Paradise is an upcoming band consisted of vocalist Sivert Hoyem, guitarist Rob McVey, bassist Simone Butler and drummer Jack Revy. Their following concerts in Greece (Patra, Athens, Thessaloniki), their debut EP entitled “Yellow” and the story behind the creation of the band were some of the topics that were discussed through an interview with our bilingual City Code Magazine.
The interesting musical background of each member and their future plans were two more essential parts of our conversation.
Interview: Electra Limniou
Later in November we will have the chance to see you on stage. The audience in Greece had made the appropriate preparations for these performances. Is there any specific concept? What can we expect from you?
The concept is rock music in it’s simplest, most direct, and electrifying glory. We’ll give blood to ensure the audience get their pound of flesh, escapism, majesty, and illumination.
You currently released the first EP of yours, entitled “Yellow”. Tell us about the musical style of Paradise. Why did you choose this title and what is the story of “Goodbye 21st Century”?
Paradise is minimalist, just the four of us with no fairy dust. Don’t want anything to get in the way. It’s about the songs first, and real vocals. No reliance on anything other than what the four of us can produce right in front of your eyes.
We entitled the EP Yellow as the first in part of a projected series; the album will likely be called the ‘Pink Album’. It was attractive to us to characterise each release with a colour, rather than a traditional tittle. The artwork provided by Malcolm Liepke depicts a message – a decadence and debauchery, sensuality and androgyny – escape.
21st Century just came along, had this ‘end of the world’, ‘but it’s okay’ feeling – we waited a bit before the chorus at the was written, wanted to put a nail in the coffin on that one. Subconsciously God only knows, Trump and Brexit were all over the news, guess that song came out naturally perhaps in reflection.
You are four different people. What are your inspirations from which you are writing your songs? What do you have in common?
The thing we have in common is a desire to do something great. There’s a darkness in Paradise that we need to lean on, sometimes that harks back to bands of yesteryear that we love, Bad Seeds, Suicide, even early Suede. Sometimes it could be a movie we’re into, David Lynch or akin. Want to create an otherworldly experience too – the song Crying came from this ambition. Other times it’ll just be say what you see, songs like Humiliation came from anger, felt cool to juxtapose those lyrics with a good time americana feel.
What was the motive to create Paradise?
It was clear that it needed to be done. A band like this needed to be formed.
Every member of Paradise has a remarkable musical background. Are you afraid of this new start or the comparisons that can be made?
We hope that Paradise can be taken on its own merits. Perhaps the sum of all of us it can be greater than our parts… as we say in English
Apart from the EP, you are now touring around the world for several appearances. What are your future plans?
We shall commence recording in Hamburg March 2018, UK tour to proceed, festivals next year. But please have us back to Greece.
Love and thanks, Rob McVey
