Finnish artists dumb kitsch release their new single ‘Killing It’ today – we learn some more about them and what we can expect from next.
Tell us about yourselves, who you are and where did the name come from?
We are Eveliina Heikkala and Ronja Chydenius from Helsinki, Finland. We met in high school and got in touch about a year ago ‘cause we wanted to make music together! Our thoughts on what we want our music to sound like were pretty similar, so the summer a year ago we just started from scratch.
We both study in the same university but in different fields, neither of which include music or sound design. Eve studies environmental engineering and Ronja studies interior architecture, and those things are what we do with most of our time.
The band name, “dumb kitsch”, was just a word play we found amusing.
And how would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard your music?
Powerpuff girls go on a rampage. Or just fat synths, punchy beats and a weirdly cute atmosphere.
Today sees the release of your new single ‘Killing It’ what is the story behind this particular track?
R: I wrote some angsty/grim lyrics when I had conflicting feelings about power dynamics in sex and relationships. I sent them to Eve just to see if there’s something there and she came up with this amazing synth thingy and a nice dark mood that added to the lyrics.
E: The beat was produced nearly at one go – I was very inspired by Ronja’s lyrics and just started to experiment with the oddest sounds I could find. It was a funny process!
What is coming up next for you?
We are releasing ‘The Artificial EP’ at the beginning of this fall! We also dream of some nice club gigs when it’s safe to organize them.
You are Helsinki-based – where are some of your favorite hangouts there?
E: I like the archipelago of Helsinki. Only a few-minute trip by a ferry and you can explore the cute little islands or have a picnic on the rock cliffs.
R: Seeing gigs, going to libraries like Töölö, walking around the Helsinki central area and the Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden.
Finally what was the last thing you watched, book you read, and album you listened to?
R: I watched Moonrise Kingdom by Wes Anderson, read Welcome To Your World by Sarah Williams Goldhagen and listened to Bury Me At Makeout Creek by Mitski.
E: The last movie I saw was Catherine Hardwicke’s Lords of Dogtown and the last book My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh. The last album I listened to was Oklou’s Galore.
Interview by Alex Minnis
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