Getting to Know… Saisei | Interview 🎤

In the 415^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, Stamatis Zografos provides insight into his band, Saisei.

“We want to create a family. Not between the members of this band only, but with the fans too.” Aww! A Saisei musical family! In response to our first burning question, Stamatis Zografos, founder of Saisei expounds: “We want to build a community where everybody feels that they belong to. Of course, our music plays an important role in that..” Zografos gives us the inside scoop on the band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current, and future musical endeavors in this engaging Q&A. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Saisei: Interview No. 415!

For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes Saisei distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Everyone can create music nowadays. There are so many bedroom musicians that I’ve lost count. What sets Saisei apart is that we want to create a family. Not between the members of this band only, but with the fans too. We want to build a community where everybody feels that they belong to. Of course, our music plays an important role in that. I would describe our music in its essence as metalcore. However, we don’t just stick to that, we bring in elements and influences from genres like emo, pop-punk, EDM, techno, and hyperpop. We create music for every situation, every vibe/emotion, and every circumstance. And if you ask me, that’s what it’s all about, creating emotional connections.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Saisei form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

The band was formed in late 2019, during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to create a group that would symbolize a “second chance”. The suggestion was that collective pasts, regrets, and mistakes, as well as struggles, have shaped not only the members but the fans too, into the individuals they are today, and have therefore transformed in their strengths; a renewal that is continuous and ongoing. And that’s the goal too. Of course, we are working with the mindset to become part of a big scene, sooner or later, but at the end of the day, we are not just creating music. We are building a foundation for a place where everyone can find meaning in and surpass their struggles.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

The main goal is the same. We are working hard day by day to play shows in a foreign country or to tour around Europe, and of course to create our next album. We are like a never-ending machine that creates a new track every day and that’s our strength basically, we have so much music in our libraries that we could release 3 albums.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Whom would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

That’s an easy one. Northlane, Bring Me The Horizon and While She Sleeps are some of my biggest musical influences, every band for a specific reason, but those bands I can say, form my point of view around my creation. For example, Northlane plays a crucial role in the way I use synthesizers and techno-style beats in our music. Of course, I am a big fan of techno and EDM music, however, Northlane taught me how that style could frame metalcore music.

Ah, the fun stuff. What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance? Feel free to be creative.

Oh damn, I’m a little embarrassed about that, but… in one of our first live shows, way before we got our in-ear monitors, I completely messed up my Guitar presets and I played half a song with a crunch/semi-clean tone instead of a distorted tone. I remember recognizing the clean tone in the breakdown of the song, I don’t know why I didn’t figure it out sooner… maybe, because of me madly right-picking, the sound came out crunchy enough, plus the bad monitoring on stage, I really couldn’t hear any difference.

To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

That’s a tough one. Sure, we’ve gone through various variations of the band musically, that represent different eras, however, I really can’t choose my favorite one. You see… we have songs for every situation, not all of our songs are fierce and heavy. There are songs with EDM elements with a party vibe, ballads, heavy ones, etc. I think that I have a favorite song for every circumstance. If I have to choose one though, that’s “Saisei Goes Punk!” feat. Kellin Quinn of Sleeping with Sirens. I chose this track because of the pop-punk element, its energy, and of course because of the feat with Kellin Quinn.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about Saisei? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

I don’t think there’s much else. I’m just a random guy with red flags and studies in the field of Marketing and Communication, working a 9-5 job that happens to play music in a band. I’m not a special snowflake like others, everyone can do what I did, all you need to do is trust yourself.

What is Saisei currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

Ahahahah who doesn’t, a good secret is a good secret although I can’t say much. The only thing I can assure you of is that we are close enough to the release of our first album and of course… we are working on upcoming shows in Europe. If you are a booker and want to work with us, please contact us, we need you!

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

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Getting to Know…Saisei: Interview No. 415 [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Saisei; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]