SOURCE – How would you describe the evolution of your music since your previous album, Burn Embrace?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – With Transmissions, we knew we wanted to take a big leap forward sonically, and that the ideas we had would demand more instrumentation. Since Piotr and I both had or have other projects using a lot of synthesizers, we felt it was time to combine all our interests under the Telepathy name, as all the members have a wide taste in music. This gave us a lot of space to grow as artists and musicians, and I would say our music has become a lot more melodic with this release, and that we are no longer afraid to be melodic when it matters, without forsaking any of the heaviness, of course.
SOURCE – Telepathy is the creation of three Polish brothers: Piotr, Albert, and Krystian Turek, and you, English guitarist Richard Powley. Considering this, is there any influence from Polish music in Transmissions?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – I’m sure there is! Whatever we hear when we are growing up becomes a part of us and an influence, even subconsciously.
Speaking only for myself, the guys have introduced me to some great Polish music: Indukti, Obscure Sphinx, Dopelord, and the great underground hip hop scene in Poland.
SOURCE – How do you ensure that your instrumental compositions resonate with audiences without the use of lyrics?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – I think a large part of it is retaining the emotion and intention of the original idea in the final composition/recording, and also in the choice of sounds to convey different feelings, almost like colours in a painter’s palette.
SOURCE – How do you approach the challenge of promoting an instrumental album in a market that often favours vocal-driven music?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – I think this comes down to a couple of things, and may be best asked of the label or publicist. I suppose mostly it comes down to knowing the audience; luckily, we’ve been into this music for a long time, and as fans, we know what we like.
We’re incredibly fortunate in that the majority of this work is taken care of by our label, who are some of the best in the world at what they do.
SOURCE – What role does technology play in your music creation process, and how do you stay updated with evolving tools and software?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – With Transmissions, it played quite a role, given that we recorded and mixed the album ourselves at our home studios. When we go into jam and write as a band, we always record the sessions, even if that isn’t with a recording rig but on a phone or video camera. During the writing sessions for Transmissions, Piotr and Albert would scan through these recordings and highlight the best ideas.
Then we’d sit together or separately in home studios and play with arrangements or write extra parts before coming back together to try these live. How do we stay up to date? I think Piotr is always searching for the best tools for the studio, and luckily we’re all open to using whatever gets the job done in the best way.
SOURCE – How do you balance the creative aspects of music production with the commercial side of album creation and marketing?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – For me, these are two separate things, and we are very fortunate that no one at any label we’ve been signed to has had any input on our music or creativity.
So, in short, and speaking only for us, first of all, we create whatever music we feel like, then we put together art that reflects that music, and then begin discussions on how best to market the record with Pelagic and PR agents. What we really want to achieve is to say what we want to say with the album to the broadest audience possible.
Then it’s over to the label and promotion folks, and we tell our story when the opportunities arise!
SOURCE – How do you approach the distribution and marketing of your instrumental music to reach a broader audience?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – This is all done by our label Pelagic Records; they have been part of the scene for this kind of music for years and know the best practices.
These days, video and social media content seem more important than ever, which is great for us as the guys have a great interest in filmmaking and editing, and it’s one more way to tell the story of our music.
SOURCE – Looking back, what advice would you give to emerging instrumental artists about navigating the common challenges of album releases?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – Wow, I’m not sure we’re qualified for this one, but here goes: First of all, make sure you love what you do, and then find out what the bands you admire are doing and try to do that!
Really, my best advice is to try and play a lot of shows, and take care to be kind to everyone you meet. Try and think, “What would I want to hear and see?” If it vibes with you, chances are someone else will like it too.
SOURCE – What role does live performance play in the promotion of your instrumental album, and how do you prepare for tours?
Richard Powley (Guitars, Vocals) – We love to tour, and having this album, which we are all so proud of, ready to perform just makes us want to take the show to as many people as possible.
Most of all, we want our music to connect with as many people like us as it can, so being fortunate enough to be able to go out on the road is a pleasure.
Preparing for tours is a big undertaking, but usually, we practice playing the songs individually, settle on a setlist, and then begin rehearsing the show as it will be on stage. For this new album, there are a lot of new elements: synthesizers, more guitar sounds than ever before, so we’re quite focused on how to bring this to the stage in the best way.
Right now, Albert, our drummer, is programming production (lights, etc.) for the set, so we’re stoked to bring some new elements on stage with us as we launch the album!
Thanks for the interview, and we hope your readers enjoy the new record!
Photo Credit: Damien Demolder
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