Stina, Jacob, Nephila

0:00HostWelcome to Interceptor Beyond Podcast. My name is Arthur and today we have the Swedish rock band Nefela. Guys, could you please introduce yourself to our listeners?

0:09NephilaYeah, of course. My name is Dina and I'm a member of the band Nefela.

0:14JacobMy name is Jacob and I also am a member of Nefela.

0:18HostAnd before we continue with the interview, I want to address our listeners. Dear listener, if you like this podcast, if you like what you're hearing, don't forget to follow and rate this podcast on Spotify. It helps a lot.

0:29?Thanks.

0:30HostThe first time I discovered Nefela was on Instagram. I really liked how it looked. Everything was done with an idea in mind. Also seven people and obviously there were two singers. Then I checked out the band camp and the first song was Belladonna and it's my favorite song. That's what I liked about the music and the style. And it seemed that you had this idea of the visual style and the music right from the beginning. Was it planned or the whole thing develops as it goes?

1:04StinaI think that from the beginning we had this kind of boring beginning where we started out as like a rock cover band and we met at our local school. But we had this crossroad where almost all of our former members quit the band and we had like two options to either split the band and quit playing or like evolve and become this Nefela 2.0 thing. And it was when Stina joined the band that we decided to like do this again and more.

1:43HostStina, you joined around 2019, I think, right?

1:46NephilaI think actually it was like 2017.

1:49HostAll right. Because I checked, I went all the way to the first post on your Facebook to check how you developed, you know?

1:57?Yeah.

1:57HostIt was completely different. And for a moment I thought that I'm not recognizing people. Maybe it's my thing, you know? And then I realized that the lineup was changing quite a lot.

2:07?Right. Yes.

2:09HostYes. I guess who was the original members?

2:11StinaSo there's me, Josephine, and Joanne, who plays Keys. We have two Joannes. And Stina, I think that Stina is like a part of a original member because she's been a part of the whole development and the evolving of Nefela.

2:31NephilaYeah. I was kind of the first member that you recruited like after everything started over kind of. Yeah.

2:40StinaSo we had this kind of reincarnation where we did a music video of all the old members and new members being a part of it and like try to tell the story of how we made this kind of new thing.

2:55HostAnd for which song was it? For which song was the music video?

2:59StinaIt was for Growing Down.

3:01HostAh, for the first single. Yeah. Yeah. That's when you changed the visual style. It became more theater-like, as I understand. What was the reason behind the masks? Was it inspired by other masked bands? Like, for example, I know, well, we all know Ghost. Yeah. But there's also another Swedish band called Goat. Do you know?

3:23StinaYes. A few people actually have asked us about this. And there's also this band. There were a band called Sailens Pot from Sweden.

3:33HostYeah, I remember that.

3:34StinaYeah, and the bassist plays in Skrekadla now. I was out playing with Skrekadla now with my other band. And we had this, like, discussion of when Nefla started having masks. And they found out that we had masks. And kind of similar masks as well. So, it's kind of funny to actually meet someone who also had a band with mask members.

3:58HostYeah. The thing with the mask is that I checked all your interviews. And everybody's, including me, asking about the masks.

4:05?Yeah.

4:06HostBecause it's a thing. And you keep telling people that it's a myth, as you like to say, right?

4:14NephilaYeah, because, like, I don't think the original story is that cool or interesting.

4:22NephilaNo, but I'm usually the one who, like, gets to respond to that question. But the thing is that the masks were a thing, like, long before I joined the band. And I've tried, like, asking the other band members, like, what's up? But, like, no one can actually tell me when you started doing that. It's like it just happened and then it was a thing. And it's just kept going.

4:48HostI think you just should start at one point inventing stuff. And then we'll just join.

4:53?Exactly.

4:54HostAnd actually, that's the cool part about your band. You have a good base for a cool story. You should definitely, like, invent something. Make something. I don't know, like a story. I don't know, like a thunder hit a rock and there were seven stones or whatever. And then it all crashed into, like, seven members. I don't know. Because there's a good potential because not so many bands have a story. Usually they just play music and that's it. But if you have a story to it, it becomes a really good base for other elements, like music videos, visuals, everything. Live performance. Have you thought about it, of developing it further?

5:33NephilaYeah, of course. We have. Especially you, Jacob. You've been talking about this a lot.

5:41NephilaWe've tried. Like, we've had, I think, several different, like, stories come up. But it takes a lot of work to kind of build a universe around the band that we know will last, like, in the long run. Because if you're going to build, like, a story, it needs to be kind of good. It needs to be a good story. So I think we're working on it because, or me personally, like, personally, if we're going to build a story, I think we should really make a good one. But yeah, we definitely have room for, like, some more charisma. And we should definitely, like, do something with the masks as well. We should, like, incorporate them into the story. Because it's just so much more interesting to listen to, since people really want to know, like, about the masks as well.

6:36StinaYeah. And we have these kind of guidelines for ourselves. So we are able to, like, write our own music and how we're supposed to look and that stuff and press photos. We don't have an official, like, story. Exactly.

6:52HostWell, it's like, it's like sort of corporate identity in a way.

6:55StinaYeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like Hellas, if you know them.

7:00HostYeah. Hellas has one. Yeah. They have the mythical world kind of.

7:06StinaYeah. And it's the same thing there that, like, they are kind of private about their story or how they are alive. And they are, like, normal people outside the band. And I think that's kind of good reference to Hellas because we're also, like, normal people outside of Nefla, but we're more like of like an act when we play together.

7:31HostSo what is the stage for you in this case? Is it an opportunity to become someone else or is it an opportunity to be yourself, your true self?

7:40StinaWell, I think it's much easier to, like, let loose and, like, become someone else and fully perform when you don't have to think about yourself. I don't know. How do you think, Stina?

7:53NephilaI think for me, like, in my private life, I'm quite a, I wouldn't say calm and collected person, but there's just a lot of emotions that aren't really, like, okay to express in your ordinary life. Especially, I think, as a woman, it's like, you know, being aggressive and, like, taking up space and being, like, assertive, it's just really freeing to be able to step on stage and suddenly it's okay for me to, like, be a lot, you know? I really appreciate that. And I think that's why I was drawn to this genre as well, because it's just so accepted to take up space in a way that I'm not used to in my real life.

8:44HostAnd was it easy for you to join Nefla?

8:47NephilaUm, no, no, I don't think so, because I was quite young, and I, I'm, like, diving head first into a genre that takes, like, a lot of vocal skill, which I'm still working on, because it's, uh, you want it, you know, you want your voice to also be assertive and full and strong, but it needs to also hold up. So, yeah, it was, like, I don't think I had the skills when I started, but I think, like, more and more as time goes by, I'm kind of growing into it.

9:21HostIs it hard to be, uh, not the only singer in a band? Because we need to tell our listeners that there are seven members... Exactly. ...in a band, two singers, and other people.

9:34NephilaYeah, uh, yeah, no, I, I appreciate not being the only singer, because that's, like, that was also part of the challenge when I started, like, that you need to also work on, like, your vocal choices so that they match up with the other singer, and you need to be able to sing in harmony quite intricate things, uh, in harmony and make it sound really good. I don't have a better word for it, but, yeah, so it's, it's hard, but it's also what I really like about it, because, you know, I don't, I, I like a challenge, I think.

10:11HostDid you have some, uh, uh, background in singing? It was, is it your first band, or you studied in, in a musical school or something like that?

10:21NephilaYeah, I did, I did have some experience. It was in, uh, I was in high school, I think I was in, like, second year of high school, so I had been singing, uh, in school for, like, a year, because we went to a music high school, and that's also how we met, but, yeah, it was, it was only for a year, so I was kind of a small baby, you know? Um, now I'm actually, uh, I'm in my third year of, uh, uh, doing my bachelor's, uh, I'm in my third year of bachelor, of a bachelor's degree in music, so it's, like, it's really different now. I, when I, when I listened to myself, like, a few years ago, I'm, like, oh my god, you poor child, but it's also been so great, because, you know, you're forced to learn very quickly, and you're, you're, you're forced to, like, just always become better, and that's, you know, I'm very thankful for that.

11:17HostHow was it for you to play the first, uh, concerts, first gigs?

11:21NephilaOh, god. Yeah, I think I was nervous as hell, especially because, since we have this stage show, you can't just say whatever in between the songs.

11:30HostAnd you should probably tell the listeners what kind of stage show it is, because they have no idea.

11:35?True.

11:35HostSo it's heavy on the visuals, as I understand, right?

11:39?Yeah.

11:40StinaMe and my dad likes to build things, so we, the first thing that we built was this, uh, what do you call them? Oh, the podiums? Yeah, ah, podiums. Yeah. That we, like, did, um, in this rusty tree-color organic thing, and we drilled some holes in them and put in some smoke machines so we could control them and let the fog go between all these holes in the podiums. So when you stand on them, you look really, really cool. That's my part of the visual stuff. I'm super bad at, like, come up with ideas for concepts or stuff, but I like to, like, do things. Well, I'm kind of bad at build stuff too, but I like to hire people that can build stuff. So I like to be a part of the web somewhere in the middle. It's like we have this big living room when we play, we have large mats on the floor and these podiums and lamps and stuff to, like, enhance the music in a way. And, of course, my biggest influences when it comes to music are, like, band sets, Alice Cooper from 75, Welcome to My Nightmare Show, and Kiss, of course. There are so many fun stuff you can do with elements of a musical show more than a basic rock concert, and I like to play with that.

13:13NephilaRemember the time when we went out into the woods and chopped down trees on the stage?

13:18StinaYeah, we had this kind of big show in Alrika, where we come from, and we had to, like, fill out the stage with something, so we chopped down wood and had them on stage.

13:35HostWell, that's the pure creativity working there. Is it easier when you have seven people? Like, for example, you said you like to build things and stuff. Maybe each person in a band can, like, contribute to a band? Is it easier?

13:50StinaYeah, in some ways, but also there's more responsibilities to hand out to people, and it can be really hard to give everyone a purpose with what they're doing besides playing the music. And I think that's the hardest part, to involve everyone in the band at all times. And also, when you are seven members, there are, like, seven people to accept and look at the process. So there's so many things that can go wrong on the way.

14:23HostSo at the moment, I guess, the responsibilities are limited to music and maybe social media, something like this, or you actually try to decide that each person has a strict responsibility? How is it like?

14:37StinaWe kind of switch sometimes. So Stina has a huge role when it comes to social media and, like, the creative part of coming up with peer stuff, like texts and stuff. And Josephine does maybe most of Facebook and Instagram and stuff. So we try to give everyone these purposes for doing things with the band besides playing. So we can always be active when we're not playing together, since we live kind of far apart from each other.

15:12?True.

15:13HostJakob, I guess that leaves that you need to do the TikTok now.

15:17NephilaYeah.

15:19NephilaI'd love to do the TikTok.

15:21HostAre there any plans to go TikTok? I have no idea how it would work for you, but I don't know.

15:27StinaMaybe my little sister could do it or something.

15:30NephilaI feel like I would get bullied on TikTok. Yeah.

15:35StinaLike, since we are millennials and grew up with Harry Potter and stuff, now when the new generation has come, we are like, what do you call them? Gen Zs. Gen Z, yeah. And the boomers and the Gen Z has been more a part of, probably we will be the one getting bullied at the end.

15:55HostBut you should try it because TikTok is here to stay anyway. You need to try to do something with it. And I want to ask about, we talked about responsibilities. What about your music process? How is it working?

16:09StinaWell, we often do everything together or we have these demos from maybe this debut album that we have released. There are a lot of songs that are old songs from the old Nefla that we have reincarnated and made new ones of. But mostly there are, like, I do most of the instrumental parts and I came up with this demo. And Stina and Josephine makes a melody and we try to give it this live touch since we are a live band and we record everything live.

16:49?Yeah.

16:49HostYou first released a single and then you came up with the album. And the album is already, like, super polished in a good way, of course. Like, the visuals are there, concept is there. I really like it. How was the experience of making that album?

17:05NephilaIt was very DIY, I think, wasn't it?

17:10StinaYeah, in some ways. Me and Entham did almost all the recordings in the studio where I studied at Ingesund.

17:18?Yeah.

17:19StinaYeah, so, but it started as an EP from the beginning. I think we recorded four songs.

17:26HostSo it was just, you were just recording songs and songs without any concept for the whole album? Or how was it?

17:32StinaYeah, so we recorded these four songs for an EP to show people that Nefla is alive and doing new stuff again. But then I got this email from Kai at Design Records, who had heard us from somewhere. And he was like, why have you done an EP? You should have done an album. No one listens to EPs. It's easier to get reviews when you do an album. So we had to, like, force out four new songs as well. So it took quite some time to record the whole album because there were, like, two processes all the time. To first record the EP and make that good. And then to do it all again and try to figure out how it did the first recording with the drum mics and guitar sounds and all that stuff. Right.

18:25HostSo what the balladonna was, the song, was the new songs that you had to record or it was already on EP?

18:32StinaI think that the EP was the new songs, four new songs that we recorded together. And when we had to do four more songs, we did four old songs, reinterpreting them.

18:45?Right.

18:45HostWould you say that it would be, it was easier to work under the pressure, kind of? Because now you knew that you need to put more songs.

18:53NephilaWhat comes to mind, like, hearing us talk is, I think, obviously, we seem a little more put together, like, outwardly than we actually are. Because I think a lot of times things seem quite thought through, because we put a lot of effort in, but we don't necessarily plan things out in, like, a very structured way. I think it's because, like, most of us in the band are more doers than thinkers.

19:26NephilaSo I kind of have a hard time actually looking back at the process, because I think it's, like, we kind of just took it day by day and step by step. And we just did what we had to do.

19:40HostHow long did it take you to record everything?

19:42StinaI think the EP, the first songs, we recorded at, like, two days or something. And we were like, we're so fast. So when we were supposed to do the other part of the album, I think that people had started to move away from Arvika, where almost all of us lived at the moment. So that was a big part of things taking longer time than we thought from the beginning.

20:08HostAnd did you record everything online or you were gathering somewhere in the studio?

20:14StinaYeah, we did everything. We did drums, bass, guitars, and keys live, live takes. And then we did the vocals and the dubs afterwards. It was all about trying to find dates that worked for everyone and trying to fill those dates with the recordings for the whole album. And I remember that, I think it was the second time when we recorded the second part of the album, that we had, like, the first day to soundcheck and get a good sound. And when we tried to start recording the other day, there were no electricity in Arvika. Like, we had no sound and we thought that we had, like, blew something up or destroyed the school. So we couldn't record on, like, eight hours or something. So, yeah, it was really hard to find the time to record the whole album.

21:14?Yeah.

21:15HostAnd everything was digital, I guess.

21:18StinaYes, recorded in Logic.

21:20HostAnd how was it to release an album during the pandemic?

21:24NephilaWell, obviously, you can't promote it in the same way you would when it's not a pandemic. And you don't really get to take part in, like, all of the good stuff that comes out of it. You know, a lot of times you're able to, I think, do more shows when you've put out an album. But, of course, we couldn't do that. So it was, I think we would have, it would have felt more real if it wouldn't have been a pandemic. Because we would have, like, been able to see in real life, like, the reward and the consequences. But now, like, all of the feedback was online. That's still really good. And I think we're still very, very grateful for all of the good response that we've had. But it was, I didn't really understand. People actually appreciate this. It was a little harder to, like, grasp, I think.

22:16?Yeah.

22:17HostYeah, you had some really good response from magazines. Like, you have, you've been featured in Classic Rock magazine and other cool publications. How did you do that? Maybe you can tell a secret to the people?

22:30NephilaWe don't know.

22:32StinaIt's the short answer. But, yeah, our record, Design Records, has done a great job to promote us to these magazines. And I think we have them to thank for, like, all the publicity we have got for the album.

22:51HostYeah, I know that label. It's a label that has other, my favorite Swedish bands, like Maida Vale, Hot Breath, Wacones, and the Drippers. I mean, I'm into the Swedish scene.

23:05StinaIt's the water.

23:06HostYes. That's what other people keep saying.

23:10HostYou couldn't do it the classic way, the promotion of the album. So how did you promote it on your own without the records? I mean, how did it work with the record company?

23:20StinaYeah, so we have this guy called Valdemar, who does our PR. And so we try to give him so much content as possible, like live videos or music videos and quotes. He asks us about quotes all the time. So we have to try to come up with, like, these great quotes to, like, get all the publicity we can, and since we can't really do any live gigs these days, his part in this process has been to, like, get us to do something with the material we have. So, like, we did this video for Belladonna. I think it's me, Joanne, and David who are the only members that had the opportunity to actually meet and do this video. But it was better to do this with only us three in it than not having a video for Belladonna.

24:20HostYeah, the video is cool. I saw it. It's on the channel of the Sine Records. Fits the music perfectly. Everybody should check it out. And did the people at the label, did they ask you about the story?

24:31StinaYeah, so Kai, who is the boss, he... I think you and Kai had most of the males, and, like, you talked a lot in the beginning, right?

24:43NephilaYeah, it's clear that Kai is kind of a mastermind. He knows what he's talking about. I tried to kind of be a part of creating, like, a marketing plan. No, it's not called marketing plan. It's called a promotion plan. But I think eventually he kind of realized that I'm no good in that area. Yeah, I have a way with words. Like, I'm able to, if someone asks me, like, we need to describe our music or whatever for, like, a release or something, I can come up with something to say. But, like, you know, the thinking ahead, like, oh, we'll start by doing this, and then people will notice us, and then we do this. And, like, not as good at that part. So, yeah, we had some discussions, and I realized that, like, yeah, he really had, like, a plan, and he really had, like, this ability to... He knew, like, how the industry works. So I was, you know, I tried to do my part in all of that, but mostly by just having a way with words, I guess.

25:54HostDid you ask the label people, I call them the label people, did you ask why they chose you, and how did they discover you? Because so many bands want to get signed or have an opportunity to be signed by a label. I mean, you're a band that, for some bands, it's a dream come true, for example.

26:15HostSo, again, any secrets?

26:17StinaI think that we took some years to develop a sound or our own things, in a way, and I think that that was a big part why Kai found us and chose to sign us. But also, we mailed, of course, different labels and tried to send them demos. And I think if I emailed the sign record two years before we released this album, and I got a response two years later with the... It began with, sorry for the late answer. So it takes time, obviously.

26:58?Yeah.

26:59StinaAnd we've not been around for so long. Five years now, maybe?

27:04HostIn some interview, I read that you won a competition, and the label noticed you there, I think.

27:12StinaOh, yeah. Maybe that was a part of it, too.

27:18HostAll right. So winning competition is a good tip, I guess.

27:21NephilaWinning a competition is a good tip. And also, since... I know I've said this a hundred times, but I'm obviously not a mastermind. I have not been a part of, like, do, you know, doing this really smart plan to bring us to where we are. Like, I think when you say that, like, or it can kind of come off as like, oh, it just happened, you know. We didn't have a plan. We just, you know, did our thing. Like, it's not like that, of course. We have been jumping on the opportunities that have come around. Like, and if we know that something could be a good opportunity, of course, we'll take it. But there's something to be said about, like, entrepreneuring and, like, you know, having a plan around how to get yourself noticed. But also, like, sometimes it's easy to forget, like, that there really goes so much time and energy into also creating the content that you're trying to promote. Yeah. Sometimes it's easy to, like, get stuck in plans. And sometimes it's easy to get stuck in master plans. But what really needs to be done is, like, first of all, is the groundwork so that you have something to present, I think.

28:44HostYeah. The music should come first. Yeah. And then everything else goes. Because if you concentrate too much on, for example, social media, yeah, you might be, it might look that you're doing something. But in reality, song can suck and you just haven't worked on it properly and your social media will not work.

29:03?Exactly.

29:03HostMusic comes first, always.

29:05NephilaYeah. And I really get that people want there to be, if you just do this and follow these steps, it will happen. I get why it would be, like, a really, the world would be so wonderful if there was, like, certain steps you could follow and, like, everything would be fine. Or, you know, it's, like, this old saying that, like, if you work hard enough, everything will come your way. Yeah, that's true. But maybe not just working on, like, the whole marketing thing or the entrepreneurial part, but also, like, working on your skills, your skill set, and working on really producing something that you're proud of. I rarely think about this myself, but, like, I'm very grateful for being a part of a band where I have very talented band members. Like, everyone has worked really hard in, like, becoming good at what they do and, you know, getting good at their instrument. And I just, of course, that's, it just sounds like, yeah, of course, they're good at their instrument, but, like, the stage show wouldn't be fun to look at or listen to if we didn't, like, do all of the groundwork and practice and all of that, you know? This was kind of a rant, but, or a ramble, but do you get what I'm saying?

30:24HostSo, good. I mean, it just proves that that's why, well, first of all, that's why the music is good. Secondly, all those magazines that reviewed you, I mean, there's a reason why they do that, you know? I mean, if you sucked as music, as a musician, it wouldn't happen.

30:41NephilaYeah, no. It sounds like I'm trying to, what's it called, like, brag about us. That's completely not at all what I'm trying to do, but I just think that's, it's kind of hard for me to talk about, like, tips and steps, because just for me personally, I put it more of my effort into maybe, like, working on my skill set right now. That's maybe where I put more of my energy. So, what's your relationship with the label?

31:11HostSo, now you can concentrate more on music and they do the marketing and promotion?

31:17StinaI think I have the most contact with the label at the moment, since I have another band on the label as well. So, I already had a contact with Kai when we started to sign Nefla to the Sign Records. He said that it can take up to two years or one year to get recognition when you have released a debut album. So, he was like, be calm. It will take some time to get people to hear the album when it has been released. So, now we're trying to, like, do fun things. We did a live show in an old children's, what do you call it? Orphanage home.

32:00?Right.

32:00StinaWe did a live session there and we're planning on releasing that. And we have some fun secret stuff that has been postponed now since the pandemic. So, we're trying to do stuff to promote the album, even though it's really hard to do anything. But the record is really good since we also live kind of close to each other. We can chat with each other. We can call each other. We can visit them if we want to. It's really good to have that relation with a person that you know his face and you know who he is. So, it doesn't feel like we're getting fooled or tricked by them at any time. So, it's really nice and it feels really safe to have our label so close to us.

32:48HostWhen I talk to musicians these days and I ask them about if they want to get signed, most of them always say, well, yeah, of course we want to get signed. We want to play festivals and everything. But we know about the bad reputation of labels that you get usually tricked. Well, it sounds that with you it was everything's fine, right?

33:09StinaYeah. So, like we don't earn a lot of money or so, but we get a lot of help to like produce an album and find an artist for the artwork and produce the vinyl and CDs. That's all the label. They help us so much with the economic stuff.

33:27HostOn your Bandcamp, I saw that this album, the latest one, you have sold... Okay, not sold, but originally there are like 500 copies of vinyl and 1,000 copies of CDs, which are like amazingly huge numbers. And you almost sold it out, as I understand.

33:45StinaYeah, and that's only on the Bandcamp. We're also selling it to Brazil, where we have another label called Helion. And so we're like selling to stores and CDs and it's fun to get a call from your label and having them say that you have sold out your first copies as we did kind of fast because people bought into their stores and record stores. Yeah, it's really fun and it feels kind of amazing to be in an upcoming or where you don't have so much followers or fans. So it's fun to see people actually buying the record.

34:29HostBut most of the time you see these people online. You didn't have so much concerts, as I understand.

34:36NephilaYeah, no, because of COVID.

34:39HostSo you mentioned the stage show, you know, so how much do you practice the stage show?

34:48StinaWe did kind of much at the time when we were playing at this light carousel and what do you call it?

34:58NephilaThe competition. The competition, yeah.

35:00StinaAnd then we really focused on how we looked and how we performed each song and the talk between the songs. Stine and Josephine did this script that was really good. And I think that also was a part why we won the competition at the end. So maybe nowadays we don't have the time to or it's so hard to focus on doing this live show when you don't have a goal with it. Like we did one live gig this summer, a COVID gig in Linköping. So it's really hard to like focus on live stuff right now.

35:42HostAnd what did you learn from the recording of this album? I mean, it's been almost like how much, half a year, right? Around. Yeah. What did you learn from the recording of this album?

35:54StinaMaybe to, or for me, it's to like do stuff and let it go. So record and be done with it. Don't like take 15 more takes of a song just if it can be like slightly better. Um, so it's like, do it and let it go. Let someone mix it. Don't mix it yourself, which we didn't.

36:22HostAll right. And Stina for you.

36:23NephilaI think talking in a circle, I feel like, but, um, it's just because like, uh, all of your question gets me thinking a lot. So I'm like, Ooh, just like it all for me, like everything you say just comes back to like, Ooh, planning. What does that mean? Like, but yeah, maybe that you, you need to work. You need to be a doer, but also kind of a thinker. Sometimes, you know, there needs to be a balance and maybe kind of a plan, but also that like, I think the next time we record, I'm not going to be in school. And that's going to be like the first time I'm a part of this band and I'm not in school and having like already a 40 hour or more usually work week on top of like the band thing. It taught me that, you know, everything about running a band requires a lot of time and energy and you need to be, be able to also like say no to other things to make time for it. If you want like a good and well put together results.

37:28HostSay no to which things, for example?

37:31NephilaUm, it's hard for like to, uh, to give an example because since I've been in school, I haven't really been able. Well, yeah, birthdays, you know, you don't need a social life. Fuck that. No, but, uh, no, but like I've been in school all this time. So I really didn't really have the opportunity to say no to anything. But like, I mean, if I would have had the opportunity, I would have wanted to put less hours into work and more hours into the process to, to be able to have a, or to be able to actually like follow kind of a plan and, you know, be a part of all the different aspects. Of the process. And you just, you know, do like be a hundred percent invested, um, in, in more parts of it, not just my part, you know, my part, which was like singing and, you know, songwriting and stuff and also social media. It would have been, it would have been so cool to be able to actually like, uh, have taken some hours from like work and put them into the project, whatever we're doing with a band. And I think that's kind of relatable for everyone who runs the band that like, it's, it's hard to prioritize, prioritize sometimes to make life work because yeah. Make it work with the band because everyone usually has a full-time work on the side, you know?

38:51HostAnd what's the plan actually for this year for the band?

38:55JacobAnd so we started to, to have these writing sessions now, then we're trying to write our second album.

39:02StinaAnd, uh, now with the baggage we got, it's easier to like think of a concept before we do the songs. Last time it was like the other way around. We did the songs and later we did like a concept of those songs, but now I think we can put more effort in like the whole, the whole album. And, uh, I think, uh, it's going to be a better album, I hope. Yeah. And, and it, it feels like we have all the time in the world now, since we can't actually tour or do any gigs at all. So we have time to like process a new songs and like come up with new ideas. And the, the hardest part is to actually get all of us to gather at the same time. So we did a session last week where we did it at Zoom and, uh, I think it worked kind of great, actually. Yeah. It was hard to, to be apart all the time, but you could sit there and like eat your food and listen to the ideas. And new songs, but you could also like contribute. I had my acoustic guitars. I can like say, Hey, we could do it like this or something. And we had a, a studio, uh, dove where Anthon, our other guitarist could like record all the stuff we came up with. So it was like, it's kind of fun process to, to not be able to see each other. Yeah.

40:32HostIt seems that you are one of the few bands that accepting the idea that it's possible that there will be no concerts.

40:43HostHave you tried any live streams doing live streams concerts? It's super awkward. I know, but.

40:49StinaYeah. It's so awkward. And, uh, I've seen a few that are, that are really great. Like rival sons did too.

40:58JacobAnd that was amazing.

41:00NephilaPre-recorded though.

41:02StinaUh, so it wasn't live, but, um, I think that's maybe a future way of doing it. Cause, um, you have so much more, like you can do so much more if you pre-record it. But I think that people, or I, I don't feel like it, but it feels like some people can feel like they are getting fooled that, that it, that it's not live. And for a band like us, it feels like if we're doing a live stream or something, it's hard to get people to watch it since they could watch any concert in the world at YouTube.

41:35HostWell, it's, we're still early stage of this live stream thing. And I feel we will soon figure it out. I was thinking that, for example, pre-recorded concerts can go separately from the live concert. So for example, you record it as a, like, for example, a huge pre-recorded concert and you could sell it separately. And the live concert is a different thing. It repeats the whole thing, but it's just the live thing with the live sound. I think there's a huge potential in that.

42:05StinaAnother really hard part about the live stream is it's hard to get people involved. Like you're trying to give a hundred percent on a stage and you're like headbanging and shouting and running around. And you know that some people are sitting in their couch watching this. It feels so strange. It's hard to, to make it like a union of people watching a real concert.

42:31HostYeah, it's probably going to be its own thing. I don't think we will call it a concert in the traditional sense. It'll be completely something new. Are you planning to, you're planning to work on the new material this year? Yeah. As I understand.

42:47NephilaWe do have a concept.

42:49HostAlso, you do have a concept. We do have a concept.

42:53NephilaWas I allowed to say that?

42:55HostDo you have a deadline or timeline or something when you are going to release the new material?

43:00StinaWell, it's, it's really hard because, um, we had this like kind of big thing in Sweden going on and, um, yeah, I can't really talk about it, but it's postponed. As I said, I, I really want to talk about it, but I can't, uh, you have no idea, but, um, so we had like, um, our label involved in it. And we're focused on like doing this market plan for this event, but it feels like everything just, um, hangs around in the air now. And it's on ice because of this thing, because we have to put a lot of effort in this thing. And, um, when that gets official, I think it will be easier to like present new material for people and live gigs and shows. But I think we have to like climb this cliff first.

43:55NephilaYeah, but was I allowed to say that we do have a concept?

43:59StinaYeah. Yeah, sure.

44:02NephilaI, I got nervous.

44:05StinaYou're a part of the band. Yeah. You can do whatever you want.

44:09HostYeah. In all your interviews, especially in the beginning, just before the release of your latest album, you didn't know if you're allowed to say this or that. That I noticed.

44:19NephilaYeah. The whole thinking things through, you know? Well, I think I'm, I'm really stoked about having a concept like to root ourselves in when writing and working on new material, because I think it's gonna contribute to like slowly starting to more and more like build a storyline around the band. And, you know, kind of maybe moving towards that more of a like thought through image. I think it's gonna help us on the, on that road be a little more prolific. So, yeah, I'm really stoked about it. And I'm also really stoked to be able to put more, more time in it and more time into it because I'm gonna be graduating soon. So that's gonna be really nice.

45:07HostAnother benefit of the good concept is that you can go beyond music, even though the music is in the center, the, all the surrounding stuff, for example, with the band Chemical Romance, they had a comic book, they released something else. I don't remember, but there was a lot of stuff around the band. That's why the concept is really important.

45:25NephilaYeah, you're so creative. Can we hire you?

45:32?Me? Me?

45:35NephilaBut like, yeah, you're, you're just, you're just, you're coming, like you're spitting ideas at us right now. It feels like we're having like a development session or something. I love it.

45:46HostWell, because, because my main job is working with musicians and helping them to go to the next stage. And I do everything but not music. I make music videos, animation, marketing and promotion. I just don't do music. I know how to talk to musicians. And that's why I can bring their visuals to the outside world. And that's my thing. But, and I'm genuinely interested in bands and musicians to succeed because that's where I come in. And then when I can make my stuff, because I like, for example, animation, when I can do animation.

46:20NephilaIt's really inspiring to talk to you. You're really like, you're setting things off. Like I'm starting to think about a lot right now. Well, it all happened when I saw your Instagram.

46:31?I saw that, okay, you have visual. You can work on concept. You have a nice album. Plus, I know that you are signed. And the next album is going to be also great. So, I mean, there is a good base for creative stuff. Let's say like this.

46:48NephilaThank you for saying that. And thank you for taking the time. Like we really appreciate it.

46:52HostYeah, we're almost done. I wanted to ask, where can people follow Nathila?

46:58JacobYou can follow us at Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp. Not TikTok yet, though. You can mail us on our Gmail. You can call me on my number on Facebook.

47:11HostActually, I called you today and you didn't pick up.

47:15StinaYeah, I was worried when I saw it was from Austria. And I was like, no, it's a seller, probably. And you called again. So, I was like, hmm.

47:24HostYeah, I called. I was like, okay, okay. You have a number. I will call it. I will call it. I will check it out.

47:30StinaYeah. And I was like, have I missed something? And that's not a new mindset for me, feeling that I have missed something. So, I looked you up and I saw, yes, I didn't miss something.

47:44NephilaOr I will speak to him soon.

47:47HostYes. All right. Yeah. But for me, it was important to see if you gave a bullshit number for some whatever organization. Or was it true? You know? I was already like saying something in Swedish.

48:00StinaYeah. So, don't call us. Don't call us.

48:02HostNo, no, no, no. It's good that people can call you. Maybe make it a separate number then. But yeah. It's a good idea. All right. Which song are we going to hear at the end of the episode?

48:13NephilaI want to suggest Alla Galaxers Centrum. But I think Jakob might object to that.

48:21?Nope. No? Go ahead. Thank you.

48:23HostSo, it's the last song of the album, right?

48:25?Yes.

48:26StinaYeah. Either you hate it or you like it.

48:28HostPerfect. Stine and Jakob, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview.

48:33?Thank you.

48:34JacobThank you for having us. Thank you so much.

57:53HostCool song. Thanks, Neffle. Thank you so much for listening to Interceptor Beyond Podcast. If you want to quote this show, you can find the transcribed version of this episode at the website InterceptorBeyond.com. Don't forget to follow this podcast on Spotify. And if you like what you're hearing, make sure to rate this show also on Spotify. For more information, I'll see you at the next episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the episode of the