Formula Indie Sessions : Interview with Kortes
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
I was in love with music, since I remember myself. I saw videotapes, when I was 4 yo, trying to sing a song, using tv remote as a microphone:) but, probably, the most accurate memory goes to middle and early high school, when I tried myself as a singer and a songwriter for the first time. And I tried all the genres from the rap to hard rock.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
When I was a kid, my father, a seafarer, being onboard and struggling with a heavy storm, shoot a video and edited this with a song of famous Eastern European rock band. After I saw it, i started listening to this band, than to another one, and than to another again, you know how it goes:) afterwards I decided to try myself, first copying the style and scripts, than step by step creating the style, I have now. Many years passed since that day. And now my passion is my own feelings about myself and surrounding world. Unfortunately or not, but now we’re living in historical times, and it’s too many things around to inspire for music creation, because, as it has always been in Eastern Europe, we are more concentrated in songs at lyrics depth and meanings, than at music itself.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Well, I’ve been creating the music using my current name Kortes for a quite long time, 15 years +/-. But that was just a songs on several languages, I didn’t even made a proper production an recordings. But since 2022, when Russia invaded my homeland, I felt I need to start it all over again. I took my most favorite songs, translated the lyrics into the Ukrainian language, made production, made recordings and place them on streaming platforms. So since that time all my songs only in my native language.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
It’s a soft melodic indie and pop-rock, with melodic voice, with full sense lyrics about love, life, war and passion, base on my own feelings and impression of world around and my favorite books, like the most recent song “Місто під Аркою»(The city under the Ark), based on Remarque’s “Ark of Triumph”.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
That we’re living in the times, when every talent may be noticed. In this digital era, with internet, streaming, etc., you only need to create a quality product. It’s times easier now to find your audience and take you place in music, than it was 20-30 years ago and beyond.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
I don’t use anything but live instruments, so called old school:)
As I’m only playing guitar, and I’m a solo singer currently, I create my music only using my guitar. Then I pass it to my sound production partner, and his band create a music I need under my guidance.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Oh, it’s so many names! I’m not sure, all of them are indie, but that what inspires me: Би-2, Океан Ельзи, Hurts, Coldplay, X Ambassadors, Poets of the Fall, the Servant, Oasis, One Republic, Justin Timberlake, Muse, Nickelback, Imagine Dragons, Arctic monkeys, Kasabian and many-many more.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
As I told before, frequently changing world, my personal feelings of recent years i’ve faced, love of my wife, who gives me strength – everything changed my vision. All my love songs inspired by her. And all social lyrics inspired on my world vision. And, as I’ve mentioned, now and then my songs has only Ukrainian lyrics.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
That life is too short to spend it on conflicts, quarrels or being unhappy. You never now which step will be the last one, so live, love and enjoy every moment. All we need in life – is happiness, and only love gives the true one.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Music is everything in around us. It’s in the wind, in the waves, in the sun, rain and night sky. It’s a shelter for the ones who suffer, a remedy for an aching soul, the platform for the happy ones, a manifestation of love and the imprint of feelings.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Atlas weekend, Glastonbury, Coachella, Rock in Rio
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Anyone of the artists mentioned above. But the most desirable ones are Okean Elzy and Bi-2, as it’s the bands I grew up on, they formed my music taste and world vision.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCncKnC8nPssZaRObdkSeVRQ?si=0blgXPXbdsEQu3T-
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/kortes/1764942439?l=ru
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
To make the music my main and only job, keep enjoying and bringing joy to the listeners, keep developing as an artist and spread my music worldwide:)
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
That I’m a just a guy next door, who’s in love with music and happy to share his point of view:)
If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂
