Dear readers, it is our pleasure to offer you in this article an interview with a Slovakian Prog/Art Rock band. We welcome Fairy Tale.
Hello, how are you?
“Hi Jacopo, I won’t complain 🙂“
The band started in the 90s, how did this project come about?
“Well, I had some bands in high school, but the idea for the name Fairy Tale came in college in 1994. You know, I liked that word and it reminded me of some melancholy moods from my childhood. I studied philosophy, but instead of Heidegger, I preferred to work with my Fostex tape recorder and with my musician friends to make the first demo tapes.
Then, during the following years, I worked as a music dramaturg and program director in several FM radio stations. I was also the manager of the band Chill on the Sun, and during that period I met vocalist Barbora Koláriková, the singer of this pop-rock band. Barbara was excited by my musical ideas, so we revived the name Fairy Tale.“
Your style combines Prog and Art Rock, where did your passion for this music come from?
“Here I have to separate how I feel it, as a listener and as a musician or music creator. On the one hand, I can admire Fates Warning, Marillion, Rush, Pink Floyd and many others… On the other hand, I have no need to play music like them. It is simply, I would feel stupid. And in addition, the result will always be worse than the original.“
You have released several albums, how has your sound evolved over the years?
“Of course. Not one of our albums is like the next or the previous one. And that’s how it should be. although I know it bothers many listeners. But what should I do with it? It’s not that I would say… now I’m going to make an album with more ambient or more metal etc… The sound changes as we grow and develop. On the outside, but of course especially on the inside. Life gives us both wounds and gifts. All of this changes the result of my creative work.“
Your new EP ‘Live on the Radio (Bypass 2.)’ was released in February, 2024, how would you describe this new work?
“At the beginning of the year we started to work on the ideas with my band mates. Of course this will take some time to come with the new studio album. And so we decided to release some extra bonus EP album again and refresh our discography with another EP. I spent a few long nights over editing and mastering our outstanding performance, which we played at the end of summer 2023. It was a precious invitation to the prominent Headbanger FM show of Slovak radio.
The feedback from some fans inspired us to use this material for Bypass 2. Anyway, the EP album Live on the Radio (Bypass 2.) is not just a simple transcription of the broadcast recording. The session was sensibly edited and selected the most interesting parts of the performance. Sound is also a bit adjusted and remastered and there were some slight sound designs added to improve the atmosphere. From the complete live set were chosen the compositions where the magic combined with a rare atmosphere, somewhere on the edge between rehearsed skills and slight improvisation. A dramatic storm accompanied the entire evening and so the elements of heavenly fire and art came together in a special symbiosis. This is a compilation of the rare moments that we played that evening.“
The music and vocals are intense, what themes do the lyrics deal with?
“It’s hard to say that in general. Paradoxically, you would probably expect (with the name Fairy Tale) some dreamy visions of lands where unicorns run across the meadows… But our lyrics are created from feelings that occupy our minds and trouble our souls. When creating them, I try to use some words symmetry, similar to when I create music. The principle of progressiveness lies in this approach. It’s not about making a song that has a million notes or takes half an hour, that’s just nonsense.“
Many of our readers and your fans wonder if there will be a chance to hear the new work live, do you have any plans in this regard?
“No, our lives aren’t set up that way and I really don’t see things changing. That’s why we made the Bypass series, there are two EPs so far, if anyone wants to study interpretation versions of what they know from the studio albums, here are these titles.“
How do you think the way of gigging has changed since the 90s? What has changed for you?
“I am skeptical and do not understand this evolution all around… . nonsense is invented while many people are still hungry, we don’t know how to cure cancer and so on… and AI sings and paints pictures.“
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music in a more sophisticated genre such as yours?
“Find another hobby, there is already enough noise everywhere ��
Do you know what bothers me? There are no longer people who admired paintings, who would go to openings and buy some. Today there are a million painters and artists and similar nonsense on Instagram… But it’s even worse in music So I’d rather make a personal wish that there would be more listeners in the world, listen to music, don’t click the plastic with your finger, it has nothing to do with music , art not even with you.“
How do you see the modern music scene in your country and the Prog/Art Rock scene in general?
“I am not sure how to answer…
Slovakia has a good tradition of classical music composers, or there are interesting names from the 70s, Collegium Musicum, Dežo Ursíny, Modus… but I won’t tell you more about the current scene, because I stopped following it. There are still a few desperados here… like me �� But as for the mainstream it is ruled by hip hop, rappers around the pool, and babes in swimsuits.“
Do you have any other passions or artistic activities outside music?
“I think I can write and only God knows why I don’t do it more ��
And I wish I could draw, but I am undoubtedly one of the worst painters in the world. I can only manage a small house and maybe a snowman.“
I thank Fairy Tale for the interview and wish them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
“Thank you very much.
I enjoyed your questions and greetings to your readers, all the best!“