Interview with Symphonic Fantasy Metal Artist Kate Nord (Italy)
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| Photo by Marco Savi - SPF Produzioni |
By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
Kate Nord: Thanks to you for reaching out!
CV: Do you feel Heavy Metal music in general is viewed
differently by fans in Europe compared to fans elsewhere, especially in
America, and if so why?
KN: I’ve made friends on both sides of
the pond, and my impression has always been that metal music is something that
really unites people all over the world in the best of ways!
CV: What do you feel makes Heavy Metal music so alluring to the
fans? What is it about the music that personally resonates so strongly with
you?
KN: One of many things I love about heavy metal is the raw energy it
channels. Anytime I’ve had a rough patch in life, heavy metal always got my
back - it’s a great way of self-expression, it allows you to amplify all your
good emotions and it’s the perfect safe way to vent anything negative that’s
going on in your mind!
There are many studies out there
suggesting that heavy metal fans are emotionally intelligent people, and
frankly, it doesn’t come as a surprise.
CV: Has Metal splintered into too many sub-genres in your opinion, thus, making
it harder for newer bands and artists to actually classify themselves as one
style over another? Is it confusing for
fans as well?
KN: Metal is really the only music genre with so many ramifications
and subgenres, and personally, I love that! It seems to me that for every kind
of music that there is in the world, somewhere someone’s made a metal version
of it. I find it refreshing to learn about all the different kinds of music
that people are putting together.
My own music falls within the symphonic metal realm, but since I’ve added fantasy and folktale elements to it and it didn’t quite fit in the folk metal realm, I called it “symphonic fantasy metal”.
Now you might have thought that term seems excessively specific, but I bet you also thought about something along the lines of fairies, dragons, and green fields in faraway lands. Which is exactly the point of the specific genre tag - In a way, I think the many different subgenres are just another expression of the metal community’s creativity.
CV: How would you describe
the current state of the music business considering we are now living in a COVID aware, and maybe even feared world?
Have things drastically changed long-term for artists and bands given the
recent pandemic? What are your thoughts?
KN: The one big takeaway that all of us musicians can take from what
happened during the pandemic is that we can’t just rely on live events for our
music careers if we want to be sustainable. We need to have an online presence
too. So for me, I try my best to be present on the internet and interact with
people over there just like I do offline!
The music business is still rolling; of course, being stuck in our houses during lockdown didn’t stop people from listening to music, quite the contrary! But I think we will see some changes in the future. For example, I think concerts in streaming are not going to go away, more likely once everything is up and rolling again I think we might see a lot more hybrid events where you could see a concert both in person and online.
CV: What do you feel makes your
style and particular approach to songwriting work? What keeps you inspired and
making music?
KN: Most of the time I’ll come up with a snippet of lyric that teams
up with a melody and take it from there, but I like to also switch it up a bit
to keep things interesting - For example on my upcoming album, there’s one song
that I started out by creating two melodies that intertwine sort of like a
counterpoint, and another one that got started from creating this church-choir
singing in Latin.
I guess I like to
try and be creative not just about the art itself, but also about the process
of it!
CV: On a more global view,
how do you see your music and songwriting separating itself from just being
another Heavy Metal act?
KN: That’s a question I’ve had to work on a lot because I’m a very
self-conscious person. Still, by mixing three different music styles, metal,
folk, and classical music, as well as adding an element of fantasy, I do feel
like I have something new to offer as well as some tried and true sounds! Take
a listen to my new album “Compass To Your Heart’s Desire”, and you be the
judge!
CV: Can an artist truly be
unique? Some would argue there is no such thing as being unique; that it’s
nothing more than a compounding of influences making an artist who or what they
are. Would this then say that artists today are destined to be just copies of
those who have already come to pass?
KN: Of course, every artist becomes who they are as a consequence of
the ones who came before - we all have influences and most of us create the
kind of music that we would like to hear ourselves!
That said, every person is different, and every interpretation is different - in a way, we’re all unique whether we like it or not.
In fact, I’ve put off publishing my first album for the last ten years thinking people would see it as just a cheap Nightwish knockoff - But I’ve finally come to terms with the concept that each artist is unique, including myself, even if we do use similar styles and techniques to others.
CV: Are there life lessons to
learn being a Heavy Metal artist that you feel cannot be taught elsewhere? If
so, what are they?
KN: Few crews are as tight-knit as a heavy metal band! I’ve seen my
fair share of band situations and each one of them has been like a second
family to me.
KN: I think it’s more like the other way around - Being iconic is what makes you a rock star. I’ve worked with people who just naturally radiate charisma wherever they go. Maybe being a rock star is more like an innate feature! As for myself, I think I see myself more as a mother of cats than a rock star!
CV: What's next for you? What
can fans expect to see coming as the world looks to toward a New Year?
KN: As I’m mostly a recording artist, I’ll be back to writing again in
the New Year! I’ve got plenty of ideas for new music to follow “Compass To Your
Heart’s Desire” and I’m looking forward to keeping on recording!
CV: Thank you
again for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers. It was a
pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
KN: Thank you very much, it’s been a
pleasure!
Check out Kate at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateNordOfficial/
Official: katenordmusic.com
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