A Chat with Gergely Kalapis (19.03.22)
Influenced by the likes of Oasis, Nirvana and Bryan Adams, singer-songwriter Gergely Kalapis taps into an old-school 90s rock vibe with a contemporary edginess. We speak with him about his latest album Eternal Allies, future plans and how to discover new music.
OSR: A little cliche but something people often want to know. What drew you to music?
Kalapis: Not at all! I guess everyone has a different story but if anything, my answer is probably a bit more of a cliché – my mum played the guitar and she would often play the ‘House of the Rising Sun’ by The Animals, and I thought to myself I really need to learn how to play that song. I then went on to study classical guitar for a couple of years before covering songs by ear and starting to write and record my first songs in our bedroom.
OSR: What does music mean to you?
Kalapis: Briefly put: self-expression. I suppose music has always been my first go-to in any situation in my life, may those be good or bad. Many songs became metaphorical pictures on a wall that take me back to places and make me relive memories, but equally, there are certain songs that instantly make me teary regardless of the mood I am in.
OSR: What inspires you to make music?
Kalapis: Needless to say, my songs are reflections of my soul, consequently, this is my primary form of self-expression. Ultimately, making people relate to the emotions or just the melodies in my songs, and sharing the love and passion I channel into making them is my greatest goal.
OSR: What can you tell us about your new album Eternal Allies?
Kalapis: It captures the very core of where I feel my music taste lies, and this is clearly reflected in the coherent force amongst all the songs featured on the record. Despite the fact that some of them were written in my teenage years, and that they feature smoky blues as well as reggaeton beats, the lyrical universe and the distinctive guitar sound undoubtedly results in a homogeneous, yet exciting collection of songs that do not pretend to be what they are not but still resemble an easily digestible and relatable material.
OSR: If you could change one thing about the album, what would it be and why?
Kalapis: Slightly cheeky question! ? Honestly, I am not a man of regrets and a lot of planning and hard work has gone into making the album, so it’d be really hard to pinpoint anything. Perhaps the one thing I’d change would be putting a lighter tune as the first song as ‘All I Need’ may feel like a cold shower to some listeners who expect the same soft rock from me that they are used to from my previous records.
OSR: What advice do you have for upcoming artists?
Kalapis: As I am one myself, I’d rather quote Bryan Adams here saying “never give up on your dreams.” It certainly paid off for him.
OSR: What do you think is the best way to discover new artists in the 21st century?
Kalapis: There are so many platforms nowadays, even compared to when I started putting more effort in music production and promotion over 10 years ago, that in theory, most people have access to virtually any type of music. On the flip side, this also means you are more likely to spend much more time searching for new, quality music, therefore my preference lies with algorithmic playlists, like the ones you can find on Spotify. Having said that, not all good music reaches Spotify, therefore I also reckon platforms more widely available for artists, such as YouTube can also be considered as a source of treasure.
OSR: Where do you hope to be in five years?
Kalapis: Musically speaking, I aim to achieve as wide of an audience as possible with my music, possibly a few good gigs and a number of new albums under my belt.
OSR: Describe your music in a single sentence.
Kalapis: My music is that guy you meet in a 90s underground rock club that you don’t get why on Earth he’s wearing a suit and tie, but as you engage in conversation you’ll find a true friend in him and, despite his imperfections, you’ll stay in touch for the rest of your lives.
OSR: Do you have future plans as a musician?
Kalapis: Absolutely! I already started working on my next album, which will hopefully be released towards the end of this year, which will be followed by a live album. I also have plans to release an LP with acoustic songs, as well as an EP featuring songs of a very different style from that my audience is used to. This latter will be a surprise and I can’t wait to share it with you all.
Many thanks to Gergely Kalapis for speaking with us. For more from Gergely Kalapis check out his Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
