PARA LIA:

[ Interview with Rene and Cindy Methner from Para Lia by Diego Centurión. Photographs: Rene Methner, Vivien Sorge and Christiane Schleifenbaum ]

"THE DARKER THE SHADOW THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT "

Para Lia's second album, “Gone With The Flow”, was released digitally in October of the 2020 pandemic. But this work was released on vinyl and CD in February, for this reason, we took the opportunity to communicate with them, but also with the possibility of being able to talk to them about an art show with the artist Louis Renzoni, an interactive show with songs from this album, online that you can see at:

https://www.sophisticatedape.com/gone-with-the-flow-exhibition

Hi Rene and Cindy! Thank you for agreeing to chat with us today. To begin with and putting ourselves in the context of this 2021, how are you doing through this endless pandemic? Hello Diego, hello guys, it’s a pleasure to be featured in your fine zine again. We guess we do what all do right now – we miss the normal life, we try to stay in a positive mood and we try to get through this period as good as we can.

The name of this project has to do with Greece, tell us why did you decided to choose this name for this project?

„Παραλία“ means coast or beach in Greek, and there it was where we have given us this name. We both love Greece, have friends there and we are often there – so there is a big relationship. Greece also is a big inspiration. Now in the current times we miss it very much to go there.

For those readers who don't know Para Lia yet, how would you describe your music?

A music zine recently wrote that Para Lia sounds in the best way old fashioned with a lot of influences of the 90’s indie rock – and this is right. Somewhere between post punk, alt rock and dark wave we are at home.

"Soap Bubble Dreams" (2019) was your first album. Please tell us about this album. SBD was an album with an overall darker atmosphere and a good dose of dark wave mixed with guitar riffs with reminiscences to the 90’s indie and alt rock, framed by the title track and the somewhat growling ‘Who Gets Fooled Again’ – lyrically pointing to the global populistic tendencies. Musically some zines compared it with bands like Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure, Editors.

How and when did Para Lia form?

Para Lia started in early 2018 at the moment we found out that we are not only harmonious as lovers but also in music with the duet of our voices. From that moment on the Para Lia songwriting was born with the contrasting interplay of the melancholic deeper male voice and the beautiful female voice with the ‘fairy’-touch.

Your second album is “Gone With The Flow”. Please tell us what differences do you find between the first album and this second album?

The idea of GWTF was born out of the fact that the NYC based artist Louis Renzoni gave our music from SBD a listen and felt in love with it, wrote us a message and so we came in contact – and vice versa

we felt in love with his art and the way he paints. His credo ‘the darker the shadow the brighter the light’ suits very well to the Para Lia songwriting and sound. And so the collaboration was a natural thing. The main themes explored on this album are the muse and the continual struggle with that relationship, explored amid layers of sound and arrangements that continually swing from light to dark. The idea of collaboration also is to be heard in the music itself – because we invited guest musicians who became friends during the last years (from US, UK and Canada) and they join us on some album tracks.

Thinking about music ... What is your process like in terms of writing your songs? The songwriting is the part of René: “It’s quite simple. When an idea – it may be a guitar riff or a hook line or a vocal part – comes into the head I try to record it as soon as possible. Then I start to work it out and add the instruments which already play in my head. The vocals of Cindy and me usually are among the last steps to record – before the mixing process can begin.”

You have just released the physical versions of your album. What formats are available now and where they can be found for purchase? You can grab the album on Vinyl in the online shop of the fine Hamburg based indie label Sounds Of Subterrania (https://soundsofsubterrania.com/shop/ shop.php?pg=2&qb=11803) and you can order CD and Vinyl also on our band account on Bandcamp https://paralia.bandcamp.com/album/ gone-with-the-flow

I was visiting the online exhibition you created jointly with Louis Renzoni. Tell us about this different experience for a band. Has this project been postponed due to the pandemic?

The original idea was to show the deep connection between music and virtual art in a real exhibition at the same time in Berlin and New York. But in an early state of preparation Covid crashed – and we decided to place it as an online exhibition. On sophisticatedape.com the exhibition found a virtual home in 3D – the guys are amazing in what they are doing. We get a lot of positive feedback – so we guess it was the right decision.

It is difficult to think of a future that can be planned. Do you have any plans for Para Lia in 2021? After finishing the GWTF project it feels good just to take a deep breath without immediately hunting for the next project. We are working on new songs as we always do – but without to have a fixed timeline or to know what it will become – an album, an Ep or just the one or another single? But one thing is for sure: We are looking forward to have a nice jam with acoustic guitars in our favorite beach bar in Greece, where the owner is a musician from Athens and where a cocktail is served with the name – Para Lia.

Many bands have tried some shows with little audience, which has its pros and cons. Today social networks have established themselves as a place to show their activity. What is it like to promote your album during this strange period in time? How have you been using social media? Shauna (Shameless Promotion PR) is amazing in what she does. I currently told her that her main profession must be ‘fairy’ – she is a total prof, best connected and she has the sense for the use of social media. Which all is so important for musicians – to spread the word and help the artists to get their music out into the world and among listeners. Para Lia itself runs so-

cial media accounts too and we use it for sharing photos, stories, reviews and stuff like this. What we also did was to create three videos for tracks from GWTF. Two of them you already can watch in our Para Lia YouTube channel – and the 3rd one for our song ‘Children With The Flood’ will be released on March 3th on YouTube.

Do you make “live” performances online? If so, where?

No, Para Lia never was a live project or a band in the classic meaning of the word. We invested all our energy and tons of time into the GWTF thing – because as indie musicians we did all by ourselves with friends on our side - and there was no room to prepare live stuff. But we keep this idea in mind. And hey, if you want to watch us perform give our music videos on YouTube a view and a listen!

And to close and thanking you and Shauna for the possibility that we are conducting this interview. You have this space to say what you want to our readers.

Much love to everyone who reads this, stay positive and may everyone stay safe! And if you like get some Para Lia onto your ears with cranked up volume!

Thank you guys for the time you have given us.

Thank you very much your interest, much appreciated. The pleasure is on our side. All the best for you and your fine zine! Cheers, René and Cindy