How Katerina Nicole Blends Clean Vocals With Metalcore Power

Why Heavy Music Feels Vulnerable

SPEAKER_06 0:00

So there's something that draws people to music that can be heavy and yet still feel very vulnerable. So today at Hook and Bridge, we are joined by Katerina Nicole to talk about how she brings those worlds together. So what do you got to say, Katerina? It's a pleasure to meet you. Hi, it's nice to meet you too, Courtney.

SPEAKER_05 0:20

Good question. Right off the bat. Put me right on the spot. My world has definitely my two worlds have collided since I started working on my EP and now these singles and finding my sound in the metal world and releasing all my vulnerability and putting it into art is a very scary thing. But somehow I've just managed to do it without overthinking it. And it's resonated with my fans, and that makes me want to just keep going because I know that I'm not alone. The people around me are not alone, and we can go through some similar things, unfortunately. I wish I could say that. No, it was just me, but absolutely. Yeah, so it's it's a very special place to be right now in the metal industry, in this community, and I'm happy to be here.

Merging Pop Roots With Metal

SPEAKER_06 1:19

So you mentioned that you were kind of trying to make two worlds collide. Can you describe what those two words are to a newfound fan and your your current fans?

SPEAKER_05 1:29

Yeah, absolutely. So I do come from many backgrounds in music, and I've I've grown up listening to Celine Dion and Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, but then I also grew up with my alternative side, like Alf Avril and Yellow Card and Good Charlotte, and going into heavier stuff like Lamb of God and Slayer and kind of finding my place in this world and still allowing myself to use my pretty clean vocals, if you will, and then still let out all of this harder sound that's pent up inside me.

SPEAKER_06 2:05

No, I love that. So I'm myself am a vocalist. I can't scream. I did hear you scream in a couple tracks, and I'm like, she's got the roar, she's got it. But I will say, coming from a very musical family, including Harley. So for those who don't know, he's my brother-in-law, I'm just substituting for him today. We have been surrounded by so many different influences. Like our mom would listen to Motown, my dad is the metalhead. So it was very interesting to see how all of those influences sort of push what I grew into as an artist. So I'm glad to hear that other people are also experiencing that because I don't think we have to necessarily pigeonhole ourselves just because a market is saying that this is what sells. And I heard a lot of those nuanced elements when I was listening to your EP last night. I'm like, oh, she's got a lot of little ethereal sounds. So when you did bring up Celine Dion, I'm like, this is why. So happy to hear that this is how you've made it merge. And it is translating even to a newfound fan and does come through very clearly. Thank you. I appreciate that. You're welcome.

Rejection, Imposter Syndrome, And Persistence

SPEAKER_06 3:09

So back to the nitty-gritty. With the vulnerability and part of your process, what do you think is the hardest thing to talk about in your life currently? And how has music helped you express that?

SPEAKER_05 3:25

A great example is my new track that's out right now, The Weight of a Thousand Skies. And it's kind of funny because when I was creating this track in the studio, I was really leaning towards other weights in my life that I was trying to process and deal with and figure out. And as this track got closer and closer to being released over the last few months, I was like, damn, this is like really about music as well and the industry that I'm in and trying to do this alone. I do have some great team members, but for the most part, I'm I'm figuring it out as I go without a band, without a big team behind me, and and I'm getting a lot of no's. And that's natural. And I know this industry is earned, and I have to keep pushing, and I'm gonna have some bad days and I'm gonna have imposter syndrome. But it's yeah. Just this morning, I I was feeling pretty down about something, and then I'm like, it pick yourself back up, like keep going, you know. And I never want to be that annoying person. If someone gives me a no or just ignores me, I I've never been the person to be like, well, wait a minute, let's try again, or like you know, knock on that door again. But I think I need to start doing that more.

SPEAKER_06 4:45

So, how do you handle rejection? Because a rejection of any kind, whether it's you know in your career, in your personal life, it can be hard.

SPEAKER_05 4:52

Yeah, definitely. It's knowing your worth, it's knowing how to get comfortable with no's and silence and no email replies or you know, all that kind of thing that I know a lot of people deal with. Whatever your dream is, whatever you're chasing, we're all after something. And it's something that usually is not just given to us if it's something that's kind of hard to crack into. I I don't I don't know, it's hard to explain. I'm I'm still I'm still trying to to just get a little more comfortable in this space.

Writing Songs That Hit Everyone

SPEAKER_06 5:33

So, in terms of your debut, right? You've you've you've been around for what two years, give or take. Yeah. I think what you have already is very solid. You've carved out a niche that works for you. I loved listening to uh one in particular that dropped me that literally just paused me in my tracks last night, what I now know or know now. Absolutely a gorgeous song. Like this is so relatable. Can you describe what you were feeling when you were writing that song?

SPEAKER_05 6:04

That was a very hard song to make in the studio. Me and my producer Jordan Chase, we are very close to that track emotionally because we both have imposter syndrome and we both want to sometimes give up, or we don't know our worth, or we don't know the kind of impact that we have on other people that we need to keep going, we need to share our story and and be that vessel for people. And so it I think I cried a few times tracking that song, and the guttural scream was the first scream that came out tracking that song and the breakdown. And Jordan was just like, Okay, are you okay? I'm like, I don't know, probably not.

SPEAKER_06 6:54

It was it was meant to be there, it was meant to happen, and yeah, it comes from such a pure place, no matter if that's happiness, sadness, heartache. And like for the first couple of lessons, because I just kept back going back to that track. I'm like, okay, like, is this about a relationship? Is this about you know, something that anybody can gravitate towards? And I think not to, you know, completely boost your ego, but I am going to because I'm it's this is so good. You've written it in such a way that anybody can relate to this song. It's just purely emotion. And I don't know if every artist, even now, can capture what you've captured in that song because they try to narrow themselves a bit too much. And we can take this for what it's worth.

Finding Home In The Metal Crowd

SPEAKER_06 7:40

For me, it's like, okay, I paused my life. And sorry, Harley, I know we jumped to questions, but we do life updates. I paused my life for health and I'm finally on the mend. And I re-emerged into the music scene just this week, went to my first concert in seven years and had a blast with five girl back and of like, you know, I can't mosh, I can't be in the crowd, but I'm here. I did it. I'm glad that I'm here. And I felt like my full self for once in a very long time. So I'm glad that Harley gave me this opportunity to meet with you, talk with you, and really see what's going on in the industry because I feel like I've just kind of removed myself for such a long time. So I'll pass it back to you if you want to share any life updates, music related or non-related, and we can talk about those.

SPEAKER_05 8:28

Oh, that's so awesome for you. I mean, health is number one, and there's so many factors that it can contribute to that. And so for you to put yourself first and prioritize it and get back on track is a beautiful thing. I'm very proud of you for doing that and getting back into the metal world. I took the whole summer out of the metal scene to just work on a Greek island, and I was like dying to get back into it. So I'm here in Hamburg for a whole month, submerged into metal. I think I'm going to like eight concerts now. I've already gone to three of them, and I feel so at home, so at peace. And even though I'm I'm traveling by myself and going to them late at night and in the dark and going home when I'm in when I get into the venue and I'm surrounded by metal heads and I have a beer in my hand, I'm like, I feel I feel safe. I feel at peace. And looking around and seeing everybody so happy and connecting with the music is it reminds me of why I do this. And I'm and I'm looking up at the stage like I need to be up there, like that's where I'm meant to be. And it's just a matter of time before I get my butt back on that stage.

SPEAKER_06 9:44

You'll be there. I think your stuff is more than good enough, and I think the masses need to hear it, honestly. And it is an at-home place. You're safe, you're comfy, and you know, just being partial. Metal shows, rock fest, the nicest audience, the sweetest people. I know a lot of people get a bad rap because of their aesthetic or whatever, but I have the best time at metal shows compared to any other genre. Hands down. So that's that's on the I have to go to a festival again, figure it out, and we'll make it happen. So, what's next up for you? I know you said eight concerts. What are you doing personally?

Eurovision Dreams And Building Community

SPEAKER_05 10:23

Well, I I'm trying to be social. I I usually am a social butterfly if I feel safe, or you know, I'm seeing some other some solo females around, I'm talking to them, I'm saying who I am, introducing myself, what I do. And, you know, usually the girls are pretty darn nice. And so I'm kind of doing that this month. And also I have submitted myself into Eurovision to represent Greece because I am a Greek citizen as well as Canadian, is my first I'm born and raised in Canada. So I am very excited to hear back to see if I got top 20 for Sing for Greece, which is the preliminary preliminary competition that determines who will represent Greece in Eurovision. So I would love to bring metal to the stage in Greece. It's not so common as other European countries. So for me, that's very important. Plus, I come from a little bit of a pop background as well. I think I have a fan base throughout the world right now that we can have international voting, which is great. I just want to represent Greece and I want to I want to I want to show myself and market myself and see who resonates with that. And I think I really do need a platform like this as an uh it's a perfect opportunity for me. So fingers crossed. I'm I hopefully I'll hear back in in November.

SPEAKER_06 11:47

That's exciting. Please, if you hear back, let us know one way or the other, and we'll just keep pushing this because you you're very good. Your art is superb. Thank you. So you mentioned that you have a producer and it's a

Studio Workflow With A Small Team

SPEAKER_06 11:59

very small team. So are you also doing all of the instrumental work?

SPEAKER_05 12:04

So what the my process is I usually am prepared to go in the studio with a theme, how I'm feeling, maybe some keywords. Sometimes I come up with the title first, and sometimes it gets changed later on. Sometimes we keep them. And I Jordan kind Jordan Chase out of Kelowna, BC, and he just kind of he reads me really well. We've become really good friends. He's my confidant, and whatever the project is feeling, we create and build from scratch an instrumental. He does bass and guitar in studio, and then we have our session drummer Ryan Lorkey, who's amazing. He used to drum for Spirit Box, which I love. I love that about him. He's great, he's a great guy. He drums for a lot of people. And so that's my process. We we just dig really deep. I write all the lyrics myself. The on the EP, I did have Jordan and another guy writing with me. And for all of these new tracks, it's just myself writing for the most part, which I love to challenge myself. Now that I've come out of the deep house world and kind of learned how to write music inside metal and metal core, I've kind of, you know, got the hang of it a little bit more now. You know, it's not perfect. And I like that. I like that I'm just kind of going with whatever I feel, and I'm not gonna put myself in a box or say, no, it has to be written like this or it has to go flow like this. You know, as long as Jordan's like, no, it works, then okay, it works.

SPEAKER_06 13:36

No, I definitely have a lot of fun. And I love that. Like you're taking us through, you know, how you're feeling, and it's very tactile. Like I can feel what you're feeling, even though it's just from lyrics. And I think, you know, now knowing a little bit more about your process, Jordan does have a synergy with you where he's making that instrumental process echo what you're telling through the lyrics of like this is genius. So kudos to you, we haven't met, but fantastic.

SPEAKER_05 14:08

Yeah. And yeah, he does all of our melodies as well. He's he's a genius. He does all the you know, all the harmonies and backup. I just I I let him lead with that and I trust him so much. And unless it's something that I hear and I'm like, I don't like that, I'll be honest, but I swear it might have happened two times in the whole last two years in the studio. Like we just flow so well together, and I'm excited for what's to come because we've dabbled a lot with these new tracks, and you're gonna start to hear more new metal from me, some harder tracks. My last track that I released, uh Black on White, was very hard. And then going into the weight of a thousand skies was more of a ballad. So I like this part of this journey for me to just explore.

SPEAKER_06 14:58

I love it, I love it

Fast Sessions And Staying Authentic

SPEAKER_06 15:00

so much. In terms of your process, you know, how long does it take from start to finish on average?

SPEAKER_05 15:07

It's pretty fast. We don't have a lot of time when I get in the studio, so we we don't mess around. It's like usually one session will be for a demo, the next session I'm tracking, a third session is tweaking anything, and that's it. Like it happens boom, boom, boom. And it leaves no room for second guessing. He sends me the renders after the studio days so I can listen to it. He can listen to it. We usually just go to the gym and we'll and that's usually how we process it. Or I listen, I listen right away in my car on the way home from the studio. And if something's not sticking out to me right away, I'm like, no, leave it. It's great, you know. So I I like that. It's just that's how I I think I that we keep it authentic.

SPEAKER_06 15:57

Yeah, I like that you're not second guessing it because it's hard to put the brush down, if you will. Once you're so deep into a track and you keep trying to tweak it, I think people get lost in trying to make it perfect.

SPEAKER_05 16:08

But yeah, I sometimes I wonder though, because I've heard that you know the best artists are the ones that it's never perfect or it's never good enough. But I don't want to feel that way about my art. I want to be content about it when I make it. So when it's released, it doesn't matter. Like I'm just like, no, it's good. And I don't know if that it's not me being cocky, it's not me me not thinking I need to work on it. It's just that whatever came out during my vocal sessions was meant to be, you know, like I just want to go with the flow when I'm making my art.

SPEAKER_06 16:45

Yep.

Hamburg Shows, Touring Goals, And Screaming

SPEAKER_06 16:47

So you're in Greece, or no, you're in Hamburg now. How long have you been in Greece? And was that transition from like the Canadian music scene to the Greek music scene hard?

SPEAKER_05 16:57

Really hard because there isn't much of one in Greece. I'm on a small island or Mykonos. Actually, it's the biggest island in this cladis, but there's no metal scene in Athens. I haven't explored too much. So I've kind of I'm I'm pretty much away from it a lot of the time, which does make it hard. So after spending the summer in Greece, I was like, where should I go? And Hamburg just popped up right away because I saw Spirit, what Spirit Box was playing when I first arrived October 2nd. And then from there, I was seeing all these other bands that I know and love. And I was like, I'm staying put in Hamburg tomorrow. I'm going to Berlin for a few days to see I Prevail and Amira Felke. So that's really cool. And most of the lineups that I'm seeing have female vocalists, so it's like it's education for me.

SPEAKER_06 17:46

Oh, I love that. It's like your own convention. Very cool. Yeah. Any standouts that you've seen so far or people that you would like to collaborate with?

SPEAKER_05 17:56

Yeah, definitely. Courtney LePlant and Ginger is such a badass. I mean, who says you can't dance to metal? Those girls have moves. Yeah, last night I saw. Sorry, I'm I'm not that great about being put on the spot. Okay, last night I saw, oh Lord, the night before I saw Luna Kills. I'll go with that first. She's fantastic and her screams are really great. So I've I've I've got so many more concerts to go to.

SPEAKER_06 18:29

So I don't know. It's hard to rank them. And it's like you get stuck in the moment, you're like, everything's great. For me personally, I love hearing what people do live, stuff that might not have translated in the studio that just you can really tell this is what they're feeling. This is the true form that they wanted this in. And often, especially in the metal world, I just find that I connect a heck of a lot more. Call it being in the crowd too, and that little zest that you get with it. But you can see them, you can really tell what they're feeling while they're doing it. It's not just a performance. Like this is their heart on their sleeve every time they get on that stage. And you know, I'm very excited. Like, if you're ever touring near me, 100% coming. Where are you based? Somehow. I'm in Ohio, unfortunately, of all things, but I do have a passport. So once I can figure out how I'm traveling, it's it's happening.

SPEAKER_05 19:22

Okay, well, keep in touch. Absolutely. I'm I have no band right now in Europe. So that's next on my list. As soon as I get a band, I think it's just like we're going. You're ready. Yeah, hit the ground running. I'm so ready. You know, I've I've spent a lot of time on the art, the the audio and the visuals, and now I just need some stage experience. I need to feel it. I need to mess up a million times. I need to have good days on stage. I need to have bad days. I need to train and warm up my my voice again. Like it's so different being in the studio as it is on stage. And you know, I'm still fresh to screaming. I need I need that time. I really do. How fresh is fresh? Because you had it, you had a solid scream. Really fresh. Everything on the EP was my first time screaming, and they they were like one or two takes. Yeah. Huh.

SPEAKER_06 20:22

Fantastic. I love it.

SPEAKER_05 20:24

I guess I I can thank Jordan Chase. He was just like, no, you do it again, or he'd be like, if it feels good, you're doing it right. If it doesn't feel good, you're gonna hurt yourself. Stop. Have some tea, take a breather, and go again.

SPEAKER_06 20:36

Yep. Very cool, very cool. So, in terms of your perfect van, right? You want to build one. No budget, you have all the money in the world. What type of van you want?

SPEAKER_05 20:52

For me, it's character because I need I need people that are good communicators and show up on time and want to work as hard as I do, that's fully committed to Katarina Nicole, can bring some things to the table that I'm not so great at, that maybe can have experience that I don't have yet, better at stage tech and you know, our microphones and in ears and you know, my vocal pedals. And, you know, I want to be in a space with people that that we can collab and we can be the best and and roll with the punches. You know, that's the most important to me. I think everything else, it's like if if you're talented, you're talented, that's great. But there's everything can happen when you're on the road and you need to be with people that are just cool, just chill and cool. A good support system.

SPEAKER_06 21:44

Yeah, very cool.

Do Charts Still Matter Anymore

SPEAKER_06 21:46

So we're gonna break for some music news. I'm gonna pull up some notes here that Harley gave me because some of this I didn't even know, and we we can chat about it. So apparently, Miley Cyrus, another big time female, right, in a fairly male-dominant. World here did see a massive second week chart drop. So base persuades did fall from number one to 157 on the Billbird 200. This apparently is one of the biggest drops ever recorded. So here's a question for you, Katerina. Do you think charts still tell us what people actually listen to? Or is this an industry slash marketing scheme?

SPEAKER_05 22:25

Oh, that's so interesting. I don't know. I don't know. I really think, like from what I've learned and what type of marketing and my budget and what I've had to put into to even put my name in front of people or to be heard or to be seen. Like I can't imagine what's backing Miley Cyrus, you know, and every time she puts out a new project, how much goes behind it. So and every project's different. Like there's some projects that I appreciated more than others from her. I haven't even listened to the new stuff, to be honest. Like, I think it if the diehard fans, they're gonna be there, they're gonna be there from start to finish. And I I've never been on a chart. I don't know what that feels like. I don't know what that looks like, and I don't think it's the be all end all.

SPEAKER_06 23:21

Agreed. I honestly, I don't get my music influence from a chart. To me, if I'm just browsing for something new, if it stops me in my tracks, then this means I need to do a deep dive. And that's kind of my own like Friday routine, right? With all of the streaming platforms they released, the new songs on a Friday. So I'll go, I'll have my coffee, sit and chill, and just listen top to bottom to their pre-curated playlist. Might not be the best method, but if something pauses me, I add to the favorites and I go back because you did something for me to just stop and listen.

SPEAKER_05 23:55

That's so true for sure. Like I use um Apple music myself. So if I'm listening to, I don't know, holding absence, and it's just on you know the the regular the shuffle, other artists are gonna come up that are similar, and there's gonna be lots that I'm gonna find for the first time. And that's my favorite way of finding new bands.

SPEAKER_06 25:05

I love it. Do you have any new favorite bands that you found in the recent months that we should share with the audience? Yeah, let me pull up my my phone here.

SPEAKER_05 25:16

I'm holding absence picture like all summer, and they're actually gonna be hammering. I just bought my ticket like 20 minutes ago. I'm very excited. Dying Wish is new for me, and she killed it opening up for ginger. Thornhill.

SPEAKER_03 25:33

I love Thornhill. Alpha Wolf.

SPEAKER_05 25:40

I I know he's been around for a while, um, but I thought he was a rapper. I listened to him, and he came up when I was listening to Caskets, and I was like, this is dub. This is right up my alley. So sort of listening to him. And I'll give you one more. Why not? You know what? Who I'm really watching is Mapra, her cover of Doomed, and you know, she's she went about it a specific way by doing covers and having her image, and you know, it blew up, and she had her opportunity with Bring Me and on stage. And I'm like, that's so cool. Like, there's a million ways to show yourself, and it's very cool. I'm excited to see what she does.

SPEAKER_06 26:32

She has one of the strongest vocals I've heard in a really long time. It just does not miss at all. And there's another girl that I so saw, like on the same FYP, Holocene, I think is what she goes by. Unsure, but their harmonies that they've done on TikTok duets. I'm like, can you please just tour live? Because this is so good. It's insane how much range they have. I'll have to check them out. Check out them. Not metal, but the concert that I just went to to re-emerge into society. I saw Stanley Simmons. So that is Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley's sons. They formed their own band. Not what you expect at all, right? Everybody thinks that it's gonna be a cliche, they're gonna do like the rock, hair metal, arena style. No, they're bringing back like Americana folk with a little hint of like psychedelic rock, I would say. Very hard to point because they've got influences from Paul and Oates, Simon and Garfunkel. The harmonies are tight, but they've built a band with other people that they knew from prior projects, and it's just fantastic. Definitely take a listen to that if you like that vibe. But they're opener. One made me feel very old. These these guys were like 22 to 24 max called Velvet Daydream. A complete throwback, but not in a cliche way. They have four members, three of which sang, and it's very reminiscent of the Doors or Zeppelin, true rock stars, just in it for the love of the game. They don't straight from the 70s outfits and just but you know, not cheesy. It's really just them. It's their authenticity and what they grew up on. So they took what they loved about their childhood, and apparently they've been playing for about 11 years together. So, as young kids, just building this craft, fantastic. So definitely listen to them. They're funny, funny guys. Harley, I don't know if I can curse fun here, but they had a t-shirt that everybody in the venue was laughing about that said, who the fuck is Velvet Daydream? So one of the clients that was just kind of like walking around and working at this weird, very cool venue. It's a winery. They're like, neither of these bands should be at a winery, but okay, cool. Walked past, recorded this. So it's probably on social somewhere, but they all stood around the crowd, you know, threw up their middle fingers and said, Who the fuck is Velvet Daydream is locked? The patrons in the side were just like, what's going on? Like, just tell that they didn't fantastic experience, very good. I think the thing that impressed me the most from each, the harmonies from Stanley Simmons, very tight, even live, right? A lot of people think that you can use pre-recorded tracks. And there's something that they do that I appreciate. And I think I also saw one of your social like short clips discuss this too AI and music. They are very against AI and music, and they make that so. Even if there's imperfections, we would rather have the human element because you know, a lot of people that human connection through music is what's important, not the AI element. Definitely check that out. And with Velvet Daydream, I don't know how they do it. The drummer, crazy fills, crazy riffs, still sings through the entire thing. I'm like, how do you guys do this? I just don't understand how you can drum and sing at the same time. Not to my caliber. There's no way.

SPEAKER_05 29:53

Yeah, that's like the drummer from The Warning. I saw her live opening for Evanescence, and I was like, Yeah, how are you multitasking like that? You're moving and you're like this, and your vocals are mint. I was like, floored.

SPEAKER_06 30:08

Yeah, you're not no no, you know, doing all of it, like how? Okay. So super impressed. Second music news, which I know you mentioned that you feel very safe doing what you're doing and going to concerts, but I guess Ella

Safety Threats And Parasocial Boundaries

SPEAKER_06 30:21

Langley, not a country fan, so I'm not too sure what she produces, recently had to cancel a show due to a security threat. So, how do you think that is more of a risk for, say, women in the industry, regardless of genre? And how would you handle that?

SPEAKER_05 30:39

Whatever the if there's a threat, I'm I'm out. Like, I'm scared of the boogeyman, like scared of the dark. I'm no, I'm out. Like, like, no, I I think that safety is number one for everybody and for women. And I know what what we have to go through in this industry, and that sucks. Honestly, that sucks to have to have to make that decision.

SPEAKER_06 31:05

Yep, I think that would be very hard. I know a lot of people still care about their fans, so I'm assuming that she'll reschedule. But the fact that we have even that level of security risk for something that we just want to enjoy and have a good time, I would like to see that change.

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Yeah, that's kind of ridiculous. You're there to go watch a singer and an artist and and listen to music. I mean, actually, like in Hamburg for the Spirit Box show, they were having security issues, apparently. And I'm thinking, like, like, what does that mean? People are just trying to enter the building or get into backs. Like, I'm I'm just thinking about like all these scenarios. Like, yeah, there's there's weirdos. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 31:48

Yeah, maybe it's a parasocial thing. I'm not sure. We see that a lot with like movie stars and TV stars, where people breach, you know, any type of barrier and like go and hug their fans. I don't know if you've watched Heated Rivalry, but Hudson Williams made a very good statement about that because there's a couple fans that just were very in their face, for lack of a better phrase, in France. And they were adamant about him signing things and really wanting all of his attention when he's just there on vacation trying to enjoy a good time. And he expressed a little bit of humanality, right? That there's not always the perfect PR response. And he ripped up some of their documents and said, I'm done with this, leave me the hell alone, basically. So, how do we keep professionalism but still be allowed to show our humanity when it's infringed upon? It's it's just sad that this is where we're at. And maybe social media is to blame. I don't know. What's your opinion on that one?

SPEAKER_05 32:49

I think it's been around for like forever, you know. And imagine what everybody went through in the early 2000s with paparazzi and yeah, you know, how hostile things got and how dangerous. I think we are in a much better place now with security measures. But there's gonna be that fine line. And again, I haven't I haven't been through that, and I don't know if I want to reach that level. Yes, I

Cat Rescue In Greece As Self Care

SPEAKER_05 34:09

want to have a solid fan base, but I do not want to not be able to go leave my hotel and not be able to put headphones in and go for a walk and zone out. If you can't zone out and be at peace outside in fresh air, there's something wrong. I don't know, and I don't know how I would handle it. And you know, I'm I'm I'm watching Celine Dionne right now because she's you know, she's having her insane comeback in Paris, she's dancing on the street, and you know, she's it's just a great moment, and sometimes we have amazing moments to be able to do that, and sometimes we don't.

SPEAKER_06 34:45

So, how do you find you know your humanity when you are overworked, you're dealing with imposter system syndrome? What do you do for fun outside of music?

SPEAKER_05 34:56

I love to be around animals. I rescue a ton of cats in Greece, and there's so many outside of my house now. My neighbors were not so sure about me when I moved in, but I was like, what would you rather? Like dumpster eating really sick cats that are not good, or would you rather like healthy fat cats that are sterilized? And then, you know, they warmed up to me after a while, and I keep the area clean, the cats are clean. Like I've got some white-haired cats, and it looks like they're indoor cats because they're so fluffy and clean, and I take a lot of pride in helping the animals. It mostly comes out of pocket and it's very expensive for me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I do work with an organization called NAS Naxos Animal Welfare Society, and we really do need some better funding that's like ongoing. Our debt is at like 60,000 euros, it's constant vet bills all the time. It's something that I'm very passionate about that I hope that I can make more of an impact as time goes on. So that grounds me a lot and makes me feel just more like myself. Animals are very healing, and I miss them right now, honestly. Like, I wonder what they're doing.

SPEAKER_06 36:13

How many do you currently have?

SPEAKER_05 36:15

There's probably around 35 to 40 in my area, and I never who's never know who's showing up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And I I, you know, if I don't see them for a couple days, I freak out. I'm like, where are they? And I go looking for them. And there's one that was like living next door to me for the last few years, and I didn't see him since spring. And I was like, okay, like maybe it maybe something happened, maybe he's not around anymore. And then, like a few days before I left, I went to a market that I don't usually go to, like the other direction from my home. And he's just chilling outside of the market. And I was like, Apollo, is that you? He's just like, Hey, I'm good. That's so I'm like, you could have at least come to say hi a couple of times.

SPEAKER_06 37:01

Oh, whatever. Oh, we're we're gonna play a game, but I'm also a cat person. I have three. Death got me through lockdown. Without those cats, I don't know where I would be. So I have two siblings that were found on a college campus that I worked for, and it was totally a foster fail. They ended up on my doorstep on a Friday, and by Monday they had names and toys. And I'm like, they're my cats. I'm keeping them. And then the other one I actually found through Twitter of all things. There was a post and there was a sibling group. Two of them passed away, three were remaining, and he looked like the perfect combination of my two siblings. I'm like, oh, it's like your child. Oh my god. I got the third cat, but he is a handful and a half, completely different personality than the other two, wouldn't have it any other way. He keeps us all on our toes, and he's the most cuddliest cat I've ever seen in my life. As long as he's near you, he'll just start purring. You don't even have to touch him. I'm like, okay, we're good. But I do appreciate that you are doing the rescue stuff. So thank you. TNRs are important and making sure that they're fed and healthy. You know, every animal deserves that. So thank you for your efforts. And we'll be sure to drop any type of link that you have for that organization for our audience if they want to donate towards that fund. Thank you. You're welcome. All right, Harley. I saw the teacher. So we're gonna play a game. I don't know what we're calling it, but we're just going to guess based on the image, who the artist is if they were portrayed as a cat. Love it. Let's do it.

AI Cat Pop Quiz Game

SPEAKER_00 38:38

Yeah, so this is called Who's That Meowsian? Um, I didn't get a chance to make the actual intro for it, but I do have the pictures, so I'll just periodically put those up and you guys can guess who they are. Cool.

SPEAKER_06 38:55

I guess we'll get started with who's this meowsician.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Oh my gosh, it was hold on a minute. Hold on. Madonna. These are hilarious.

SPEAKER_06 39:15

Oh, Edge here.

SPEAKER_03 39:23

I can't unsee that. Beyonce. Right, Harry. Are we both wrong? Did we phone a friend?

SPEAKER_00 39:38

I believe this one is Beyonce.

SPEAKER_01 39:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 39:54

That one's probably my favorite naoi. That's so Halloween vibes. I love it.

SPEAKER_06 40:24

Taylor Swift.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

Taylor Swift, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:29

That's cute. It looks like the cat she own owns also.

SPEAKER_03 40:41

Katie Perry. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:47

Very cute. Harley, did you uh create these before for this game specifically?

SPEAKER_00 40:54

So uh yeah, this so this is all Chat GPT, but this I was telling Courtney last night, this is what AI is for. This is so funny. More cats as musicians. We need that in life.

SPEAKER_05 41:09

So I'm gonna make one of me now. Thanks, guys.

SPEAKER_06 41:17

Harley, if you can drop the prompt that you use and we'll give it to the audience, and we can all submit our cat photos.

SPEAKER_00 41:24

Yeah, yeah. We should do that. And and Katarina, I can actually make one and email it to you if you want.

SPEAKER_06 41:30

Yes, please. Yes, please.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Of course.

SPEAKER_06 41:32

Can I have one too? I'll send you a picture when we're done.

SPEAKER_00 41:35

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 41:37

I have like three old photos from a mic. Who's this?

SPEAKER_00 41:41

This is the hardest one of the group, if you ask me.

SPEAKER_03 41:47

Adele?

SPEAKER_05 41:49

Oh. Adele kind of wore those things at a residency in Las Vegas.

SPEAKER_06 41:55

Yeah. I have no guess. This one stumped me.

SPEAKER_00 42:01

This is Celine uh Feline. Feline Dion.

SPEAKER_05 42:09

Celine never had that hair though, did she?

SPEAKER_00 42:13

So she did. This was her live Canadian performance in the Canadian version of like the VMAs.

SPEAKER_05 42:23

Okay, I should know this. Wow. I'm really not good at those um pop quizzes or those nights you go and uh what are they called? Oh, I know this. Is this CeeLo? Big biggie smalls, meowy smalls.

SPEAKER_00 42:45

Katarina, you nailed it. It is the notorious C A T. Love and one more, I think.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

That's nice. I like that one.

SPEAKER_06 43:06

Yeah, we should come up with the rock edition one, Charlie.

SPEAKER_00 43:10

This is Cat Cobain.

SPEAKER_06 43:13

Cat Cobain.

SPEAKER_04 43:15

Clever.

SPEAKER_05 43:17

That was fun. Thank you for that. Oh, you're welcome. That's what that's what AI should be used for, is just just comedy and laughter. That's it. Comedy and cats.

SPEAKER_06 43:26

Comedy and cats. It was great to meet you. Everybody, go listen to her new single. What do you have on the record for us next? When's that album coming out?

SPEAKER_05 43:37

I don't know about the album, but all of the songs from the album are starting to come out. And

New Music Tease And Farewell

SPEAKER_05 43:43

the next track is out the end of this month. And it's a banger. It is a little bit of a ballad with some screaming as well. And I learned to hold dance choreography in a very short amount of time. I was a dancer for most of my life. And it was very hard to like piece in a dance number into a music video. So it was a huge challenge. Challenge. I'm very proud of it. I can't wait for you guys to hear it. And it's out October, the last Friday of the month. Is it October 30th? I think.

SPEAKER_06 44:14

I think sounds right. Can't wait to hear it. I hope that we get to catch up again when everything is settled and you're ready to promote more stuff. It is good. I hope our audience listens. I know I'm going to be sharing it with our metal group chat that I have. So fantastic work. Thank you so much. It was so nice to meet you guys. What a fun time. You two, take care and have a good evening. Enjoy those concerts.