AKUREI TALKS SMILE

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

It's been about six years since the Akurei-project started?

That’s gone fast, wow. I had been involved in bands across a few genres, hardcore, and also indie to name just two, and for the most part, had always shared music based around collaboration with a group of people. This project was a step out into my interest in electronic music and doing so more independently.

What have you been working on during your time away, it's been two years or so since we last heard from you?

I think just over two years potentially! So much has gone on. Part of the break was a chance to focus and explore other things, I have explored writing, reading and exercising a lot. Another part was some overdue self-work. I enjoyed some space to think about my relationship with creativity, and some bigger questions around "why", I guess. That is a long form conversation for another time though. And the overarching answer is, happy to be back in this space.

What inspired this new song?

Midwest emo guitar riffs, Charli XCX, Ariana Grande, Instupendo, Salt Lake City, lime scooters and capitalism.

What music makes you smile?

Listening to the fyoum-album we are about to release on sumoclic makes me smile a lot! Some other favorites at the moment are Toro Y Moi, Alex G, LCD Sound System, The 1975 and Adrienne Lenker.

Is this what you look for in music, especially when writing your own, a way to hold on, then let go, and maybe find a kind of smile in the process?

It used to be close to that, a way of processing and exploring whatever was on my mind, or heart. I think it became more exciting when I allowed it to be so much more than that, as a writer but also a listener. Music can be a way to "grab a hold", it can also be a helpful distraction, or it can be something to hyper focus on. It can be a warm hug or it can hurt you. It can be like digging up dinosaur bones, the idea feels like it was already there. Or it can be like a jigsaw puzzle you’ve got to piece together. It’s fun and frustrating. Sometimes it’s hard, and sometimes it’s easy. It always feels essential to me.

While perhaps a two year period is not always needed, do you think it’s important to allow yourself as a creative person to let things take its time?

I’m probably not the best person to give this advice. But I do think so, yes. I needed time, and a quite a bit of it. I don’t think I’ll need that kind of time again. I think there’s a space for things to happen in their own time, and a space that proceeds that one where those things have deadlines. That’s probably a personal process for a given person and also might only make sense to me (laughs).

Hopefully we will not have to wait another couple of years for your next song?

January!