Niko
Well, we usually
present you interviews with heavy metal bands, however here we have an
alternative proposal for you that answers to the name Niko. This band's
reason for existence is to create and to transubstantiate feelings, images
and experiences into notes. If you like melodic rock sounds, then I think
you will find in this band what you were looking for!
1. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF YOU WERE ASKED TO
COMMENT ON YOUR SONGS AND ADVERTISE THEM IN A FEW WORDS?
Most of my songs are born out of my life’s
experiences; because of this, my songs are heartfelt and sung with passion
and conviction. My dream is to bring a message of hope and love to the
world through my art of music thus my songs tend to focus on encouraging
people, giving them hope for a brighter day. My style varies from song
to song and that’s why I have resolved to simply call it “World Soup”.
:)
2. YOU’VE GOT A COMPLETE WORK AND IF I REMEMBER
CORRECTLY 3 MORE WHICH ARE STILL UNFINISHED. WHICH ARE THE DIFFERENCES
AND SIMILARITIES AMONGST THEM?
Yes, I have a completed album titled “Love”
(a CD / DVD set). I would describe it as a modern day love story told in
a very creative way with interesting twists in the story line. It is less
produced and has a charming rawness to it that leaves most listeners desiring
more. In some songs I am in tears while in others I am laughing. As for
the other albums I am working on, they are "Voice", "Heart Of A Warrior"
and "Journey Within". "Voice" will be the first official release of these
three. It is a very produced album, many of the songs are filled with lush
vocalscapes, something I did not do in my "Love" project. The themes of
"Voice" revolve around are friendship, faith, hope, love. It is a very
uplifting album! "Heart Of A Warrior" is much darker, it has a strong defiance
in its sound and message. "Journey Within" is very introspective, this
album will be calm and parts of it will be perfect for meditating.
3. HOW COME YOU’VE GOT SO MANY UNFINISHED WORKS?
I MEAN HOW COME YOU WORK ON MORE THAN ONE ALBUMS AT THE SAME TIME? AREN’T
YOU “AFRAID” YOU MIGHT START REPEATING YOURSELF?
I follow my heart. I am nearly 33 and at this
point I have no regrets for living this way. I admit, I work in a very
unorthodox way. :) But I’m an independent artist right now without the
backing of a major record label and sometimes you’ve gotta bend and break
traditional rules if want to see your dreams come to pass. I am a man who
looks to God for direction and then I follow my heart with absolute passion
and conviction. I am nearly 33 and at this point I have no regrets for
living this way. On top of all this, it’s the new millennium and the ways
of an artist getting his music into the ears of the public has completely
changed. It’s no longer necessary to have a completed physical CD package
in order to release your music. The internet has completely changed our
approach in just about everything we do and music is no exception. People
are now downloading mp3’s from sites like iTunes and often times they will
only download the songs they want and not the whole album. So I am going
with the flow and releasing my songs as I complete them. It’s cool though
because I actually see each of my songs as a sort of completed project
in itself. Because I do things with the utmost excellence and because it
takes much money to do that, it can take me years to complete a project.
When money isn’t an issue, I will perhaps release a project in one go and
not in parts. But then again, I might just wanna throw that rule out the
window and follow my heart and release a song the night it’s born and not
wait until the whole album is complete. How cool would it be to get to
hear the song of an artist you enjoy the very night they complete it!?
I love that idea! :) Am I afraid I might repeat myself? Not the least bit,
I’m far too creative and multifaceted to ever do that. :)
4. WHAT’S THE BEST AND WHAT’S THE WORST PART OF
YOUR MUSIC, ACCORDING TO YOU?
I love all of my songs but I’ll admit, not
equally. The best parts are the parts I love most, the worst are the parts
I love least.
5. WHY DO YOU THINK THE ROCK AND POP FANS SHOULD
CHECK YOU OUT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO OFFER TO THE SCENE? IS THERE SOMETHING
YOU FEEL THAT SETS YOU APART?
I go deeper than the soul, into my spirit,
and I sing from that place. I believe that we all have the capacity to
go there, it’s just that few ever do. It’s both glorious and frightening
at the same time. Dangerous and fragile.
I am simply myself and people are drawn to
me because of this. It is humanity calling out to humanity.
6. YOU PLAY ROCK MUSIC WITH A FEW POP AND TRADITIONAL
GREEK ELEMENTS. HOW DID THIS COMBINATION OCCUR?
Ahh, simply because I am Greek and grew up
listening to traditional Greek music! I LOVE the bouzouki! :)
7. YOU ARE A GREEK AND APPARENTLY YOU LOVE YOUR
MOTHER COUNTRY A LOT. YOU USE THE BOUZOUKI IN MANY OF YOUR SONGS AND YOU
HAVE SOME GREEK LYRICS IN YOUR SONGS AS WELL. WHAT IS THIS THAT BONDS YOU
SO MUCH WITH GREECE? WOULD YOU EVER CONSIDER MOVING TO GREECE PERMANENTLY?
I love Greece and I embrace my Greek roots.
Greece is very sacred to me. I feel connected to the land, the people,
the culture, the food, the history, everything! Greece is in my blood and
I can feel it. My phone dials Greece at least once a week, my cabinet always
has ouzo, my refrigerator never lacks feta cheese, and my mp3 player seems
to always have a bouzouki playing! :) I am more and more in touch with
Greece. I speak the language a little and have a desire to learn more!
One day, I plan to have a home in Greece, most likely on an island.
8. ARE THERE ANY ELEMENTS YOU’D LIKE TO ADD OR
EXPERIMENT WITH IN THE FUTURE?
Oh yeah! Many! :) Only time will tell but
I can assure you that I will never stop trying different things! I am a
very creative, experimental and curious person. And I am very spiritual,
I mention this because in the spirit realm I find many amazing things that
I bring back.
9. WHICH ARE YOUR MAIN INFLUENCES AND WHO ARE
THOSE MUSICIANS THAT MADE YOU REALIZE THIS IS THE KIND OF MUSIC YOU LOVE
AND WANT TO FOLLOW?
Vangelis has been a tremendous influence in
my life. He is not only my favorite Greek composer but my favorite composer
in all of the world! Bands such as The Moody Blues, U2, Sting and many
more…I have been influenced by many friends who are not known by the world.
10. I’D LIKE YOU TO COMMENT A BIT ON THE LYRICS…
WHICH ARE YOUR SOURCES OF INSPIRATION?
My source of inspiration? Life! :) It might
be the laughter of a child, a friend in need, pleasant or painful memories,
dreams, happiness, frustrations. Nature. The other day, I took a walk with
my dog Magic and by the end of the road I had written a song for him. Traveling
and being in other places far away stirs things up in me - the sights,
the smells, the sounds of another culture and land. Sound inspires me.
I will hear something like a car engine cranking up or the horn of a train
or the wind blowing through the trees and it will actually inspire a melody
or lyric or chord progression in me. Also, just sitting down at my piano
inspires me. Most every time I sit to play, something fresh and new comes
out. Sometimes it’s a song while other times it’s an idea or a melody that
later becomes a song. Lastly, I must say that the hope of my music touching
the world inspires me deeply. It is important that we as humans always
have hope in our heart for through hope we find inspiration to fulfill
our destinies. Lyrics? My lyrics are often inspired by the sound of a musical
progression, I’ll do something on the piano or guitar and I will actually
hear words or a certain phrase. The content of my lyrics tend to focus
on positive things, I like knowing that my songs are helping people and
helping to bring light into this world. If I can do this then when I breathe
my last breath I will have peace knowing I fulfilled my purpose on this
earth.
11. IF YOU HAD A BIG BUDGET TO SHOOT A VIDEO CLIP,
WHICH SONG OF YOURS WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND HOW DO YOU IMAGINE IT TO BE?
"The Sun The Moon The Stars". We are actually
in the process of planning this out even now. It will be very romantic,
with a dreaminess to it. There are lots of details already decided for
this video but I won’t share them because then it would spoil the surprise!
:)
12. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO PROMOTE YOUR WORK? HAVE
YOU GOT ANY PLANS FOR LIVE SHOWS?
Well, myspace has certainly been the most
dynamic way that I have promoted my work, I am grateful for such a tool.
Plans? I have many but it will take some time to bring them to fruition.
I plan to tour the world, all in due time. :)
13. HAVE YOU SENT YOUR DEMOS TO ANY LABELS? WHAT
DO YOU WANT TO BE OFFERED IN ORDER TO SIGN A DEAL?
My management company is soon to present my
music to several major record labels. What do I want to be offered? I want
to sign with someone who can truly get behind me in helping me carry out
my global vision to touch the world with a message of hope and love.
14. IS THERE A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO BE ASKED
AND NO ONE HAS EVER ASKED YOU SO FAR?
How do you do what you do?
I have changed my perspective from one of
fear and doubt to one of No Limitations. Let me explain...
If I could convince you that there weren't
ANY LIMITATIONS and you knew for a fact it was absolutely true, what would
you throw out? What mindsets and thinking patterns would you cease to embrace?
What media programs would you stop watching? What books would you burn?
What places would you stop going? What people would you stop associating
with? What job would you quit? What drugs would you stop taking? What opinions,
ideas and philosophies would you crucify? Now, considering that there are
no limitations, how do you see yourself? How do you see the world? How
do you see your music if you are a musician? How do you see your writings
if you are a writer? How do you see your patients if you are a doctor?
How do you see your students if you are a teacher? How do you see your
baked goods if you are a baker? How do you see your new business if you
are an entrepreneur? How do you see your family and friends and children?
How do you see your future? and mine? The truth is that such does exist.
There is a place where one can walk and live, a place that knows NO LIMITATIONS.
And if you diligently seek after it, you will find it. You can know who
you REALLY are and go where you were created to go. Destiny is yours if
you want it. You can have deep satisfaction and genuine happiness. You
can see tomorrow while living in today. Limitations only exist in the minds
of those who choose to embrace fear and doubt. Truth's sword prevails over
all darkness, it is truth that can set you free, it is truth that knows
no limitations. If you can see it then you can enter it and become it!
15. WHAT KIND OF EMOTIONS DO YOU THINK YOUR MUSIC
IS ABLE TO CREATE OR TRANSMIT TO YOUR LISTENERS?
I will let my listeners answer this question.
Here are some excerpts from guestbook entries…
“Niko is not only lyrics and sounds, he is
a vibe, an energy and an emotion that says a lot more than anything modern
music can offer. Not having heard him at least once is the equivalent of
never experiencing a sunrise or the birth of a child. Truly exceptional.”
“Your voice is so wonderful that it brings
me to heaven now! Soft! Deep! Full of emotions and dreams!”
“Your voice is busting with emotion and has
a touch of honey. When you sing it sounds as if sunshine is coming from
you. I feel that you are something fresh.”
16. IF YOUR MUSIC WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD
IT SHOW?
It would show a father telling his daughter
how beautiful she is (Aliesha Shine, Love), it would show a friend telling
a friend how special they are (the Special One, Love), it would tell humanity
that the only thing that matters is love (Love, Love), it would show a
mother telling her son not to commit suicide because he has a God given
destiny to fulfill (My Son, Love), it would tell the world that it’s a
new day and that there’s a hope for us all (It’s A New Day, Voice), it
would tell a lover that they were everything (The Sun The Moon The Stars,
Voice), it would tell a friend to have peace about the death of her son
(You’re In Heaven, Love), it would show a defiant generation of warriors
(The Exodus, Heart Of A Warrior), it would show a man crying out to feel
love again (Help Me To Feel, Love), it would burst with vibrant joyful
colors (Joy, Voice), it would say “I see through all of your lies now”
(Illusion, Voice), it would reveal a choir of angels singing every so peacefully
(Angels, Journey Within)…and so much more.
17. THANK YOU! IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE
TO MENTION?
Right now, at my website NikoOnline.com
I am giving away my music for free! I am inviting people everywhere from
around the world to download 20 mp3’s, absolutely free (songs from the
"Love" album as well as "Voice", "Heart Of A Warrior" and "Journey Within")!
Everyone can help by listening to the music and then passing on the link
to others. NikoOnline.com
also contains most everything anyone would want to know about me - there’s
a very active Blog as well as a Forum packed with all kinds of information!
Also, EMI Greece is soon to release my song “You’re In Heaven” (from the
Love album) on a compilation CD that will be available throughout all points
of sale in Greece and Cyprus. The title of the CD is “Never The Same” and
features many other global artists we all love and enjoy. I’d like to invite
everyone to sign up on my email list at NikoOnline.com
so that I can keep you updated on concerts in your area, new music release
dates and other exciting news! Thank you so much for the opportunity to
connect with others through this interview, I appreciate the support of
you guys there at Behind The Veil!
Niko Papasideris ~ Nashville Tennessee.
Christine Parastatidou
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