Carnival Youth – Love Is The Answer

By starrymag | May 9, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

ROBERTS VANAGS

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) I think we’re still searching for this thing you could call “our sound.” That’s like going for a hunt of an unseen and unknown animal, but you know it’s there somewhere, waiting for you.

But I’d say it’s quite colorful and dynamic. We’re trying to be as creative as possible always trying out new ways of writing songs. There’s something about celebration of life. And it doesn’t mean that all the songs are happy. No, one can also celebrate sadness, because that’s a very beautiful emotion as well.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) The source of our musical influences comes from very different musical dimensions. I like Chopin as well as Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Radiohead. But I guess sound-wise we’re most influenced by musicians like Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Sufjan Stevens, Wolf Parade, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, etc.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Love Is The Answer.”

A) The message is in the title of the song. You have to give love to receive it back. And the crazy thing is that sometimes loving could mean letting somebody go. And that can be tough. So, it’s more global and unselfish type of love we’re singing about. The phrase “love is the answer” came from Emīls’ subconsciousness, just mumbling some random phrases on the beat and instantly recording them in to OP-1 microphone and looping them. So, that one stick to us the most and we created a song around it.

Sound-wise it’s also a little bit different form the music we recorded before. So, it would be more interesting for us and also our fans could connect to a fresh sound and it’s sing-along chorus.

It’s also in the video, where the main storyline is about this girl that’s leaving the city and what you can see is the last day of goodbye. As it goes: “Love is the answer/ So it’s time to let go.”

 

EMĪLS KAUPERS

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) Usually, we collect ideas, lyrics and sketches over periods of time when we are touring or not together and later we go to the countryside of Latvia and live by the nature for a while and work on those ideas. And many new songs are created on the spot as well.

The writing process can start from anywhere, the lyrics or the music, or both, although usually the music or at least some melody is first, creates the feeling and then comes everything else.

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) We have a great connection with our producer Gatis Zaķis and we are always looking for new sounds, ways and solutions together. He always has some great advice and he is very involved in the sound of Carnival Youth.

Q) What can fans expect from a live Carnival Youth performance?

A) A musical journey through the history of time together with a couple of fine Latvian guys.

Q) Will there be a full EP or album coming in the near future?

A) We are currently on a tour, collecting landscapes, but when we return home we’ll be working on it so it’s definitely coming!

 

EDGARS KAUPERS

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) It’s always nice to visit and play in new places. For example, we went to Romania for the first time a week ago and the concert and the crowd was amazing! It’s incredible that we have fans in countries we’ve never been to!

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) It’s a tricky question. It would be a dream come true to collaborate with our biggest influencers and idols like Radiohead, Paul McCartney, Grizzly Bear, but I’m sure it would be a mind-blowing experience to collab with Beyoncé or Rihanna, too.

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

A) Currently we are on a tour and the most played album in the van so far could be Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Sex and Food. It was released two weeks ago. It’s great. We‘ve been fans since we found out about them around 2014.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) That way we’re able to connect with them, share our latest stories and updates on concerts, let them know what’s going on in our world and spread the word all around.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Hey! Thanks for being so great and supportive! because of you all, we can exist and live this kind of life. we are working on something new, keep your eyes opened and if you don’t want to miss out on any news about us, sign up for our newsletter at carnivalyouth.com.

 

 

Watch The Video For “Love Is The Answer”

 

Shot in the Latvian seaside city of Liepaja, the visuals transport the band back in time to the 20th century. Using a video-montage technique, the band, their friends and relatives appear in old photos and postcards from the final century of the 2nd millennium. As the song progresses to its climax point, the city around them becomes more and more lively and three dimensional.