Eccentric quartet Nausica prepare to release their cinematic single Black & White out now via Knight Rider Records.
Black & White symbolically describes two different mindsets in the form of an ongoing flashback. The band elaborates, “conscious choices are made with clear memories, in contradiction to the typical grey area, where everything you feel and do seems blurry. The chorus could be perceived as the deep, powerful and colourful output of emotions, almost losing the feeling for reality”. Mesmerising electronic soundscapes carry the track effortlessly alongside lead singer Edita Karkoschka’s smooth, rich vocals, sounding akin to the likes of PJ Harvey or Karen O. As the instantly infection choral line comes into play, Tim Coehoorn’s jangling guitar swoops into full force, adding a Foals-esque addictive twang to the band’s textured and refreshing sound.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Nausica about the latest project, challenges, what motivates them and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Let’s dive a little deeper into You, the artist and your music. What attracted you to this genre(s) or style(s)?
As children born in the ’80s we grew up with MTV and television. Even though we all had our own journey in what we‘ve been listening to, it came very naturally to us to create in the so called genre of pop music, because for us it‘s the genre which is the most connected to the present and the future. As a musician you always have a vision of your music, which is unconsciously influenced by the surrounding you live in. And we believe it‘s important to stay connected to the present in order to be able to reflect what‘s going on in the world.
What led you into this journey with music? And further, what drives you to push it out to the public?
Passion and a very normal human desire to create, to build something. In our case through music.
Who or what influences your creativity? Have your tastes in music changed over time?
I think taste in an ever-evolving thing. Between the four of us, there is quite a broad scope of taste, ranging from hip-hop to even jazz.
Were you trying to accomplish anything specific on this new project? Creatively or otherwise?
‘Black & White‘ is a song we‘ve produced on our own. It became very clear to us that recording is a necessary part in the growing process of your own style. Sound decisions we make are very intuitive. Sometimes it’s a very fast process and we agree on something and sometimes it takes time to find what we are looking for. We never know when we start to record if we catch the magic of a song on the record.
What was the last song you listened to?
This Is America by Childish Gambino (hard to escape that one)
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Vinyl! Although streaming services are a great way to discover new music.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I’m a Spotify user, haven’t tried any of the other services to be honest… I have the feeling Bandcamp has become a little less visible these last years..
Other than the digital era overwhelming us with access to an abundance of music, what is the biggest challenge you face when trying to connect with or find new fans?
The biggest challenge is the fast growing change in the digital era. What is hip today, is already past tense tomorrow. It‘s a full time job to keep it up. I guess, we‘ll never know. I last saw an interview with a German musician who‘s music got more famous because he started a podcast with a friend as a joke. People felt connected to him. He didn‘t expect that to be his break through.
Where is the best place to connect with you online? Discover more music?
We’re everywhere 😉 Though teasers of new music will probably be up on Facebook first.
