Thanks so much to Zisimos for the interview! One Night Suzan was one of the wonderful bands that were part of that wonderful first wave of Greek indiepop in the early and mid 90s. They released just one 7″ on the legendary This Happy Feeling label and appeared on many compilations. Now the band is about to release a retrospective compilation on the Greek label Make Me Happy which no one should miss. If you are not familiar with the band or want to know some more details about them don’t miss out this great interview!
++ Hi Zisimos! Thanks so much for being up for this interview! How are you? What’s going on with One Night Suzan? I hear there is a retrospective in the works? When will it be released?
Hello ! It’s nice talking to you ! Well, there is a compilation LP on the way, with songs recorded between 1990 and 1995. It will be released by Make Me Happy records in May, if everything goes according to plan…
++ Tell me a bit more about it. What will be the title for it? And what songs will be included? Does it include all your recorded output?
The title will be “ONE NIGHT SUZAN : 20-year hangover, a retrospective collection”. “20-year hangover” is actually the title of one of the 11 songs which will be featured on the lp. During the compilation process we tried to find a balance between unreleased tracks and tracks released on CD or cassette compilations, but never before on vinyl…(with the exception of “Is it true ?” because it wouldn’t be a retrospective without at least 1 song from our 7’’single). Some other songs included will be the previously unreleased “In my Dream” (which was one of our favourite opening tracks in our gigs), “No Guts” ( in its original version ), “Billy Liar”, “Reading Weekends” and “Mariaaah” (from 2 very rare Greek CD compilations) and more…plus a surprise cover of a favourite song…There is a lot more recorded stuff, which (who knows?) might be released in the future…
++ And what do you think of this great labour of love by Make Me Happy Records, releasing all these great gems of the Greek indiepop past? What other bands do you think should be rediscovered in the future?
The guys at Make Me Happy are doing a great job ! They’re full of energy and ideas, so they can introduce younger people to the sounds of 90s Greek indie-pop! As for the second part of your question, take a look at the line-up of their brilliant compilation LP “A sparkle from the past” and you’ll have your answer…
++ Of course you were also in The Crooner, and would love to ask you so many questions about that great band so maybe we can do an interview at another time. But I do have a question today, what would you say was the main differences and similarities between One Night Suzan and The Crooner?
I guess the main differences were the way we wrote and produced the songs : The creation of a ONE NIGHT SUZAN song was usually a joint effort, with the collaboration between George Kyriazis (the lead singer of O.N.S.) and myself. For example, I might have some lyrics and he would add the music, or vice versa…Then, the bass and drums were added by Thomas and Dimitris…So, we are talking about a group effort, in which each musician brings his own style and ideas, and the rehearsals are actually a process of “building-up” the songs… On the other hand, the music and lyrics of THE CROONER were mostly composed and written by me . Then I would play them in our home studio to Makis P., who would start proposing ideas about orchestration and rhythms, and then trying out different beats and sounds … in addition to guitars and bass, we used keyboards, computers and even sampling, as well as the female vocals of Eirini and Natasha ! So, the guitar-punk-pop sound of O.N.S. had evolved into a more “open-minded” electronic version of pop, mixing many more styles and elements.
++ Let’s go back in time. What are your first music memories? Do you remember what was your first instrument? How did you learn to play it? What sort of music did you listen at home while growing up?
My father is a pretty good guitar player, so I grew up listening to a lot of acoustic and classic guitar, as well as the Greek and International pop hits that were on the radio during the late 70s/early 80s… However, it was my older cousin who showed me the basic chords and generally taught me how to play “rock” music on the guitar!
++ Was One Night Suzan your first band or had you been in other bands before that? What about the rest of the members? If so, how did all of these bands sound like? Are there any recordings?
I was always interested in playing and writing music. During high- school, my best friend Dimitris Faris and me wrote and recorded our own songs In his parents’ flat, using primitive (but very creative) recording methods. Then we would sell these cassettes to our classmates !! At this point we called ourselves “THE TURN”, and some of the songs we recorded still sound amazing… Then, during the tenth or eleventh grade, I think, another classmate joined us. He played the bass, and he would eventually become the bass player of O.N.S. (Dimitris Kostandellos) a few years later…As a trio, I still remember playing live cover versions of some Fall and Cure songs at a school concert. Then at university I joined a short lived band, until I met George Kyriazis at a lecture…and we started hanging out together, especially after realizing we were born on exactly the same day and we both played the guitar!!This was the beginning of O.N.S.
++ Where were you from originally, Athens? How was your city at the time? Were there any bands that you liked? What were the good record stores? Or what about the pubs or venues to go check out up and coming bands?
Yes, I was born and raised in Athens. The city was really chaotic when I was in my early teens, and the majority of the people were more interested in politics than anything else…There were only 2 TV channels, and very few radio stations, promoting bad quality Greek music. As for the young people, the majority listened to classic rock or danced to dance hits in discos… the only Greek bands I liked were “dark wave” bands, like Yell-o-Yell and Metro Decay (there was a cult indie record label called CREEP who fortunately released singles from such bands) but of course they were completely underground. They used to play in clubs like Pegasus or Mousiki Apothiki, but I was too young to go to these places very often…(Greek parents were very strict in those days about going out on school nights or coming home after midnight…) The best record stores were Happening, Jazz Rock and some others, but the imported records were quite expensive in Greece until the late 80’s. That’s when more specialized record stores started opening (like the legendary Pilgrim Records) , bringing more copies of stuff we wanted, and therefore at lower prices …
++ When and how did the band start? How did you all meet? How was the recruiting process?
As I have already mentioned, the start of the band was when I met George at university. We started playing and composing songs with our acoustic guitars at George’s place…Then we recruited my old school friend and bass player Dimitris K. and another friend introduced us to Thomas Peppas, our drummer.
++ What’s the story behind the name One Night Suzan?
A university professor was giving a lecture about Pop Art and Andy Warhol…one of the stars in his movies was called One-Eyed Suzan, but George and I misheard it, and thought it was One-Night Suzan…then we realized that this name could have many more meanings and interpretations (for instance, it could be the beginning of a short story : One night, Suzan…). Plus we liked the sound of it, so we kept it !
++ How was the creative process for you? Where did you usually practice?
As I’ve already said, the songs were conceived in our rooms, on our acoustic guitars. Then we showed the songs and explained our ideas to Dimitris and Thomas at the studio where we used to rehearse (Backstage studios). Dimitris came up with a bassline, Thomas proposed some beat, and we gradually built up the rhythm and the structure of the songs…
++ And did you ever thought about writing songs in Greek for the band?
Never ! After all, both me and George studied English literature, and we loved English and American novels and music…
++ You were around at a time in Greece where there was a small but very creative scene of pop bands. Why do you think that happened at that time? Did you feel part of a scene?
There were already a couple of fanzines that raved about stuff like C86, or the Smiths, and tried to make the British indie music scene popular in Greece. When we started playing, these fanzines embraced us as the first Greek band who played something similar to their British “heroes”…and month after month, more similar bands emerged. So a pop scene started to build up.
++ And who would you say were influences in the sound of the band?
The Velvet Underground, The Smiths, The Cure, The Buzzcocks (we used to play ‘Love you more’ in many gigs) ,The Go-Betweens, Pale Fountains (probably the reason why we used trumpet on ‘UNTIL’), Television Personalities, The Jesus and Mary Chain, R.E.M., C86, Creation records (our favourite record label ), Sarah Records …and many more!!
++ Your one and only release was a 7″ on the wonderful This Happy Feeling label. How did you end up releasing with them? How was your relationship with the label? And how come there were no more releases? “Don’t Let Them Kill Our Taste…” was the title of the 7″? Tell me about it? I think you actually had a song that doesn’t appear on the 7″ with that name, right?
THIS HAPPY FEELING was, in way, the evolution of INNOCENT LABEL, a cassette-only label which was set up by Dimitris Emannouil and Vasilis Kollias (the creators of “In those days” fanzine), Christos Lalios (who had “Little Charmer” fanzine) and myself. That’s the label that released Suzan’s ‘Autumn Falls’, a 6-Track tape (our first “proper” release) in 1992. When this short lived label ceased operating, me and Christos joined forces with Makis P. (from Next Time Passions and, later, the Crooner ) and decided to make a label releasing 7’’ singles by our bands and other Greek pop bands that were gradually emerging…Christos was actually a brilliant graphic designer, so he was in charge of the artwork, while Makis and myself were responsible for the music part…”Don’t let them kill our taste” was a garage-pop song from the ‘Autumn Falls’ cassette, and, although it wasn’t as strong as the 3 songs of the single, we liked the message of the title, so we named the 7’’ after it.
++ The songs on your 7″ were recorded at Praxis and Backstage Studio. Why did you use two different ones? How were these recording sessions? Who did you work there with?
‘UNTIL’ was recorded in the studio where we rehearsed, and was also included in ‘Autumn Falls”, so it was recorded in 1991-2…When we decided to release the 7’’ with THIS HAPPY FEELING ( which was in 1993-4 )we decided we should include some newer recordings, so we recorded “IS IT TRUE “ and re-recorded “POSTCARDS” at Praxis studio. This was a better recording studio, where the sound engineer was a friend (and now famous electronic music producer) called Coti K. Also, these 2 songs feature another drummer, Petros , because our original drummer had been drafted in the air-force and was away for a year or so…
++ And do tell me about the rice paper insert that came with the 7″? What’s the story behind using that material?
I really don’t know! You have to ask Christos…
++ Even though you released one 7″ you did appear on many many compilations all around the world, Germany, Spain, the US, the UK… how did you end up appearing on them? Did you send tapes to these labels? Or did they contact you? How did it work back in the day, pre- email days?
The fanzines I told you about had many contacts with other fanzines and small record labels around the globe…they often exchanged tapes, so that’s how we became known overseas…then we used to trade 7’’ singles with some of these labels…so it was more like a form of exchanging music rather than sending demos…
++ The first appearance I notice was one from 1989, a tape called “ΑΝ- εξάρτητη Rock Σκηνή”. At that time your name was One-Night Suzan, with a dash, and I believe the songs were recorded at a club called AN? Care telling me a bit about this rare tape?
This cassette was a compilation of recordings from different bands and concerts at AN club (AN means “if” in Greek), which was the main live venue for underground rock bands in Athens….This was the place where we later gave most of our gigs, and organized a lot of pop parties…As for the “dash”, as I told you before, we realized that without it the name of the band could have more “ interprerations”…but the guys who released this tape obviously didn’t know about it !
++ One last question about compilations, there was a compilation called “Weapons of Happiness” where you appear with the song Die in Wonder. This was released by a Greek label called The World of Suzie Wong. I must say I know nothing about this label so I was hoping you could tell me who were they?
“The World of Suzie Wong” was another Greek fanzine, which was run by a good friend, Pierre Kosmidis. It operated between 1994-1995, if I remember well, and of course it supported Greek indie music and organized a couple of successful pop parties. They also released this compilation.
++ It is hard for me to pick a favourite song but I really like “No Guts”, was wondering if you could tell me the story behind this song?
It’s one of my favourites, too. The lyrics expressed perfectly my ideas about life at that time ( I could describe them as ‘post-teenage existentialism” or something like that !!) and I think the rhythm and music is a perfect blend of noisy pop and new wave…BTW, the forthcoming compilation will include all the lyrics, because they are such an essential part of our music…So you will be able to read them and see exactly what this song is about.
++ If you were to choose your favourite One Night Suzan song, which one would that be and why?
Sorry, I can’t make a choice. But most of them are included in the compilation by Make Me Happy !
++ What about gigs? Did you play many? All over Greece? And what were the best gigs you remember? Any anecdotes you can share?
Well, we played a lot of gigs, not too many though, because we also had to work or study at the same time…Most of them were in Athens, but also in other cities like Patras or Thessaloniki…One of the best was a gig organized by some pop fans in a remote village on a mountainous area on the island of Evia. It was literally a pop trip! Many fans and band members came by train or bus…some stayed in tents near a river…the venue where we played was a local bar built on the edge of a cliff, with an amazing view of the mountains…the bands that played were ONE NIGHT SUZAN , NEXT TIME PASSIONS and GROOVE MACHINE…it was an awesome experience !! Another unforgettable night was playing as a support band for the British band THE HEARTHROBS in RODON club, which was the best live venue in Athens, where we had seen so many of our UK and USA “heroes” performing the previous years…and here we were, playing live on that stage!!. We would return to the stage of RODON club 5 years later, at one of our last gigs, supporting THE DIVINE COMEDY …
++ And were there any bad ones?
The worst was during a gig in the city of Chalkida, where a small but loud part of the audience started insulting us and throwing some empty bottles, demanding that we should play HARDER, like MEN, and not “stupid pop music”. We got angry, there were arguments , and I think we finally told them to fuck off and left the stage.
++ When and why did One Night Suzan stop making music? Were you involved in any other bands afterwards?
As you know, during 1992-3 I started recording some solo stuff as THE CROONER, because I was slowly getting into other kinds of music, like bossa, jazz and soul…and after 1995, when I teamed up with Makis P., I got involved more with electronic and lounge music. So, I was gradually giving my attention to the Crooner project, as it felt more relevant to what I really liked at the time, and the music was generally evolving to a different direction…So, by 1997 there was no time for rehearsals and work with O.N.S., as I had so many things going on with THE CROONER and our more electronic side-project, HYPLAR…plus recordings for Elephant Records and Siesta Records with other side- projects, and more…
++ What about the rest of the band, had they been in other bands afterwards?
Dimitris has been the bass player for our good old band mates, NEXT TIME PASSIONS !! He’s been playing with them for the last 7 or 8 years , maybe more!
++ Has there ever been a reunion? Or talks of playing again together?
We are not the “re-union” types, if you know what I mean…but ,on the other hand, “never say never”…
++ Did you get much attention from the radio? What about the press? Did they give you any attention? Fanzines?
As you have guessed by now, only the fanzines paid attention to our “scene”…there were also a couple of radio shows, but nothing organized…as for the music press (actually, we’re talking about 3 magazines…) they promoted mostly Greek- speaking pop and rock music…there was no free press at the time, which helped a lot the underground bands, but this was after 2000…
++ Looking back in retrospect, what would you say was the biggest highlight for the band?
I really can’t answer that. But the first time I held OUR 7’’ single in my hands, it was a childhood dream come true for me !!
++ Aside from music, what other hobbies do you have?
Watching movies, reading literature and travelling.
++ I’ve never been to Athens, but I am dying to go, so I will take advantage ask a local for some recommendations! What are the sights one shouldn’t miss? Or the traditional food or drinks that you love that I should try?
Obviously, you should visit the Parthenon and The Acropolis Museum…and don’t miss out on walking around the areas of Monastiraki, Plaka and Psyrri, they’re full of surprises, great bars, hip shops and restaurants, and you’ll see a mix of the traditional and the modern. If it’s summer, you could also visit some nearby beaches, they’re not bad! As for food and drink, try to eat at small tapas restaurants (called OUZERI in Greek), where you’ll taste a large variety of delicious dishes, and drink TSIPOURO or RAKI, which are much better than the more “famous” OUZO…
++ Anything else you’d like to add?
No, it’s been a pleasure.!
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Listen
One Night Suzan – No Guts
