An Interview With Yana

A new album release from Yana brings out a beautifully lush and acoustic backbone soundscape that bears elements of rustic singer-songwriter styles and bears plenty of soul for the listener to soak in song by song.
The Journey of the Soul album is packed with character and tells stories in the form of song that is portrayed with a wonderous set of natural instruments that let the songs breathe and feel alive.
This record is oozing with heart and honesty which is one of the most refreshing things about it to begin with but what's more is that there's so much great attention to detail throughout the course of this record that it's fantastic but what's even more fantastic, is that it never loses its heart.
These songs do absolutely feel full-bodied even though some are more stripped down than others and there are times when Yana uses her voice almost like an instrument to create even bigger atmospheres than the songs began with.
These songs have a sort of freeing style and approach to songwriting and it really works as it gives each song its own story to tell.
The performances and deliveries across this entire release are done with such a graceful passion that you know everything from beginning to end came from someplace genuine.
That aspect of emotional drive exists on the forefront of this release and there is something definitely existential about it if you listen to it from start to finish.
There are songs that stand on their own two feet very well as singles however this is the type of album that you're supposed to soak in as a whole so it would definitely suggest doing that.
The record boasts outstanding songwriting and the whole thing has a way of sort of engulfing you and letting you get washed away with it all.
And it feels really good to let it do just that.
This record is a sort of escape in a way and it's meant for you to swim through like a body of water and when you get out you have to dry yourself off to come back to reality again.
A really fantastical achievement with a heavily authentic view, this album it's all the sweet spots, and with its release, we wanted to have a sit down with Yana to find out what inspired it and what may be coming up next for the artist.
Here's what happened.
TSWS: Okay Yana, let's start with the Journey of The Soul album! This record had such lush instrumentation throughout the record and came through cinematically driven! How did this album come about?
This is where I see the positive side of the past two years. More time to be creative. If those two years weren’t as they were I don’t think the album would be ready now. I had time to revisit older lyrics as well as to write new ones. There is always an idea of an arrangement in my head when writing the song. I am lucky enough to know so many talented musicians so this album was truly a matter of collaborating with friends and making the biggest dream to date come true.
TSWS: How did this all start for you as an artist? When did you fall in love with music?
Music has been a key part of my life as long as I can remember. I started playing the guitar in my late teens but never really thought about becoming a musician. It kind of came naturally, following the passing of Fergus O’Farrell, singer of Irish band Interference, who was a dear friend and remains my biggest influence. His passing hit me really hard and at that point I realized how short life can be and you have to follow your heart and your dreams while you can. Tomorrow is never guaranteed.
TSWS: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
For the creative mind the inspiration lies all around. We all observe the world in a different way. I always try to capture a message within the song, make the listener think.
TSWS: This record has some great styles on it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
My biggest influences are the likes of Interference, Glen Hansard, Mic Christopher but also Cloud Cult or Nick Cave.
TSWS: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
I love taking long walks in nature, to clear my head. Love reading. There was a period of time when I would buy a book at the airport when travelling. No disappointment yet.
TSWS: Who's in your headphones right now?
That depends on my mood and it can change from one day to the next. I keep digging deeper into the work of Colin Vearncombe, known as Black, whose song Wonderful Life you may know from the 80s. There are some gems in his vast catalogue. He was a gifted poet and painter as well.
But there are other artists I keep going back to such as BK Pepper, The Pale, aforementioned Cloud Cult, Spakka-Neapolis 55, Duke Special and many more.
TSWS: Are you doing any live performances right now?
There are various plans under construction and I will reveal the details closer to the time. One of them will be my first hometown gig in quite a while and I am truly excited about that.
TSWS: Did you record yourself or hit a big studio for this?
All my releases have been recorded in a studio. I record in AP Studios in Dublin, Ireland. It is absolutely magical place. A real sanctuary. Hidden in the mountains, it feels like an entirely different universe. Plus I am fortunate to have a fantastic engineer, Antimo Kelly Puca, who is a true wizard, knows the industry inside out and gets the best out of the artist within the friendliest atmosphere I have ever come across.
TSWS: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
I was recently invited on a cool podcast called Write On Track . It’s hosted by US songwriter Demi Michelle and each episode has a special topic to discuss. There are various guests from all walks of life. The episode I did was about vulnerability and its connection with songwriting and my debut album. The episode was released on April 30th, same release day as my album. I had been on the podcast before and I enjoyed my return visit even more.
I will also be doing an interview about the album on local radio in my hometown next month so that is definitely exciting and something to look forward to.
TSWS: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
I would like to say how important the support of the fans is for independent artists. Everyone faces the struggle of getting people to gigs these days, happens across the board. Possibly the pandemic might be to blame. If you love music and wanna support your favourite artist, buy their music, go to the shows.
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