Your name:
Gijs van Ouwerkerk.
Where are you from?
Enschede, The Netherlands.
Name of band:
Heliophile.
Who else is in your band?
I'm on my own, but Ingmar Kops, Jos Theeuwen and Romain Gros assist me in my live band.
How would you describe yourselves?
Melancholic synthpop with a strong focus on melody and meaningful lyrics.
Who are your main influences musically?
I grew up listening to The Beatles and 80's pop music. But I'm also a heavy rock/metal fan and a band like Paradise Lost are a big influence for melody, mood and lyrics in my music. More recently, my love for synthpop was fueled by German bands like Diorama and De/Vision.
What do you hope to achieve in music?
In my home country we have a chart called the Top 2000 songs of all time. I'm not sure it's realistic, but I'd like to be in that chart! I'm trying to achieve that goal by writing the best possible melodies and lyrics that carry a deeper meaning.
What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
When I put out my first release, the "Nebula" EP (July 2013), I knew very few people in the synthpop scene and had no idea how it would be received. The response was very good, though, and I got acquainted with a very friendly and supportive synth scene. That feeling of being welcomed with open arms was my highlight so far!
And what’s the moment you want to forget?
I've had only great moments so far, but what disappoints me a little about this business is that it is so hard to make some money to compensate for the huge investments.
If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
Probably 'An Exercise in Exorcism', because it's got the vocal harmonies, the unusual lyrics and even a time signature change that is not often found in synthpop.
Where can we listen to it?
Where can we find out more about your music?
Website: http://www.heliophile.nl
Twitter: @Heliophile_NL
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Bandcamp: http://heliophile.bandcamp.com
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/
Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?
I'm working on a new five-song EP to be released in April or May. It's going to be called "Downhill from Here". This is the first time that I've made this title public!
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