Interview with Artifer

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

I think all of us just kind of naturally grew up surrounded by music and the culture so it’s only natural we ended up this way. It’s hard to even think what else we would be doing. Maybe focusing on our jobs?

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

 Movies, art and video games take a big chunk of our time. We like to think it helps us think outside the borders and limitations of a single genre.

How long has your band been around?

 About 2 years as a full band. But it started as a one man project back in 2019.

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

 Tallinn, Estonia. It has probably instilled a pretty strong sense and love of melody into our music. That and very strong influences from the local punk music of the 80s and 90s.

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

 The name is essentially just a silly joke. The term “artifex” can be translated from Latin as “creative” and to make it a bit easier to pronounce the x was replaced by an r.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

Two come to mind: Our second show ever which we organized ourselves and played with some big local acts and our latest show at Barbar Feast. Both were just amazing in terms of feeling and everything working out.

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

 So far, Kinomaja in Tallinn is probably our favourite. They say “Dream Big” so let’s say The Royal Albert Hall.

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

Hard to fit everyone on the same bill, but if we had to choose then Architects, Beartooth and Linkin Park.

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?

Same advice would go for both cases: Just go for it! Keep a level head and don’t give up! It’s not easy but good things never are!

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

Don’t be afraid to suck and fail.

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

Probably “Still Alive” as it’s the first one which we all contributed to in the writing process.

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

“My Sweet Misery” is always great fun live, as is “Nevermore” but I think “Tear a Void” is the one we get the most requests for.

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

Usually one of us will come forth with some ideas or a rough demo for a song and we’ll go from there. Honestly, the biggest inspiration for us is each other.

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

Mainly that people aren’t alone. We all have issues and problems but we can get through them.

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

Very rarely but yes. Mostly we just talk things through.

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

We’re in the process of writing new material right now. Hopefully soon we’ll have something more to spill in that regard!