Welcome to a brand-new feature in my end-of-year coverage. This year, I had the honor of interviewing several synthpop bands for my monthly cover stories, and I’m deeply grateful to the artists who shared their time and stories with me. These interviews were one of my favorite parts of writing this blog in 2024, and I’m thrilled to celebrate it with this roundup of notable quotes.
Next up in our year-end recap, we’ll take a look at the synthpop cover songs of 2024. But for now, let’s reflect on the words of the artists themselves. These quotes offer a unique glimpse into the creativity, challenges, and passion behind the music we love. Be sure to click the links to read the full interviews.
Beborn Beton
“We never depended on making music for a living. We do whatever we want, whenever we want. The main reason why we are still here is the fact that we are not a band of fellow musicians. We are friends. We are family by choice.”
Read the interview.
Beyond Border
“That’s why it’s all the more important today to push your own boundaries, not to be too comfortable, not to take everything for granted, to be aware of your opportunities and if you want to change and achieve something, to fight for it.”
Read the interview.
CZARINA
“Music videos are so fun to work on and are a huge part of this project, even though they’re the most challenging and most meticulous since the majority of them are done at nearly zero budget and often just by me and my husband, the artist DeadlyKawaii. Our dog helps us sometimes.”
Ghost Cop
“Sometimes I joke that we make ‘feel-bad dance music,’ but there’s a reason why we pair heavy lyrics with upbeat rhythms. I might write songs about feeling bad, but I don’t want YOU to feel bad. If you’ve got demons, let them out to dance.”
Read the interview.
Kanka + Bodewell
“It’s always very interesting and exciting for me to break new ground. When I sent Martin the first vocal ideas, I didn’t know how he would react. Because the vocals on some of the tracks are very soulful and poppy. But that’s what made it so special for me. No rules, no limits!”
Read the interview.
Male Tears
“Those people [who share homophobic, transphobic, or other shitty opinions] are posers and participating in the scene disingenuously. They’re kidding themselves if they think they have a place in this arena.”
Read the interview.
Priest
“I welcome [AI] but use it wisely. Collaborate with it instead of thinking that it should do everything for you… If you let it do too much for you it will probably only generate generic stuff, and people will recognize that and you will be forgotten. The most important and unique part of creating is you.”
Read the interview.
Ultra Sunn
“We enjoy drawing inspiration from techno and house music, but we also love finding inspiration from very pop artists like Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, or Rihanna. Mostly, we’re searching for an attitude.”
Read the interview.
Vidéo L’Eclipse
“Jonas’s voice is the natural center of all our songs. We worked really hard to find ways to record his voice so that we capture the right mood for each song. I’ve known him since we were six years old, and I still wonder why he kept his vocal talent from us for so long.”
Read the interview.
White Noise TV
“We tried to ignore the topic of streaming for a long time… Bandcamp is much fairer for bands. We operate in a small scene where many listeners are still willing to buy physical recordings. The support is generally great, which makes us very happy.”
Read the interview.
