The dynamic four-piece Cyan Kicks has been making waves with their plethora of hit singles and sold out shows. Composed of Susanna on vocals, Leevi on bass, Niila on guitars, and Pietari on drums, Cyan Kicks creates a unique world of electro-pop-rock. Drawing from a concoction of influences, the band float through styles to devise a sound that is fluid and uniquely their own.
Their brand new album, I Never Said 4Ever, is out now with lead singles “Someone Like You”, “See The Light”, and “Into You”. Introspective and expansive, rhythmic and emotional, and overall incredibly infectious, the project takes its listeners on a rollercoaster from song to song. Beginning with a dynamic intro of “i should stop acting cool”, it explodes into the title track before settling into the upbeat, danceable hit single “Hurricane”. Throughout the project, Cyan Kicks tells vibrant love stories that resonate deeply with all who listen. Cinematic on their own, the tracks are brought even further to life with music videos and live performances.
We had the opportunity to catch with Susanna from Cyan Kicks to talk about the origins of the band, their upcoming tour, and the process behind their new album.
Listen to I Never Said 4Ever…
Read the full interview…
Hey Susanna! How are you?
I’m doing good, thanks! The feeling after a new release, especially an album, is always so lovely so I’m just trying to make the most of it. Too easily we keep ourselves so busy that we don’t see what we’ve accomplished with a lot of work. It’s important to remember to stop and just enjoy.
Where are we speaking to you from?
I’m in Helsinki, preparing for the upcoming German tour at the moment!
How did you guys meet?
We met with Niila (our guitarist & producer) 10 years ago through our previous band and as soon as we saw each other we knew that we were meant to make music together. We’ve been inseparable ever since and write all our music together in our own studio in Helsinki. Our bassist Leevi and drummer Pietari were already Niila’s friends from music academy and we asked them to join the band in 2016. We all have had the dream of working with music since childhood and we feel so Iucky to have found each other. Everything works so perfectly among us, I couldn’t really ask for more.
‘Cyan Kicks’ is a really cool name. How did you come up with it?
As you may know, naming a band is very hard. Niila came up with “Cyan Kicks” and the name has the most stupid story behind it! There’s this Finnish 90’s pop duo named “Neon 2” which is pronounced “Neon Kaks” in Finnish. So he thought about that for a while and came up with an obvious rhyme – Cyan Kicks. Honestly I hated that name at first but I’ve come to love it.
What are some artists on your guys’ current rotation?
CHVRCHES, Bring Me The Horizon, Lights, Illenium.
What was the first song you guys made together? Did you play it for anyone?
With Cyan Kicks and this line up, the first song we wrote was ‘Tidal Wave’ and it was actually released as a single, we still play it live and it’s one of the fan favorites.
Your 2022 Eurovision track “Hurricane” was a huge hit. How did it feel when it first started to gain traction?
It felt great and very confusing at the same time. We’ve had big songs before with the likes of ‘Gasoline’, ‘Wish You Well’ and ‘Tidal Wave’ but of course the attention to ‘Hurricane’ topped those in a very short time frame and it feels incredibly good to see so many new people found our band through that song. I was and still am really proud of that song.
Could you tell us a little bit about one of the feature tracks, “Someone Like You”, from your brand new album I Never Said 4Ever?
We wrote the song together with Sara Ryan and Matias Melleri in April ’22 and the whole song came together in a few hours. We write songs in a very old school way, with just an acoustic guitar or piano and human voice. We went to our studio the next day and the production you hear on the record is pretty much all done that same day. It’s probably the most naturally born song we’ve ever written.
It’s a song about letting go of something that’s the best thing you’ve ever had, but you just can’t stay because somehow you just don’t feel like you belong there. Everyone should check the music video we made for it, it’s shadowbanned from Youtube so gotta do the promo this way!
And the follow-up single “Into You” is super defiant. How was it conceptualized?
Into You was written together with Norwegian artist-singer-songwriter Elsie Bay last summer. It’s a passive aggressive monologue when you’ve been dumped in a relationship, everyone knows how that feels. Bitterness is a strong emotion and that’s exactly what I wanted to go for with this song.
You guys have blazed through many arena tours already, what are your favourite things about performing live?
The best thing about playing live is experiencing the connection and community with the audience, feeling and seeing people’s energy. Nothing in the world beats that. I also love getting really close to people, hugging and touching them. At arena gigs, that was the only thing I missed, closer contact with people. After the gigs we always go to meet our fans whenever possible.
Speaking of touring, you’re about to hit the road again this month. Are the crowds different depending on the country you’re performing in?
The crowds are usually way more energetic outside our home country Finland where people can sometimes be a little more restrained. It’s a culture shock in a way to go abroad, and also to come back and play here! Soon we’re heading out to Germany to play our very first headline tour abroad and we’re so excited and grateful for that.
Do you have any advice for young artists just starting out making music?
First and foremost, have fun. It all ends the moment when the fun is gone. If you really want to go for a career as an artist or a band, you need to give it your all. It’s a hard business and there are letdowns after letdowns. Find a good group and good things will follow. Ask for help, people in the business are often very helpful and nice. Last but not least: be brave and push yourself outside your comfort zone. If the thing you’re doing scares you, then you’re on the right track.
And lastly, what else is on the horizon for you?
We’ve just released our sophomore album ‘I Never Said 4Ever’ so our album release party we can’t wait for, going on tour across Germany with our friend Bobby Lies, playing more live shows and festivals and then writing new music!