What are some of the lessons you took from working your EP, Garden, that you’re taking into the album Chronicles of Dystopia?
-Well, this time we were well prepared. We spent some time in preproduction, so we could see if any ideas didn't sound well and fix everything before hitting the studio. There were also no distractions this time. Besides David Prudent, the owner of Made in Hell studio, there was only the person recording in the room and maybe someone else from the band. We also decided to take our time in every session, so that we could get the best possible takes, instead of recording around the clock. So, we got the best possible outcome.
Could you describe what the process is for coming up with new music?
-There's no better way than grabbing an instrument, jamming around an idea and introducing it to the band. That's a good starting point. Yiannis (Kemenidis, guitars) comes with many ideas this way. The next step it to them in the rehearsal room, where the songs start to take a first form. Usually, that's the point where Ina (Damianidou, vocals) comes up with some lyrics. Recording in the home studio lets us see the details and when everything is set, we play again and again until everything comes as naturally as a breath.
I noticed a lot of the creative elements. Do you have any particular bands or artists that you feel inform you for seeing as a whole, as a collective?
-I can't say there's just one thing that defines our sound. There's a mix of various influences from all the rock and metal scene and the personal influences of each individual member that sum up to the Still Dusk sound.
The video for the new single “Insideous” looks great! Could you describe the process of putting it together and how it was filmed?
-Shooting a music video was a new experience for us. We had no idea what we'd like to do, so we had to trust our director. Luckily, Kostas Petinakis and his team found a great place to shoot the video, brought all the necessary equipment and helped us unwind and perform for the video. We had to overcome some obstacles on the way though, because the place wasn't easily accessible with vehicles and the day we had plan to shoot, it started to rain out of the blue, forcing us to make some last second changes. It went well though.
Greece itself has such a fantastic pedigree for metal metal and rock. I'm just fascinated by how the scene is over there. How healthy is the scene in your eyes?
-There's a new wave of bands that start their journey now and tend to support each other. Greece has some experienced artists that are an inspiration for the new bands to chase their dreams. There are bands that chase a record deal, others that prefer the DIY way, there's an active scene and every weekend the local clubs host many bands that want to express themselves. That's how things are in bid cities. Outside Athens and Thessaloniki thought, there aren't many stages, but there's an audience that loves to see a new band.
-When you go to a local gig, you'll see many familiar faces enjoying the show and having fun. Greek audience has a reputation and many bands of abroad love the crowds. It's not uncommon though to see someone in their everyday life wearing a local band's T-shirt. When a local band has some good material and make a passionate performance, people go crazy and support the artists.
Are you getting attention outside of Greece?
-We had a great time playing in Rock'n'Iasi festival in Romania last year and there's a lot of attention from there. We also signed for Rock Company from Netherlands. We start gaining some reputation in Europe, I guess.
Is there anywhere, or any festivals, that you would like to play in the future?
-We really want to play more outside Greece, either in clubs or in festivals around Europe. USA is always a big dream for every band. Who knows? We're just doing our first steps!
Are there any goals you want to achieve as a band?
-If we could live just by playing our music, that would be great. You know, we're all working class musicians and we have our day jobs so we can pay for the rent, bills and of course for everything that has to do with the band. Rehearsals, recordings, new gear etc.
What is the hardest thing, professionally or personally, you've had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?
-That's gonna be a pretty raw answer, but truth is that living in Greece and balancing a day job, a personal life and playing metal is a tough situation. There were times we couldn't find a couple of hours to practice all together because our schedules and obligations were a mess. Now, about our personal struggles, everyone had some, who doesn't? About mine, it was when I had broken my left hand's knuckles and wasn't sure if I could ever play the bass again. I didn't know rock bottom has a basement. Luckily, it ended up well and started playing again. That's when I got involved with Still Dusk. Having to keep up with these riffs was also a great rehab! So, it may sound cliché, but the band helped each of us overcome some rough times. It's not only that we release some stress when playing together. We hang out, talk about anything, support each other when needed, share things and ideas, it's not just a collaboration. We are four different people that get along well because of what the band means to us.
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