Formula Indie Sessions – Interview with Yıldırım
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My older sister is a guitar teacher, and since there’s quite a generation gap between us, I literally grew up with the sound of a guitar echoing through the house for as long as I can remember. While her focus was mainly on classical music, she’d often practice popular tunes too. That’s how I got introduced to Turkey’s legendary ‘Anatolian Rock’ movement—pioneered by icons like Barış Manço and Cem Karaca. But it was Erkin Koray’s unique blend of Anatolian rock and psych-funk that truly captured my imagination. My earliest musical memory is sitting on my sister’s lap, completely swallowed by the size of the guitar, trying to play Erkin Koray’s track ‘Arapsaçı’. That very moment planted the seeds for my obsession with rock music and my drive to release my own tracks today.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
Growing up surrounded by music, it naturally became an innate passion. However, the urge to actually create and step into songwriting sparked during my high school years. I used to be obsessed with those classic inter-school battle of the bands and local rock festivals. I never actually got to perform in one back then, but standing in the crowd and cheering for my friends, something just clicked. I realized I didn’t want to just be a spectator anymore; I wanted to be up there, channeling my own stories into songs. That raw, DIY festival energy is what pushed me from being just a listener to a creator. I’ve been working on my craft ever since, and well, here I am!
What’s the story behind your current music project?
There’s actually a beautiful irony and a bit of time travel behind this project. I originally wrote the lyrics and recorded the raw demo back around 2019-2020 with just an acoustic guitar and a basic phone microphone, threw some simple drum samples over it, and left it on the shelf. Fast forward to 2026, and I’m currently in the happiest, most fulfilling relationship of my life. One day, my girlfriend and I were digging through my old archives and stumbled upon this dusty demo. Despite it being a dark, heartbreaking track, she absolutely loved the raw emotion of it and told me, ‘You have to bring this to life, it’s too powerful to leave behind.’ Her encouragement was the spark I needed. I teamed up with my close friend and brilliant producer, Alieren Maraş, who is well-known in the Turkish alternative indie scene. Together, we transformed that old phone memo into the massive, textured track it is today.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
If I had to describe my sound to a first-time listener, I’d call it melancholic, raw, and atmospheric indie rock with a distinct emotional weight. My previous single, ‘Kasımpatılar,’ carried a much more cheerful, sarcastic vibe, but with this new release, I’ve pivoted into a much darker, heavier sonic territory. I love blending the poetic, emotional depth of Turkish lyrics with driving indie rock guitars and a moody atmosphere. It’s romantic but biting. It’s the kind of sound that acts as a sonic catharsis—perfect for anyone who has ever felt the sting of heartbreak or betrayal and just wants to scream that frustration out through loud riffs. Think of it as a late-night confrontation wrapped in heavy instrumentation.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
The biggest game-changer was learning how to transition from a raw, bedroom lo-fi setup to proper digital production. Back then, I was just tracking ideas on a phone mic with an acoustic guitar. The turning point was when my bassist and close friend, Egemen, introduced me to Studio One—which is now Fender Studio Pro. Diving into a real DAW completely revolutionized my workflow. I went from just throwing together basic covers and bedroom demos to crafting massive, intricate arrangements and complex sonic landscapes. It completely elevated my production standards and redefined how I approach songwriting.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
At the core of my creative process is definitely my DAW—Fender Studio Pro is an absolute must-have for me, it’s where the magic is shaped. Beyond that, my guitars are essential for catching that raw indie energy. Lately, I’ve also been heavily relying on a plugin called Tonalic, which I recently discovered. It’s been doing wonders for texturing my tracks and dialing in that specific tonal character I look for during production.
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Locally, I’ve had Adamlar’s comeback on repeat, though I feel their sound has evolved past indie into more of a brilliant folk-rock territory. But my real current obsession is an artist named Venüs. She is incredibly talented and perfectly fills that long-missed void of powerful female rock vocals in the Turkish scene. Her track ‘Barlarda Öpersin Birini’ has been on absolute loop for me. On the international side, while they aren’t exactly indie, Maroon 5’s ‘Harder to Breathe’ and Jamiroquai’s ‘Virtual Insanity’ are my ultimate driving anthems. Every time I get in the car, those tracks are blasting—the groove and energy are just unmatched.
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My personal life definitely shapes who I am, but my artistic vision is largely driven by empathy and storytelling. Interestingly, I’m currently in the happiest, most peaceful relationship of my life. But as a songwriter, you don’t always need to be bleeding in real-time to write a heartbreak anthem. This track tells a fictional story, yet it captures a deeply relatable, universal human experience. Being able to dive back into my older, darker archives from a place of personal peace gives me a unique perspective. It proves to me that music transcends your current headspace and allows you to build sonic worlds where others can find a piece of themselves.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I want listeners to experience a pure sense of emotional catharsis. If they’ve ever dealt with betrayal, toxic lies, or a painful breakup, I want them to find an outlet for that raw anger and exhaustion in this track. The heavy guitar riffs and lines like ‘Yalanmış sevgin’ (Your love was a lie) are explicitly designed to release that bottled-up frustration. My hope is that they feel validated. I want the music to say: ‘You are not alone in this void, it’s okay to feel this resentment—now crank up the volume, let it out through the riffs, and start healing.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
The most profound lesson music has taught me is to never lose the hunger for creation, and to tightly hold onto the things that bring you genuine peace. I never get tired of spending hours in front of the screen tracking new ideas, tweaking arrangements, or discovering obscure music. It’s an endless infatuation. Through the highest highs and the most vulnerable, emotional chapters of my life, music has always been my ultimate support system. It taught me that as long as you protect your creative sanctuary and keep writing, you’ll always have an anchor, no matter how chaotic the world gets.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Locally, my ultimate bucket-list venue is definitely the Harbiye Open Air Theatre. It’s an iconic, historic amphitheater where the heart of Turkish music beats, and the prestige and acoustics of that stage are unmatched. On a global scale, it has to be Wembley Stadium. It’s the quintessential childhood dream for anyone picking up a guitar. Being in the center of that massive ocean of souls, feeling that raw stadium energy, and singing along with thousands of people would be a transcendent experience.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Without a second thought, Radiohead. I’m utterly fascinated by their sonic architecture, their uncompromising vision, and how they continuously redefine the boundaries of alternative music. To take it a step further, I’d love to collaborate with them on a brand-new 007 James Bond theme song. We all know the legendary story behind their unreleased track ‘Spectre’; I truly believe that if we joined forces, we could create something even darker, more cinematic, and punchier that would eclipse what was done back then.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music?
I’m highly active on Instagram, where I regularly share behind-the-scenes content, deep dives into my creative process, and Reels. I highly recommend checking it out! You can also stream my music on all major platforms:
- Instagram: Yıldırım on Instagram
- Spotify: Yıldırım on Spotify
- Apple Music: Yıldırım on Apple Music
- YouTube: Yıldırım Official Channel
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
The dream for the next chapter is to keep the momentum going full steam ahead. I want to empty out my vaults because I have so many raw demos waiting for their time to shine. My focus is on turning those hidden gems into highly refined, polished tracks and sharing them with the world. Ultimately, the big picture is about scaling up the live experience—taking these songs to bigger stages and hearing them sung back to me by massive crowds.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
Rock music has taken a bit of a backseat in the mainstream lately, especially in the local scene, and I hope listeners discover that I am that missing piece—the fresh blood the scene needs. My goal is to play a major role in revitalizing Turkish alternative and indie rock, pushing it back into the forefront where it belongs. Along the way, I hope they don’t just stream the tracks, but actually witness my evolution as an artist and connect with the raw, deeper meanings woven between the lines of my lyrics.
