Interview: FOIVOS
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What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
First of all, I want to thank you for this interview. Well, I come from a musical family, so music was always around me, since I was a baby. Inevitably, I started to play and gradually, it became something I couldn’t live without. I guess, if I wasn’t a musician, I’d be something regarding the care of animals.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
I generally am an indoor person, but I also love nature. So, definitely trips or travel to a country or just take my car and go somewhere, is something that I like to do. I always find it inspiring, to be in nature. The sounds, the smells, the whole atmosphere, can give you so many chances, of getting to be more creative and expand your imagination.
How long has your band been around?
I’ve been a professional musician for 22 years. As a solo artist, I’d say about 2 years.
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
I live in Athens - Greece. My country is located in a very interesting music path, connecting the east to the west. We have a very rich tradition, which expands to the whole country and in many genres, depending the location. This is a big part of me. All the sounds, the rhythm patterns, the variety of instruments have greatly influenced me and I believe that they gave me a more personal and distinctive sound that can be more easily identified.
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
It’s my first name.. My full name is too big, so I wanted something simpler and easier to be remembered. I also know that Foivos was a nickname for god Apolon, who was among other things, the god of music. That’s kinda interesting.
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
There are some very memorable moments during my career. The first one, was at a festival in Romania, that had over 150.000 people watching it. I also performed at B.B Kings club at Miami - Florida. And playing live at the Royal Albert Hall, is a memory to be treasured.
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
I don’t have a favorite venue, I guess being close to the audience, gives you an extra boost, so any venue like that, is always fun to play. I’d like to tour South America, if it can be considered as a place..
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
Nick Menza on drums, Steve di Giorgio on bass, Eddie Van Halen on guitar and Ronnie James Dio on vocals.
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
I guess rehearsing as much as possible, so that the band gets as tight as possible, and always recording the rehearsals. It’s good to go back and listen to them, you never know what you’ll find. Same advice to my younger self I guess..
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
Another advice that helped me, along the way, is to be patient. It takes time, to play, compose and in general play as well as you want to sound, so be patient and work hard.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
Each song has a different meaning to me, from the moment the idea pops up, till the final result. It’s my first E.P. so I’d say, that, means the most for me, so far.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
Same answer here. Each song is different, so, I enjoy play them all. When I start performing live, I’ll tell you, which song is requested the most. We have covid to thank for that..
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
I write all the songs obviously. I don’t have a specific method, for writing a song. I usually just sit and play the guitar, till something sounds good to me, and then I let music lead me where it wishes. Inspiration can be found anywhere actually, you just have to have your ears and mind open. It could be from a car passing by, to a feeling I have at that moment.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
I started play music in a young age and from the beginning I found out, that playing music, is a way of expressing my feelings. So, I guess the message is, to find ways to express our feelings and get in touch with our inner self first, so that we would connect with other people.
Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
I wouldn’t call them disagreements. As a solo artist, I have the last word in decisions, but always listen to all the suggestions from the other musicians and take them in great consideration. After all, we all want the same thing. The song to sound as good as we can.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
Lots of plans for the future. Play live the E.P. and get in touch with the audience again. Write a full album, in which they’re going to be some guest appearances from singers, is also on my plans. So, I guess the surprise is, that some songs of the album, will not be instrumental, but songs with vocals.
Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2JIV4QP Youtube page - https://bit.ly/39xAVYD SoundCloud - https://bit.ly/37jXcXg Instagram - https://bit.ly/2KTkLi4 Facebook Page - https://bit.ly/2VhHOoH Bandcamp - https://bit.ly/2JmAqpj Amazon - https://amzn.to/37A71k7 Apple Music - https://apple.co/33L0hPh Foivos - Distorted - [2020 Full EP] Foivos - Schumann Resonance - "Home Edition Playthrough" Ep.2