Deep and Loud: A Candid Chat with Post-Punk Duo Para Lia

1. We want to know the artists behind the art. Please tell us a little bit about the journey to conceiving and forming Para Lia.

Para Lia started as an indie rock duo, founded in 2018 in Cottbus near Berlin, Germany. Cindy and I already were a couple in life when we discovered that the connection between us also works in music. After a longer break, I started to write songs again and the interplay between our voices became an important part of the arrangements. That was the birth of Para Lia. Right now the project changes into a 6 headed band. All of us discovered our love of music when we became teenagers.

2. Your latest album, ‘In Clash with the Zeitgeist’ just came out. What did you set out to achieve with it and what do you want your listeners to take away from it?

The songs for the new album ‘In Clash With The Zeitgeist’ were written in the pandemic days, which were darker and unfree days for most of us. The main theme is ‘don’t let you down’ and ‘look forward’ and so all of them have a touch of brightness, and optimism. In terms of music: brighter chords and hooks.

The story began in Greece. There is a beach bar called ‘Nagual’, based in Middle Greece. This very special place – a cosmopolitan microcosm. The music is extraordinary, you can listen to a lot of psychedelic dream pop stuff throughout the decades, especially at night. This place was where the inspiration for ‘In Clash With The Zeitgeist’ was born 3 years ago. Special music and special atmosphere. You find a song on the album called ‘Nagual’ – the lyrics tell the story.

The album sees Para Lia play with a lot of musical influences and references, from the 60s garage rock and psychedelic elements to the indie rock 90’s style. We are very happy with how the album came out and hope the listeners like it too. Two, or three years ago the songwriting started, and last summer we did the mastering in Berlin. During the following months, we worked on the videos and all the other stuff in preparation for a release. In wintertime, we signed for the album at About Us Records, Berlin.

Creating a Para Lia album always is an enjoyable experience – the process itself and also the fact that we come in contact with great artists and other cool guys.

3. Each track on the album is loaded with profound cerebral sensibilities. And even most of the songs in your discography consistently vary reality. What drove your artistic efforts toward discovering these spheres?

The simple answer is that reality gives you enough stuff in hand to put it into the songwriting. Things you are confronted with in life cause emotions – and to put it into the music is a good way to deal with it. Other things awaken the deep thinker inside you and let you write down some lyrics. It's just an interest in reflecting life and love and also politics and society.

4. What concepts and themes do you find yourselves constantly returning to - both sonically and emotionally or otherwise?

It’s just the life, the love, and all the things in between. In Clash With The Zeitgeist one hand mirrors the darker times when the songs were written – and on the other hand, it is the lust for life, which is stronger than all the un-freeness most of the people were surrounded by those times. ‚Like Always‘ is a good example of an album song like this.

5. You describe your work as ‘Psychalovic indie rock songs for lovers and survivors’. How does this dedication tie into your artistic vision?

When we were thinking about some words for our song ‚Sunchild‘, which became the first album single, it was Cindy who described the sound and style as ‚psychalovic‘. And we said yes, that’s it. Most of the album songs are love songs – love in a relationship, love for life, etc. And the psychedelic elements you find throughout the whole album in the music but also in some play with words in some of the lyrics. Georgia Moschogianni, a Greek artist who provided the cover artwork, made this also visible in a beautiful way. 

6. Who are some artists who played a vital role in inspiring and molding you to become musicians and how / why?

The alternative and indie rock bands of the late 80’s and early 90’s, such as Dinosaur Jr, Pixies, Motorpsycho, Sonic Youth etc., with the great energy in their guitar-driven songs. A huge inspiration as an artist always was and still is Neil Young for being the authentic musician he is. But also to discover the 60’s garage rock and early psychedelic scene was and is a huge inspiration. 

7. What is it about indie rock or rock in general that appeals to you and what makes it the perfect medium for your artistic expression?

We are in love with guitar-driven rock music which goes its own way and does not swim with the mainstream. So indie rock is our home. Para Lia always is open-minded and as you can hear in the new songs of the new album there is a lot of ‚strange‘ musical input – an opera singer is the best example: the baritone Andreas Jäpel joins us in the song, Mr. Perry with an aria from a 19th-century opera.

8. What projects/releases do you have lined up for the near future?

The main project now is to get the Para Lia live thing started. So were are working right now as a team of six on a live set and will hopefully in 2024, play some nice gigs here and there. Thank you for getting in contact, it was a pleasure to do the interview. All the best and take care!

Check Out ‘Mr. Perry’ Official Video :

Also See : 'C'est La Vie' Video