Q: “Crazy Double Life” encapsulates the vibrant sound of the 80s with a modern twist and thought-provoking lyrics. Walk us through your writing and production process in making this song.
DIFFERENT DNA: The whole album was written as a kind of our tribute to the 80s as we consider that decade as one of the most prolific not only in pop-culture but also in fashion, design and other spheres.
While creating the song the idea was about a super agent leaving his double life. James Bond story if you wish. But when the song was recorded, it appeared that it could also be a story of ordinary people who lived their double lives and suffered of it. Which is absolutely common nowadays.
Q: What was the inspiration behind the music video for “Crazy Double Life” and what was your favorite moment in making it?
DIFFERENT DNA: The video was created to open further the idea of the duality of life.
Crazy Double Life is a title song of our album and the song itself has a strong identity both in music and in lyrics. It tells us a story.
As already said the concept of double life was born from the very beginning but I realized that it would be great to use the alcoholic anonymous gathering concept with faces of participants hidden under the masks in the video. I don’t want to spoil more. We decided that it would be a good idea to film it this way. You can watch it now on YouTube.
My favorite moment? It’s difficult to choose one. I would underline the whole process, the fact that it was filmed during the lockdown but nevertheless we enjoy it a lot!
Q: What’s the story behind your project’s name, Different DNA?
DIFFERENT DNA: One night I had a dream and I saw 3 neon letters on the back of a huge stage. They were DNA. In the morning I called our songwriter and we decided that it had been a sign. As the DNA name was already taken we had to choose something different. Different DNA!😉
Q: As a group, how did you settle on Different DNA’s sound?
DIFFERENT DNA: It was not too difficult for us as we had an idea to combine the legendary 80’s vibe of Thompson Twins, Pet Shop Boys, A-HA with a modern sound that can remind you of works of The Weeknd, Timberlake, Hurts etc. Songs written by Boris Kotelskiy (music/lyrics) and Caroline Scott (lyrics) are simultaneously timeless yet so strangely timely. And of course we have to thank super talented and professional Misha Tebenkov for music production. We consider him as the fourth and a very important element of the project.
Q: How did you overcome the challenges of living in different countries while creating an album? What did you learn from the experience?
DIFFERENT DNA: It’s a funny story. Boris was looking for a singer for a while and once his colleague told him about me. Living in Milano (Italy) he sent me a message with a Crazy Double Life demo and I immediately understood it was something! Then we made a test and realized that music and my voice was a perfect match.
Boris, Caroline and I are all coming from different parts of the continent and we only met for the first time offline after our songs were almost finished. We learned that talking about music or art your geotag doesn’t really matter. The only important thing is chemistry.
Q: What is your favorite song from the album and why?
DIFFERENT DNA: I am so in love with our songs that I constantly change my mind. It is always a song that I am currently listening to.
Interviewed by Brynn Hinnant
