EUDAIMONY (Eng.)
– Hi, thanks for your time. What are you currently up to? How is everything doing right now with EUDAIMONY?
Hey. Nothing too special: being lazy after work, enjoying autumn, things like that. As for EUDAIMONY, the ball’s just gettin’ rolling. First interviews are coming in and we’re eager for the album to be finally released.
– First off, how did an «all-star band» like yours get together?
I don’t really like the expression “all-star band”. In the end we’re just a couple of weird musicians, who got to know each other some years ago and who respected each other musicalwise. Marcus and me had some vague plans to do some music together for quite a while already, but back then we were both too busy with our main bands. After I split up with my former band Dark Fortress, I felt the time is right, to create something new and from the very beginning on, Marcus and me had the same idea about how EUDAIMONY should sound like in the end.
– And what does the band’s name stand for?
EUDAIMONY is an adaptation of the Greek word Eudaimonia. Marcus and me are quite cyinical guys, so we liked the idea to choose a positive word and turn it into a negative meaning. According to Aristoteles, Eudaimonia describes the state of utter happiness within a human soul. And with our music we just show people, what’s really deep inside a human soul. Like “hey, look, this is how it feels like to exist amongst you.”
– You have just released you debut album, «Futile». What are the band’s expectations on it?
All of us are in the business for quite a while now and therefore we got no expectations at all. Ok, the closer you got to the release date, the more you look forward to it, but it’s not like we hope for the big deal with it. We are already satisfied with the way the album turned out and that’s the most important thing.
– Some of your are also playing in different bands, some of them quite well-known into the Metal world, so I guess some people may be wondering if EUDAIMONY is a steady project or will we have to wait a few other years until a next opus? As despite you have just released your debut album, you were formed some years ago.
I can’t really comment that, because it took us six years now to do this album. EUDAIMONY always was just a project, where we could do something outside the borders of Black Metal, especially for Marcus and me, since we are the ones creating all the music and lyrics in EUDAIMONY. We had a little discussion a couple of weeks ago on the phone, how EUDAIMONY could possibly sound like on an eventual next album. And again our visions are really close there, but it’s definitely too early to talk about it. That’s for sure.
– EUDAIMONY is a quite emotional band. Could you say is a way to channel your pessimism toward everything that sorrounds you?
Definitely, yes!
– In fact the own album’s title is as inspiring as negative. Why did you choose «Futile» as the album’s title?
Because the whole lyrical focus on the album lies on my point of view about life. There’s a whole lot of negativity in it. And in my opinion life is futile in the end, because no matter, what we do or what we are, the end just stays the same. Death is surrounding us from our very first breath on. And all this is, what our album reflects. How it feels to walk this path alone and how it feels to loose the few beloved people. With other words (taken from the song “A window in the attic”): “Death alone knows my way.”
– The band consists of both German as Swedish musicians so, have you ever thought to give the band a different character and singing in any of your mother languages?
No, not really. Even though I’m German and I could express myself better in my mother language I can’t stand 95% of all bands in this genre singing in German. And my Swedish is still not good enough regarding the pronounciation…except for some swearing.
– How is the songwriting process like for EUDAIMONY?
I usually talk to Marcus, which concept I will follow lyricalwise and what I aim with the album. For both of us it’s important, that music and lyrics fit together. Then he starts with the whole songwriting (a process, that can take a “bit” longer in his case, as you may have already recognized) and once he’s got the feeling, the song is finished he records it in his home studio and sends it over to us. If everyone’s fine with the song, we keep it for the album.
– In fact your sound unfolds huge doses of suffering, anguish, despair… Where do you draw inspiration from to create such compositions? Is this a mirror of your innerself?
Yes, it is a mirror of my soul. And it always was. The problem with this shitty scene is, that there’s so much just about image or just about the music. I never did this sort of music just because I felt like “hey, this sounds nice. Must be fun playing it!” On the other hand I don’t feel like I have to dress all black 24/7 in order to be accepted by this fucked up childish scene. This kind of music has to come straight from the bottom of your soul! No matter if it’s Black Metal or the sort of negative music we are doing with EUDAIMONY: both has to be the mirror of your innerself!
– The cover artwork was made by Ben Borucki but, could you please tell us what did you want to depict on it?
It’s a little girl sleeping. She appears in the whole booklet in different ways. As for the message in the cover: like I said before, we already begin to die from the moment we are born. It’s like she is dreaming this life and death is all around her. The sands of time is running out.
– You have also had one guest artist: ANTIMATTER’s Mick Moss. How did everything arise and what did he bring with his cooperation?
It was quite comfortable since Mick is an absolutely easy-going guy. I got in touch with him and asked him, if he would be interested in doing it. He asked for the 
song, checked it out and he liked it. His efforts really brought a lot of variety into the whole album. I mean his voice is outstanding and it perfectly fits to the song “Portraits”. He recorded the vocals in a studio in Liverpool between all the touring with ANTIMATTER and he even brought the grammar in the song’s lyrics into the right form.
– And what other artists would you like to work with?
I cannot answer that in general for it always has to fit to the inviduality of the song. Ideas like that mostly come to my mind the moment I hear a song for the first time.
– All this about «Futile» being said; how could you describe it in just 3 words?
Negative. Possessing. Disturbing.
– As I said earlier, most of you are also playing in other bands so, what does EUDAIMONY provide you your other bands can’t?
EUDAIMONY is like far away from all those genre-limits. For us it feels like we can do with it, what we want, while most of the other bands got their typical trademark (NAGLFAR = melodic Black/Death Metal, BEWITCHED = Thrash Metal, and so on). We don’t really know, where this ship will lead us to, but to me it doesn’t really feel like we’ve already reached the haven.
– And finally; what are your near-future plans?
Answering interviews and waiting for the album to be released.
– That’s all, thank you once more for answering our questions. If you want to add some final words; feel free to do it.
Nothing more to add. Thanks for support. Salute!
