Ilias Skouras: 'The songs on Kindynos Exodou came straight from the heart.'

Ilias Skouras talks to us about the Greek Rock scene, about compositions and its spirit. All this on the occasion of the completion of his album, titled 'Kindynos Exodou‘. Exclusively on Fuzzy Hound!

Ilias, welcome to FuzzyHound! How are you feeling right now about the album? Are you happy with this release? Were you expecting a different response, or did it hit the mark?

Hey there, and thanks a lot for everything. I'm happy with the result, grateful and completely satisfied. I believe that 'Kindynos Exodou' has its own identity and that I'm crystallizing my own style and sound. As for the response, all of us "new" musicians are living through a tough period... But we're doing fine, slow and steady!!!

Tell us a bit about this work and what prompted it. When did you write the songs and what criteria did you use to pick them for the album?

The trigger is always the thirst for music and its "birth." When music is your life, you have no other outlet but to write. The songs were almost all born during the first lockdown. There's no real selection criteria for the album's songs. They just came straight from the heart…

'Kindynos Exodou' has the character of classic Greek rock. What's your take, more broadly, on the contemporary Greek-language rock scene?

I love listening to old-school Greek-language rock.

I haven't heard authentic Greek rock since 1999-2000, when Τρύπες put out their last album… As for the Greek scene with English lyrics, I think we've got bands that are really way ahead. But times are hard for everyone…

What are your influences in general? Which artists or bands would you say inspired this record?

There are lots of influences. Τρύπες, Σιδηρόπουλος, Μάσκες, Αρνάκια, Ξύλινα Σπαθιά, Deep Purple, Metallica. Generally, classic rock, metal. Of course, on top of all that comes the Greek tradition, with pre-war rebetiko, mainly Markos's, and the Epirus music of Konitsa, always in its own particular way.

Lyrically, your subject matter is very dynamic and vivid. Full of images. What inspires you to write, and why did you choose Greek lyrics for your songs?

I chose my mother tongue because I consider it richer and more direct, for starters. I'm inspired by my own life and the broader socio-political situations we're living through.

In this tough period we're living through, every artist has faced problems. Concerts have now slowly started up again. How did you handle this situation, and what do you expect going forward?

I don't expect anything. I'm not afraid of anything. I'm free. And if we really do stay free, there'll definitely be some shows in Athens, but also plenty in the provinces, which I love so much.

Is there any chance you'll play live now that things have improved somewhat? Do you have plans for live shows in the immediate future, and more generally?

Because of some family obligations, quite a few scheduled shows got cancelled during this time. I want to believe these "issues" will be sorted out soon and I'll be able to set my live plans in motion!!!

What would be the ideal live setup for you? How do you picture it? What would be the ideal lineup at a festival you'd play?

You're putting me on the spot here. But I'd love to play with VIC, Αγγελάκα, Ενδελέχεια Δημήτρη Μητσοτάκη, Υπόγεια Ρεύματα, and definitely a bunch of underground bands.

On the creative side, are you working on anything right now? When can we expect your next musical collection?

Right now I've turned my compass a bit toward pre-war rebetiko, and I'm thinking of putting out covers with resonator guitar and tzouras. As for my next musical work-collection, I don't know if it'll be exactly like that or standalone tracks, because in the year 2021 the situation has changed a bit. Albums don't come out as much anymore, and I've noticed things are moving mainly toward standalone tracks with music videos. We'll see…

Ilias, thank you so much for being here, and we wish you all the best in everything you do! Feel free to close out our chat however you like!

Health and love to the whole world. Venceremos!!! Everything is a journey!!!