Exclusive Interview with 'NAPIER DAYS'

Napier Days is a solo endeavor debuted in 2021 with the release of two singles on Soundcloud and later Spotify.
He has been playing the keyboard, some piano, and primarily acoustic and electric guitars since he was a young child. He gained his first notoriety in the Berlin music scene with the bands “Delayed,” “Crushed Ice,” and “Non-Fiction Empire.” That was bizarre!
He has also been writing his own songs for a long time, and he recently began recording the best of them (at least what he finds best). He still enjoys every day that he interacts with music, whether it be during practices, recording sessions, performances, or just as a listener. The intention is to compose and perform music for both his own mental well-being and the enjoyment of others.

He performs with the outstanding group “Monkeys for Government.” a project that takes a more challenging and divergent course. Check out the single The Sea and the exclusive interview below:

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

NAPIER DAYS: I live in Berlin, born and raised, as they say. Music has accompanied me since my childhood days. I started with keyboard lessons after school, and that’s how I got into playing gigs with a band from school at the time. As a teenager, the guitar inspired me and I switched from piano and keyboard lessons to the 6 strings. Since then, I played guitar in various bands up until now. Nevertheless, I always felt the need to write my own songs away from the band context and to record and produce them myself – especially at a later age. Then about a year ago I thought to myself, “Why write these songs just for me, maybe there are people out there who can relate to it.” That was the time for me to release the first songs.

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

NAPIER DAYS: I took my first steps towards basic musical understanding and musical theory via piano lessons. This also helped me later when I discovered the guitar for myself. After a couple of years, however, a stay abroad left me more on my own as far as practicing was concerned. Since then, I have more or less learned by playing by ear and listening to my favorite artists. Singing was something I worked on all by myself, but I kept it under wraps for a long time. I first had to develop the self-confidence to sing in front of an audience.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘NAPIER DAYS’?

NAPIER DAYS: “Napier Days” actually refers to the place of my stay abroad, which was the time when I started writing songs on my own. In those days, I listened to stuff from Pink Floyd, The Cure, The Police and Coldplay. I still believe this still has an impact on my songwriting. Over the years, I went in a more modern direction by combining elements from Alternative and Pop, like Keane, The XX, Tame Impala and Billie Eilish.

As an alias, “Napier Days” is a reminder of the time where large parts of some of the roots for my further development, musically and as a person, are to be found.

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?

NAPIER DAYS: My ambition is to make interesting and varied music that picks up the listener. It should be entertaining and offer interesting perspectives musically. I listen to different music myself and borrow elements from different styles.

The same goes for writing lyrics. I usually try to put myself in other people’s shoes and discover new topics for myself. When these things come together, it’s great fun for me to listen to my own music, even though I don’t often do that after a release. But since I also produce, mix and master my songs, I’m happy when a new song doesn’t hang out of my ears when I have to listen to it hundreds of times during this process.

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 the transition towards your own style?
NAPIER DAYS:
From my experience, I learned a lot by replaying and re-singing songs from other artists. It’s a great opportunity to learn new things that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own and to develop skills. In my opinion, the best results come when you don’t dedicate yourself to just one direction or genre, but rather pick what you like the most and go from there.
I got into the “slightly” alternative pop style because the bands I played in – and still do – tend to be more rock-oriented and I was just looking forward to the variety and the new possibilities and challenges.

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

NAPIER DAYS:

In my opinion, you don’t have to separate work and fulfillment so strictly. From the first idea to the finished recording, there’s a lot of work behind it for me for sure. On the other hand, that’s exactly what I like about it, and it also gives me new ideas that I’d like to try out in future songs. When I get the feedback that a song is received positively on top, I am very grateful and it adds to my pleasure. So I hope the songs will continue to be well received in the future…

7. 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?

NAPIER DAYS:

Most of the time, I have a melody in my head, not necessarily a vocal line but sometimes a bass riff, piano part or guitar sound. The whole thing comes rather suddenly and I try to capture it in some way, by playing or recording it with the tools on hand. Often the vibe changes in the process of recording it and I come up with different, more detailed thoughts and ideas about it. Last usually comes the lyrics and vocals. That suits me quite well, because then the mood and direction is already somewhat given by the instruments, which I find very inspiring.

8. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

NAPIER DAYS:

I think I can feel at home in both worlds. In the home studio it’s more creative. I try out a lot and learn new things about the techniques and instruments and mixing the songs.

Presenting the whole thing in front of an audience is also a lot of fun, but then trial and error is no longer the order of the day – if it goes well – it is well rehearsed. But you have the reactions of the audience and can experience the songs again in a completely different surrounding, together with others.

9. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

NAPIER DAYS: That’s a good question. Of course, I have a story or an inspiration for the song in my head. I’ve sometimes come to a point where listeners have understood the content and context in a completely different way than I had imagined beforehand. I think at the end of the day, everyone makes their own impressions and connects certain things with their own experiences. I feel the same way when I hear music by other artists and I like it – when music does that, it touches you even more intensely.