Interview: Seventh Station

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? - 

Dmitri: Around when I was 12 years old, I came across a music video on MTV at the time, where the band No Doubt was having a great time performing. Shortly after, seeing a red electric guitar on sale, I talked to my parents about studying music, and ended up in the conservatory from all the way from classical to electric guitar. If I didn’t end up in music I would probably be a dictator.

Jure: Simply being social. If I wasn't talented, I'd probably cook for people or something, just to hang around at events of any kind.

Eren: I started playing piano when I was four years old, and got into classical academy in primary school. I would probably end up as a software engineer or cybersecurity specialist  if I wasn’t a musician.

Grega: My dad is a percussion teacher and he also showed me my first metal album which was Iron Maiden’s Best of the beast.

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

Vidi: When not playing music, it’s usually building towards the next project, working on all things “around music”. There is not much time to be honest for other things but lately I started dancing and exploring movement, also trying my beginner's luck with meditation and I’m gonna add something weird, but I’m trying to dream as much as possible while sleeping and I’m writing a lot, just to try and access other parts of creativity, summoning strange ideas from the Ether. This is how I approached the lyrics for the single 'All Hail the Moustache' 

Jure: I am an engineer by profession, so I build things. Having that kind of background influences creativity by structuring it in logical steps and finding weak spots.

Eren: I’m listening to a lot of different music, reading, watching and discussing with others. I always find myself inspired by any type of creativity and passionate ideas.

How long has your band been around?

Dmitri: The band was formed in Sep. 2008 with me and my good friend Alexey, since then we had a lot of adventures, line-up changes and eventually becoming an international band.

Where are you based and how did that influence your music?

Dmitri: Three of us live in Slovenia so we could theoretically say we are based here, or use it as a meeting point, Vidi is based in Israel and Eren is based in Boston. Collectively we speak more than 10 languages. We reflect this on our upcoming album’s lyrics covering several languages as well. 

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

Dmitri: Around the time when the band started, we were going through several names but couldn’t really settle on one. Later we arrived at the “station” idea name but wanted to expand on it. I was somehow always catching the clock at 13:48 in the afternoon, and I realized it somehow coincided with the track length of The Glass Prison by Dream Theater. Having a keen interest in math, from the addition of the numbers I came up with seven and hence we named the band Seventh Station.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Vidi: It’s hard to choose. Under the title of Seventh Station I'd say there’s one Spinal Tap I’ll never forget - we were playing Orto Bar, which is the most important venue for metal in Slovenia, located in Ljubljana. A minute before the show, in the dusty backstage I swallowed something and started coughing, the show had to start and the band went to stage for a first track which was instrumental. While they started playing the cough became harsher and I felt i’m about to throw up but I didn’t want to puke all over the small backstage - I had two options - to run towards the stage and puke all over the audience, or push the exit door at the back. Obviously I pushed the exit door and started coughing like crazy, puke didn’t come out so I was relieved and just turned myself back into the club, but alas, the door was locked from the inside and so i’ve found myself locked outside the club, hearing in my in ear monitors the band is about to finish the intro and go further into the set… I pounded on the door but no one heard me and so the guys moved to the next song. After ten minutes of me not going up on stage they ran to the back to see what's going on. Think about it - they saw me cough, and then I wasn’t going up the stage. thinking that I passed out or something, they came to the back only to see an empty backstage, my best magic trick ever... this was my sign to start pounding the door again, and as they opened the door I flew with all my pounding force straight into the stage. After all of this, I think I should have just puked on stage, then it would be memorable for everyone, not just myself ;) 

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

Vidi: The first venue that comes to mind is Le 106 Club in Rouen, France. Besides the amazing sound, welcoming audience and their very cool radio station, they had the best food I've ever eaten on tour, with a private chef for the bands and a room filled with local fine food from the area. As a touring artist you can’t imagine how many shitty pizzas you get to eat and just thinking about this venue makes me hungry. I think I can cope with every sound system, be it good or bad, just don’t give me daily bad pizzas. This is a shout out to Le 106 - thank you for the great food!

As for where to play which we haven’t already - the list is long, we got a serious bucket list of venues and festivals. because the guys are from Slovenia, It would be nice to play Metal Days Festival.

Jure: Roman Colosseum, maybe someday.

Eren: I’m really excited to bring a full fledged Seventh Station show to Zorlu PSM in Istanbul, Turkey.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

Vidi: Mars Volta, Fantomas, Bowie and The Doors. 

Dmitri: Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and ELP if they are gonna play Pictures at an Exhibition of Mussorgsky.

Jure: Motorhead, jam with Lemmy.

Eren: Magma and Koenjihyakkei.

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?

Vidi: for someone who is just getting into playing in a band - the fact you’re working hard on your music doesn’t make you entitled for anything. A humble approach will take away the bitterness born of the unfair moments in the industry and will empower your work ethics and art. 

I think the hardest thing to watch is musicians that have been sitting alone in a room their entire lives to be the best on their instruments but never practiced human relations, trying to find their way in the world.  This thing creates great pain in their daily existence, because they lack the understanding of how the world works. In a way it’s good to be naive, but if you’re going to make a career out of it, you must know a little bit more about people. 

Grega: Just play music that excites you and don't think about making money.

Dmitri: Work hard practicing the instrument and work hard on learning how to make a business run correctly and learn how to promote your brand or in this consultation your band.

If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?

Vidi: In the future, give yourselves better advice. 

Jure: Practice, practice and practice so more.

Grega: Don’t take playing music as a job.

Dmitri: Don’t waste your time on negative and depressive people.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

Dmitri: All Hail the Moustache, our newest single from our upcoming release. It’s fresh and new and I’m excited to share mostly because it’s a part of something bigger that will be revealed with the release and I’m quite excited about it right now. This song has topics that inspire me especially it’s part of something bigger.

Grega: The whole new album is very special to me. It was my first time creating music with the guys. 

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

Eren: The Baron’s Doubt, Pt. 2 and Abnormal Circles Doubtful Hour from our first album are among the favorites and most requested ones. The first one is the closing track and the Baron’s particular chapter in the album, where there’s a massive two part keyboard solo and along with a unison with the guitar in the middle, it’s super challenging and fun to play. Second one is a nine minute immense exploration of a rapidly spinning psychological state.

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

Dmitri: I work as a classical composer. When I write a song, I write all the parts of the instruments and structure. Then we are checking those parts and modifying them in the pre production and sometimes during the recordings.

Eren: Dmitri, our producer, guitarist and main composer creates and compiles ideas into rough song forms where we experiment other ideas on top both musically and lyrically. After we are set compositionally the final sound and the shape the writing is sculpted through the recording sessions.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

Eren: Both Dmitri and our vocalist Vidi actively collaborate and write on both reflecting on personal and worldwide experiences, perspectives, questionings and telling their stories through characters and events they explore themselves in.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

Vidi: Yes, we do, we get past them by talking and trusting that the person in front of us has the best intention for the work we’re doing together. If you have this trust, everything is ok. 

Jure: Of course. We're human. The best way is to voice the disagreement aloud as soon as it arises and not be too personal about it. Do not let it hold it in and have it stayed unvoiced.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

Vidi: Right now the band is working on releasing its new album, from which, the first single ‘All Hail the Moustache’ was released. we invite everyone to follow us on FB & Youtube, there is a lot of material coming out soon and it’s really out of the box, join us!

Eren: I’m really proud of our new album. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it, I’m especially excited about the fourth track which will eventually be revealed.

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Music video for “All Hail the Moustache”