Dina & Artem
Dina and Artem met through an Instagram ad, and a casual writing session over WhatsApp turned into an unexpected songwriting partnership. Both classical musicians, they bring melodies to life that push boundaries and break the mold, tapping into the most human parts of us. They want to share music that awakens a deeper part of ourselves and show that anything is possible when you believe in something with all your heart.
For fans who have never heard your music, can you pick three words to
describe it?! If three words just aren't enough then tell us more!!
Our music can be described as emotive dark pop with a drop of classical infused. In our sound we color light with dark and dark with light and explore conveying and touching upon the emotions that make us most human. Both the vocal and piano parts (guitar parts in a few exceptions) exist symbiotically in each song. It was important for us to create something new - not only in sound but also in group structure. We created something where the piano line and vocals both hold equal weight in our material, while seamlessly interplaying with each other. We write powerful vocal lines that are strong but also incorporate gentleness and piano parts that are deep, rich and developed. What is interesting is that we started as 2 solo musicians pursuing solo careers, but when our worlds met something new was born.
What is your favorite part about being an artist? Is it songwriting, performing, recording, something else?) Tell us why.
Our favorite part is creating something new that hasn't been done before which puts something into the world that will remain long after we are gone. Being artists allows us to express something within that desperately wants to come out and we get to do this by pouring our soul into the music and lyrics. That said, each stage of this fascinating process is special and unique. We also LOVE performing together. Our music is filled with lots of imagery and stories so the stage gives us a chance to bring that to life together not only audibly but visually as well. It's an experience and energy that cannot compare with anything else.
Can you tell us what being in the recording studio is like for you?
Technology is so mobile these days that we find ourselves recording in various places. In general recording always carries a magic to it that can't be compared with anything else. We are very detail oriented in all we do - so when studio time comes it's more of the same. The great thing is that we know each other's parts as well as our own so we always look out for each other when recording and keep each other on our toes.
Okay, this a fun question. When you are not doing music, what else do you enjoy doing?
Right now so much of what we do is centered on music that most of our time goes into that bucket, but we both love nature, learning new things and reading,
Dina: I love anything creative I can get my hands on whether it's making something, drawing, paining or macgyvering something in the kitchen. I also love animals - my dog, Toby is a big part of things I enjoy in my day. Apparently I also love taking photos - judging by the 35k photos I currently have on my phone oh and screenshots - 6k of those hah ... never knew I had that problem ... uh I mean hobby
Artem: I love to read books, play sports, travel and walk a lot. Even though it falls into the music category - outside of the regular music I do - I have a love for the electric guitar and metal music. It’s just on a totally different spectrum for me and I am very pulled to it at times.
Who do you admire most in the music scene today and why?
We admire authenticity above all else - in past and present musicians. We feel these day the industry is ruled by so much commercialism that it leads many to try to be the next “someone” else. But that always is heard, seen and felt. As much as you hear “this is the current sound” - that leads to an overpopulated wall of synthetic sound. Music needs innovation but even more importantly - sincerity.
Can you tell us what song you've written that is the most emotional and describe the meaning behind it?
One thing we aim to evoke with our music is emotions. So we fill the melodies and words with many things that evoke thoughts, question fears and allow the listener to feel. Our topics (for now) range from love to battling inner demons to inspiring people to chase their dreams. It’s hard to pick one that is most emotional because they all speak to very different emotions. But one that holds a lot of sentimental value for us is a song called “Breathe”. This was the first song we wrote when we were on the same continent and we pretty much wrote it in one breath. It cemented our partnership and made us believe in our collaboration even more. The message of the song conveys a story about having a deep gut feeling and believing in something so much that you see no other option…and when it happens - you can finally breathe.
Are you working on any new material right now or what's in the works for the upcoming year?
We have a lot of material already written, about 25 songs. We are in production for some and starting production on others. We also plan to release acoustic versions of much of our material. It was always the plan to have 2 versions of most of our songs available, a stripped-down raw version and a more produced modern-day take.
But we are also - always writing. We love writing new material. We take some breaks from writing here and there but very soon begin to crave it. It all works very well together. Sometimes one of us comes up with an idea, sometimes the other. Sometimes we tag team a song or sometimes finish each others songs.
So overall in the upcoming year we will be releasing a lot more music and performing.
Tell us where fans can access your music.
Our music can be found on pretty much all streaming platforms and we share many unreleased song snippets on Instagram!
#Dina&Arten #BehindTheSong