What have been your musical epiphany moments?
One I can easily recall is when I was a teenager and, while being accustomed to rock in general, I first listened to Joy Division and then dove into punk, post-punk etc. It just came like a thunder, an absolute revelation for that time.
Talk to us about the song-writing process for you. What comes first, the idea? A riff? The lyrics? How does it all fall into place?
The typical process is where there’s a vocal line or a riff hanging around for some time without being a song or anything. And we’d try various versions, either separately or collectively in the studio. Then usually comes a small epiphany (similar to the ones discussed before) where our minds seem to resonate, and we turn that abstract idea into a song. So, it’s mostly a process of trial and error. As for the lyrics, they get written in different phases to the music. As such they are independent of the song, created in moments that we need to express ourselves and then they are being adjusted to fit to the song in a way that makes sense musically and lyrically. In this way we are able to write lyrics quite freely.
Who has influenced you the most?
Many bands are the basic influences for our music. From Black Sabbath, QOTSA and Kyuss, to Black Angels, Arctic Monkeys, NIN and many more. The list is almost infinite because each member has different influences.
Where do you look for continuing inspiration? New ideas, new motivation?
There are no limitations on finding inspirations for
songwriting. Books and movies are great examples. We love dystopian scenarios
and anti-heroic characters to play leading roles in our songs. Songs such as
‘Oceanic Feeling’, ‘Vultures and Killers’ are inspired from books.
We're all a product of our environment. Tell us about the band's hometown and how that reflects in the music?
Obviously there have been some tough times in Greece due to the economic and social crisis the country went through. There was an underlying anger all around and you’d get the feeling that if you just lighted up a spark, it would set the whole city on fire. Times like these inevitably affect artists. But the audience was equally affected too, so the whole situation is like a chemical agent that allows the reaction to take place and this has created a whole musical movement in Greece. Lately we started living in different cities of the world (London, New York, Athens) and getting through fast-changing realities. That’s basically because of our professional lives and age. Hence, this is a new phase with many things to draw inspiration from and coming together to share these thoughts is very creative and relieving.
Where'd the band name come from?
First of all we kinda liked the way it sounded. And we found meaning in this notion of a deadlock that it resembles. We find that there’s a sort of communication breakdown in our time and despite all the technological advances and the tools that we possess, we talk but don’t listen to each other. We see ever more often this societies’ inability to transmit and receive messages.
You have one chance, what movie are you going to write the soundtrack for?
We have written in the past a song inspired by David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (No Hay Banda, 2015). Composing the soundtrack of a movie is a dream we have, let’s hope it comes true at some point. Possibly it needs to be a thriller or at the very least, a drama.
You now write for a music publication (The Ripple Effect?). You're going to write a 1,000 word essay on one song. Which would it be and why?
If you mean a song of ours, there are actually essays that were the starting points from some of our tracks, in a story telling style. For example ‘Backseats’ is one of those and it was the basis for the song’s lyrics.
Come on, share with us a couple of your great, Spinal Tap, rock and roll moments?
Hmmm, let’s see. Some of our favorite “rock n roll” moments
as a band took place on our second European Tour, after almost every gig when
alcohol was mixed with our blood cells. But we also remember when we were
approaching London
and our van’s gearbox broke out of nowhere. Our sound engineer and Dimitri’s
(our guitarist) driving skills saved the day and we made it to London with a broken gearbox which is almost
impossible if you think about it when you’re driving a manual car.
Unfortunately, we missed the next day’s gig but had a great day off in London while the van was
at the garage. Another one was two years ago when we literally lost our bassist
somewhere in the Balkans (he was playing with another band too back then) and
we were playing at a Greek festival. We couldn’t reach him, but he miraculously
appeared moments before our sound check. Nobody knows how he made it and it’s
still a mystery…
Tell us about playing live and the live experience for you and for your fans?
For a band that has only had one full-length album we’ve played a lot. We’ve toured Europe twice, had many packed/sold out headline shows in Greece and played the country’s biggest festivals like Ejekt and Street Mode. It has been overwhelmingly awesome to share our music live with our fans. In a way it’s like exposing our soul to them. The truth is that the feedback we receive every time is beyond our expectations. It’s so rewarding watching people singing your lyrics or asking for you to play more.
What makes a great song?
Technically, the amount of serotonin released in your head.
Tell us about the first song you ever wrote?
It was a punk-rock song back in 2005 inspired from bands like Ramones, Misfits etc.
What piece of your music are particularly proud of?
We love heavy bone-smashing guitars mixed with a dose of sexy melodic riffs. Everytime we record something new that’s our main goal. Mixing those two makes us feel really proud. Heaviness and sexiness.
Who today, writes great songs? Who just kicks your ass? Why?
The first person that came into our heads is Bruce Springsteen. He’s a sixty-nine year old badass and is still out there kicking our asses since forever. And of course, Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top. They just write great songs.
Vinyl, CD, or digital? What's your format of choice?
We are analog format lovers, but we also have CDs and downloaded albums in our laptops.
Whiskey or beer? And defend your choice!
Can’t we have both? Seriously, we usually order a beer and a
shot on the side.
We, at the Ripple Effect, are constantly looking for new music. What's your home town, and when we get there, what's the best record store to lose ourselves in?
Our hometown is Athens which is a city you either love or hate depending on your mood. Syd Records in Monastiraki area next to one of our favorite bars is our favorite record store and even if it’s not a big one, you can easily lose yourself in it.
What's next for the band?
We have just released the first single (‘Astypalea’) of our upcoming sophomore album, which will be available this fall. Will be playing various festivals across Greece this summer, before continuing with the releases of singles and the album, then hopefully touring.
Any final comments or thoughts you'd like to share with our readers, the waveriders?
Ride the waves you sexy waveriders!
