Neues aus Schweden! Kalt, roh, melodisch – so beschreiben Hexate ihre Debüt-Single „Sisters“, die wir euch kürzlich bei unseren Musik-Tipps (hier) vorgestellt haben. Das Duo aus Stockholm hat uns mit diesem Song einen wunderbaren Darkwave-Ohrwurm beschert, der Lust darauf macht, mehr von Hexate zu hören – neues Material ist bereits in Arbeit! In unserem Band der Woche – Interview sprechen Nadia & Jimmy über Hexate, die Resonanz auf ihre erste Single, den Klang ihrer Musik und über die Herangehensweise und Hintergründe ihres musikalischen Schaffens.
Who is behind Hexate and how did the project came into being?
Hexate are Jimmy Svensson and Nadia Fagerdin. It all started after a very wet night out on the town when we randomly decided we should record some music together. After some trial and error on how we wanted it to sound we landed in what you hear on our first single „Sisters“. Dark, raw and melodic.
How did your band name come about, and what does it mean to you?
Hexate is a rewrite of Hekate taken from the goddess of the underworld and witchcraft.
If you had to describe your music in terms of not music…what would you say?
J: Coffee as dark as our souls. Haha … or perhaps an angry burning fire on a pitch black night.
N: Imagine rowing a boat in the Stockholm archipelago on a dark and starless night out at sea, then getting the sensation of that you might be lost, surrounded by nothing but the black water and the shadows of the small islands passing by. But then suddenly you see the lights of the city in the distance and realize you are not going to die out here.
Forget about genres for a second – Hexate‘s music sounds like …?
Dimly lit streets, an angst filled world and with a pulse of the 80s.
What are your first musical memories?
J: Laying on the floor of my grand parents house with a tiny organ that I got as a Christmas present. I think I’ve might haven been 4 or 5 years old.
N: As a small child I was very fascinated with my uncle’s synthesizer he had in his living room. Could play and watch my cousins play at it for hours. The first song I really liked was “The Final Countdown” by Europe. I have a memory of hearing a neighbor playing it over and over again whilst I was biking around the courtyard of where I lived. What I really loved was the synth intro. I was 6 years old.
Which person, artist or incident inspired you when you first started making music?
J: For me it was more what was happening with music at the time. The development of electronic, industrial, punk and metal music. When things started to merge, morph and develop in various directions. Love when bands push borders of what a certain genre or music is supposed to sound like. It opens up for experimentation.
N: Well Jimmy did! He was the one who suggested we should start a band. I was a bit surprised as I didn’t think I had any musical talent. I was a bit hesitant at first but at the same time also excited to give it a go. Jimmy is very supportive and encouraging, it is thanks to him I’ve started making music.
How does your compositional process work?
J: I often write the basic structures of the song. Then Nadia comes in with lyrics and vocals and we bounce ideas back and forth until we have something that we both like and can work with.
What impact has your surrounding on your music?
J: Being part of a vibrant music community that work, explore and experiment together definitely has affected me. Like when I and Nadia crossed paths. New meetings lead to new experimentation and new music.
N: Ah yes, believe we are a product of the society we have lived and live in, therefore the impact of the surroundings have everything to do with it. The music we make is in its turn a product of that and of two friends having similar taste of music (sort of) and having fun with it.
Where does your inspiration for music come from? Which sort of mood produces the best song?
J: As I mentioned previously, from my surroundings, what’s going on in the world, listening to and exploring new music and going to shows. But mostly from my own restlessness and the will always to create. I don’t need to be in any special mood. I don’t sit around waiting for inspiration. I know what I want and just write, write and write.
N: On my behalf I’m mostly inspired writing lyrics about things I’m upset/annoyed about or if I just want to get something off my chest. When I get upset about things it mainly has to do with sexism/racism/ignorance and current situation in the world. Other than that I’m of course also inspired by bands I like and I do have a weakness for that 80s sound.
Recently your amazing debut single „Sisters“ came out. Are you happy with the responses? What is the best context to listen to „Sisters„?
J: The response has been great on our debut single. It spread really fast and we’ve been getting a lot of positive responses on it. Very thankful for that. I don’t want to dictate how people should listen to our music. Everyone experiences music in his/her own way and that’s a beautiful thing.
N: Yes, indeed, we are very happy and grateful for the kind responses we have gotten. I didn’t expect for it to spread as it did.
The song is about patriarchal oppression. But I completely agree with Jimmy about letting people choose for themselves how and when to listen to „Sisters“.
Which instrument will surely NEVER be heard on a Hexate-track?
J: Well, we actually talked about this but I love all instruments, to be honest. It’s a matter of how you play them and what part they play in a song or performance. I know Nadia is of a different opinion here, hehe. But yeah, I use a lot of different instruments in my music , my different bands and projects.
N: Yeah, there will NEVER be any flutes in our music. Sorry, Jimmy. I’m a bit allergic to flutes. Don’t know why, but perhaps flute music reminds me of the dark ages when women were burned at the stake, there were plagues and crusades, yeah, you know horror in general.
No alcohol is no solution either. What booze combination will definitely dissolve all your troubles and issues?
J: I don’t really think alcohol solves any troubles. A temporary break from them perhaps. Although, it can of course be a release or cathartic to some extent. An inspiration perhaps. But yeah, beer. Bitter, dry hopped and tasty. Does like a good smoky whiskey as well.
N: Well, I used to be a bartender back in the day … I love drinks who are bitter, sour and/or salty, just like the tears will be from Trump when he looses the upcoming election. But 99% of any alcoholic beverage I drink is beer. I love beer.
What is the most surprising record on your CD /Vinyl-shelf?
J: Probably my Jörgen Schmidt-Voigt – Herzakustisches Diagnostikon series of 7” vinyls with recordings of heart sounds and the included booklet with diagnostics.
N: Gonna go with “I am drum” a compilation of songs from West Africa between 1962-1980.
What are your plans for the near future and what do you wish for?
J: Recording and releasing new songs. We will also have some merch soon. No shows right now because of the pandemic.
N: Yes, we are recording new songs and we wish and hope for people to enjoy them if they choose to take the time out of their day for a listen.
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