Interview with Iveta & Simone

Iveta & Simone are New Zealand’s edgy female vocal duo taking the region by storm with tracks such as Sunshine, More Than A Man and the newly released L.O.V.E. They answered the following questions for Muzic.net.nz:

How did you become involved in music?

Iveta: I can’t remember the beginning. Music has always been in my blood.

Simone:  My whole family are musos and at a young age we use to follow mum and dad around while they did their gigs… it’s in our blood.

If you could perform with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Iveta: Celine Dion. I admire her talent , expression and an amazing career

Simone: Wow so many to choose from….I guess mine would be Jessie J, I love her pitch range, her power and emotion her strength the way she performs but most of all I love her sound, then I like the Celtic Women Singers, their singing is unique, the control with there breathing is amazing and the gentleness with their voices which is still powerful and puts you in a calm dream-like world.

Which one of your songs are you most proud of, and why?

Iveta: Definitely L.O.V.E. I love the dark energy of the track. It is a very interesting and unique song. For me it is a masterpiece! :)

Simone: For me it would have to be L.O.V.E., because at this time when writing this song, the bombings had started around the world where innocent lives were taken… it gave us this dark very sad love feeling.

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

Iveta: Our sound has been compared to Era, Eurythmics and No Doubt.

Simone: A fusion of new age, contemporary and alternative rock.

What can we expect to see from you in the next year?

Iveta: Definitely you can expect our album, new singles, concerts…

Simone: You will see a lot of us next year with touring, shows, new songs we can’t wait, we have worked really hard to get here.

What NZ musicians or bands would you like to see more of, and why?

Iveta: Something different and unique.

Simone: Oh, so many… Sharon O’Neill, When the Cat’s Away, Dave Dobbyn, Brooke Fraser, Bic Runga, Gin Wigmore, Hayley Westenra… there’s so many we could go on for ages… I love the variety they all bring with great sounds.

What local albums have you been enjoying recently?

Iveta: They are so many and so talented musicians out there. It’s hard to pick just one.

Simone: I love listening to Hello Sailor: Gutter Black, Blue Day. I also love Listening to Dave Dobbyn’s old stuff, brings back so many great memories.

What is your favourite NZ venue, and why?

Iveta: Spark Arena. Aiming for a concert there.

Simone: The Arena… the buzz from the crowd and excitement and anticipation from people is mind blowing… to all feel the same way.

Have you got any tips for dealing with nerves before a gig?

Iveta: I love all my emotions (including the nerves) before a show. I need my adrenaline.

Simone: Try and face your nerves because you can’t run from it and believe in yourself because everyone else does….x

Where do you get your inspiration to create music from?

Iveta: It comes naturally.. it could be a song on the radio, could be a book, a movie…a love story :)

Simone: To me it’s the feeling what the music is saying….the build-up, the emotion you can feel from this music, life experience can become a character that you can feel and imagine.

Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians?

Iveta: It’s a very hard industry to get into. The trust and the risk in this business are the negatives to be dealt with. To overcome the hurdles and pitfalls, we’ve been constantly researching and investigating.

Simone: The most important thing is to believe in yourself and your dreams….I can see why other musos give up, don’t let a negative comment get you down because out of the negative will always be a positive