Andrea- In five short months, Andrea’s music has been streamed over 6 million times on Tik-Tok and over 1.3 million on YouTube. It’s been featured on over 100 radio stations in 25 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Italy, Blogs have called her “Macedonia’s leading indie artist,” and the prestigious UK music blog BlackPlastic premiered her debut song “I Know,” describing it “as a love song that quivers with the excitement of instant attraction
Interview conducted on May 21, 2021
By Dan Locke
Music is Universal. The words Skopje and Macedonia rarely arise when you speak of modern music. In fact, no artist has reached popular success outside the borders of the former Yugoslavia. Andrea is on a different journey than any before her. Her overarching goal is to transform her audience through the power of music — to help them discover who they are. Andrea’s voice touches your soul.
You are from Yugoslavia and spend a year in the United States. What was your early upbringing like?
I actually had a pretty privileged upbringing in the sense that I had the opportunity to see and experience the world at a very young age. I got to experience new cultures and learned from them. My earliest musical memories are from that time abroad, living in Harlem, where music is just part of the atmosphere. These memories help shape the person I am today.
How did you discover music?
In Harlem, I was exposed to RnB, gospel, and soul, and I still love the passion and emotion of those genres and try to infuse some of that into my music. After we returned, I listened to whatever my parents played at home (thankfully they have great taste!). As I got older, I stared researching different styles of music just to see how it made me feel and what kind of music inspires me as an individual. For me, music is about emotion and passion.
How did you start to write music?
As a kid I played around with writing music, but I never thought anything of it because I just thought that everybody did it. But as I got older, I started learning how to play instruments, and I figured out that this was the only way I feel comfortable in expressing myself and showing who I am to people.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I got my first guitar when I was 14 years old with money I saved from my birthday. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. When I got home, I immediately opened up YouTube and started learning basic chords. Of course, I still have my first guitar — it’s my first love, I still play it ‘til this day.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
I’m still saving for the guitar I really want. You will know I’ve made it when I’m strutting around with it! For now, guitar is one of my preferred ways to write music, to play with the words and melodies until everything comes together.
Describe your music.
For me, the root of music is emotion, and for sure, I am still learning and developing emotionally and musically. I’m not sure I have a finished product I would consider my sound yet. So far, I’ve focused on pop music, but have been trying to infuse it with the rawness and power of my vocals. When it comes down to the lyrics, they have to be directly connected to me because if I don’t feel it, I cannot sing it.
Your musical mentor Aleskandar Masevski- (who has worked with people like Daniel Dana, KALY, Sanja Lefkova, Martija Stanojkovikj, Miki I Laura, Andrea Nacicova and Gemini) found you through your Instagram account. What was that phone call like?
Honestly that phone call was weird, I genuinely didn’t expect anything because at the time I didn’t know who he was. But the moment I stepped in the studio and from the conversation we had, I knew that we were meant to be.
Why your first name only. Have you recorded under any other name?
Well, we discussed it and found it’s kind of interesting that I’m coming from a country where you accentuate the name in a different way as you typically would in English, so we decided to go with that. Also, it’s a pretty name, at least I think so. I have never released anything under a different name but maybe I will one day if I want to be mysterious.
What was your first performance at like?
My first performance was very scary. It was at a camp in Germany, I was 14 years old and had never performed in front of an audience before. My whole body was shaking, but when I started singing everything went away and I felt like I was the only one in the room. Even to this day I struggle with performing in front of people because I’m not a person that has a lot of self-confidence. But doing it more lately has proven to me that being on any kind of stage is where I belong.
Royalties never appear like magic. Royalties are only sent to you through work undertaken by a PRO to ensure that their members are getting paid. If you’re not yet signed up to a Performing Right Organization like ASCAP, BMI or SESAC, you may not be receiving all the royalties you deserve.
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
I belong to the PRO, ZAMP, in Macedonia. As of now I don’t belong to any international organization, but I will be very soon.
What makes a good songwriter?
I don’t think there is a definitive answer about what makes a good songwriter. I guess is more about what you’re drawn to. Personally, I like to write and sing about what I’m feeling and what I’m going through. Usually for me the melody comes first, the melody is the core of my emotions then the lyrics help me guide my emotions, so I can better connect with others that are going through the same thing.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The title of my first original song is “I Know.” It’s also the first song I ever recorded in a professional studio with the help of my mentor Aleksandar Masevski. He helps me be a better musician every day.
What is the process of writing your music?
Haha – it depends. I keep a notebook that I write down lyrics in, and sometimes I write them on my phone. I use both guitar and piano to play with the melodies. In studio, Masevski and I work together. We don’t have a particular pattern of how we write music, we just go by what we’re feeling and so far, it hasn’t disappointed us. It’s very important to practice your craft and try to be better at it. Every day is a different experience, a different meaning to what you want to put forward and if you can take something from it, that’s beautiful.
Tell me the making of the video “Talk to Me”? Do you enjoy basketball?
Making the video for “Talk to Me” was very fun. I felt like a true professional with all the different outfits and the different sets. The crew was wonderful as always, we even had cool snacks that I would casually start eating during some scenes because you never know what could end up in the final shot. It’s important to enjoy the process of creating something that you’re passionate about. I enjoy playing basketball a lot actually. I don’t think I’ve ever said this before, but I use to play for my high school team. I’m not mind-blowingly good, but I can handle the ball pretty well. It’s one of my favorite hobbies. We had Amir Smith, who plays for my favorite Macedonian team join us. He’s so incredibly athletic and talented.
For the video “I Don’t Know Your Name” how did you get Vladimir Mitrevski – Gjule to direct it and who was the dancer?
For the filming of the music video for “I Don’t Know Your Name” we interviewed a few directors and chose Vladimir Mitrevski – Gjule because the idea that he had was the one we connected with the most. We got to know each other, the energy was there, and we let the magic happen. I am so grateful that Stefanija Gashtarska had a part in this project because in my eyes she is one of the best ballerinas I’ve ever seen in my life. Experiencing what she did on that stage live was truly am honor. She dances for the Bolshoi in Moscow, so we were lucky she was in Macedonia to help us.
You just released “I Don’t Know Your Name (Summer Mix)”, what is the backstory of the song?
When we recorded this song, I was going through a tough time. And there were so many things I wanted to let out and this song kind of saved me and put me right on track. As I mentioned previously, I don’t do well with talking about how I feel and thankfully I found an outlet that can help me do that in a way that fulfills me in return. Throughout this whole experience I learned that no matter how much you love someone it’s not enough for you to be together when it comes down to your happiness and your mental stability. You have to be selfish and see what’s best for you sometimes because there’s no good in hurting each other. The summer mix was a way to take a dark, sad song and turn it into something more cathartic that you can dance to.
I think one of your strongest songs is “Woody Guthrie”
Thank you! Woody Guthrie was an amazing experience. From discovering a whole new genre of music and an incredible musician and songwriter in Jimmy LaFave to working with the FAME’s Orchestra, which records on hundreds of film and TV productions, was one of the most inspiring moments of my life. The first time I listened to the song I knew that I wanted to sing it and interpret it in my own way. It has such powerful meaning and from the feedback that we received I’m so glad that we did that song justice.
Any plans to release an album this year?
We are working towards it, but there is nothing definitive I could say at this time because we are still deciding the right strategy. There’s no magic formula of how we are supposed to do things so we’re just gonna go with the flow and see what happens.
You are based out of Macedonia (which is now North Macedonia) It must be hard to get people to hear your music?
It’s definitely hard but not impossible. I am very blessed to have a team that works around the clock so we can hopefully make history happen. They believe in me and in what I can be. We’ve come so far since our first release and that just motivates us to work even harder. We our firm believers that if the music is good no matter where you’re from somebody somewhere is going to listen.
Spotify’s ‘Stream On’ event on (February 22), the company confirmed that more than 60,000 new tracks are now being ingested by its platform every single day. This means people are added new tracks uploaded to its platform every 1.4 seconds.
Oh wow…this is news to me. I can only imagine how hard it must be. Much of the industry is a machine for making money. And for me that’s toxic in a lot of ways. So, if you’re not a big artist or making enough money you’ll get pushed aside. I don’t think that’s fair because not everyone can get the help to be pushed to the top.
The figure, announced by Spotify’s co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, means that across the course of this year, approximately 22 million tracks will be added to Spotify’s catalog. Spotify confirmed in November last year that its platform now played host to around 70 million tracks.
Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
But still back at the beginning of the year Spotify deleted 750,000 songs, mostly from independent artists. What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
Well, I think Spotify announced it was for fake streams. The thing is, I don’t know any artist who wants fake streams. We all want our music to be heard by real people. I’m concerned Spotify is punishing the wrong people – the artists – rather than taking action to effectively protect its platform from bots and protect itself, and the artists, from scammers.
Your song (I Know) has been streamed over 4 million times. What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Those numbers are surreal to me. You dream and hope that you can leave a little mark somewhere and slowly but surely, we are on our way. I’m very grateful to the ones that streamed my song because in way that shows me that we’re doing something right and that we should continue down this path. Streaming music nowadays helps a lot with exposure. If more people listen to your music, it’s easier to find yourself in the right place at the right time.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Honestly, I don’t think people realize or even care. Mostly musicians know what that symbol means. That’s a different language that helps us when we write music on a sheet of paper.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Both. If I’m at home I would love to play music on Vinyl because the sound is very sexy and everything about it is just aesthetically pleasing. But if I’m outside or walking somewhere I need to have music on my phone. I’m incapable of going somewhere and not listening to music.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Hmm, it has to be the live performance in ‘91 “All The Man That You Are” by Whitney Houston. Periodically I circle back to this song not so much because of the meaning but the performance as a whole. I would give a lot of things to be in the audience. I’m not even going to speak about her vocals because we all know she is FLAWLESS, inspiration to all vocalists out there. But the big band that plays with her is so amazing that makes the experience so much better. There’s a lot to learn from performances like this because the level of trust they have between them while they play their own part is what makes everything sound tight and beautiful.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I did for a while, but I don’t think it’s going to last. Slowly venues are reopening, festivals are being organized again, so it will take some time but I think everything will go back to its natural order. We can go back to performing in front of a real audience and get the chance to meet and connect with new people.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
Nothing in my life changed drastically. I continued to work out, write music and sing because I want to be ready when the time comes for me to perform. In this industry you have to have self-initiative in order to be better and grow. I kept my mind busy so the time would pass faster. The only thing that I didn’t like was that I couldn’t see my friends. I’m a person that really enjoys staying at home, but this was too much even for me.
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
Thankfully I live in a house, and we have a lot of space where I can be active. My brother and I worked out every day because the reality of the situation was that we couldn’t do anything else, so might as well look good when we get out of lockdown. I stayed on a balanced diet here and there, but my mom cooking dessert all the time didn’t help. But at the end of the day, I stayed positive and that’s what helped me the most.
Tell me about your Brand?
You know it’s a great question because it’s still developing. I believe strongly, however, in staying true to myself. I think there are way too many pressures out there, especially for women, to conform to a certain aesthetic. We are constantly bombarded by unrealistic images of beauty driven by artificial superficiality. I believe in staying physically fit and active and being in nature, so my brand encompasses that. I’d like to inspire young girls and boys to be themselves and understand they are beautiful without all the unrealistic expectations placed on them. Really just get up, be active, learn to love yourself so you can love others, and realize that beauty is on the inside. For any future sponsors, I’d love to have any that embraced this ethos I believe in.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
Actually, yes, I did. I started riding my bike again, and it has really helped me when I want to come down and lose myself in time. Also, it’s very helpful for my cardio. I just ride 40km and call it a day.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I don’t know what to think of this. Everything just gets harder and harder. Social media is there to help you connect with people and to help discover new talent. I think artists will flock to the platforms than enable them to do this.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
If they’re your fans they’re going to stay with you no matter what. But I do think it’s important to continue working and putting out new material because they want to see you grow, they want to be there with you along the way. As for merchandise if you have the resources, you can put effort into creating a really cool design that doesn’t only symbolize your brand but also merchandise that can be worn anywhere.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
I don’t know – it’s a little related to the question about Spotify streams. But certainly, we all need to find effective ways to promote ourselves and find the right audience for our music. Whether the major labels are still paying for songs on the radio, or even for streams, is just not something I have any knowledge about.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
That would be weirdly cool. Imagine if you’re an ultra-fan and you have your favorite artist perform in your room through a holograph…many people will lose their minds but at the same time it’s not like the real thing so hopefully we’ll have real concerts again so we can have the full experience.
In the past if a musician stop doing music, they find a new career. For example, David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
It would probably be something to do with fitness. I really do enjoy working out and being active, being healthy is one of the most important things to me. I recently started kickboxing and found out that I have a natural talent for it, so if my music career doesn’t pick up, I’ll probably be stepping into the ring!
What is your happy place?
My happy place is being anywhere around nature as far as possible from the city. Where I can be alone with my thoughts, where I can clear my mind, where I have my guitar with me so I’ll know I’m safe if a really good idea pops into my head.
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
My team for the longest time tried to get me on TikTok. I was hesitant at first, but now that I started, they can’t stop me. I feel free to say whatever I think on that app, and if I wanna sing a song that I just made up in five minutes, I know that somebody will like it or engage with it. So, it’s like a safe space plus there’s tons of educational videos, comedy videos, cooking videos literally anything you want. But it can be very addicting, so I’m trying to use it a little less these days.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Thanks so much for the interview and for taking the time to get to know my music and me. I really appreciate it, and I hope your audience does as well!
