written by Marko Jakob — please, support us > paypalme/pix666de
Pix666: Hey Susanna. Thanks for your time. How are you doing these days, are you alive and well? How are the other guys of Cyan Kicks?
Susanna: Hey Marko and thanks for the Interview. We’re all doing great and feeling so excited about all the plans for the future!
Pix666: Please introduce your band to the readers in a few short sentences. How did you meet and what was your inspiration to become a musician? What kind of music does Cyan Kicks make?
Susanna: Cyan Kicks was founded in 2016 by me and our quitarist/producer Niila. We met 10 years ago through our previous band and the second I saw him I knew that this is the guy I wanna work with till the end of time. We’ve been inseparable ever since and write all our music together in our own studio in Helsinki. Our bassist Leevi and drummer Pietari were already Niila’s friends from a music academy and we asked them to join the band in 2016.
We all have had the dream of working with music since childhood and we’re feeling so lucky finding each other. Everything works so perfectly among us, couldn’t really ask for more. We call our music just modern rock, we donʼt really care about genres. One of our songs could be metal, the other full electro pop, but at the end of the day it all sounds like Cyan Kicks. Our musical influences vary from ambient to black metal and itʼs always exciting to release new music cause the listeners never really know whatʼs coming. Itʼs all very natural and not intentional at all.
Pix666: You have been on the road with Cyan Kicks for a few years. What have been the best experiences and milestones as a musician so far?
Susanna: Meeting with our fans and hearing their stories about how our music has affected their lives has been the highlight moments for me. It makes me feel that there’s a higher purpose for all of this that we’re doing.
Pix666: Some months ago your new EP ‘Not Your Kindʼ. How were the fans’ reactions? Where can the fans buy your EP?
Susanna: We’ve got a lot of breathtaking feedback on the EP. “Not Your Kind” is an honest and emotional whole. Weʼve got feedback that its songs bring a lot of much-needed comfort, people find it relieving that someone else is going through the same feelings as themselves. Thatʼs the most important function of all music: to be able to identify with it. You can get a numbered and signed EP from our web store at www.cyankicks.com/store.
Pix666: What else do you have for sale in the shop? I think the fans could use some new clothes for the summer.
Susanna: There’s plenty of stuff designed by me, t-shirts, hoodies, joggers etc, go check them out!
Pix666: You have also released the new video clip ‘The Floodʼ. There have already been more than 50,000 views on YouTube. I’m a fan of statistics of all kinds. What about you? Do you look at the numbers of streams, the views on YouTube, or do you know, for example, in which countries the people who listen to your music live?
Susanna: I like checking the statistics every now and then, especially at the time of new releases. Niila is the one in our band who loves to follow all the kind of data, he’s always aware of everything that’s going on.
Pix666: You wear masks in your video. What is the meaning of these masks for you? Are the masks only for this video clip or are they a trademark of your band?
Susanna: I came up with the idea of using fox masks while planning a music video for our first single “Feathers” in 2016. These masks were supposed to be just for the video at first but we fell in love with them and their symbolism and now they are a huge part of our whole image. The fox symbolises survival, cleverness, slyness and independence and encourages action and swift moves in a way that shows your adaptability and ability to go through obstacles and resistance.
Pix666: Some days ago you played a concert in Tampere together with Apocalyptica. Please describe the feeling you have as a singer when you can finally go back on stage? Do you have any other plans for live performances in 2021?
Susanna: Interacting and connecting with people through live shows is really the core of the whole thing. There we meet our fans and get to chat with them, itʼs really the best thing I know. Weʼve gotten to play two gigs now after a really long break and returning to the stage felt just so good, I can’t even describe it. We had missed it so much. Our next gig is at Yo-Talo, Tampere 15th October together with Arion! Hopefully we see some of you there, can’t wait ❤
Pix666: How do you generally create your songs? Where do you get the ideas for your songs, which topics do you mainly deal with?
Susanna: Usually it starts with a topic that one of us wants to write a song about. We have a talk about it and start writing lyrics and at the same time Niila creates a soundscape based on the atmosphere of the topic. Sometimes the melody comes first; some particular riff or harmony gives the subject for the song. In our songs we deal with a lot of dark topics, harshness of life, difficult emotions and life situations. These topics come from our own experiences, what we feel inside or see around us.
Pix666: When I interviewed Lassi from the band Arion earlier this year, I noticed you in the video ‘In The Name Of Love’. I love that song! How did the collaboration with Arion come about and can you imagine singing duets more often in the future? Which artist would be your favourite for a duet – are you dreaming?
Susanna: We’re good friends with the guys from Arion and they asked if I’d be interested in singing in one of their song. I loved “In The Name Of Love” from the very first listen and didn’t hesitate for a moment. It was a big honor for me. I would definitely see myself doing more duets in the future, dream collab would be with Bring Me The Horizon or PVRIS.
Pix666: As a musician, you certainly spend most of your time creating music – but what else do you do in your free time when you want to get your mind off things – are there any interesting hobbies that you pursue?
Susanna: In the summer I love to spend time in the nature, especially near the sea (If I lived in Asia I would spend most of my free time scuba diving) I love swimming, water sports, summer cottage life, sauna, making abstract paintings, watching good series, listening ASMR and podcasts. I need a lot of alone time, that’s the best way to recharge myself.
Pix666: Do you have any other news, that you would like to share with the fans?
Susanna: New Era is just waiting to begun and we’re so thrilled about 2022. It’s gonna be wild. Wait for it. We love you X
Pix666: Thank you very much for the interesting answers – Good luck with the new songs and stay healthy!!!
Susanna: Thanks so much. Good luck for you too & stay well!
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Photos © by Neaaleksandra Photography and Susanna
