Interviu cu Becky Elian
19 septembrie 2009 | postat de herminedirt
No.3: Becky, what have you been up to since you left Romania?
Becky: Well, I've only just officially moved to Canada last Monday! I've been traveling around since June. I was back home in London for a month finishing exams, and then flew to Canada for 8 weeks to record a demo with my new band, “What She Said”, as well as sort out where I'll be living and working. I also traveled around Canada, did a bit of sightseeing. I went up to Niagara Falls with family, saw most of Toronto, met old friends in Montreal and recorded in Windsor. It was a blast! It's all documented on my blog: http://thisisbex.blogspot.com.
No.3: You were back for a few weeks in Romania last month. How was your trip?
Becky: I came back to Romania to pack up my stuff, sort out my visa and say goodbye to friends and family. I had a really great time, partying with friends and going out every night. A lot of my friends are also leaving the country, so we were all in the same boat.
It was a bit sad, because I know I won't be seeing everyone for at least a year, but at the same time, this is a great opportunity.
No.3: What do you think about the new Dekadens line-up?
Becky: It will always be a little bit strange when someone else is singing the songs you were part of, with the guys you were up on stage with for 3 years. Having said that, Roxana is a great choice for Dekadens, and has a good voice. I'm happy they found a lead singer that fits the band in such a short space of time, and I hope they go on to do bigger and better things.
No.3: How do you feel when you look back at the Dekadens period?
Becky: Nothing but good vibes. We achieved a lot in a short space of time, from recording an album, shooting a music video, playing the biggest festivals in Romania, to traveling around the world!
No.3: How’s the music scene in Canada compared to the one here in Romania?
Becky: I find the music scene here in Canada very receptive. Almost everyone here is involved in music in one way or another. Everyone's interested in hearing new bands play, and there are so many opportunities for bands.
Every now and then in Toronto, I grab my acoustic guitar, and play at open mic nights with my roommate Mark and get great feedback. Infact, we plan to do a marathon of gigs next week. It doesn't really work like that back in Romania.
Unfortunately, a lot of people are saying the Romanian music scene is dying. To some extent, I have to agree. Not very many people are interested in seeing local bands play, concert attendance has dropped, and word does not get around about new bands anymore.
On top of that, a lot of bands are quitting or are losing band members. It's such a shame.
No.3: What bands have you been seeing live there?
Becky: The best concert I've seen so far was the free Broken Social Scene gig at the Harbourfront Center last August. So many people showed up! Feist, Emily Haines, Amy Milan, and some other members from Metric and Stars also played alongside Broken Social Scene. They played for 3 hours and didn't want to stop! Really, really good show.
No.3: Now, tell us about your new band - What She Said. How would you introduce/describe it to someone?
Becky: What She Said is an organic synthpop music collective which is based in Windsor, right on the border of Canada, next to Detroit, USA. We consist of a range of musicians, with different experiences in a number of genres, from rock to jazz. We've got Fayze Sassine on bass, Phillip Whitfield on keyboard and guitar, Adam on drums, and Kero chopping live drum beats on the occasional track. Right now we're putting together an album, we've got 7 tracks, and more coming up very soon! You can check us out on: http://www.whatshesaid.ca . We've got our upcoming single, “Sounds on the Radio” on there as a preview track, and we'll be shooting a video very soon.
No.3: How did you come up with the band name? That’s always a tough choice.
Becky: The band is named after the track “What She Said” by The Smiths. We're all big fans of 80s bands, such as The Smiths, New Order, Berlin, etc. As we were going through songs, the song title just popped out and made sense. Plus it is an awesome song!
No.3: What is your contribution to the band? Vocals and lyrics only, or are you playing an instrument also?
Becky: I've been writing the vocal lines and lyrics whenever we do a studio session. Our songs usually get finished in about 4 hours! At the moment, I'm doing just vocals. But when we start playing live, who knows?
No.3: Have you played any gigs yet?
Becky: Nope, not yet! Like I said, I've been playing acoustic sets back in Toronto. We're focusing on recording and finishing an album. We're also planning to start playing live gigs in November.
No.3: What are you guys planning for the near future?
Becky: Getting our album out, playing live shows, and shooting a video for the time being.
No.3: Are there any musical similarities between Dekadens and What She Said, or is it just Becky that they have in common?
Becky: There are absolutely no similarities whatsoever. I even sing differently on these tracks!
I love the sound of synth, and tried to integrate that into some of the post-Kill and Tell stuff with Dekadens. But this is very, very different.
No.3: Are you content with What She Said’s musical approach? Is this what you’ve been searching for?
Becky: I was definitely looking for a change, and I'm happy with the result. I was looking for a more mature sound, and a step away from punk, into a more 80s revival sound, and I got it!
No.3: Any chance for a What She Said live show in Romania?
Becky: It's very possible. But a tour around Romania or Europe would have to be on the cards. Flying to Bucharest to play one show would be a bit of a waste. Once we perfect our live shows, and play a few gigs in Canada, why not?
