Interview Folkearth

Interview
Marios Koutsoukos
Folkearth

5/15/07

Interviewer: Erika Kristen Watt

Folkearth is hard to describe. The Pogues meets Amon Amarth meets Deicide doesn’t even come close! With the second release from Folkearth entitled “By the Sword of My Father”, a total of 31 musicians from 8 countries completed this epic of traditional instrumental recordings, edited and remastered into extreme death metal at its darkest. This unique outfit of rotating members from such far away lands as Sweden to Austria to Germany to Lithuania, incorporate a diverse selection of folk instruments such as tin whistles, bagpipes and violins accompanied with blistering guitars and explosive beats makes for an eclectic metal masterpiece. Raise your banners high, welcome, Folkearth.

FourteenG: When and where did you find the member’s of your band? Mini history of the association of the band.

Marios Koutsoukos: The band started as an idea of Ruslanas. Then Magnus Wohlfart jumped onboard as a composer of music, the guys from Forefather (Wulfstan and Athelstan), yours truly took up the lyrics department (yours truly being Marios Koutsoukos, a.k.a Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth) and also many other very talented musicians were recruited along the way. I’m so sorry I can’t recall their names at present, but they are all great guys, kick-ass musicians and performers and we wouldn’t be where we are without them.

Q: How do you mesh all of your individual influences into the your band’s sound? How do you keep it original and fresh for yourselves and your fans?

Marios: This just happens man! I mean, I don’t think there’s a band in this world that says “Ok, now let’s make our sound unique guys!” This is one of the things that you either have or don’t have. Maybe it’s a chemistry thing. Maybe it happens by accident, I don’t know… But somehow we manage and despite our musical influences / differences and all that we produce a homogenous work every time!

Q: How important is it to you to have fan and critic recognition for the musical contributions your band has made to the metal community on a whole?

Marios: I would be dishonest if I told you “we play music for music” and we don’t care what anyone says about that. No. Receiving praise and recognition for your art is what makes a band alive and proud and more productive. Of course, fan and critic recognition is not the alpha and the omega of our existence. We could very well do without it (even though I don’t know for how long). On a first level, we play music to entertain ourselves and above all we want to be happy with the outcome as a band. The fact that many people also agree with us and like our music makes us even happier, more creative and we can’t thank them enough for that.

Q: What have you learned about yourself and your band mates during your years together as a band?

Marios: My time with Folkearth has taught me that metal people are not that bad after all! Some of them are actually great guys and I love all my band mates to death! It is truly an honour working with them, even under the given circumstances. As for myself, I’ve realized that I’m too old for this shite!

Q: Where do you begin when you lay down your arrangements for your songs?

Marios: That’s a mystery even to us! Hahaha! Truth be told, sometimes we base everything on a single riff or melody. Other times some wonderful guy writes a song entirely on his own and the others simply orchestrate minor details on it… Each song begins from one single person or band that is involved in Folkearth and later on the other members just add their touch to it, thus creating our unique sound!

Q: Just how symbolic and/or personal are the songs you arrange?

Marios: As you understand, it’s very difficult to be symbolic and / or personal when it comes to Viking / epic / folk metal songs. Our songs are more like story-telling. They take the listener to another time, to another frame of mind and their purpose is to entertain, not to express ourselves. Still, I suppose that each musician involved adds a little tiny piece of his own symbolisms and maybe of his soul to the song he composes.

Q: What have you learned about the music industry that has made you a better musician today?

Marios: Actually yes and no… The music industry is a barren wasteland full of vampires’ eager to suck your blood dry. But once you’ve learned how to survive you become a “realist” musician. I’m not sure yet if this is good or bad… Time can only tell!

Q: Top 5 bands /musicians that you are listening to at the moment?

Marios: Soldat Louis, Tri Yann, Docteur Merlin, Frank Rennicke, The Pogues.

Q: What is your most embarrassing CD you own?

Marios: Maybe a few “Rhapsody” CDs and the first album of “Heimdall” – but I took care of that. I sold them off to a second-hand store a while ago!

Q: What would a newcomer to your music except to see at one of your live performances?

Marios: I have no idea… People nowadays have such sick imaginations, you know? But in any case, there are no plans for a live performance (due to a variety of technical reasons) so we’re safe as far as this matter is concerned.

Q: Most embarrassing stage mishap?

Marios: We haven’t appeared on a stage as yet, but if we ever do there will be so many bloopers that the audience will surely have the time of their lives!

Q: Wildest thing that has ever happened while on tour?

Marios: Alas, we do not tour as a band – but we can only hope that if we do many, many wild things will happen!

Q: “If we could go on tour with __________ I could die happy!”

Marios: If we could go on tour with Summoning I could die happy… Or even better with The Pogues, or Flogging Molly or a band like that… In any case, I could die happy if we could go on tour. Period!

Q: What does the next year hold in-store for your band?

Marios: Most probably another excellent release, even better than our previous work and hopefully lots of money, groupies and fame along with that! Hahaha!

Q: Any special messages you would like to extend to your fans and supporters?

Marios: Stay strong, listen to good music, have a sense of humour, always put some extra money aside in order to buy Folkearth albums and always do things to surprise yourself and surpass your limits!

Q: Why should anyone listen to your band?

Marios: Because they like to live dangerously, they’re open-minded and above all because they’re tired of listening over and over to the same shite!

Marios: Humongous ego-on-legs, coward, professional bastard or cunt, untrustworthy, drunkard, bum.

Marios: Hi! I should probably say a really cool pick up line now, but since I’m too fucking drunk will you just have sex with me?

Q: What’s the one thing that people wouldn’t know about you that you wouldn’t mind sharing?

We’d like to thank Marios for this wonderful interview and would like to wish you the best of fortune in your career. When we all look back on this, we shall say, “We remember when…”