SOURCE – So far you’ve released two singles off the album – Zusterzon and Onbemind. How do you feel the reception and response have been to these singles?
Nicky (Guitars, Keyboards) – Honestly, I’ve been out of the loop for a while now. It seems that the music is slowly creeping its way into the world, but besides the reactions of friends, I haven’t been aware of its reception.
Famke (Vocals) – It still feels outlandish sometimes to have people from Chile or Japan contact us about our music. To have others listen to us pouring our hearts out – even before performing live.
SOURCE – Your new album Boezem is out very soon. Can you tell us a bit about the sound and the feeling of the new record?
Famke (Vocals) – There’s a certain playfulness to the tracks that fuses our musical interests together. The record feels like a continuous amalgamation of thundering black metal that yet feels warm in its embrace; catchy post-punk inviting you to move; dreamy shoegaze to inspire reflection and awaken reminiscence. ‘Boezem’ might be somewhat easier on the ear and more accessible than the split album we released in 2020. For this new record we employed the services of the talented Tymon Kruidenier, who proved to be a great asset in finding the right sound for Vuur & Zijde: one which represents the sum of our inspirations.
SOURCE – Did you feel that the album track Zusterzon was the perfect way to introduce the new album?
Famke (Vocals) – Zusterzon as a concept harkens back to the roots of eternal companionship between two of our members. The driving beat and uplifting riffs over which this is superimposed fits us perfectly as a band. Also, the song is a personal favourite of mine.
SOURCE – You guys sing in Dutch, so I’m not going to ask you to dissect the whole album, but generally speaking, what sorts of things are you singing about on this album?
Nicky (Guitars, Keyboards) – I’d say this album is about the ability and inability to love. During the development of this record, our (love) lives have been rather turbulent, to say the least. I feel that the lyrics by Famke and Sylwin beautifully yet painfully accentuate this.
Famke (Vocals) – A liberation of intimacy; motherhood; conditional and unconditional love – and the difference between those. Several songs are written in my mother tongue Frysk. When it comes to writing about matters close to the heart – or bosom – using any other language than Frysk (or Dutch) feels off for me. It forms an integral part of the way I mend myself.
SOURCE – How do you balance band activities with day jobs, careers, and personal relationships/family obligations? Do you think it’s possible to be able to make a living from the music endeavors alone for Vuur & Zijde?
Nicky (Guitars, Keyboards) – It’s important to make time for the things you love. This might sound generic but it effectively means that I could never make a living from music alone. I’m a passionate lecturer and researcher, I aim to be a good friend and lover, and my general interests are rather broad. Relying on music as my sole financial income would mean that I’d have to give up on some of the above, which, in my eyes, means existential poverty. The music scene is a brutal grind-fest, especially for those into rock and metal. I’m too disillusioned to ever return to that state of mind.
SOURCE – How hard is it in such a competitive music market like the Netherlands rock scene to find your place as a band and to build up a fanbase?
Nicky (Guitars, Keyboards) – That depends on what you want. I’m a musician that operates in various niche genres. The romantic idea that “good music” will always find an audience still resonates with me. I also like to think that my/our projects are motivated primarily by artistic curiosity, so I’m not worried about competition, as this curiosity is not a race but a shared environment. I can imagine that bands who desire a specific touring slot, streaming numbers, and the social capital to work themselves into the spotlight have it a lot harder though. I honestly wish them all the best but that life just isn’t for me.
SOURCE – The development of AI has been a big topic as of late – especially with its impact on the entertainment industry. What are your thoughts on how this technology will affect the music industry?
Nicky (Guitars, Keyboards) – Personally, I have enormous ecological and creative concerns when it comes to AI. We’ve already seen the perceived “value” of imagery and music drop in the last decade, which has turned many artists into content creators, solely there to make platforms grow and the already-wealthy even wealthier. AI further enables this situation, overflowing digital channels with low-effort plagiarism. This may sound really bleak, because it is, but I hope that, one way or another, it also helps us to return to our own crafts. As an artist, there is nothing more enjoyable than to be immersed in the act of creating. Outsourcing this to some tool made by techbro’s feels like robbing myself of the best stuff in life. If this means that I can’t keep up with the industry side of being an artist, then that’s a loss I’ll happily embrace.
SOURCE – Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Famke (Vocals) – Last week I watched this Italian movie called ‘Le Otto Montagne’. It was beautiful, check it out.
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