the need to write music and to perform my own songs – it’s as much therapy as anything else, a way of making sense of what is going on in my life and in the world around me.

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Melodic folk-rock, but with influences of soul and blues – music hopefully most people can connect with – it’s often acoustic guitar led but my sound is a full band, with a wide range of instrumentation (I love brass and strings) and some experimental sounds mixed in (‘Sing Out Loud’ has a plane taking off at one point!)

3) Did your style evolved since the beginning of your carrer? Or did you always followed that stream?
My style has evolved a lot to incorporate a lot more instrumentation and experimentation with sounds around us and it’s that increased mix of instrumentation and sounds that I’ve tried to develop across the tracks on my forthcoming album ‘If Not Now When?’

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
I think you have to create music first for yourself, and that has integrity to who you are and where you come from – but it’s always important to think of the final listener – communication is a critical component of music and song so this is always in my mind also when I’m writing, how to express my perspective, my feelings, concerns etc. but in a way that hopefully can connect with others.

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
Not really – I’ve never really thought a lot about that aspect (perhaps I need to!!) – my focus has always been the music.

6) What is the biggest problem you have encontoured in the journey of music?
Making a living! It’s really difficult for indie artists to do so, particularly with how streaming has taken over the distribution of music today.

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
I’d love to do a track with Adele – she has such a soulful, bluesy voice and I’d love to collaborate with her on a track.

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
Probably the album that brought home to me first the power and possibility of music and songwriting was Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” – an extraordinary coming together of music, lyric and vocal, all functioning at a heightened level beyond what could easily be described in words. Transcendent.

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
I could mention so many artists that have influenced my work – Van Morrison, U2, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Nick Cave, Radiohead – but I’d ask them to give Sano Hill a listen. He might surprise you.


|| FAKE NEWS ||

1) What made you want to become a musician?
I’ve always loved music & ever since I picked up a guitar when I was young I have wanted to be able to play. I still wish I could play one! That’s why I’m a bass player in a punk band. No talent required there & the other boys tell me I don’t really qualify as a musician because I am only a bass player! Seriously though I love the whole process of creating music, recording music, playing live, the friendships you forge through a band or music in general & just making a hell of a lot of noise.

2) How would you describe the music that you typically create?
We class our music as melodic punk rock. We do have quite a varied range in our catalogue. There are some poppier songs & some heavier songs, but it all falls within that punk rock genre.

3) Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career? Or did you always follow that stream?
The style has certainly evolved. I’m not playing the same things I was 25 years ago, but I have always played in punk bands. That’s all I have ever looked for or really wanted to do. Some of the other boys have strayed into metal or rock here & there but we all come back to our roots. Good old fashioned punk rock

4) Do you create music for yourself or for fans’ taste? Nowadays it is always hard to satisfy listeners.
We make the music we want to make. If the songs are something that we can listen to & enjoy ourselves then we figure others that share the same musical interest should enjoy them too. We always try to do what is best for the song, what does the song need to be complete. We don’t think what does average joe want to hear & try to make it that because it doesn’t have the same passion or feel. Its not coming from the heart, where all music should come from.

5) Does your outfit have anything to do with the music you listen to or play?
Outfit? We haven’t got any outfits. Thongs, shorts & t shirts or singlets is our regular outfit. Not sure what musical genre that is meant to put us in.

6) What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
It would probably have to be getting people to actually listen to our music. People are bombarded with everything form every angle nowadays & music is so easily accessible that people are spoilt for choice. Most of popular modern music now is absolute rubbish. I can’t believe this is what people listen to. It is very disheartening sometimes to play a local punk show with a few decent local bands & there are 30 people that turn up. I just don’t get it. People should be getting out & experiencing live music but most people would rather watch some crap on their phone screen at home then get out & about, its pretty sad really the state of our local live music scene. Especially punk. C’mon people get out there & support your local bands. Without the support the whole scene dies & that is not a good place to be.

7) Who’s your ideal artist to collaborate with and why?
Wow. Tough choice. So many options but I am going to go with A Wilhelm Scream. Those guys are the best band getting around if you ask me. They are all top-class musicians in their own field & good blokes as well. I listen to their bass lines & guitar leads & drumbeats & it’s all so technical & fast. I struggle to play that stuff. They make interesting music, never boring & they do it so well. I would love to be able to sit down with them & pick their brain on how they create their songs & hopefully learn something along the way.

8) If you were a CD/album, what would you be and why?
A Wilhelm Scream – Career Suicide. Have you heard that album? Amazing. Start to finish. 

9) What artist would you recommend to a person who is undecided about what listening to?
Fake News is the obvious answer here, isn’t it? 
I’m going to go with A Wilhelm Scream again, but most people aren’t ready for that. It’s too full on for someone that is not into that style of music already. They don’t appreciate it.
Otherwise, I would say Pulley. They are another great band & a little bit easier for someone that is not a punk fan to get into to start with. Combine those 2 bands & you have the perfect mix I say. That’s where we are aiming for anyway.

http://www.fakenewspunk.com

https://www.youtube.com/@fakenewspunk

https://instagram.com/fakenews.punk?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

https://www.facebook.com/fakenewspunk?mibextid=LQQJ4d

https://music.apple.com/au/artist/fake-news/1405943669

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6fuS02IOVHCkRc3byaRiDu?si=ecYPi0nVTyOVDhUww1dt4Q


[In collaboration with ROGUE PR]


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