Interview with George
Constantinou from Harmonize
1. Hi Harmonize! What's the meaning of your band’s title? What's the origin of that name? Have you changed the
band's name before?
When
I saw the Greek band Disharmony, live when the opened the show for Arch enemy
in Cyprus, I remember how intrigued I was by the name. I then took the word
harmony and played with it. Since the band was formed, we remained as
Harmonize. It is about restoring the balance between light and darkness.
2. What genre of music do you consider your work to be?
Who are your major influences? Also, what can you tell us
about "Warrior in the Night"?
We
used to consider our work to be thrash & power metal, but we have evolved a
lot since then, by adding more extreme elements, even doom. Warrior in The
Night is an amalgamation of these genres. Our main influences are Amon Amarth,
Iced Earth, Blind Guardian Behemoth and many more. The album expresses our own
style which has been created because of many different styles
3. How long have you all known each other? How did you
meet?
I
have known everyone before they joined the band. I met each at different stages
in my life as a young man growing up in Cyprus. These types of friendships have
reinforced our sense of brotherhood. I met Sozos, when I was only 12 during
karate lessons. I met Lambros & Harrys as a teenager in the metal community
of Cyprus, when we got to share the stage together, then they joined Harmonize.
Panayiotis and I met when I was in the National Guard as a young man in
training in Cyprus, when we used to chat for hours about Metal. When we
reunited years later, he joined the band as the bass player.
4. When did you form your band? What inspired you to make
music together?
Harmonize
was formed in 2012. However, I happen to be the only original member. My love
for metal and the vision I had for this band inspired me to start writing
music. As the founder of Harmonize I am very lucky to have these guys, who
share the same vision as me, on board.
5. What can you tell me about your instruments? (i.e.,
Are you subject to brand loyalty or will you play with whatever's available?
What made you choose the instruments you have now? Was it cost or was it a
style/model/brand/color preference?
Each
one of us chooses their own equipment. We base our choices on quality and sound
as well as our budget of course. As of now, we are not sponsored by any brands,
but give us a call if you know a company who is interested!
6. Where have you performed? What are your favorite and
least favorite venues? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Due
to the pandemic, we can’t speak of any future shows at the moment. We have
performed at the Power of The Night Festival in Cyprus twice and we played at
many metal gigs in Cyprus with many local bands.
7. Which songs do you perform most frequently? Do you
ever play any covers? Do you have a set play list?
Depending
on the show, our setlist can look different every time. We used to play a few covers
our crowd likes, but now we are solely focusing on our own music.
8. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or
topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?
Song
writing is a team work where everyone’s input is valuable. Our main source
however, is the story we are writing, hence the Warrior in the Night character,
one of the main characters of the story. We plan to utilise our story for many
more projects as we have a lot more elements and plots to introduce. Based on
that, each future album is a different chapter, but only time will tell if
anything is to change and how, in the future.
9. Could you briefly describe the music-making process?
Guitars
are usually responsible for writing the main riffs, which we then all develop
in the studio during a lot of improv and brain storming. Then we proceed to add
the lyrics we have been working on. Our sessions can be very creative and
although writing new material can be nerve-wracking, it is always an exciting
process.
10. What are your rehearsals generally like? Do you have a
set time each week in which you practice or are rehearsals more spontaneous?
We
aim to always have two meetings each week, one of which is a rehearsal at the
studio. If someone’s routine or schedule changes, or we are on holiday, then
rehearsals end up being spontaneously planned.
11. How has your music evolved since you first began
playing music together?
What
Harmonize used to be when the band was formed, is completely different to where
we are now, but I believe this is naturally the way we were supposed to evolve.
Being the founder and only original member, I have witnessed this evolution in
an omniscient way that the other members haven’t experienced.
12. What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have
you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
The
main challenge has been making our first album only just now in 2020, although
the band was formed in 2012. As a 17-year-old, forming a band, it was no
surprise that I would face certain challenges in the small metal community of
Cyprus. Not taken seriously, was only a minor challenge compared to the
countless line-up changes. Circumstances such as members leaving to join the
mandatory National Guard, or going abroad for their studies, put a huge pause
to our plans of producing our first album. However, throughout these years we
have matured a lot and developed our own personal style and sound. Finding
like-minded individuals, who are committed to this project and who share the
same vision, has made this band stronger.
13. What's your ultimate direction for your band? Are you
seeking fame and fortune?
We
aim to play at metal festivals, develop our brand and story and to broaden the
Harmonize family. We desire to make art and play metal. We wish to be
recognised for the work we do and we plan to work hard.
14. What advice do you have for people who want to form
their own bands?
Surround
yourselves with people who share your vision and who intent to make you better
and become better. Get rid of toxic carcinomas who only aim to drain your
energy. A band, a family, a relationship,
are all about give and take. As mentioned in Herodotus’ Histories, some
people’s ‘advice to you are like the gales of wind, which vex the sea and don’t
allow it to be what it is meant to be’. Well, welcome to your circle people who
don’t aim to steal your thunder, but who want to create a most powerful,
earth-shuttering one with you. Oh! And a lot of practice. And savings.
15. How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?
You can
find us on all social media platforms. You can subscribe on the Harmonize
Official YouTube channel and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Spotify. If
you wish to learn more about the band and the story, visit
www.harmonizeofficial.com
16. Is there anyone you'd like to acknowledge for offering
financial or emotional support?
As
mentioned previously we are not just a band, we are a family. We have a lot of
people who care about us and embrace this mutual vision and support it. There
are a few people who I’d like to give a shout out to. Giorgos Kyriakides, who
has been with us during the making of this album, offering support, help and
beer. Arsenis Agisilaou, a former member and close friend, who was involved in
the production of our upcoming album. Andreas Paraschos from the thrash/death
metal band Blynd who recorded the backing chorus vocals of the tracks in the
album. Finally, Nicolina Papas who is my co-writer of story and who has helped
in multiple ways, assisting in the creation of the album. She wrote and
recorded the piece Beyond Darkness, as well as directed and filmed our video
clips. I’d also like to thank our music producers Sofianos Charalambides (Studio
35, Cyprus) and Kyriakos Lorentzos (Rhythm Power Studio, Greece) and for the
amazing artworks Giannis Nakos (Remedy Art Design, Greece).
17. Any last words?
Note the date down,
2nd October, Warrior in the Night will be available on all digital
platforms and will also be available as a physical copy. Join the journey and
stay tuned!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1SCa9PmUJrFtafwkFx2rfw/videos