INTERVIEW: Kristina Miltiadou

Melbourne is the arts hub of Australia and many bands are beginning to emerge from the arts city. One such artist is KRISTINA MILTIADOU, whose one goal is to share her music with the world. MILTIADOU is about to release her self-titled debut album and we were lucky enough to chat with her about recording her beautiful voice for the world. We decided to have a chat with her about her music and what she has coming up

Have you always been interested in music?

Absolutely, yeah. I realised I could sing when I was eight, and before that I sat in my room on my own, and I was always obsessed.

Any favourite artists?

I guess growing up I listenined to Mariah Carey continuously, and tried to sing like her all the time. And then, there was Destiny’s Child with Beyonce and then, I guess I went backwards because I started looking back to you know, my fore-fathers of music between Mariah Carey and all that stuff, like Micheal Jackson, and Prince just really influential pop writers. I guess they are the main ones, and Frank Ocean is a very modern one, I think he’s doing something that’s really special, he’s a great storyteller.

How excited were you when you found out you were going to record your self-titled debut album?

Really excited! It was just great to have the opportunity to work with such a great producer Francois Tetaz, who’s worked with me on this record solely pretty much. I guess that was the most exciting thing for me, just to know that I could spend time in a studio with someone who knows what they’re doing, to help me find myself musically, and I was really young and just getting started with this so, it’s been really good to look over the past few years and just pick the best songs that represent that journey.

What was the experience like for you whilst you recorded the album?

There were just so many elements to working with him [Francois] and producing this record. It wasn’t just like write a song, get a band in, record them! It was so many other things like discussions and experimenting with ideas and myself and the music and the influences and all that stuff. I think it was important, there’s so many things you can pick out of music, and the more you learn, the more steady your stuf becomes you know? You get more songs, you get better at writing and just keep moving, keep everything going.

Your songs are really beautiful, what inspires your songwriting?

I just think heaps. I think all the time, I think about the encounters I’ve had with other people, I think about experiences I’ve had over my life, I’m just constantly thinking. I’m not really reflecting, I’m kind on analyzing my life and the world around me, and what I’ve discovered about history and just everything! Like, conversations that I’ve had with someone that’s parked a thought, it’s just everything in my life, my life and everyone else around me in my life is what really inspires me.

Does songwriting come very easily to you?

Yeah I’ve definitely learned that I’ve definitely worked on it and realised things that will make it better, some habits that I had that have changed to refine my songwriting, take it into the direction that I want with the songwriters that I have been inspired by, the songs that have touched me and all that sort of thing. So I guess it’s easy in a way, I can sing and ideas come to me easily, you know its just so easy to see stuff on paper, to make it really good it does take a bit of time and a bit more thought I guess.

And recording your debut in Melbourne where you’re surrounded by so many musicians, is it good to work in a city with such a rich musical culture?

Definitely! The people are buzzing all around you and I’m one of those people, you just learn off each other and feel the fire a bit.

Was becoming a musician always the dream?

Yeah definitely, I have this diary from when I was little, and I did another interview via email, and I emailed them an extract of the diary from when I was eleven, and it was just saying how much I wanted to be a singer, and how I would do everything and anything I had to when I grew up to do it. So yes to your question, always. Everyone needs a purpose in their life and I’ve found mine.

What do you get up to when you’re not recording and not writing music?

That’s pretty much what I do [laughs]. I work in retail a few days a week, I do dancing actually I’ve started working on my dance moves. I’ve been listening to music as well, just listening to things and backtracking and just constantly staying fresh and trying to keep my mind fresh, and definitely dancing and exercising as well. Like with performing you have to basically be in good shape, so just genrally staying well oiled for everything that I’m trying to do well. I relax to you know I hang out with friends, but my life is mainly music.

Do you have any tour plans for the future?

Definitely I mean, I’ve got a great band so we wanna make the best sound that we can when we do start touring again. It’s kind of in the works at the moment. I feel like there’s just no point in touring if you’re not the best that you can do.

So what’s in next for you after your album is released?

I’m just working on new material. I wanna get better at my songwriting, I know I’ve got a lot more to offer so now, I’ll have that moment when it’s released and then I’ll move forward and release more stuff.

Words by Lauren Payne.

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