Katrin The thrill is an indie/alternative band consisting of Katerina Panopoulou (songwriter, singer) & Gina Dimakopoulou (guitarist). Their debut album ‘Evil Eye Charm’ was released back in 2012 followed 2 years after by ‘Earth Is Calling Us’. After a long time we will have the opportunity to see them live on FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts’ stage, on April 12th. So, here they are…
Welcome to Last Day Deaf, Katrin The Thrill! So, tell us what happened 15 years ago? How did it all start?
Hello! Great to be here. It all started when I came back from the UK and decided to form a band. Back then we were called Dementia Praecox. We started playing live in Athens and then we went our separate ways in 2005, since me and Gina moved back to London. In 2007 we returned in Athens and went back in the game after Coca Cola Soundwave music contest as Katrin The Thrill.
In 2012 your debut full-lenth album ‘Evil Eye Charm‘ was released with eleven special songs (‘Losing’, ‘Under The Skylight’ among others) following your EP ‘Earth Is Calling Us‘ (2010). We would like to know about those two releases. In what way do they differ one from another? Do you think your sound evolved?
We first released ‘Earth Is Calling Us‘ EP which was dedicated to the earth and the environment. We tried to contribute by giving our part of the cds sale profit to the reforestation of Penteli’s mountain. We now happily see the trees grow and hope that they won’t get burned again. The album was independently released and apart from that both the album and EP had songs that were created all these years so the sound wasn’t that much different or evolved. The sound changed afterwards and the new songs are more acoustic then they used to be.
New song ‘Maybe’ means a new chapter in life, at least according to me.
Some of its lyrics:
‘Please hit me now
Take me down
Lift me up
I am inside your fire’
Please explain its meaning to us…
I was in love when I wrote this song and highly inspired by this feeling. But to be honest I think lyrics as poetry should not be analyzed and explained by the poet or the artist. If they are strong enough to create images in one’s mind then they should be interpreted individually by the listener. After the creation, the song is not about me or my experiences any more. It’s about the listener.
You are two members at the band for the time being; Katerina Panopoulou as the frontwoman and songwriter and Gina Dimakopoulou as the guitarist. We would like to know some more things about you girls. How long have you known each other, when did you meet?
We are going way back, in 2001. We are close friends and like family. We are playing together since the start of the band. Gina is a bit unfaithful lately playing also with S.W.I.M, but I forgive her since we now have an open music relationship (laughter).
What genre of music do you consider your work to be? Which artists would you consider as your major influences?
I could say dark indie rock. As I said before lately the sound is softer and more acoustic but still the title doesn’t change I think. My music taste has changed a lot over the years. I now hear a lot of trap, electronic & hip hop music. More then I actually listen to guitars and indie bands. Our influences could fill up a book. But if I have to name a few basic ones are the music that we grow up with like the Pixies, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, PJ Harvey, David Bowie’s voice for me and many more…
It’s common for a musician to be out of work for a long period of time. How, if so, could you cope up with it? And what about the transition period, of if you prefer the ‘hangover’?
Gina is a psychologist and this is her priority so there is no work break for her. At the same time she loves music so she is always active playing. I had a break, for three years; I wasn’t active. When we came back from NY -we went there for 2 gigs- I decided to concentrate on my day job so I can make a living and also regroup. I needed the break psychologically. It turned out to be a long pause and now I am ready to get back in the game. Even when I was not active into writing, there wasn’t a single day that I did not think about music. That made me realize that music might not practically feed me, but feeds my soul instead.
Which musician(s) would you like to collaborate with next and why?
The idea of collaboration is open but there isn’t really a plan for that.
Do you believe that men and women generally get equal opportunities gig-wise in the local market?
It was never difficult for us to play a gig. The challenge was to get payed for that. So I never really thought of that comparison. I always enjoyed collaborating with women. At the same time, no genre makes a good musician.
You will preform at FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts in Athens, Greece, on April 12th! What should we expect from you that night?
At FAUST Bar-Theatre-Arts we are going to play songs from our album and EP but also present the new ones. We haven’t played live in Athens for 4 years so we are very excited about that and I’m a little bit anxious as always.
We would like to know about your future plans; Give us a taste!
The plan is to be active and creative and that is my priority. Thank u for having us!
Photo credits: Christina Moumouri
Nena Gioti