Interview with vocalist Laura Mazard of Oikoumen
by Mick Michaels
Cosmick View: Hello, and welcome to The Cosmick View! Thanks for taking some time out of your day to speak with us. It's greatly appreciated.
CV: Do you think modern Heavy Metal music has evolved past its origins? Or are things relatively still the same?
Laura Mazard: It depends on what you mean by Heavy Metal: the genre specifically, or the scene in a broader sense? If it’s the genre, by definition it has to stay within certain boundaries, but that doesn’t stop bands from stepping outside those boundaries and exploring new territories. If we’re talking about the scene, then absolutely yes, because it has diversified. Some of today’s major bands laid down the foundations, and it’s up to the new generation to renew those foundations or create new ones. Though there will always be bands keeping the classic rules alive.
CV: Does Metal still draw people to want to listen and engage the music while challenging the audience to imagine becoming a musician themselves?
LM: There’s always an audience for Metal, even if it’s less mainstream than during the MTV era of the ’70s and ’80s. And as long as there’s an audience, there will always be people inspired to imagine themselves as musicians when they see bands play. Just look at the number of new bands forming every day : there are still dreamers out there! That’s exactly what happened to us: Elie saw Angus from AC/DC on stage and immediately wanted a guitar. Yael picked up the bass because of Les Claypool from Primus and Mio from K-ON. And I started singing after discovering Tarja Turunen, and I wanted to make the stage a playground thanks to Tatiana Shmayluk.
CV: Many believe that success for a band relies on three major components; good distribution, good PR and good booking. In the new modern music industry, all of that is without a doubt achievable by the artist themselves. Do you feel more and more established acts will go the independent route and eliminate the middle man component?
LM: I think bands will increasingly be forced to go that route, and it’s not really an exciting path unless you’re a big band with a carefully chosen team. For smaller bands, independence comes at a price: exhaustion. Let’s be honest : we rarely have all the skills to do everything ourselves, so we’ll do less well than professionals. Also, if an artist has to do everything themselves, it means juggling multiple jobs at once that don’t pay, so there has to be another source of income to cover basic living costs. It’s basically a fast track to burnout. To protect our health, we end up paying people out of pocket to delegate tasks, often without knowing if our money is well spent, and we have less to invest in truly artistic things which should be the main focus of any band. So yes, bands are pushed toward independence, and it’s not great news unless you stay fully underground with mutual support networks or you are a star.
CV: Do you feel that the idea of a band eliminating those second and third party partnerships; labels, management, bookers, etc., and doing things on their own, is a direct result of artists and bands being misled and taken advantage of for so long?
LM: No, I don’t think many bands avoid these services entirely by choice, even though of course there are shady intermediaries. I see (ourselves included) bands trying to find good partners. It’s pointless to work with labels who only want to make money off small bands, or sign with managers who do nothing, or pay bookers for pay-to-play gigs in some crappy basement halfway across the world… The goal is still to work with competent, invested people in the band’s career (with a win/win model: if the band grows, it’s good for them and their partners). And being independent doesn’t prevent scams : we simply aren’t equipped (legally or knowledge-wise) to know who we’re dealing with, and we might end up paying for services that aren’t real.
CV: Do you feel there is a need or want for artists of any style or genre to rise above the past and to do more musically…artistically? Or can a level of comfort be reached and maintained as a means to sustainability?
LM: No, not all artists feel the need to go further. Many are happy to stay in a genre, doing “like” this or that band and that’s fine! With Oïkoumen, that’s not our approach. We feel that if we tried to just “do like” someone else, we’d do it worse because it already exists. We believe creativity is essential in art to avoid repetition or commercialism. That said, our work is still influenced by our inspirations, but our goal is to create something personal and offer a new perspective.
CV: Many critics believe music is irrelevant today... just background noise. As a musician who is out there writing, releasing, and performing, from your perspective, do you still see music relevance in the world today? Is there a connection?
LM: Yes, music is often treated as a banal consumer good, stripped of its substance, but there are still music lovers. Music is extremely accessible now, and it can just accompany another activity. But true enthusiasts are still there! I’ve talked with fans who told me they sometimes get together just to listen to a new album. That’s the height of musical appreciation! Sit down, listen, discuss… And live shows are even more powerful. There are fewer people in the audience sometimes, but those who are there really are there, and the connection is very strong.
CV: Has music in general split into too many genres and sub-genre classifications in an effort just to please an indecisive audience in your opinion? Is it just more of a marketing ploy to funnel buyers to a specific brand?
LM: I don’t think there are too many genres. If a band defines itself as cinematic prog death orchestral, that’s fine! I almost see it as keywords giving me maximum info without forgetting that at the core, it’s just “metal.” I don’t think these classifications are purely marketing; if anything, they complicate things and could overwhelm potential listeners. Using multiple words to define a style helps people understand it. For us, with our first album, we just called ourselves “symphonic metal.” But the symphonic scene said, “No, you’re prog.” So we said “prog,” and the prog scene said, “No, you’re symphonic.” So we ended up saying, “Okay, we’re symphonic metal, not really symphonic, with prog elements, but not prog like you think…” : help! We had to find our own words: “orchestral prog metal” (thanks to Julien Prost, our sound engineer, who influenced part of this answer). And we often add “/ symphonic” because the heart of our audience is symphonic fans (even if we have prog fans saying, “We don’t usually like symphonic, but we like you”).
CV: What more can fans expect to see coming from you in 2026?
LM: For 2026, we have an album coming out on April 17th, with a release party on April 19th in Paris. In the meantime, we’re gradually unveiling three singles and three videos that introduce our new universe. Along with that, there’s a new visual identity, new costumes, a lot of new merch, and several shows we’re still trying to schedule for this year or the next.
CV: Thanks again for taking the time to share with our readers. We wish you all the best and continued success.
LM: Thank you for your interest and your time!
Check out Oïkoumen at:
Website: https://www.oikoumen.fr/
Bigcartel (pour les versions physiques): https://oikoumenstore.bigcartel.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oikoumen/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Oikoumen
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My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, author, show host, big dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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