INTERVIEW: I got here out of pure love for what I’m doing - AIKO
“I don’t force meanings of songs upon people, so if everyone finds their own meaning in my songs, I’m more than happy and I believe my music gives the space to do it. The album also has multiple genres in it, so I think it’s the reason, that every person can find something for them on the album, be it something more poppy and upbeat, or something more melancholic.”
Marie: Aiko, you live both in Prague and London. Why did you choose to study in London?
Aiko: I’ve always been attracted to big cities, so I wanted to experience living in one. I knew that I want to study abroad and after some consideration, London made sense to me musically, their music scene is big and at the time when I was moving, I’d say, one of the most important in Europe. I also still wanted to stay somewhat close to my family, so it meant finding a country in Europe. I have a thing that I enjoy living in multiple places at once, so before the pandemic started, I had a perfect balance of living in both places. So in the pre-pandemic world, I absolutely loved it - the rhythm of the city worked great for me and I loved every moment.
Marie: How do you find the music scene in Prague?
Aiko: It’s quite specific, I’d say - most importantly it’s quite divided, depending on which language you make music in - if you make music in Czech, it might be easier for you to get on bigger radios and platforms. On the other hand, for the fact that the Czech Republic is quite a small country, I like that we have a good underground scene going, with radios that are concentrating on alternative music and a culture of going into smaller clubs and venues for gigs - there’s the space to do it. But also, it’s small:)
Marie: What led you to commit to becoming a full-time musician?
Aiko: Out of pure love for what I’m doing - I love creating and writing music, being on stage, but also all the things that are connected to it, such as building a cohesive image, branding and social media management. It’s lots of work and sometimes it’s quite frustrating, because a career in music isn’t linear. You can write hundreds of e-mails and be very active, yet not get anything back from it. But then, when you kind of let the situation go naturally, suddenly you get responses, opportunities and people who support you. But what I’ve learned in the last few months is the importance of having a team. Life gets so much better when you have people around you who help you and also believe in what you’re doing!
Marie: You’ve been influenced by artists some people may not be that familiar with such as Aurora, Daughter or Katarzia. How would you identify your conscious and unconscious influences on your latest album?
Aiko: Yes, I love these artists! What all of them have in common is the raw, honest songwriting, that I really appreciate and use in my work is well. Music-wise, I love Aurora’s production of songs, the use of orchestral bits with electronic and combining it with her soft voice, I love it and definitely take inspiration for there! Daughter on the other hand also played a role of inspiring some of my visuals - she also has her solo project called Ex:Re and her use of synths is heavenly!
Marie: What part do your Russian and Czech roots play, if any, in your songs?
Aiko: For the longest time, I’ve been playing with an idea of writing a song in Russian or Czech, but that is an idea for the future. I don’t think there’s one thing that I can pinpoint that comes from each country, it’s more the cultural influences, the places where I’ve grown - how dramatic Russian people are, their fashion sense, or the small city in the Czech Republic where I’ve grown and some of the cultural and musical influences from the Czech Republic.
Marie: Are your songs autobiographical or do they come from your imagination, or both?
Aiko: I’d say both, most importantly, they’re mostly introspective, I prefer writing by myself, exploring my feelings and thoughts, topics that are on my mind.
Marie: Do you listen to much music on Spotify, and if so, what are the top releases we should check out?
Aiko: I’m actually that one person that uses Apple music! I haven’t been exploring new music as much lately, but discovered new gems for myself, so my recommendations are “Sanctuary” by Joji or “Судно” by Molchat doma
Marie: You have a very distinctive visual and performance style. How did you develop this?
Aiko: These are the things that have always been in me and I’ve just allowed them to shine through and explored them:) Clothing-wise, I’ve always been drawn to elegant silhouettes, combined with extravagance and when it comes to performance, dance always felt like an extension of music in a physical form, so when I started doing contemporary dance, it all blended naturally. But I’m constantly growing and changing, so in the future, I’d love to incorporate more light designs into my performances.
Marie: Lockdown has been difficult for everyone. How has it affected you and your songwriting?
Aiko: Personally, lockdown has been quite productive for me. During the normal times, I used to be all over the place, constantly traveling for gigs, going to events and doing everything at once. Lockdown forced me to be home, so I had nothing else to do, but to start creating more and that led to finishing and releasing an album - it sped up the process and kept me sane during the first months of lockdown. When second lockdown came, it was all about keeping a routine, sitting down and writing - some days are better than others and you learn the importance of having a routine. And actually, I must say, strangely enough, my songs are more positive now than they used to be!
Marie: What’s it like, exchanging performing live for a social-media connection with your fans?
Aiko: Hmm, it depends. To be honest, I still didn’t get the hang of livestreams, I’m not exactly sure if people enjoy them as much, but I have done a few of those. In that sense, I really miss performing live, seeing faces, feeling the energy! On the other hand, the times allowed me to express myself online more, creating different mini photoshoots for myself, becoming more comfortable online and filming live sessions. It forced me out of the mindset, that I only show up online just when I have something to say into talking to people like they are my friends. Also, just being actively present on all of the platforms helped me grow my socials, which nowadays is also an important part! I guess you just have to take the times as they are and make the best out of it:)
Marie: Your last release was really well received both on digital platforms as well as on festival stages. What do you think it is about this album that has struck a chord with people?
Aiko: Thank you! I think it’s because the album has been thought through and had a story behind it and then each song relates to the other in some way, yet have their own story. I don’t force meanings of songs upon people, so if everyone finds their own meaning in my songs, I’m more than happy and I believe my music gives the space to do it. The album also has multiple genres in it, so I think it’s the reason, that every person can find something for them on the album, be it something more poppy and upbeat, or something more melancholic.
Marie: How have you enjoyed the process of making music videos?
Aiko: I love it! It’s really satisfying to see how things come together leading up to the final result, especially when you know how much work and creativity goes into it. Developing the idea, finding people to make the video with, brainstorming together, finding clothing, locations and if it involves dance, learning the routine, it’s all a process. Also, the though that when I’ll be an old lady, I’ll have a lot of visual memories of my youth warms my heart:)
Marie: Now more than ever it’s challenging for ambitious musicians. How are you planning to make your mark over the next twelve months?
Aiko: Mostly it’s all about reacting to the current situation - once restrictions allow it, I’d love to be returning back on stage in a new, better version. I’m using these times to make as much new material and developing my project as a whole, so I’m hopping on sessions with producers, coming up with new ideas for live performances, filming music videos and live sessions, creating lyrics videos and visuals for socials. I’ve also been lucky enough to create a team around me, so I’m very excited to work with these people. I’ll also definitely be releasing new music - it’s been quite some time since I released music and I’m so excited to release new things. I’m mostly planning on releasing singles this year, first of the releases is coming in March, together with a music video, and it’s a combination of everything I love - music, renaissance influences, dancers and pole dancing.
Marie: And finally, Aiko, if you had one wish for 2021, what would that be?
Aiko: Oh my, real life human interaction!
Photos by Rony Thilakan
