FaceCulture: Giving You The People Behind The Music

In 2015 I had the chance to talk with Welsh singer, songwriter, and producer Marina Diamadis who at the time was touring for her album Froot as Marina and the Diamonds. We spoke about having a day off in Amsterdam, not wanting to censor herself, not caring about popularity, long-term pressure, sorting out her thoughts and a lot more. It's been great to see Marina developing herself as an artist over the years, her creativity continues to set her apart, and the fact that she is all doing it on her own terms is truly inspiring to see. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Back in 2016 I had the chance to sit down with American rapper G-Eazy when he was on tour in Amsterdam. We spoke about enjoying the city, his album When It's Dark Out, his eclectic musical upbringing, dealing with haters, Everything Will Be Ok, the power of music, and a lot more.

On a side note, I want to commend Gerald (his real name) for his professionalism. I had the chance to speak with him on a separate occasion at a festival. Hip Hop festival are unfortunately notorious for artists cancelling last minute or not showing up for interviews. Out of the 8 interviews I had scheduled Gerald was the only one who I ended up talking to that day, even though he was the biggest name on the list. For a little music interviewer like me it showed great character from both him and his team and credit needs to be given where credit is due. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Like many others I grew up with the music of Linkin Park. The combination of hip-hop and metal elements and a powerful voice that sang lyrics with substance were very appealing to a teenager trying to figure out life. Evidenced by the millions of records sold their music resonated with people, it was and still is a refuge for people who needed "Somewhere To Belong". I had the chance to interview them in March of 2017 about the One More Light album. I remember Chester and Mike being in good spirits, joking around, as we spoke about the album, emotionality in songs, advice from Rick Rubin, Chester having had a tough time after breaking his leg, and a lot more. It was rough hearing Chester had taken his own life only months later. Life is difficult. Be kind to each other. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi was in Amsterdam to play a show at the Paradiso in December of 2018 and I had the chance to go backstage before the show for a little chat. Anyone who knows just a little bit about Lewis knows that he has a great sense of humor, is very easy to talk to, and doesn't take himself too seriously, while at the same time crafting these incredibly authentic, emotional songs. We spoke about his successes before even releasing a debut album, writing at night, Someone You Loved, a tip for beginning musicians, and working on his first album. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Scottish singer and songwriter Derek William Dick, better known as Fish, rose to fame as the frontman for progressive rock band Marillion in the 80s, penning hits like Kayleigh and Lavender. After leaving the band Fish continued to turn heads with his solo work, culminating in his final (ever!) album Weltschmerz which is released this year. It was an absolute pleasure to talk to fish, as he was very kind with his time, his willingness to discuss any- or everything, and his very accessible personality. It genuinely felt like talking to someone I had known for years. We talked about the current situation in the world with the pandemic, why he left Marillion at the height of their powers, what he wants to do after he retires from music, and a lot more! I hope you enjoy this talk as much as I did! 

By: Robin Hignell

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Back in 2018 I was invited to take the train up to Köln, Germany to interview Tuomas for both the Nightwish Decades album and for the debut of Auri, a band Tuomas had created with his wife and singer Johanna Kurkela and bandmate and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley. In my talk with Tuomas we journeyed through the history of the band, the various line-up changes, the music that came out of it like The Poet and The Pendulum, and arrived at where the band was now, the chemistry between them and his start on what would become Human:||:Nature. After having had the pleasure to talk to people like Floor and Troy in the past, it was a great experience to talk to the mastermind behind this fascinating band and see things fall into place. Tuomas, as always, was considerate and intelligent in his answers which made for an interesting (retro)perspective on the band up until Decades. 

By: Robin Hignell

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I was first introduced to the music of Glen Hansard through the movie Once, but it wasn't until researching him for this interview, and delving into the album Didn't He Ramble, that I got a real sense of what kind of songwriter he was. It's not just the storytelling, but the warmth, the sincerity, the emotion that draws you in. And in person, he was the same; he was open, genuine, contemplative about his own craft, all the things you need for a good conversation. We spoke about the album, art vs craft, writing about his friends, music with no agenda, emotionality, and a lot more! After the interview he also played us a beautiful rendition of "Her Mercy" my favorite song on the album. In these moments I feel really lucky to have this as a job!

By: Robin Hignell

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Another one of my favorites from back in 2016. Matt is such a charismatic and intelligent talker and his openness about not only the music but how he perceives things in the world and his own emotions and feelings is really engaging. Oh, and the music isn't too bad either! We spoke about self-acceptance, not having one particular sound, music as catharsis, his appreciation for fans, and a lot more! 

By: Robin Hignell

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Thank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

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Another one of my favorites. Before we started the interview Corey and I were talking a bit. He couldn't have been more genuine and nice. Then, as I pressed record the mask went on and I must admit for the first minute or so it felt a bit strange  and intimidating. But as our conversation went on about his first introduction into metal, sharing pain and grief, doing things their own way, previous slipknot albums, and more! his kindhearted nature shined through once more. It was an absolute pleasure and it has broadened my mind about what I thought metal music was. 

By: Robin Hignell

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Thank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

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This was actually my very first interview I did for FaceCulture. It was my first week, and it just so happened that I was the only one available. It didn't hurt that I harbor a strong love for the blues, so it was decided that I would be thrown into the fire and interview global star Joe Bonamassa, one of the best blues guitarists I've ever heard play. The one thing that I remember most from this interview, aside from how courteous and open Joe seemed to be, was the realization that he was just another guy. Obviously one that was ridiculously talented, but a person like me and you. This was a very useful lesson to have learned early on because seeing "famous" people on a screen is very different from sitting across from them, and I was very glad that it didn't affect how I approached Joe that day and everyone I've interviewed since. We spoke about his then acoustic show in the Vienna Opera House, being an interpreter of the blues, Rory Gallagher, his work with Kevin Shirley, not being predictable, and a lot more! 

By: Robin Hignell

Support the show

Thank you for listening! For more interviews with your favorite artists visit the FaceCulture YouTube channel.

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