Amelie Siba visited us at the Telegraph on 19 January and her live session has become one of our most watched broadcasts. Read this short interview and listen to the livestream recording to go with it. Amelia was interviewed by our production assistant Šárka.
Album Dye my hair was produced by yourself. Can you talk about how it was done?
Album is a form of my personal diary. Each of the songs is dedicated to someone or some situation that was affecting me at the time. I produced it as I was learning the overall production. I'm no pro, but at the time I started working on the album my production skills were at the level of "I've only had the recording program for 2 weeks" if you know what I mean (laughs). In the end, that's part of what makes the record so organic and natural, because I was making it from the position of a songwriter and not a pro producer.
You sing in English. Do you listen more to the international scene in your spare time, or do you listen to the local scene as well?
I mostly listen to foreign artists. But I don't like to fixate on genres, styles or languages. I like a few contemporary artists or bands from the local scene, and from time to time I also go back to old Czech classics.
Your music is often described as intimate or fragile - Soundczech.cz even describes you as a "room maker". In this respect, is the online concert format in any way more comfortable for you, or do you prefer an audience?
The online concert format is quite new to me, but at the same time I have come to appreciate the way of performing and realize the benefits of today's covid times. However, I do miss performing with a live audience and dancing with friends and enjoying the evening. I believe we will all experience that again soon. I'm more comfortable being surrounded by people when I play. I feel like I'm telling them stories at that moment. And it's always nice to get feedback.
In an interview with vinylmagazine.cz, you mentioned that you're into painting as well as music. What do you enjoy most about it? Do you have any particular ideas?
I studied painting until last year and unfortunately I don't do it as much anymore. I would love to get back to it sometime and enjoy a calming activity. I'm devoting myself full time to music now and trying to coordinate everything somehow.
What are you planning for the future? Will the next album be similarly intimate?
I have a new EP coming out soon, which will be quite different from the album, especially on the production side. But I don't think it's going to lose the intimacy of the songs. You can definitely look forward to it, and I think it might even surprise you.
by Šárka Nováková and Jakub Kraus
