Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your musical direction?
Nikki: As early as you can remember I have been singing and dancing. Even atttge age of two I fell down a few stairs and my parents brought me to the hospital, once in the emergency room my mother heard the nurses and staff laughing so she walked into the room and saw me singing and performing for all of the nurses. I have always wanted to sing and it has always been such a huge part of my life.
Sad…. Sing
Happy… sing
I always believed singing would be part of my future as I got older, and I lost touch with it for a very long time but now that it’s back I’m never letting it go.
Costas: I didn’t have the easiest of childhoods growing up. I came from what one would describe as a broken home. My cousin introduced me to bands like KISS, Poison, Motley Crue when I was real young. I always enjoyed listening to those records, but it wasn’t until I discovered blink-182 that music was something I wanted to do. I remember being 10 years old and receiving “Enema of the State” for my birthday from a friend. I was instantly hooked. I knew I wanted to play guitar. I knew I wanted to play in a band. I knew I wanted to make music. It wasn’t long after that my parents put me in piano lessons and I found this old Stratocaster in the garbage walking home from school one day. I brought it home and my dad who played guitar, set it up for me. It was almost impossible to take it out of my hands from that point on. There’s a lot of feelings, trauma, pain & reflection from my early years that I believe I write about in a therapeutic way to this day. I think it has shaped me as a songwriter to be as raw and honest as possible when it comes to writing. It’s almost a therapy session when the feeling starts being translated out.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “heavy on the heart.”?
Nikki: we plan on doing whatever we have to do to get our music out there, Instagram, Facebook, even TikTok. Talking to people day in and day out because we believe so much about this band.
I really believe that our biggest message is never give up on yourself no matter what you’re going through you can do anything you set your mind to. I have a 20 month old son, and everyone told me I was crazy for being in a band. “You’re a mom, you can’t do this” why not? Why can’t I live my dreams? I don’t believe having a dream is only for children.
Costas: We are going to be doing a lot of touring in 2024. There is something about the live connection that social media will never be able to replicate. We will also be creating tons of social media content as well. I think the music industry and landscape changes so rapidly that I couldn’t even answer this question whole heartedly, because it is something I find us adapting to all the time. Even in the span of weeks and months.
For anyone who is about to discover heavy on the heart., I would like you to translate the lyrics in first person. Really deep dive in to them and put yourself in the lyrics shoes. While I wrote these songs about experiences I had, my goal was to write them in a way where you can find relation. I want you to know that even though we come from 2 different walks of life, the similarities between 2 situations can be parallel and that you are not alone in feeling what you are feeling.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for you right now? And where do you find inspiration for making music?
Nikki: I’ve been on a very big P!nk kick lately. She’s really inspiring to me because she brings her kids on the road and doesn’t let anything stop her getting in the way of what she dreams or believes in. She’s just such a bad ass.
I think our inspiration really comes with the In-N-Out’s of day-to-day life. Everyone’s experience love everyone’s experienced hurt we kind of just write about what we’re feeling and we write about problems that people in their 30s are going through. We don’t try to write about anything that hasn’t happened to us or anything we won’t ever understand I think our music is a piece of us
Costas: This is a hard one, haha. I draw inspiration from so many different artists, old and new. Some artists that are in my rotation as of lately are Hot Mulligan, The Dangerous Summer, Third Eye Blind, Olivia Rodrigo, Arm’s Length, Foo Fighters, the new Fall Out Boy record RIPS! I find inspiration from past life experiences, current life experiences and the feelings they make you feel. To me, certain chords, riffs and phrases spark a certain emotion. Once that spark is ignited I just run with it. Some come easier than others, but I find it the most authentic way to piece together a song.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind the EP, “It’s You That Has To Think.”?
Costas: “It’s You That Has To Think” was written in the summer of 2021 right after my former band (PRSNA) broke up abruptly, my best friend of half my life and I stopped talking & everything that could have possibly went wrong, seemed to have gone wrong. I think there is a lot of pain and rage reflected in this record, but in the midst of all the chaos, I believe there is a glimmer of hope that shines and reflects through. This record was a lot of self-reflection, self-encouragement & a voice telling you to keep pushing on. You have survived the worst of days and you will survive these too.
Q: How would you describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
Nikki: Energetic. I think our style of music each song has something a little different to it but all of them are so much fun to listen to.
Costas: Melodic
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “It’s You That Has To Think”?
Nikki: I was actually three months pregnant when we recorded our EP, so not knowing if I could handle below of a child, a full-time job, and the band was a very big challenge that neither one of us would know the answer to until it came time. So we weren’t sure, what was going to happen with the songs or the band or our music but I’m glad that we came out stronger on the other end and made it all work.
Costas: Oh yes. I was going through so much internally and externally at this time that to even pull myself out of bed in the morning was a task. The summer of 2021 was a literal Murphy’s law. Anything that could have gone wrong did in fact go wrong. This was also the first record cycle I have been a part of where I was demoing out everything. Jumping from instrument to instrument because it was just Nikki and I at the time. It was a turbulent summer and I am so proud of Nikki and myself for making this record through the midst of the chaos. Like all storms, this one passed too and I think something beautiful came from it.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as an artist?
Nikki: I think we just want people to understand that they’re not alone and that there’s other people out there going through the same things they are. I think we really just want to get the message that nobody’s alone.
Costas: Our message is resilience. Our message is hope. Our message is therapeutic. Our message is no matter where you are in life, keep going. Keep pushing. Keep fighting. Where you want to be & who you want to be are in reach. Don’t ever quit on yourself, even if others have quit on you. Don’t ever stop believing in yourself, even if others don’t believe in you. Face everything and rise.
My goals as an artist is to reach as many people as possible. My goals as an artist are to let people know that there are others out there who feel just like you. My goals as an artist are to bring people together and reflect in our triumphs and tragedies. If I can impact one person with my music, I have done my job as an artist. But I want to reach as many people as possible. We are heavy on the heart. You are heavy on the heart. and this is our moment.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
Nikki: Amy Lee
Costas: Ah man this is a hard one, haha. There are so many artists I would love to collaborate with. John Lennon, Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge, Stephan Jenkins, Dave Grohl, Kurt Cobain and Neil Pert would be all artists off the top of my head I would love to make music with.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
Nikki: keep going. It’s a lot of work but it’s so worth it and very fulfilling. Don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do something. EVER.
Costas: Understand that it is a complicated industry that changes day in and out. Don’t let the bad times dictate the good times or your state of mind on who you are and who you strive to be as an artist. Applaud yourself for every big and small victory. Have realistic expectations and leave your ego at the door. Music, the bonds it creates, the experiences it brings, the people you’ll meet and everything that comes along with is is so beautiful. Don’t take it for granted. Appreciate, cherish and love it. Be real, be authentic and be yourself. Your people are out there.
Q: If you could go back in time and give a younger you some words of wisdom, what would they be?
Nikki: never give up on yourself. Always believe. Always be your own biggest fan. Never settle.
Costas: I am proud of you. You will be proud of you. Life is hard but everything is going to be okay. There is no challenge you won’t see through. You have purpose and you will discover the meaning. I love you.
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