The Music Obsession: Interview: Heinali and Matt Finney

>> When I first heard about Heinali and Matt Finney, I was curious about how two individuals from two different countries could manage to make music together. Their songs are as unique as their situation- I've never heard anything like their Lemonade EP. I got an idea of how the artists overcome the challenges they face because of distance just by speaking to them, but they won't let anything stop them from doing what they love. Their enthusiasm is tremendous, and quite impressive. They had these questions answered within a few hours of receiving them, regardless of the time difference. They are clearly passionate about their music, and that dedication has served them well thus far.

Introduce yourselves. (Name, age, instrument)
Heinali: Heinali, not too old I hope, can't really play any of them...
Matt: I'm Matt. 21. Vocals.

Where are you from? Describe the local music scene there.

Heinali: Ukraine. It's absent. Zero. Nada. Nihil. Maybe except for
some occasional parties and concerts of extremely low budget.
Matt: Millbrook, Alabama. There's not a much of a scene. A couple of
screaming bands and that's it.

What are some of your earliest influences that made you want to get into music?

Heinali: My earliest influences are Nine Inch Nails, the Sisters of
Mercy and Coil. But nothing made me want to get into music. It was
totally spontaneous and kept being not too serious for a long period
of time.
Matt: The first band that I remember listening to was Tears For Fears.
My sister had their greatest hits CD and video and she used to play
them all the time. I still love that band. Catchy as can be. Nirvana
were the first that floored me though.

How did you guys first get together & decide to make music?

Matt: We met through Myspace and became quick friends. My band (Finneyerkes) had been on a break and it's still on a inactive. I asked Heinali if he'd be interested in working on some songs and that turned into our first EP. We've been working together since.

For those who haven't heard it yet, how would you describe your sound?

Heinali: Cinematic, dark, eclectic.

What is your writing process like?

Heinali: Usually it's slightly different every time, sometimes absolutely different. Though I tend to construct the composition on the some kind of theme... could be melodic or timbral or rhythmic. Usually at night. Matt sends me over his lyrics recorded and I compose the music. I do a couple of drafts and send them to Matt for the critique.

What was the general inspiration behind your Lemonade EP?

Heinali: Life. In terms of music that influenced it's Nine Inch Nails, Nadja, Angelic Process, My Bloody Valentine, Joy Division, Nirvana...
Matt: The past year. It was an extremely rough one. It's all of that anger, bitterness, and disillusionment mixed with anxiety attacks.

What’s your favorite part about being in this band?

Heinali: I have to choose of sex, drugs and industrial.
Matt: Working with one of the best composers out there. The sex, drugs, and industrial don't hurt either.

What are some of the hardships you face because you live in different countries?

Heinali: Can't do gigs, can't rehearse, can't hang out together.
Matt: I'm with Heinali. This is both what we love to do. We both give it a hundred percent but we still can't reach people the way the band down the street can because they have access to the folks in bars/clubs. It's very discouraging but we have a lot of amazing listeners that like what we do and it's a huge motivator. We'll work through it.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far as a band?

Heinali: We are doing what we love.

How can fans contact you, or hear your music?

www.myspace.com/heinaliandmattfinney
heinaliandmattfinney.bandcamp.com
www.twitter.com/heinaliandmatt
heinaliandmattfinney.tumblr.com
iTunes is coming soon and a billion other online music stores that we can't think of at this second. be on the look out!
(*Heinali & Matt's Lemonade EP has recently been added to iTunes. Click here to pick up a copy!)

What are some goals that you want to accomplish with your music in the future?

Heinali: Breaking out of the loneliness again and again and again.
Matt: To make each one better than the one that came before it.

What do you guys have planned for the rest of 2010?

Heinali: New album! Or EP
Matt: New album and then another.

Is there anything else you want to say?

Matt: Thanks so much to everyone that's taken their hard earned money and bought our music/t-shirts. Thanks to all of the blogs for their help. Thanks to everyone that's downloaded and told a friend. You all should be nominated for sainthood. And, thank you Kate!

Thanks again to Matt & Heinali :)