Fallen Arise
Interview conducted on February 12, 2021
By Dan Locke
Fallen Arise is a symphonic metal band formed in Athens, Greece in 2009. After releasing their first E.P., ”Eternal” in 2011, the first studio album ”Ethereal” was recorded and released in 2013. Following this, the second studio album ”Adeline” was released in 2015 and features the collaboration of 40 acclaimed musicians from different orchestras across Greece.
Fallen Arise are: Fiona Creaby -Vocals Vlassis K. -Vocals Gus -Keyboards Spyros Vasilakis- guitar Jason Ioakeim -Bass Marios K -Drums
What is your upbringing?
Gus: Our upbringing has the title ”Enigma”, third album for the band and the first with the new line up. It’s been a year since its release, the feedback is so great so far.
Fiona: I was born in Manchester, England to an Irish-English family. My family are spread around the world, so I have gotten around a bit visiting them over the years; I love to travel and discover new places and I lived in Perth, Australia for a bit too. Music has always been a core aspect of my life and after I left school, I was doing bar work and office jobs to make ends meet and won a study scholarship, whilst also experimenting with singing and songwriting alongside musician friends. That later led to fronting a local metal band in Manchester (Liquid Sky) for a few years but, predominantly, I have worked with Apparition (UK melodic metal band) as a singer-songwriter for over 15 years. The opportunity to join Fallen Arise as vocalist came in 2016, and I have since been spending my time back and forth between the UK and Athens, Greece. I have also always loved learning and studying and I gained my PhD a few years ago, so now I sing, teach and undertake research.
How did you discover music?
Gus: I discover music at the age of ten. My parents bought me a piano and I start to play just for fun without know anything about it. After that I took piano lessons for about ten years in a local music school in my neighborhood.
Fiona: My parents have always been deeply into music, so I grew up around their eclectic Vinyl collection. I started going to shows with my family from a young age, so music has always just seemed a natural thing to ‘do’ or immerse myself within. Whenever I am doing anything that requires any kind of movement or travel, I always have music on the go, and I have always loved to sing and dance. I tried learning the violin and flute as a kid but being left-handed with right-handed teachers was a bit of a barrier to hand-held instruments, as was the cost; instruments were an expensive luxury when I was growing up. I did get hold of a beat-up old keyboard with a few missing keys when I was about 10, so I played around with that, but it was short lived. The only musician in my family was my Irish grandfather who played the accordion and I remember watching him play various folk tunes. But for me, voice seemed to be the thing I just kept gravitating towards. After I left school, I had no singing experience and no idea what I was doing, but I turned up to a rehearsal room after a guitarist friend inviting me along, and I sang something that seemed to fit to what they were playing. It seemed to go down well with them, so I carried on turning up to sing each week, and they carried on letting me! That then later led to joining a local band (Liquid Sky) and we started doing gigs and writing some new songs. I was with them for a couple of years, which included performing at Bloodstock UK when Children of Bodom, Sonata Artica, and Primal Fear headlined, so that was a bit of turning point for me. It was probably at that stage I became more seriously involved in music and thinking more deeply about songwriting. I joined up with Apparition not long after that and have been working with them as a singer-songwriter for over fifteen years, resulting in various releases and shows in the UK and across Europe, with the most recent album ‘The Awakening’ coming out a few years ago. Apparition also host and manage the Dames of Darkness Festival in the UK, which has featured bands such as Delain, Leaves Eyes, Sirenia, Visions of Atlantis and Xandria over the years, so it has been a pleasure to perform with them at the festival and get involved in supporting the organization of the festival. There is always so much discover about music and what goes into making it and performing it. When the opportunity to join Fallen Arise came in 2016, this resulted in some new discovery too, as it is my first co-vocalist role, so it has been great to work as part of a dual vocal front.
How did you start to write music?
Gus: I started writing music at the age of 18. It was since I join heavy metal music and we had a band with some friends, not something serious, just having fun in the studio once or twice a week. We started writing some riffs and by the time we finished it up we had some songs that they were my compositions on behalf.
Fiona: In my teens, I played around with vocal melodies and penned some lyrics, so I had a small collection of ideas but no way at that time to turn those ideas into full songs without instrumentalists; this was back when sound tech was mainly confined to professional studios so it was just me and my tape cassette recorder. After I joined up with my first band, I shared some of my ideas, and they also had music that needed vocal melodies and lyrics, which in turn brought about new ideas. I would listen, record what they played on my tape recorder and take it away to come up with vocals and lyrics for the next week. Years later, with Apparition, the writing process was much deeper. I would sit with one or two of the guys and they would play stuff, and we would build ideas together, or they might have some vocal melodies, or I might have an idea for structure or a riff, or some sense of orchestration parts that I could verbalize or hum and the guys could capture, so that was quite an iterative process. I have tried to carry on like that, but writing is quite a dynamic process and different bands will have different approaches to writing.
Describe your music.
Gus: It’s emotional, dark, epic…in other words symphonic and metal!
Fiona: For Fallen Arise, symphonic metal with an energic rhythm. For other work I am involved in, it is more suited to a description of melodic metal and rock.
You are a symphonic metal band from Athens Greece in 2009. How did you form the band?
Gus: Just like the previous band I mentioned it accidentally happened in the summer of 2008. Two very good friends of mine came with an idea for a new project. The whole idea was to create music near to the sound of Nightwish and Within Temptation since we were huge fans of those bands until that time. One of the very first members was my very good friend Vaelor from Lloth that joined us as a session guitarist in our European shows in 2016.
How did your band get its name?
Gus: The first singer had the idea. There weren’t many choices since the other guys were really bad at finding names, so we thought that it was really cool and we here we were!
How did you give Fiona into the band?
Gus: Our manager Dimitris and I, spent a whole Summer on that. Of course, most of this work was on his shoulders and I think he did a great job. The last person that we talked about was Fiona and we realized that she was the perfect person to take over the position. She is professional, she has passion, she likes our music…she’s amazing!
What was your first performance at like?
Gus: It was December 23rd of 2009, in a festival in Athens with the old line up. From this era, I am the only one who is still a member of the band. Great memories…
Fiona: For me, the first performance with Fallen Arise was in Autumn 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria supporting Serenity. It was my first time to Bulgaria too, and it was a great experience; the crowd was just great and so lively. It really gave me a lot of confidence on stage, and with a new band and new material, I felt a bit nervous of course, but the crowd really gave me a lot of energy. I really enjoyed the show, and the Autumn tour too, we always played shows in Romania and Greece as well, and they were all great fun, with very passionate crowds. My first ever performance was a long time ago as a guest vocalist for a local band, and it was exhilarating and a bit scary at first but such an amazing feeling.
What makes a good songwriter?
Fiona: I think that good songwriters are very connected to the world around them and are the sort of people who listen and observe well, have a broad perspective, and a sense of a vision. I think the use of emotions is a big part of that, in terms of creating a ‘feeling’, and I find that really good songwriting really ‘moves’ me, and I can even feel quite emotional when listening to or singing certain songs. Finding that emotional connection is especially important for me, whether it is joy, sadness, nostalgia, regret, desire, or something else, alongside other more technical aspects like structure, memorability, key, tone, dynamics, and narrative. I think that good songwriters also listen to the feedback of those who are going to help perform and produce the song, for example, the other band members or the producer or engineer who map everything out. Over the years, I have been lucky to work with some excellent songwriters that I have learned a lot from. Paul ‘Kull’ Culley, who performed bass with Fallen Arise on ‘Enigma’, is hugely talented as a songwriter and guitarist and I have worked with him for years, and he is also part of Apparition. I also learned a lot from ShadowPlay (Australia) after spending some time working with the band, especially my friend Linus Chen who is a very progressive songwriter and guitarist. I have also collaborated with Achim Schreiner (Germany) of Woodlark and Blood Red Soul, who is an excellent multi-instrumentalist and producer. And of course, Gus is a greatly skilled songwriter, composer, and pianist, with so much knowledge of classical and contemporary music and he is always studying something new to expand his perspective. I learn something new from Gus every time we talk!
What is the process of writing your music?
Fiona: For me, music often creates a journey or scene in my mind based on how it makes me feel, so I prefer to get a sense of the the rhythm, melody and the general feel of the song before I write vocal melodies and lyrics. There have been exceptions to that when a vocal melody just hits me, and it goes from there. Early in the writing process for Enigma, Gus and I stood by his piano in Athens as he played some ideas and gave a sense of structure. We played around a little bit and I sang some notes, then things developed from there. I was working between Athens and the UK back then, so Gus was worked with the other guys to build the songs instrumentally and laid down guide tracks to send to me when I couldn’t be in Athens. I started to work with those tracks, writing lyrics and developing vocal melodies remotely, with tracks going back and forth between me and Gus as the songs developed. I had a lot of freedom to create melodies and words as they but Gus also created some excellent vocal melodies too which meant I just needed to create lyrics and develop the lines. Vlassis also contributed lyrics for his parts on ‘Embers’, ‘Enigma’ and ‘The Storm Inside’ as he developed his developed his lines too. It was interesting how all of our lyrics fitted together so well without much initial discussion about the overall narrative, so I think we held similar ideas about the songs when we heard them individually, so it came together well. Paul ‘Kull’ Culley also co-wrote the lyrics on ‘Forever Winter’ with me and this really helped to shape the narrative and the feel of the vocals in the verses.
Gus: I can say that I don’t work the same all the time, so I don’t have magic formulas. I just try to be focus on that and give my best to end up with a kick-ass song. Sometimes it’s starts with a riff, with a melody on piano, on vocals…every time it’s different and I love that way…you never know what is going to happen and it will sound in the end, haha…
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Gus: I am member of GEMMA.
Fiona: Yes, I am a member of the UK Performing Rights Society (PRS), which also includes my membership of the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) to protect my mechanical rights globally as a songwriter.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Gus: It was a song called ”Forever Slave”. We never recorded IT because it was really bad and I didn’t like it at all, we just played a couple of time because at that time it was the only one, we had, haha…the next songs after that were ” My Fall ” and ” Under The Bliss Of The Sun” which are included in our debut album, ” Ethereal ”.
Fiona: The first ever original song I wrote was back in the 90s and it was called ‘See the Truth’. It was never recorded but was performed live several times with a UK band I worked with a few times as a guest vocalist.
Your band has shared the stage with the likes of Nightwish, Fate Warning, Leave’s Eye and Xandria. Did anyone give you any words of wisdom about the music business?
Fiona: Over the years I have had the pleasure of working alongside some great artists and bands which always provides the chance to consult with industry professionals, from the band members to the crew, to the promoters and the venue staff. Listening, watching, and learning is a part of life on the road for me. You learn a lot backstage and as you travel, especially from the crew and the management. Paradise Lost, Fates Warning, and Nightwish are extremely professional in their organization and performance. Having the chance to work with them and talk with them, and their crew and road management, was a very valuable learning experience for me. I also have friends who are in tour management in a variety of roles, so you get a lot of helpful tips that way too, and I have long discussions with our manager Dimitris Kazantzis about different aspects of the music business. You learn a lot from listening to their experiences of others. I think the best wisdom came from a friend of mine who is a tour manager working with very established and well-known bands; he said that the best thing any band can do is to retain a sense of humor in the face of chaos and prepare for all eventualities as so many unexpected things can and do happen on tour. That was very wise advice! Our sound engineer Nikos Zannis always reminds us that anything is possible on tour, but ‘first, let’s eat!’ It’s good advice as sometimes, the window for self-care is often short on tour so you must look after yourself and look for your band mates and crew.
Tell me about the creation of your first studio album “Eternal” in 2013? Why did it take you 2 years to release it?
Gus: Gus: It was our debut album, an E.P. actually and we were not in rush to have it quickly. We took the time we needed and released it when it was really ready. We weren’t under time pressure or that kind of stuff, no deadlines, no labels, so…we did it our way…
How did your first album different from “Enigma”?
Gus: It’s quite different since we’ve grown up. We listened to much more music, we discovered more things. Back then we were just kids, trying to copy our idols and sound like them. You know, the first step of each composer is to copy the ones who love and admire. Then, it comes the identity. It couldn’t be different and if someone tell that it is, he’s lying 100%. With ”Enigma”, we present much more of our “identity” and I think we’re doing great but since we are artists, we will always have something new to discover and experiment with.
Fiona: For me, there are both differences and similarities in terms of the feel, narrative, and composition of both albums. I think that with Ethereal there was a lighter feel, and at times some slightly more progressive elements coming through but overall, it is an upbeat album, with the interaction of the two vocalists quite different in terms of vocal style. For me, ‘Enigma’ feels heavier and more powerful, with more contrast between vocal styles. But like ‘Ethereal’, ‘Enigma’ retains a focus on fun and interesting melodies, an upbeat rhythm, and a sense of drive and passion throughout, with ‘Enigma’ also drawing in more on the guitar than before, but with orchestral elements remaining strong. ‘Enigma’ has a very interesting blend for me.
Tell me about the backstory of your latest video “Forever Winter”?
Why was the video released, and then removed?
Fiona: When I wrote the core narrative, I was thinking of the lead character from the Fallen Arise album ‘Adeline’ and the song ‘As far as the memory remains’. The narrative of that song features Adeline remembering how she found her parents when they had passed away. In the song, she is walking through ‘a deep silent winter’ as she remembers them yet she ‘feels no cold’. That story gave me some inspiration for ‘Forever Winter’, thinking about Adeline’s spirit wandering in the deep cold winter, the last of her family, alongside some other ideas that were in my mind at the time when I heard the song for the first time. So, lyrically, ‘Forever Winter’ could be considering a partial nod back to the ‘Adeline’ album. However, musically, the songs are a very different style from each other. In relation to the release of the video, this went as planned but there was a link error in the Facebook post from the band’s official page, so a new post made. The video is currently available via our label’s (ROAR) YouTube channel, and via our official website and social media platforms.
What is your favorite track on the album?
Fiona: I think when writing, ‘Reborn’ was with me the most followed by ‘Forsaken’, however, ‘Forever Winter’ and ‘Embers’ are my preferred for listening as I really enjoy their melodies and dynamics. But when it comes to performing the songs, I know a firm favorite will come once we have the chance to perform on stage as it depends on the audience’s reaction for me.
Gus: I really love them all, sorry, it sounds cliché and maybe it is, but it’s the truth!
How do you stay healthy while performing?
Fiona: Get as much sleep as possible, drink lots of water, and ensure good nutrition. These are all essential aspects when on the road, but equally, a sense of humor and taking downtime is also important. For singers especially, hydration and rest are important as it is a very physical job. These elements can make or break your voice, especially when you are touring across different climates, going in and out of air-con or heating from tour buses or planes to hotels, backstage, and frontstage as that all impacts on your voice. Keeping my voice well-rested is important and I tend to not talk much early in the day and when traveling as voice rest is very important after a show and talking over road or airplane noise puts additional stress on the voice. But I also think that looking out for each other is also key as anything can happen on a tour, with travel disruption, unexpected illness or injury, or equipment issues, so we make sure that we support each other and communicate well as we are all in it together, band and crew, and we all need to be at our best every show and we can only do that by being a solid team and having each other’s backs.
Gus: I really do nothing about that, I just try to keep my limits and not overdoing it to anything. I don’t take drugs, actually, I hate them deadly, I don’t drink. I wish to stop smoking and drinking so much coffee, these are the only things that I catch myself be a little bit nasty…
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Gus: I think it’s good, even it happens for a good reason. Personally, I use it to discover new artists, but I don’t stay on that. If I like what I’m listening, I will buy it. I think this is the best thing to do.
Fiona: I think streaming is gaining a much stronger place with the digital world nowadays and it is becoming more important for artists and bands to have a variety of formats available for different preferences, cultures, incomes, generations and so forth. However, there are difficulties with streaming due to the pressures on income generation, which is often extremely low by the time it gets to the band or artist. Especially for new artists, it is not something that anyone could survive on as a primary income when trying to build a profile, or even when established in a smaller genre or semi-established in the mainstream. Streaming isn’t yet valued in the way it should be in my opinion but maybe 2021 might bring some change in terms of streaming services more generally, no matter how small, it would help. I for one would like to see a better global deal for musicians at all levels, especially new artists.
Digital vs. Vinyl?
Fiona: I think both digital and Vinyl, or other hard copy formats, all have their role. Some people love to have each, some prefer one over the other. For me, it is both really as I enjoy the portability of digital music on the go and the ease of new discoveries or finding music I hear about from recommendation or reviews. But there is something so special about having the hard copy, such as a Vinyl, CD, or cassette. My first music purchase was on my 7th birthday. My parents took me to a big vinyl store. I spent hours in there looking around. I never forget the feeling of opening my very first vinyl! I played my parent’s records a lot as a kid but buying my first vinyl really stays with me. Not long after, I got a cassette player, so I saved up and bought a few tapes. I have some great memories of first listens; it is the feeling that stayed with me, of opening the record and reading the inlay then waiting for the first bars to hit my ears. It doesn’t feel the same with on-demand digital purchasing although I really enjoy viewing the artwork and exploring artists’ websites, videos and photos which were harder to get years ago when the internet didn’t exist. Band photos outside of the album sleeve were only in music magazines you had to buy, and as a teen, you had to make strategic choices about how to spent the pittance you earned from your weekend job. So, music was often a theme for gifts when I was young. I remember hogging the radio for the chart countdown each week or asking my parents to put on Top of Pops on the TV, or I would go to the house of a friend who had MTV to watch the new rock videos drop that mainstream UK TV wouldn’t play. But, that said, nowadays we still get to wait for albums and videos to drop and I still get such excitement out of that too, and you get to know more about artists and bands these days too and see more visual creations by them as well as interviews. Overall, both Vinyl and digital formats have their merit, and I would like them both to retain a space in the world!
Gus: Oh man, this endless and stupid war. In my point of view since I’m get involved in this as a technician, both things advantages and disadvantages. It’s a stupid thing to keep fighting because it’s a matter of choice. We have them both, right? So, listen that is the best for your ears!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Fiona: Back in Black – ACDC. The lyrics and the passion of song sum up what I know my feelings will be when we finally get to perform live again!
Gus: ”Heat on the street” by Phil Collins. Actually, it doesn’t mean something to me, I just like the artist and the album.
Both (Pfizer and BioNTech) and Moderna have conclude Phase 3 Study of the Coronavirus vaccine. With the both vaccines, it takes two shots. How many people do you think will take it and how many will forget to take the second shot?
Fiona: I am in the UK currently, and we now also have the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine too, which was approved in late-December, and another one potentially coming as of late-January. I suppose there is always a chance of people missing the second dose for many reasons, such as health complications or unexpected changes that might interrupt it. But with the right support, hopefully, all those that really need it will get it in full, and soon. For the UK, the most vulnerable are supposed to be fully vaccinated by March according to the government, and they are trying to find ways to speed up the programmed each week. But I think it will be a lengthy process for the world, and some countries may decide to move differently, or some countries might not have the privilege of as much choice or speed due to their economy, geography, climate or logistics, and for some people, it might not be so simple a choice or so available to them.
Gus: For me, all this situation, is quite complicated. Every day there is something new and I can say that I’m a little bit tired of that. I just wanna wish, no more death, and let’s hope that the day after will be better…
To make things a bit more complex, there is talk that people could either mix the manufactures of the vaccines or in the case of Moderna studies have shown you could take a half doses for the first shot and still be alright for the second vaccine. Do you feel that this is right?
Fiona: It is hard to decern what is ‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’ in this kind of situation as it is so complex. Given the serious situation in the UK now, as of January 2021, the government decided to stretch the process by giving one shot and delaying the second beyond the initial 21 days to 12 weeks in order to get a higher volume of people vaccinated with the first dose by the Spring. Hence, they are considering, in only very exceptional circumstances, to mix doses in those that might have had their first dose in December or January because there are only so many Pfizer BioNTech vaccines available in the UK before we run out. I have concerns that without solid and rigorous data that outlines the efficacy and risk of such an approach, that it may be a risk to some of the most vulnerable people in the UK who have already had their first dose, or may have to have an alternative dose. But there is new data emerging, and more studies, that suggest stretching doses might not be a problem. If the science proves efficacy is similar and does not increase risk in such approaches, then it may be a solid way to reduce the wider impact and risks faced as lockdowns and restrictions are causing so much damage to so many people psychologically, economically, as well as physically due to reduced access to general healthcare and social support. It has been a very restrictive situation in the UK for so people. It is certainly not a clear-cut situation, and I just hope that we see some good outcomes across the globe very soon.
How long before the whole world will be vaccinated against the virus. You have to remember there only has to be a 70% for Herd immunity (Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected — not just those who are immune.)
Fiona: I think that the biggest challenge will likely come with mutations of the coronavirus which may impact the efficacy of vaccines or how our immune systems understand it and react to it. I’m not a virologist or medical scientist, but I understand that the concept of herd immunity is a complex issue, particularly as we now face new mutations. I feel there are too many unknowns at this point but I suppose that if there had been no mutations at all, perhaps we could have had a good level of population protection from severe infection by the Autumn 2021 for the UK, and maybe for a lot of other countries too. However, it would likely still be circulating and potentially dangerous for those not protected at that point. I think that the more data we can have on COVID-19 and how it changes, the speedier and more innovative the preventative measures, vaccines, and treatments could perhaps be. With research, science, crisis management, legislation, and collaboration driven at such a rapid pace by this coronavirus, maybe it will help tackle any future mutations more quickly.
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Gus: For sure it affects the present, about the future I don’t know. I wish not, we already lost so many things….
Fiona: Certainly during 2021 I think it will, and quite likely going into 2022 with travel restrictions, testing, quarantine etc. as well. Even with a vaccine, you may have some protection from becoming unwell, but there is a chance you could still carry it, spread it and infect others who are not protected. So, I think that testing, quarantine, social/physical distancing, masks and restrictions will likely be here for while especially in relation to travel for touring and maybe for indoor performances too. Perhaps outdoor festivals will be the first to start back up eventually. Perhaps a lesser impact will be seen on hard copy sales if stores can stay open and not have to keep closing every few weeks like we have seen in the UK and Greece. Overall, for musicians, and for everybody really, it is requiring a new form of resilience in managing ourselves through this crisis as humans as we experience huge on-going changes to career, career, and socialization.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Gus: Music, music, music…and music!
Fiona: There has been a lot to manage with lots of changes and self-isolation and so forth. Focusing on well-being has been important. It has been quite tough but staying connected with family and friends has been important for positivity. We had a great band video call the other day and it was uplifting catching up talking about future possibilities and what we can do in 2021, and what might happen in 2022 and beyond.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Gus: Not really, my work is my hobby!
Fiona: Not really, things have been very busy with managing day-to-day life as here in the UK we were hit with almost fortnightly changes for the last 6 months of 2020 after the first national lockdown ended and we went into strict local restrictions where I am, then national lockdown 2, then more local restrictions. It is our third lengthy national lockdown now so there have been constant adjustments and frequent new restrictions to understand and manage. But I have been focusing a lot more recently on health and well-being given the lengthy indoor isolation periods.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
Gus: I like Netflix a little bit. I there are some really nice things and it’s a good “company” when I want to relax.
Fiona: Probably YouTube for me, mainly for music. For other media, it is a variety depending on content, but they are all relatively similar to me, but yes, I utilize the internet now for listening, viewing and reading most things.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Fiona: There are many platforms that people utilize for Livestream purposes these days, and Facebook can still be a place to advertise a Livestream show, so, it is likely to still be a lot of chatter about things that are happening despite this change. Facebook has been around for a fair while now and is still huge, but there are many people who do not engage much with it and seem to prefer other platforms. I think that it can be common for some people to have a profile even if they are not that active, or use it to signpost people to a platform they do use; for me, it has always been a more asynchronous platform anyway and I have become used to that. But others prefer the more synchronous experience, and this is becoming more of the norm for many people. But, in the future, I think Facebook will do more to enhance interactive abilities to retain users and attract new users. The post-pandemic world will be an interesting space for live music, and it may create opportunities for a more blended live experience as many artists would find it difficult to survive with reduced audience capacities to maintain social distancing and any travel restrictions that have to remain, like quarantine periods on arrival.
Gus: I don’t have too much to say on that. In those platforms we’re all visitors, right? We do not own them. It doesn’t matter who you are or how famous you are. You’re in someone’s house and this house has its rules. So, take it or leave it. I’m not going to say if it is good or bad, it is what it is…
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
Fiona: The internet and social media have been an important part of fan interaction for some time now, and since the pandemic hit, many bands have shared additional things, such as lyric videos, live stream shows, merchandise and so forth. Fans have amazing commitment to bands and will stay connected and check in with the latest posts or photos, or info on what a band might do next and we really value that and thank everyone for their ongoing support. We have done a competition this year, where fans could produce their own cover version of a favorite track from ‘Enigma’ using our music files, so that was great fun and the prize was a merchandise pack and we had a fantastic pool of entries. I think the difficult thing is that when you cannot perform, it can be harder to connect with new people without some sort of new asset or a dedicated promotion campaign. So, we have been lucky with the new album coming out in April 2020 which had considerable promotion and a lot of work with the media. This has enabled us to reach new people through these various channels when shows have not been possible and we will keep promoting what we do and sharing highlights from our new album, our past tours and our back catalogue, as well as working on future songs.
Gus: This is a problem and believe it or not, you can’t solve it because there are no magic formulas. We trying to be close to our fans with many things during the day and not like artists but like all the people. We try to encourage them, talk to them…it’s not always the money and merchandise, sometimes it’s only human’s relationship.
How are your 2021 Calendars selling?
Fiona: Very well thank you, they have been popular, and we are very pleased with this. There is only a limited amount remaining, so I encourage anyone who wants one to order via the website quickly before they are all gone.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Gus: Now, pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Fiona: Pay to play can still be common within the live performance and touring environment depending on the sort of tour undertaken, or the work you are doing. It is a choice for a band in relation to the sorts of shows they want to perform, and the sorts of artists they want to play with. But there is always the opportunity to build a tour without this, however, you have to balance the risks and finances much more carefully as it can be a major endeavor. We are seeing more of the upcoming artists across the scene in Europe collaborating to organize a tour for example, without pay to play, which we may see more of in the future if bands choose to move more independently. Building a network has always been important.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Gus: I don’t find them interesting but I’m not blaming those who like them. We had a lot of shows in Europe with thousands of people watched our performances. We felt the real vibe, the real communication, the real energy. Nothing can defeat this, so, I prefer to stay patient, doing other things to satisfy our fans and ourselves until the right time comes again!
Fiona: I suppose I am a bit ‘old school’ so I think I will always prefer the live in-person concert experience. The feel, the sound, the sights; all of it. But I am open to new ways of experiencing musical performance, and I watched quite a few live stream shows during lockdown which I enjoyed. Some of them felt a bit more intimate at times too, but it doesn’t replace the live concert feel, perhaps for me, it is more of an ‘add-on’ experience. I am not sure about the holographic idea, but I haven’t experienced it yet, so I won’t know until I try it. I think we could see a lot of new ideas like this emerge as the world navigates pandemic life and beyond and thinks ‘what next…?’ as well as more transformation of performance technologies.
Governments heard the call of thousands of music creators and included protections for the music community in the omnibus bill. In addition to extended and improved unemployment benefits and small business loans for freelance creators, the package includes several bills which the Recording Academy, its members, and the larger music community advocated for. From the Save Our Stages Act, provided a lifeline to performance venues and promoters, to the CASE Act, which creates an avenue for smaller creators to defend their copyrighted works, Congress has ensured that both music creators and those who act behind the scenes to bring music to life are given the support they need during this difficult time.” Will this help save the industry?
Fiona: It is great to see such effort taking place in the US, and we are also hoping for continued work in Europe and the UK in a similar way as the pandemic difficulties continue. We also have the impending impact of Brexit on live performance with visa restrictions and costs in place which are currently being lobbied in UK due to their potential impact on artists across Europe and the UK. We also need to address global issues with copyright and royalties too. It is very important to support the industry in such a way and protect live venues, the work of artists, and performance crews, but I think it will be a long journey. For us, there is always a space to write, record, perform and it is our primary path. However, as individuals, we also teach and work behind the scenes, for example in audio engineering, artwork, and production and tour management. So, there are ways we support what we do, which predominantly remains within the industry. This also supports our own work, widens our network, and helps us to learn new skills that complement our aims.
Gus: I don’t know about other countries but in Greece those things are fantasy! The government is not able to manage even the simplest things. So, in that case, things like the one that you mentioned about the protection of the artists, are just a joke. As for the second question if I can’t do music. There is not such a thing for me…you can always do music…
What is your happy place?
Fiona: Watching the sunset, preferably by the ocean or the sea in a warm and relaxed environment. This is my Zen!
Gus: It’s my personal studio.
Spotify just deleted 750,00 songs, mostly from independent artists. Was your saved?
Fiona: We currently have our album available on Spotify, which is organized by our label ‘Rock of Angels Records’ (ROAR), so we have not seen our material removed in this move by Spotify.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Gus: Thank you very much for the nice interview and the opportunity to speak about our music. I wish you the best and I hope to see you soon!
Fiona: Thank you very much for talking with us, it has been our pleasure. We send best wishes to everyone for a safe, healthy and happy year ahead and look forward to getting back out on the road as soon as we can!
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