‘Click Interview’ with Wintry: ‘We Must Move Ahead And Listen More To New Music’
Internet is getting artists closer, giving birth to new bands. Before the new millennium it was nearly impossible to imagine a duo featuring the singer living in Germany and the musician living in Brazil. Wintry was the daylight thanks to the internet. Anne Goldacker (ex-Obsyre) and Alex Twin (3 Cold Men, Individual Industry, and still owner of Wave Records) joined hands together. They released a debut album “Atmosphere Around Us” in 2009 and struck back in 2017 with the single “Ausweg”. “Timeline” has been released as a collaboration between Wave Records and Young And Cold Records, but also got released in the US by Cleopatra Records. Their music reminds the golden years of 4AD and will appeal for lovers of X-Mal Deutschland, Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus and others. I got in touch with Anne and Alex. (Picture credits by Falk Scheuring).
(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)
Q: Wintry has been set up in the 90s as a solo-project and became a duo when Anne Goldacker joined in for the debut album “Atmosphere Around Us”. How did this meeting happened and what did Anne brought to Wintry expect her beautiful timbre of voice?
Anne: Alex and I met thanks to Bruno Kramm. Alex was looking for a singer and Bruno recommend me. The main part is my voice, the second part are the lyrics, which I write myself.
Q: The single “Ausweg” has been released in 2017, but it took you ten years to release a successor to the album “Atmopshere Around Us “. How do you explain this long absence and what motivated you to start again?
Anne: For me, music is an important part of my life. But first of all I have a demanding profession, which takes me lot of my attention. As a dentist you certainly need to get a balance and I found it in music. But time goes fast and it takes a little longer to finish an album.
Alex: I’m involved with many others projects, so I can write new music when there is some free time. But I also have to take care of the label and the e-shop. It’s not that easy when you’re doing this all alone while it takes much time.
Q: When did the writing of the new album “Timeline” started and what kind of album did you try to accomplish?
Anne: I don’t know exactly when. For me the work started with the musical basis from Alex. I got my ideas for singing when writing the lyrics. And the result is an album giving us satisfaction after a long period of creation.
Q: How did the writing-, recording- and production of the album happened? And how did it happened for the vocals as you don’t live in the same country? And what has been the real input of both guest artists?
Anne: In times of internet, the distance is no problem. I went to a friend‘s studio to record my vocals and send it to Brazil. Alex did the rest.
Alex: I compose the songs and send them to Anne. After getting back the vocals, I sent it all to our guest musicians, Franck from Opera Multi Steel on bass and Audret from Scarlet Leaves to play guitars. The final production has been done by Marclo Gallo (Pitch Yarn Of Matter), who’ s doing mixing, production and mastering for years now here in São Paulo.
Q: Wintry is often linked to some bands from the legendary 4AD roster. What did this label mean to you and what do you consider as the real sources of inspiration?
Alex: I think the main bands active in the dark scene and dealing with post-punk, dark-wave, ethereal and related genres are influenced by the 4AD era. These bands were the pioneers of dark music.
Things are a bit different today. Bands no longer compose music like 4AD artists did. We have these bands in mind, but there also is the influence from ‘new’ bands. We must move ahead and listen more to new music than only to the ‘old ones’, at least that’s how it works for me. Actually I listen much more to new stuff than old work. Wave Records get many demos every week and trust me, I have heard numerous great new bands since 2010.
Q: “Timeline” has been of course released on your own label, Wave Records, but still here in Europe on Young & Cold Records and in the US on Cleopatra. Why releasing an album on three labels when we all know the CD format no longer sell? What are the further plans for Wintry?
Alex: After I had finished the Wintry master, I got a message from A&R from Cleopatra, and he asked me about some bands I released. So I sent him the new Wintry and we got a deal for North America exclusively. Young & Cold Records are partners for selling recrods via the e-shop, but Wintry also has 70% of the tracks in German, so we just found a deal for the vinyl release exclusively for Europe. The CD edit features bonus tracks and Wave Records sell it worldwide.
About the CD sales, I can tell you this format is still selling, but not like in the 90s. But we have many customers only buying CD editions. Of course vinyl is growing the last years, but the main people at least in Brazil just buy CD’s. I think releasing 3 different formats is a good way to reach all kind of customers.
The plans for Wintry are to compose more tracks next year so a new album will be probably released for 2021/2022.
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