Dear readers, this article features an interview with Yanni Papadopoulos guitarist of Stinking
Lizaveta, an American power trio whose ninth album “Anthems and Phantoms” is due for release on June 23, 2023 via SRA Records.
Hi how are you?
Yanni – I’m feeling great! I’m enjoying all my musical projects very much, and my 12 year old daughter wants me to teach her guitar, so my spirits are high. The tour to support the new Stinking Lizaveta record is coming in July, and I can’t wait to play our music for people.
The band was founded in 1994, how did the project originate?
Yanni – My brother Alexi, our bass player, had seen me play in various bands since we were kids. In 1984 I formed a band called Protem. We lived in Maryland near Washington D.C., so we were influenced by the hardcore scene. In 1991 I moved to Philadelphia to play in a friend’s Zappa type band called EDO. The Philly scene was wild! When I saw Cheshire Agusta play with her band, The National Wrecking Company, I immediately setabout to record some music with her. I then convinced Alexi to come to Philly and form a
power trio.
The band plays Doom/Stoner sounds, described as “Doom Jazz,” where did your passion for these sounds come from?
Yanni – I remember being 16 years old at my friend Damon Locks birthday party in Silver Spring Maryland and listening to a live bootleg of the Obsessed. The song Neatz Brigade especially caught my ear. I loved the way Wino’s solos seemed un-harmonic and yet melodic. We would also listen to The Way She Fly on a 45 single, and the heaviness of the groove just seduced me. Black Flag and Bad Brains were also staples for us at the time. As I got into my 20’s and learned more about music, modes, scales and time signatures, I wanted to combine heavy guitar with progressive rock. All of us learn about music backwards. You start with what is around you, then you dive into the music that influenced the previous generations. There is no doubt that Greg Ginn was listening to John McLaughlin when he formed his instrumental band Gone.
Your band was born in the golden age of Stoner, what memories do you have of those years when the genre took shape?
Yanni – The early Stoner scene in the US was pioneered by Greg Barratt and his Emissions from the Monolith festival at The Nyabinghi in Youngstown Ohio. When we began Stinking Lizaveta we hadn’t even heard of Stoner or Doom. Greg Barrett put us at his festival playing after Mastodon and before Weedeater. When we saw how people reacted to our music, we were happy to be included in such a great scene. Even though the fest included bands like YOB and St. Vitas, the scene was still small and practically everyone
knew each other. I remember being one of maybe 10 people in the audience when EyeHateGod played at the Khyber Pass in Philly in 94’. The singer from Anal Cunt shot a fire extinguisher at the audience and we had to stand on the sidewalk.
The band has spanned 3 decades, with very intense and engaging live performances, do you have any particular anecdotes you would like to tell us?
Yanni – There was one time we played in Denver and after the show a person said to me, “That was amazing! You rock out like my step-dad in his underwear!” She really liked the concert. After one show in New Jersey, Adrian Belew came up to me and screamed, “I loved it!” When someone from King Crimson says they like what you’re doing, something about it must be right. We played Check Point Charlie’s in New Orleans on Halloween for about 5 years straight, those were always especially wild shows because the bar had no closing time, so we played our set 3 times, till the sun came up.
Your ninth album “Anthems and Phantoms” is about to be released on June 23, 2023. What sounds does this new work offer?
Yanni – For this album I put away my effects pedals and just went straight into the amplifier. We tracked the album live and kept all my guitar solos from the original session. After we decided which versions of the songs were the strongest performances, I added some rhythm guitar tracks, and on some songs some synth guitar and some keys. On one tune, Nomen Est Omen, we added an acoustic bowed bass line, and a bowed guitar line to give it an orchestral heaviness. On tracks like Daily Madness, you just hear bass, drums and guitar as we played it that day.
Your music is very intense and elaborate, how does the creative process of the tracks take place?
Yanni – I’m a riff fisherman. Whenever I pick up my guitar I’m hoping to catch a fat riff out of the cosmic ocean. You never know when it’s going to come, so you keep practicing scales, or songs, until you feel a nibble on your hook. Once I have a motif, I bring it to the rehearsal room to see if the band thinks it is fun to play. Of course, not all of the ideas stick, but eventually we have a new batch of tunes and can stop playing the old ones.
The album is due for release in June 2023, do you have any singles or videos planned from this work?
Yanni – We will release three or more live videos of songs from this album. Electric Future, Shock and The Heart. The videos are from a live session we did at Electric Latte Land in West Philly. The sound is remixed by Steve Roche, who produced our record. The video is edited by Pete Wilder, who provides green screen visuals.
Next will be the non-studio album, how has your sound evolved over the years?
Yanni – We are a better band than we used to be, and use our energy more effectively. However, we haven’t strayed very far from the original inspiration.
Music is constantly evolving, how do you see the future of the Rock genre in and especially Stoner and Doom?
Yanni – I see Stoner and Doom as a place where music can be organic and not over processed by computers. Most popular music now is just a protools holiday jingle. People are tired of hearing perfect music cleaned up by overzealous engineers. The ear yearns for the human experience, and Doom and Stoner can provide that which pop and metal have forsaken.
What advice would you give to young artists approaching music with sounds like yours?
Yanni – Learn the music that inspired your heroes. Obviously Bill Ward and Tony Iommi were inspired by jazz, don’t be afraid of it! You don’t need to be an expert.
Do you have any other passions or artistic projects outside of music?
Yanni – I actually don’t have passions outside of music. I’m a total nerd and obsessed with the guitar. Alexi and I have a funk band called Wail with drummer Calvin Weston, wail2.bandcamp.com and I have a spacemusic band called Planet Y, planet-y.bandcamp.com, as well as a trad jazz band called Last of the Red Hot Lovers. So, I’m a busy guy for sure. I teach guitar, paint houses, spend time with my family, and play as
much music as possible.
As usual, I leave the last question free to talk about any topic not covered in the previous ones.
Yanni– The last 30 years have been an incredible journey, but it’s far from over and we are hungry for more. Lets rock!
I thank Yanni Papadopoulos and Stinking Lizaveta for the pleasant interview, wishing them all the best for the continuation of their artistic career.
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