Exclusive Interview with 'FEEN!KS'

Demons in my soul, a song by rising pop star Feen!ks, is about feeling small and being in a controlling relationship. Feen!ks is a female singer-songwriter from Finland who works with her producer to transform piano-driven melodies into electropop songs. On Friday, April 22, she released Demons in my Soul, her second single. The debut single, The Days of Yesterday, which highlighted the performer’s incredible vocal range and dark, ethereal sound, started the elegant style last year.

Feen!ks’ intimate lyrics and expansive melodies, which are spiced up with riffs and runs, carry you away on a flight while the remaining ashes fall from the feathers. The lyrics are influenced by violent relationships, bullying, and violence, as well as by forgiveness and healing. The songs radiate certainty and empowerment in the face of challenges despite the difficult experiences. Binaural sounds are used in the electronic pop-rock production of Demons in my Soul to give the listening experience a 3D feel when using headphones. By lowering stress and boosting concentration, binaural sounds are said to function similarly to meditation. Demons in My Soul is about a controlling relationship that is difficult to end because of the relationship’s small size and nullity as a result of the experience. The song’s message is described by Feen!ks. Feen!ks is of the opinion that music can assist in overcoming adversity and healing painful wounds. On my path to self-realization, I burned myself a lot. But I didn’t fully understand the healing power of music that always lifted me out of the pain until I dove deeply into my own traumas. Feen!ks was created from the ashes of a soul that had broken. I want to inspire people through my music to endure even the most trying circumstances. You know, the Phoenix’s tears are healing,” she says. “Although I’ve loved music since I was a child, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I had the courage to listen to my own inner voice and start living my own dreams rather than those of others. I want to now concentrate on writing, singing, and creating music,” Feen!ks says. Check out her latest single and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how you got started?

FEEN!KS: I’m a Finnish singer-songwriter who started writing my own songs for about 3 years ago. I have been singing and performing cover songs with different bands for over ten years until I had the courage to start making my dreams come true by writing songs of my own. I just completed a two-year songwriting education this spring where I found a group of people to start producing and making music with. I had the opportunity to learn from the best songwriters and producers in Finland and I’m so excited to use the knowledge to release more music!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

FEEN!KS: I have been studying singing and music theory at a local music institute and have taken several courses and year-long educations on songwriting, producing and about music business and artistry. To make it in the music business requires a lot of passion and commitment that drives you to work hard and practice on your own too. I’ve always had an inner drive to create and use my creativity from birth, but it was not until I reach adulthood that I found a way to clear out outside expectations and limits that pushed me in another direction.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name‘FEEN!KS’?

FEEN!KS: I’d like to view myself as the strongest musical influence because it is the inner drive to create that inspires me the most. Of course I admire some strong female artists like Adele, Lady Gaga and Sia, but they have their own style of doing music and I have mine. I write songs from my own experiences and things I’ve observed. I got burned many times during my journey into self realization. Out of the ashes of broken soul Feen!ks was born. Feen!ks means The Phoenix bird that resurrects and it really resonates with my story too.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

FEEN!KS: Music has been like a therapy for me. It was not until I dived deep into my own traumas that I realized the healing power of music that always pulled me up from the pain. It would make me so happy if my audience would feel the same kind a healing through my music. Personal lyrics stem from difficult relationships, violence, and bullying but also from forgiveness and healing. Despite the harsh experiences, my songs exude irrefutability and empowerment in the face of difficulties that can be healed.

My sound has been described as soft yet powerful, dark, empowering and emotive with a wide vocal range up to 5 octaves. Music is electronic, piano-driven pop with extensive melodies and riffs & runs.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?

FEEN!KS:
I’ve always listened to mainstream pop artists from UK and US and was inspired by their catchy hooks and extensive melodies. I’ve sung different genres too, like rock, blues and R&B in cover bands, but pop music has always been my preference.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative and entertainment?

FEEN!KS:

I write about personal experiences and difficult turning points in life. Certain upcoming songs are going to more opinionated than others. I’m supporting equality and human rights and as a female I want to address the grievances against women. Through my music, I encourage everyone to voice all feelings, not just the ones that are considered positive. The more we talk about difficult, embarrassing or shameful issues, the more we can heal them and reduce the stigma attached to them.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfilment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

FEEN!KS:

I have high expectations regarding my future and I hope that one day I can make a living from music. Music has always given me joy and fulfillment. Like I said earlier, music has offered me lots of healing and worked as a sort of therapy for me. I don’t consider my efforts in music as a work, but as a privilege.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

FEEN!KS: It depends. I can hear a melody in my head which forms into lyrics or pick up a sentence from a book or a chat with a friend and start writing a story based on that. My main instrument is my voice and I sing different melodies and play with lyrics to find out which one works the best. Then I start working with DAW to get the idea recorded. I record a lot of my melodies and lyrics to phone while driving, walking or whenever I get an idea. I have also done co-writing sessions with fellow songwriters and producers and then we usually start from scratch. We decide what kind a story we want to tell and what kind a vibe we want to have by browsing references and chatting. Whichever way I start the songwriting process, it always requires many rounds of editing and rewriting to make the song right.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

FEEN!KS: Not being taken seriously as a female artist and sexual harassment. My past experiences have made stronger and by voicing out my experiences through music I hope that future generations don’t have to deal with so much sh*t that I’ve been through.

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

FEEN!KS: By healing the darkest parts of myself I have made room for my dreams to come true. I’m so grateful for the opportunities and people I’ve met that turned into friends and co-writers. My first ever festival gig is booked for next summer, thanks to these contacts I’ve made in the past two years! I feel like the universe is working with me by bringing up fantastic opportunities for me to grab, instead of working against me, like back in the day when I was following someone else’s path, doing something that others expected of me.