Interview with ELDERTALE

I interviewed Kirya and Evgeny Kozakov from ELDERTALE regarding their projects.

01.  Hi Evgeny Kozakov & Kirya ! You released “Land of Old “EP in 2014. How was it perceived by the listeners & Medias ?

Evgeny: Hi and Happy New Year! Yes, we did release our debut effort digitally last year and I have to say that the reaction was far better than any of us had anticipated. We got good and even great reviews from our local and some international critics. Listeners were mostly happy with our work too. Of course, there were people here and there, who’d find flaws in our music, but hey! We’re not a 100 dollar bill for everyone to like us :)

Happy New Year, folks! 

02. We can feel ENSIFERUM influences in your Music. Are you all very big fans of them ?

Evgeny: It’s true that we are compared to Ensiferum A LOT! I mean it’s just getting ridiculous how often people bring up Ensiferum when talking about Eldertale’s music. We do enjoy the band’s music greatly, specially earlier albums, but that’s just about as far as it goes. We’re just trying to write our own songs the way we see them and I’m sure you can find as many differences with Ensiferum as there are similarities. Despite all that I think none of us would mind someday sharing the stage with them.

03. Kirya owns a side-project…a sort of Ensiferum tribute. Can you tell us more on this project ? 

Evgeny: As far as I know, it was just a onetime thing but I’ll let Kirya answer in more detail.

Kirya: Yes, at the beginning it was planned like "onetime stuff" for couple of Ensi-covers, but now I have some unfinished covers on other bands. Nevertheless it’s not a side-project and initially meant by me simply for fun and some new experiences. The idea was to gather a few musicians from different counties who don’t know each other and to make a collaboration cover. However, I met some problems with people first promising something and then backing down or simply incompetent people, who had to participate but can’t even play their instrument and record some hellish hell. That’s why in the end there were only three people – myself on bass and vocals, my best friend Sergey from the band Logical Riddle on guitar as well as mixing and drum programing duties and Leonid from Russia playing the whistle. Currently there are still a few unfinished covers on different bands and I’m not letting go the idea of making a collaboration cover with people unacquainted with one or another. So if you’re a musician and have the desire and possibility – friend me on Facebook and send me your ideas. And, of course, subscribe to my Youtube channel.

04. Kirya, what means this band ENSIFERUM for you ?

Kirya: Simply a good band, one among many others. 

They are not my favorite band and I didn’t like their last album at all.

05. Do you have some other favorite bands ?

Kirya: Yes. Moonsorrow, Windir, Wintersun, Finntroll, Equilibrium, Thyrfing, Finsterforst, Bathory, Helloween, Gods Tower, Kaosophia, Lady Gaga, Beyond Creation, Madonna, Black Sabbath, Darkestrah and many-many-many others folk/pagan/black/dsbm metal bands.

Evgeny: I grew up listening to classic American thrash bands: Slayer, Exodus, Metallica… Today I like to listen to Melechesh, Skindred, Lamb of God and many other metal bands as well as bands and musicians from other genres. Red Hot Chili Peppers are definitely in my top 10.

06. Checking the lyrics for your EP, I noticed Evgeny Kozakov was the lyricist. Are you for all the future ELDERTALE songs as well ?

Evgeny: Yes, I wrote all the lyrics for our first album. I’m trying to get Kirya to rhyme at least two words as he is the vocalist after all, but he keeps telling me that he can’t and is unconfident in his English skills. Bottom line is that I write all the lyrics for Eldertale.

07. Can you explain us how do you compose Music & Lyrics in the band ?

Kirya: Usually it happens like this: Mr. Belozertsev or myself make up the main body of song, then Josh writes keyboard lines and Mr. Kozakov – lyrics.

Evgeny: Wow, so official, everyone’s Mr. But yeah, that’s usually how it happens. Everyone pitches in ideas for music, but the first notes always come from our two guitarists. While I enjoy full hegemony over the band’s lyrics.

08. You are currently working on your debut album. It was supposed to be released by the end of 2014 but it didn’t… Are you always at the recording step ?

Kirya: We met some force majeure that kept us from finishing the album before the end of 2014. But now we are truly at the very last stage: Left only to finish the keyboards for one song and a few choirs.

09. Have you met some problems with the studio ?

Kirya: I have a constant problem – the fear of the record button :) s soon as that button is pressed my arms become crooked and the amount of dead notes increases :)

Evgeny: I’m less experienced in studio work than my other bandmates but I try to keep up and am usually happy with my final result, however there is still much room to improve.

10. Can you reveal us the album title and release date or…a time ?

Kirya: It will definitely happen in 2015 :) Believe me! :) I don’t want to say any specific dates as I already lied about that when I promised the album by the end of 2014. It will also depend not only from us, but from the label as well (we haven’t decided one yet, btw. We have some offers but are still considering them and searching)

Evgeny: We have several ideas for the title, of course. However, we want to try to capture the essence of the idea of the whole album in a short phrase. Not just pick a title of the song that stands out the most but find such a name that will make a potential listener understand the mood and general theme of the album before he/she even hears it for the first time.

11. Musically speaking, how does this album sound ?

Kirya: It sounds awesome! :)

Evgeny: It’ll make your ears bleed epicness!!!

12. What is your debut album about ?

Evgeny: One thing that you have to understand before listening to Eldertale’s songs is that even though the music of the band is based on Slavic musical traditions and so modern comprehension, the lyrics aren’t necessary based on Slavic myths and legends. Unlike some bands associated with folk metal, who’s lyrics are fully based on specific folklore, like Celtic, Nordic, Oriental or otherwise, I try to avoid having any specific names mentioned in my lyrics. As for example, you won’t hear anything about Slavic heathen deities or campaigns of famous Slavic warlords, but you might find a song that will relate to something similar striped of any personal names. I think this allows me to be more free in terms of lyrics and not to get tied down by limitations of specific folklore as I can simply use an idea I like and twist it any way I want instead of sticking to something someone sung or wrote several hundred years ago.

If you examine the three songs from our EP released digitally last year, you’ll hear a song “Exile” that is loosely based on a Germanic/Danish myth; a song “Time of Ancient” about a heroic venture of an unnamed hero, who despite mortal danger faces a beast in order to save many lives, which is something very common in Slavic folklore as I’m sure it is among many other nations; and “Land of Old”, which became the title track and shares similar ideas to the most famous poem of renowned Russian author Alexander Pushkin.

In the end it’s probably even more fantasy than folklore.

You’ll hear more of the same in the album as well: a song about Slavs fighting off the Mongol invasion, another song about the name of which will sound familiar to fans of Arthurian legends or again a song about elite troops of the knyaz. There’s more but I don’t want to bore you with more details.

You don’t :)

13. Can you show us the artwork for your first album, and describe it the best possible ?

Evgeny: Just like with the album title we can’t show the artwork to you just yet, because we haven’t made up our own minds about what it should be like. We are a rather unorganized band.

14. Does this record own tracks within some guest appearances ?

Kirya: Yes, one of the songs features a whistle line that was recorded by a certain relative of one of our members)) You will probably be able to find out more from the album’s booklet))

15. Do you search for a label ?

Kirya: Yes, returning to the topic from question No.10. We are still searching. So if you have any suggestions – send me a text on Facebook))

Evgeny: This guy (↑) has no shame… Asking the interviewer for label advise)))

Ha ha ha!

16. Do you plan a tour once the album out?

Kirya: If there are offers so why not? But for now we were only approached to play at sh*tty gigs.

Evgeny: Oh, you know. We’re “a stay at home” kind of band. On a more serious note, we would like to tour outside of Ukraine, but right now we are more occupied with the album release and aren’t considering any actual touring.

17. What is “ELDERTALE” exactly, for you two ?

Kirya: I played in different bands for over 10 years, but it was never exactly the style of music that was my favorite. I played power, heavy and etc. and now I can say with certainty that Eldertale is exactly what I wanted musically all these years and what I aspired to. It’s the band where I can realize my ideas and thoughts musically.

Evgeny: I don’t have any romantic feelings for the band like my friend here. For me Eldertale is the result of my work I dedicated time for and effort together with other bandmates. Nevertheless, there are often disputes about how this or that should be done and to be honest I am not always happy with the final result.

18. Do you plan some official videos & trailers for your debut album ?

Kirya: If the label doesn’t mind then why not? We will happily make a preview video of our songs and release it online.

19. Will that last be available in CD and digital on your Bandcamp and be ordered from all around the world ?

Kirya: I think the label will be against it if the album is released on Bandcamp. So I think there will only be the CD and its sales will be handled by the label.

20. Have you planned some special editions like digipak, regular jewel case CD, or special packs like CD+T-shirt or CD+poster+patch for example ?

Evgeny: IWe’re always keeping such things in mind as labels always offer some editions to the basic CD, but we haven’t given it any actual thought. However, we were approached by a certain person asking if there is band merchandise available. And if you’re reading this Mr. S, know that when we do have the merch available, you’ll be the first to get it :)

21. What are your next plans now ?

Kirya: To release the album and further songwriting.

Evgeny: Screw that! I’m off snowboarding.

I’ll let you end this interview now. Thank you for your time!

Evgeny: Thank you for interesting and fun questions! Good luck to Sword Chant and to all our fans out there! Cheers!

Kirya: Thanks to Sword Chant for the interview and for being such a good and useful folk metal resource and for your help to make Eldertale more recognizable. And of course thanks to the fans for their support.