Today we learn all about Hei’An who recently took on our A-Z challenge!
A song that made you want to make music?
First one ever? “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden, back when I was 7 years old. My taste has evolved a lot since then, but that might just be the song that “started it all” for me.
Best rider you have had?
Not sure I fully understand the question – like a tech rider or a hospitality rider? We do have most of our own equipment and don’t “demand that much” from the promoter, and in terms of hospitality, we are also happy with anything we get, the little gestures honestly mean the most – if we have bottles of water already ready for us on stage at each band member’s position, that’s already a LOT. Hope I answered the question 🙂
Craziest moment in the band?
There have been soooo many so far.. One that comes to mind is when we had a gig in Brno, CZ in a small (but really cool!) club called “Unleaded Coffee”. It was a pretty small gig, but the people were vibing sooo hard, and there was a guy in a wheelchair MOSHING and having the time of his life, he came right in front of the stage a few times and gave us high fives, fist bumps etc.. It was such a surreal, humbling and wholesome moment that I still get emotional when I think about it. Absolutely crazy to have experienced something this “magical” and “pure” at a Hei’An gig.
Deepest lyric one of your songs features?
Oh, I can hardly be a good judge of that since I am the one who wrote all the lyrics so far, or at least 99% of them.. Maybe “Tell me, doesn’t it all feel just a little wrong?” in “Dearest”, talking about how unfair my MS diagnosis and the effect it subsequently had, and could some day potentially have (but hopefully not) on people around me, especially my partner.. It’s a very simple lyric and doesn’t seem like much on its own, but in the context of that specific song and its meaning, it hits hard every time I sing it.
Easiest song you wrote?
It’s funny, cause it’s also our only song that’s ever made it through the Grammy Awards screening process as a single so far, but “noises”. That song came together so naturally and so easily, I had the full outline for the demo fully done in about 30mins, including all the lyrics, melodies etc. Sometimes when inspiration hits, it hits HARD haha.
Favourite song in your set?
I might answer this question differently depending on the day I’m asked it haha, but right now I’d say “What Do You Have to Save?”. It’s a challenging one to sing, but so catchy and cool as well, I love singing it in full.
Guest you’d most like to feature on your record?
This question is also one of those that I answer differently EVERY time I’m asked it, depending on my current vibe, mood and “personal era”.. But right now, I’d say INJI. Would absolutely LOVE to do a Hei’An song with her at some point. Other artists I’ve listed before are Jennie (Blackpink), Skrillex, Jon Hopkins, Oli Sykes (BMTH), Sam Carter (Architects), Post Malone etc.. I am well aware that most of these if not all of these are absolutely out of our reach at this stage, but you never know what happens in the future.
Hardest thing about being in a band?
The constant self-doubt, and constant imposter syndrome when something good happens career-wise. It’s something I constantly need to fight with, but the more I talk to other artists, the more I see that I’m definitely not the only one and it seems to be a fairly common thing.
Interesting fact about one of your members?
I voiced Russel in the Slovenian synchronization of the hit animated movie “Up” (“V višave” in Slovenian). Very few people seem to know that, but you can verify it on Wikipedia and numerous other sources if you like haha 😉
Jokes you have in the band?
Oh wow, there are SO many.. There’s a Finnish phrase that came to be a Hei’An “inside joke” when we briefly hung out with Korpiklaani at 70000 Tons of Metal in 2023. The phrase is “Tämän päivän suomalainen sana on ripuli.” It’s a bit vulgar, but nothing too bad, but I’ll still let the readers translate it on their own if they like 😉
Key to writing a song?
Being willing to let the song take you wherever it naturally needs to go, instead of “forcing” a song to be something it inherently isn’t or even can’t ever be. It sounds pretty “meta” when I say it like that, but I’ve learned it to be one of the MOST important things when writing.
Longest distance you’ve travelled to play a show?
If flights count, then thousands and thousands and thousands of kilometers.. However much it is between Trieste Airport and Miami, and then onto international waters. If only van rides count, then “just” about 1000-ish km (if I only count “single distances” and not a full tour route, of course).
Most inspiring musician you’ve experienced?
You mean experienced live? There have been SO many.. Jon Hopkins comes to mind, Alcest come to mind.. Really recently, I’ve seen A Day To Remember live (for the first time actually!) and was absolutely blown away and incredibly inspired by that show. But yeah, there have been countless instances like that through the years.
New band you’d recommend?
SO many. First that comes to mind is Vianova. Discovered them super recently, they seem to be pretty new.. And they’re AMAZING! 🙂
Opening for this band would be ideal?
Again, SOOOOOOO many.. If I have to pick one.. A huge dream of ours would be opening for Bring Me The Horizon. Hopefully we can get to that point over the years, fingers crossed.
Place you’d most like to tour?
ASIA! There’s still a loooot of places in the EU we need to hit, we haven’t toured the UK yet, we have also yet to do a “proper” US tour, and of course we’d love to tour in Canada, Latin America, Australia etc. as well.. But it’s been a long-time dream of ours to tour South Korea, Japan, China etc., and we are really hoping we can make it happen sooner rather than later!
Quote that you’d like to pass on to our readers?
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will.”
Reason for the title of your forthcoming release?
Every song on our new record kind of addresses a “ghost” (so, past trauma) I’ve had to “kiss goodbye” (so, had to deal with and process in a cathartic and therapeutic way, partly by writing and creating this album), so I’m asking the listener to try and do the same with their own trauma if they can, thus the album title, Kiss Our Ghosts Goodbye.
See us live at?
A bunch of places (TBA) in 2026 and beyond!
The old days of music were better than the current, do you agree?
Yes and no. The fact the market was way less saturated was probably an amazing thing, but I do prefer a lot of more “modern” music in terms of style and sound, while still greatly respecting the “old school” way of doing things. “The truth” probably lies somewhere in the middle, as it does with most things in life.
Unusual merchandise?
Butt plugs! I believe Ghost, and some other bands as well, have those as merch right? Crazy haha, love it!
Variations you’d like to do on one of your songs?
I’d love to make “noises” from our debut album sound more like our new album “Kiss Our Ghosts Goodbye” sounds in terms of production, I think it might fit the song even better. But oh well, what’s done is done, at least we can “upgrade it” while playing it live 😉
What do your fans mean to you?
Everything. It sounds corny, I know, but it’s the truth. Reading words of support online, reading DMs about fans’ personal stories of how our songs touched them and helped them through some very tough situations in their own lives, seeing and hearing the audience scream their hearts out at our shows and seeing how happy that makes them, seeing fans cry at shows when a song touches them so much, talking to fans after a show and seeing first-hand what an emotional impact the gig had on them.. Those are some of the absolute best feelings in the whole wide world. Truly.
X-rays or any treatments needed for band injuries?
Yes, actually! Nothing super serious, but we’re clumsy as hell, so there has been an X-ray or two, resulting from an on-stage or off-stage “mishap”or two – but again, if we’re talking about injuries that were a DIRECT result of “band life” (and NOTHING else, from our personal lives / diagnoses), then it was never anything serious, luckily 😉
You’re late for a show, whose fault is it?
PERO! Peter Smrdel, our bass player. We love him though 😉
Zoo animal that best describes the personality of your band?
Uu, tough one.. Well, we blend so many styles into one and try to evolve ourselves and our sound in so many ways with each release, sooo.. Maybe a chameleon? It can change colors like crazy, but is still a chameleon – the same way that we can do really different stuff sonically, but still sound undeniably Hei’An, so it might actually be a pretty fitting comparison.
Picture credit: Grega Stamenović